Apparatus, method and computer program for rendering virtual reality audio

Abstract

There is provided an apparatus for rendering an audio scene to be consumed by a listener in a physical space, the apparatus comprising means configured to: obtain at least one information to render an audio scene with at least one audio signal in accordance with the at least one information; obtaining playback area information including information about an area within the physical space within which a listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information including at least one of: a geometry; a position; performing orientation; and a coordinate system; generating an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the play area information; and obtaining rendering control parameters based on the play area information, where the rendering control parameters are configured to update audio rendering.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an apparatus, method, and computer program for rendering virtual reality audio. The rendering of virtual reality audio can be used for user-accessible area-aware rendering of virtual reality audio signals. The present application relates to, but is not limited to, an apparatus, method, and computer program for user-accessible area-aware rendering of 6-degree-of-freedom virtual reality audio signals. Background Art

[0002] Virtual reality (VR) applications (and other similar virtual scene creation applications such as mixed reality (MR)) where a virtual scene is presented to a user wearing a head mounted device (HMD) have become increasingly complex and sophisticated over time. The application may include data including visual components (or overlays) and audio components (or overlays) that are presented to the user. These components may be provided to the user based on the user's position and orientation (for 6 degrees of freedom applications) in an augmented reality (AR) scene.

[0003] The scene information used to render a VR scene typically includes two parts. One part is the virtual scene information that can be described during content creation (or by a suitable capture device or device) and represents the captured (or initially generated) scene. The virtual scene can be provided in the encoder input format (EIF) data format. The encoder uses EIF and (captured or generated) audio data to generate scene descriptions and spatial audio metadata (and audio signals), which can be delivered to a rendering (playback) device or apparatus via a bitstream. EIF is described in the MPEG-I 6DoF Audio Encoder Input Format document (N0054), which was developed for the Request for Proposals (CfP) for MPEG-I 6DoF Audio in ISO / IEC JTC1 SC29 WG6 MPEG Audio Coding. The implementation is mainly described according to this specification, but other scene description formats that can be provided or used by scene / content creators may also be used.

[0004] According to EIF, the encoder input data contains information describing the MPEG-I 6DoF audio scene. This covers all the contents of the virtual auditory scene, that is, all its sound sources and resource data, such as audio waveforms, source radiation patterns, information about the acoustic environment, etc. Therefore, the content can contain audio generation elements / elements (such as objects, channels, and high-order panoramic surround sound (Ambisonics) and its metadata, such as position and orientation and source directivity patterns) and non-audio generation elements / elements (such as acoustically related scene geometry and material properties). The input data also allows the description of changes in the scene. These changes (referred to as updates) can occur at different times, allowing the scene to be animated (e.g., moving objects). Alternatively, they can be manually triggered or dynamically updated by conditional triggers (e.g., listeners enter proximity) or from external entities.

[0005] The second part of VR audio scene rendering is related to the physical listening space of the listener (or end user). The scene or listener space information can be obtained during rendering (when the listener is consuming the content).

[0006] So, for example, Figures 1 to 4 A conventional virtual reality (VR) configuration is shown in operation.

[0007] For example, Figure 1 A typical VR setup for a user is shown. The user has set up their VR system in a room 101. The setup process may include placing VR beacons 105 115 in the corners of the room 101 (for tracking purposes) and defining a play area 103 for the VR system. In this example, the play area 103 has been defined by the user so that no furniture (such as a chair 109) within the play area 103 will collide with.

[0008] Figure 2 Schematically illustrates an example view of the area when the generated VR content is being consumed by a user 201. It can be seen that in this example, the VR scene 203 being consumed is larger than the playback area 103 defined within the room 101. Therefore, if fully immersed in the scene, the user 201 may walk through the playback area 103 and collide with a wall or a chair 109, for example.

[0009] Figure 3 The solution to the problem of collision outside the play area currently implemented is shown. In this system, when the user 201 approaches the boundary of the play area 103 in the room 101, a grid (grid) 301 indicating the boundary of the play area 103 is displayed to them, so that the user can stay within the play area 103 and avoid collisions with the walls of the room 101 or furniture outside the play area 103 (such as a chair 109).

[0010] Figure 4 A currently implemented teleport operation is shown, which shows a user 201 who is near the boundary of the play area 103 within the room 101, but is about to move outside the boundary of the play area 103, being teleported 400 to a new play area, so that the "teleported" room 401 has the teleported play area 403 boundary and the teleported chair 409. In other words, when teleporting within the play area, the play area also moves. The real world position of the user or listener does not change during the teleport, but their position in the VR scene does. This is true for both teleporting outside the play area and teleporting within the play area.

[0011] However, the audio renderer needs to know more about the user or listener's VR playback area and adapt to the playback area geometry. For example, to overcome Figure 3 A potential problem with the system in , where the user may be facing a direction other than the one they are walking in and they do not see / notice the grid. Therefore, the rendered audio can be used to inform the user of the above situation. Summary of the invention

[0012] According to one aspect, a device for rendering an audio scene to be consumed by a listener in a physical space is provided, the device comprising components configured to perform the following operations: obtain at least one information to render the audio scene using at least one audio signal based on the at least one information; obtain playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: geometry; position; orientation; and a coordinate system; generate an audio rendering using at least one audio signal based on the playback area information; and obtain rendering control parameters based on the playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering.

[0013] In an example, the component is further configured to determine a playback area movement, wherein the playback area movement defines a translation operation of the listener together with the playback area within the audio scene.

[0014] In an example, the component is further configured to update the playback area information relative to the audio scene when the playback area has been determined to be moved, so as to generate the audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the updated playback area information.

[0015] In an example, the component is further configured to: obtain another rendering control parameter based on the updated playback area information, wherein the another rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

[0016] In an example, the component is further configured to generate at least one output audio signal by using an audio rendering of the at least one audio signal, the audio rendering being based on the rendering control parameters.

[0017] In an example, the component is further configured to obtain a listener position, wherein the component configured to obtain a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information is further configured to obtain the rendering control parameter based on the listener position.

[0018] In an example, the component configured to obtain at least one information for rendering an audio scene with at least one audio signal based on the at least one information is configured to obtain information defining a user-reachable area indicating a portion of the scene that a listener can experience.

[0019] In an example, the component configured to obtain the playback area information is further configured to determine a user accessible area defining an intersection of a user reachable area and an area within the physical space defined in the playback area information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0020] In an example, the component configured to obtain updated playback area information is further configured to: determine a user accessible area that defines an intersection of a user-reachable area and an area within the physical space defined in the updated playback area information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0021] In the example, a component configured to obtain rendering control parameters based on playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering is configured to perform at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter regarding an acoustic element within a user-accessible area; obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element within the user-accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user-accessible area; and obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element outside the user-accessible area.

[0022] In an example, a component configured to obtain rendering control parameters based on playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering is configured to perform at least one of the following: obtaining rendering control parameters for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside a user-accessible area so that they are less prominent in direction; obtaining rendering control parameters for providing a higher direct to reverberation energy ratio; obtaining rendering control parameters for providing increased distance attenuation; and obtaining rendering control parameters for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user-accessible area.

[0023] According to one aspect, a device is provided, comprising: one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the device to perform: obtaining at least one information to render an audio scene using at least one audio signal based on the at least one information; obtaining playback area information, the playback area information including information about an area within a physical space in which a listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information including at least one of the following: a geometric shape; a position; an orientation; and a coordinate system; generating an audio rendering using at least one audio signal based on the playback area information; and obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

[0024] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: determining a playback area movement, wherein the playback area movement defines a translation operation of the listener and the playback area together within the audio scene.

[0025] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: when the playback area has been determined to be moved, updating the playback area information relative to the audio scene, so as to generate an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the updated playback area information.

[0026] In an example, the apparatus is caused to execute: obtaining another rendering control parameter based on the updated playback area information, wherein the another rendering control parameter is configured to update audio rendering.

[0027] In an example, the apparatus is caused to perform: generating at least one output audio signal by using an audio rendering of the at least one audio signal, the audio rendering being based on the rendering control parameters.

[0028] In an example, the device is caused to execute: obtaining a listener position, wherein obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information includes: obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the listener position.

[0029] In an example, obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information comprises obtaining information defining a user-reachable area indicating a portion of the scene that a listener can experience.

[0030] In an example, obtaining the play zone information includes determining a user accessible area that defines an intersection of a user-reachable area and an area within the physical space defined within the play zone information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0031] In an example, obtaining updated play zone information is further configured to determine a user accessible area defining an intersection of a user-reachable area and an area within the physical space defined within the updated play zone information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0032] In an example, based on playback area information, rendering control parameters are obtained, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update audio rendering including at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter regarding an acoustic element within a user-accessible area; obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element within the user-accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user-accessible area; and obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element outside the user-accessible area.

[0033] In an example, based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering to include at least one of: obtaining a rendering control parameter for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside a user accessible area so that they are not prominent in direction; obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing a higher direct to reverberation energy ratio; obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing increased distance attenuation; and obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user accessible area.

[0034] According to one aspect, a method for rendering an audio scene to be consumed by a listener in a physical space is provided, the method comprising: obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene using at least one audio signal based on the at least one information; obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of: a geometric shape; a position; an orientation; and a coordinate system; generating an audio rendering using at least one audio signal based on the playback area information; and obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

[0035] In an example, the method comprises determining a playback area movement, wherein the playback area movement defines a panning operation of the listener together with the playback area within the audio scene.

[0036] In an example, the method comprises updating the playback area information relative to the audio scene when the playback area has been determined to be moved, so as to generate the audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the updated playback area information.

[0037] In an example, the method includes: obtaining another rendering control parameter based on the updated playback area information, wherein the another rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

[0038] In an example, the method comprises generating at least one output audio signal by using an audio rendering of at least one audio signal, the audio rendering being based on a rendering control parameter.

[0039] In an example, the method includes: obtaining a listener position, wherein obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information includes: obtaining a rendering control parameter based on the listener position.

[0040] In an example, obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information comprises obtaining information defining a user-reachable area indicating a portion of the scene that a listener can experience.

[0041] In an example, obtaining the play zone information includes determining a user accessible area that defines an intersection of a user-reachable area and an area within the physical space defined within the play zone information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0042] In an example, obtaining updated play zone information is further configured to determine a user accessible area defining an intersection of a user-reachable area and an area within the physical space defined within the updated play zone information within which a listener is allowed to physically move.

[0043] In an example, based on playback area information, rendering control parameters are obtained, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update audio rendering including at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter regarding an acoustic element within a user-accessible area; obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element within the user-accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user-accessible area; and obtaining rendering control parameters regarding an acoustic element outside the user-accessible area.

[0044] In an example, based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering to include at least one of: obtaining a rendering control parameter for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside a user accessible area so that they are not prominent in direction; obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing a higher direct to reverberation energy ratio; obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing increased distance attenuation; and obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user accessible area.

[0045] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on one or more processors, perform: obtaining at least one information to render an audio scene using at least one audio signal based on the at least one information; obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within a physical space within which a listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of: a geometric shape; a position; an orientation; and a coordinate system; generating an audio rendering using at least one audio signal based on the playback area information; and obtaining rendering control parameters based on the playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering.

[0046] According to one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided, comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the following operations: obtain at least one information to render an audio scene using at least one audio signal based on the at least one information; obtain playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within a physical space within which a listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: a geometric shape; a position; an orientation; and a coordinate system; generate an audio rendering using at least one audio signal based on the playback area information; and obtain a rendering control parameter based on the playback area information, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

[0047] A computer program includes program instructions for causing a computer to execute the method described above.

[0048] A computer program product stored on a medium may cause an apparatus to perform the method described herein.

[0049] An electronic device may include an apparatus as described herein.

[0050] A chipset may include the apparatus as described herein.

[0051] The embodiments of the present application are intended to solve the problems associated with the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] For a better understanding of the present application, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0053] Figure 1 Schematically illustrates a suitable VR setup in which the device system may implement some embodiments;

[0054] Figure 2 Schematically shows how a user consumes VR content Figure 1 VR setup shown in ;

[0055] Figure 3 Schematically illustrates how the user is consuming VR content and is near the playback boundary that defines the playback area. Figure 1 and Figure 2 VR setup shown in ;

[0056] Figure 4 Schematically shows how the user performs a teleport to move outside the playback area. Figure 3 VR setup shown in ;

[0057] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an apparatus system configured to enable rendering adaptation;

[0058] Figure 6 Schematically showing that Figure 5 A flowchart of rendering adaptation within the device shown in;

[0059] Figure 7 shows an example play area grid definition;

[0060] Figure 8 schematically illustrates another apparatus system configured to enable rendering adaptation;

[0061] Fig. 9 Schematically showing that Figure 8 A flowchart of rendering adaptation within the device shown in;

[0062] Fig.10a An example showing how the playback area position, listener position, and user reachable area are incorporated into the renderer's scene representation;

[0063] Fig.10b showing an updated play area in the scene during the transfer;

[0064] Fig.11 shows an example user-allowed area configured by the overlap of a play area and a scene or user response area;

[0065] Fig.12 Shown relative to Fig.11 The user's location in the area shown in ;

[0066] Fig.13 illustrates an example apparatus system suitable for implementing some embodiments; and

[0067] Fig.14 An exemplary device suitable for implementing the illustrated means is schematically illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] Suitable apparatus and possible mechanisms for enabling an audio renderer within a VR system, and in particular an MPEG-I audio renderer, to adjust audio rendering based on the playback area geometry or the user's position relative to the playback area geometry are described in further detail below.

[0069] As discussed above, currently, MPEG-I audio renderers are not aware of the listener's VR playback area. Therefore, MPEG-I audio renderers cannot adjust audio rendering based on the playback area geometry or the user's position relative to the playback area geometry.

[0070] So, for example, currently, the audio renderer cannot pause audio playback when the listener moves outside of the playback area. This is a problem for the listener because if the user does not notice that they are outside of the playback area, then they may accidentally move outside of the area and bump into a wall / furniture. The audio pause may, for example, be used as an indication to the listener that they are outside of the area and any further movement may result in a collision. Alternatively, in some embodiments, a warning sound may be rendered / presented when the user moves outside of the playback area.

[0071] Furthermore, currently, audio renderers cannot adjust their rendering based on whether audio elements (such as sound sources) are inside or outside the listener's VR playback area. Additionally, currently, renderers cannot be enabled to utilize playback area information for rendering optimization. For example, there is a possible processing improvement in which the renderer can be configured to simplify directional rendering for objects outside the playback area.

[0072] In current systems, the VR rendering system as a whole and the 6DoF VR audio renderer in particular are unaware of any differences or mismatches between the User Reachable Region (URR) (which is part of the scene description or content bitstream) and the playback area (which is known in the VR setting), which may depend on physical space constraints or VR playback infrastructure constraints. For example, there may be an area that may be accessible in the physical playback area but not in the User Reachable Region (URR) of the virtual scene. This undefined area may require specific audio rendering processing depending on the audio scene, and some embodiments have addressed this issue.

[0073] In the following examples, embodiments are described from the perspective of an MPEG-I immersive audio system, it being understood that, with some further non-inventive variations, these embodiments may be used in similar 6DoF rendering systems.

[0074] Thus, according to some embodiments, the concept enables a renderer to receive and process appropriate playback area information and perform rendering based on the playback area.

[0075] Thus, in some embodiments, a play area aware six degrees of freedom virtual reality audio rendering apparatus may be used, wherein the play area geometry, position, and coordinate system information may be received by a VR audio renderer, and the play area information is implemented as part of the renderer scene state information. In such embodiments, this enables the renderer to control the rendering based on the listener position in the play area.

[0076] In some embodiments, the method implemented by such an apparatus may include the following operations:

[0077] receiving audio scene metadata and audio;

[0078] During initialization, the playback area information, geometry, position, orientation, and coordinate system are received at the renderer;

[0079] After each transfer, the playback area position is updated relative to the scene coordinates;

[0080] Get listener position;

[0081] Obtaining at least one parameter related to the playback area information;

[0082] Determine the need to control audio rendering;

[0083] obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter; and

[0084] Update the audio rendering according to the rendering modification parameters.

[0085] In some embodiments, the playback area information is provided by the VR system to the audio renderer through an interface provided by the audio renderer. In addition, in some embodiments, the playback area information also includes a description of the geometry of the playback area and the position and orientation in scene coordinates. The initial position and orientation of the geometry can be provided in the initialization phase. If the playback area changes, for example due to listener transmissions, the shape, position, and orientation of the playback area can be updated to the renderer through the same interface in some embodiments. In addition, the playback area information as described herein can be added to the scene state of the audio renderer.

[0086] In such an embodiment, when the listener moves outside the playback area, the audio rendering is adjusted by the audio renderer based on the listener's position relative to the playback area shape, orientation, and position in the scene by reducing the gain of or muting the audio elements.

[0087] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the concept may be to generate and provide user accessible region (UAR) information based on the obtained playback region information and user reachable region (URR) information, and render an audio signal based on the user accessible region information.

[0088] In such embodiments, an apparatus and method configured to render an audio signal may be provided that is playback area aware and six degrees of freedom virtual reality, wherein user accessible region (UAR) information is created based on playback area geometry (which is received and incorporated into the scene state) and user reachable region (URR) information defined in a bitstream.

[0089] Generating user accessible area information enables the renderer to control rendering based on the listener position relative to the user accessible area (UAR). In some embodiments, this UAR-based rendering control method can be implemented by the following operations:

[0090] receiving audio scene metadata and audio;

[0091] During initialization, receiving the play area information, geometry, position, orientation and coordinate system at the renderer (and optionally updating the play area position relative to the scene coordinates after each transmission);

[0092] Get the user reachable region URR (a region defined in the bitstream that indicates the part of the scene that the user can experience) information;

[0093] Determine the user accessible area UAR (the area of ​​the scene that the user can currently experience (i.e., without transmission)) information;

[0094] Obtaining listener location information;

[0095] Obtaining at least one parameter associated with audio rendering control in the UAR;

[0096] Determine the need to control audio rendering;

[0097] obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter associated with an audio rendering control; and

[0098] In response to determining that the audio rendering in the UAR needs to be controlled, the audio rendering is updated according to the rendering modification parameters.

[0099] In some embodiments, as an alternative or in addition to the above, audio rendering can be adjusted or controlled by the audio renderer based on the position of the audio element / element in the scene relative to the playback area position or UAR. For example, one of the following effects can be used to render audio elements / element that fall outside the playback area or UAR:

[0100] Lower the direct sound to reverb ratio to make them less prominent in the direction or higher DDR values. This will drown the audio source in the diffuse late reverb;

[0101] Increase distance attenuation;

[0102] Based on a proximity threshold to the playback area border, the audio source is switched on or off (e.g., the audio sources are divided into two groups, inside the playback area and outside the playback area). This example is different from the basic proximity condition because in this case, the condition applies to the playback area instead of a predefined area in the audio scene.

[0103] In some embodiments, the VR playback area information includes a grid describing the geometry of the playback area. The grid can be described in a manner similar to that described in the MPEG-I Audio Encoder Input Format (EIF).

[0104] In some further embodiments, information for controlling adjustments to the audio rendering based on the playback area geometry relative to the user, the UAR, and the 6DoF scene may be obtained from the MPEG-I Audio 6DoF metadata (delivered in the MPEG-I Audio 6DoF bitstream).

[0105] In the following disclosure, a user reachable region (URR) may be defined as information created by a content creator that informs a renderer of the portion of a scene that is reachable by a listener. It is received by the renderer from a bitstream. The region may be defined as a grid or a geometric primitive (box / frame, sphere, etc.). In some embodiments, this information may be specified in an encoder input format (EIF).

[0106] A User Accessible Region (UAR) may be defined based on the Playback Region and the URR. The UAR may be defined, for example, as the intersection of the Playback Region and the URR.

[0107] Furthermore, a play zone can be defined as an area in the user's consumption space that a user can use to consume immersive content. This is particularly important for immersive content consumption with six degrees of freedom. The play zone can depend on the playback device. For example, some VR systems have a specific play zone where the position and orientation of the user's HMD (head mounted display / device) can be tracked. In contrast, in some other systems, the play zone may be less constrained or even unconstrained in some cases.

[0108] So, for example, Fig.11, a first example is shown, wherein scene / URR 1101 completely surrounds play area 1103, and thus the intersection between scene / URR 1101 and play area 1103 is a shaded area defining user allowed area 1105, which is the entire play area 1103 within scene 1101. In addition, a second example is shown, wherein scene / URR 1151 does not completely surround play area 1153, but an intersection is created between scene / URR 1151 and play area 1153, shown as a shaded area defining user allowed area 1155.

[0109] about Figure 5 , showing an example device in which some embodiments for obtaining or determining playback area information and performing rendering adaptation based on the playback area information can be implemented.

[0110] For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer 501. In some embodiments, the audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer 501 is configured to receive an MPEG-I 6DoF bitstream 500 from which metadata describing an audio scene can be decoded. In some embodiments, the metadata includes, for example, information about the location and other characteristics of audio elements / elements (objects, channels, and HOA audio signal types). In addition, information (location, characteristics) about other audio scene elements / elements (such as geometric shapes) may also be included. The bitstream 500 may be formatted and encapsulated in a manner similar to an MHAS packet (MPEG-H 3D audio stream), such as, for example, mentioned in MPEG-H 3DA ISO / IEC23008-3:2019. In some embodiments, the bitstream 500 may be encoded from a 6DoF scene description format, such as the encoder input format (EIF) described in the MPEG-I 6DoF audio standardized output document N0054 MPEG-I immersive audio encoder input format.

[0111] In turn, this information may be passed to the audio rendering control parameter determiner 507 .

[0112] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a playback area information determiner / receiver 503. The playback area information determiner / receiver 503 is configured to provide / determine playback area information. In some embodiments, the playback area information determiner / receiver 503 is configured to provide the playback area information to the audio rendering control parameter determiner by using an API or other suitable interface. For example, the playback area information determiner / receiver 503 may be configured to operate in an initialization phase when the renderer is instantiated and initialized. The playback area information may be described in a manner similar to the geometry presented in the EIF. In Figure 7An example play area grid is shown in .

[0113] For example, Figure 7 An example play area is shown, which is a "cuboid" with a side length of 3m and a center at position 1.5, 0.0, 0.3. Thus, the EIF mesh description is characterized by a mesh that identifies the center position and orientation of the play area and then defines first the vertex indices and associated positions, and the face indices and vertices associated with each face.

[0114] In some embodiments, the play area information is converted into a suitable internal geometry format (such as, for example, yaw, pitch, roll) used by the renderer to represent geometry and aligned with the renderer coordinate system.

[0115] This information is updated each time the user teleports or the location of the playback area changes by some other means.

[0116] In some embodiments, the playback area information determiner / receiver 503 is configured to use an interface such as shown in the following example:

[0117] PlayAreaIngestionInterface{

[0118] PlayAreaLocation();

[0119] PlayAreaExtent();

[0120] unsigned int(1)SceneCoordinatesFlag;

[0121] if(!SceneCoordinatesFlag)

[0122] CoordinatesTransformStruct();

[0123] }

[0124] PlayAreaLocation{

[0125] unsigned int(32)positionX;

[0126] unsigned int(32)positionY;

[0127] unsigned int(32)positionZ;

[0128] signed int(32)OrietationYaw;

[0129] signed int(32)OrientationPitch;

[0130] signed int(32)OrientationRoll;

[0131] }

[0132] PlayExtent{

[0133] unsigned int(32)ExtentX;

[0134] unsigned int(32)ExtentY;

[0135] unsigned int(32)ExtentZ;

[0136] }

[0137] CoordinatesTransformStruct{

[0138] unsigned int(32)TranslateX;

[0139] unsigned int(32)TranslateY;

[0140] unsigned int(32)TranslateZ;

[0141] signed int(32)RotationYaw;

[0142] signed int(32)RotationPitch;

[0143] signed int(32)RotationRoll;

[0144] }

[0145] In the example interface shown above, if SceneCoordinatesFlag is equal to 1, PlayAreaLocation() describes the play area position and orientation in 6DoF scene coordinates. If SceneCoordinatesFlag is equal to 0, an additional structure is used to convert the physical play area coordinates to 6DoF scene coordinates. This transformation information is specified via CoordinatesTransformStruct().

[0146] In addition, PlayExtent() specifies the extent of the play area, where the midpoint of the extent for each axis is co-located with the center of the play area. In different embodiments, the play area may be asymmetric.

[0147] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises a listener position obtainer 505. The listener position obtainer 505 is configured to obtain or determine a listener position. This may be determined by any suitable user input, such as from an HMD or other user selection, for example.

[0148] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio rendering control parameter determiner 507. In some embodiments, the audio rendering control parameter determiner 507 is configured to obtain or receive audio scene metadata and audio data (from the audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer 501), playback area information (from the playback area information determiner / receiver 503), and a listener position (from the listener position obtainer 505).

[0149] Furthermore, the audio rendering control parameter determiner 507 can be configured to generate or determine at least one parameter for audio rendering control (and about the playback area and listener position). In some embodiments, the parameter includes a renderer setting. In some embodiments, the parameter can be obtained directly from the bitstream. In some embodiments, the parameter can be configured to indicate that, for example, if the listener is outside the playback area, the audio rendering is muted.

[0150] Additionally, in some embodiments, another parameter may be determined that is configured to indicate a threshold distance from a border of the playback area that, when crossed, results in muting the audio rendering or muting audio elements located outside the playback area.

[0151] In some embodiments, the parameter determiner is further configured to generate a parameter configured to control the rendering of an audio element for an audio element outside the playback area so that the rendering of the audio element becomes diffuse. In some embodiments, the parameter is configured to control a rendering aspect, such as disabling or reducing a gain value applied to an audio signal associated with the audio element.

[0152] In some embodiments, parameters configured to control audio element rendering for audio elements (non-audio producing elements / elements) outside the playback area may include such control parameters as: ignoring or reducing reflection effects; and ignoring or reducing occlusion effects caused by geometric elements outside the playback area (or outside the user accessible area UAR, as further described below).

[0153] In turn, these parameters may be passed to the audio rendering control determiner 509 .

[0154] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio rendering control determiner 509. The audio rendering control determiner 509 is configured to determine, based on the generated parameters, controls to be applied to the audio renderer 511. Thus, based on the listener position and the parameters obtained above, the rendering control determiner is configured to determine whether the audio rendering needs to be updated (e.g., muted or unmuted).

[0155] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio renderer 511. The audio renderer 511 is configured to obtain an audio signal and an output of the audio rendering control determiner 509, and update the audio rendering.

[0156] The audio renderer 511 implementation may be any suitable rendering operation.

[0157] about Figure 6 , which further describes Figure 5 Operation of the example device shown in .

[0158] Thus, for example, there are operations for receiving audio scene metadata and audio data, such as Figure 6 As shown in step 601.

[0159] There are also operations for receiving playback area information, such as Figure 6 As shown in step 603.

[0160] In addition, there are operations to obtain the listener position, such as Figure 6 As shown in step 605.

[0161] Then, there is a method of obtaining at least one parameter related to the audio rendering control with respect to the playback area (and the listener position), such as Figure 6 As shown in step 607.

[0162] Furthermore, there are operations that determine the need to control audio rendering, such as Figure 6 As shown in step 609.

[0163] After the above operations have been implemented, further operations may include: in response to determining that the audio rendering needs to be controlled, updating the audio rendering according to the rendering modification parameters, such as Figure 6 As shown in step 611.

[0164] about Figure 8 , showing an example apparatus within which some embodiments for obtaining or determining playback region information and performing rendering adaptation based on the playback region information and, in addition, with respect to a User Accessible Region (UAR) determination may be implemented.

[0165] For example, in some embodiments, the apparatus includes an audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer 801. The audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer may be connected to Figure 5 The audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer shown in and described above are similar.

[0166] Similarly, in some embodiments, the apparatus includes a playback area information determiner / receiver 803, which is similar to the above description of Figure 5 The playback area information determiner / receiver 503 is described similarly.

[0167] In addition, in some embodiments, the apparatus includes a listener position obtainer 805, which is similar to the above description of Figure 5 The listener position obtainer 505 is described similarly.

[0168] For example, Fig.10a and Fig.10b Example user reachable areas, playback areas, and user positions in a 6DoF scenario are shown, as well as the effects of teleport operations. Fig.10a An example is shown in which a VR scene 1000 includes a geometric shape 1001 and an audio object 1009. Fig.10a Also in the example shown in , there is a play area 1017, which is defined about a center point 1015 located within the VR scene 1000. Within the play area 1017 is the user 1013.

[0169] about Fig.10b , showing that in Fig.10a , but in which the user or listener is being transported to a separate portion of the scene. Thus, VR scene 1000 includes geometric shapes 1001 and audio objects 1009.

[0170] In addition, Fig.10b In the example shown in , is an initial play area 1017, which is defined about a center point 1015 located within the VR scene 1000. Within the play area 1017 is the user 1013. In addition, a transferred play area 1027 based on a transfer vector 1051 is also shown. The transferred play area 1027 is defined by the transferred center point 1025 and the transferred user 1023.

[0171] therefore, Fig.10a An example is shown of how the playback area position, listener position, and user reachable area can be incorporated into the renderer's scene representation. Fig.10bThe updated play area in the scene during the transfer is shown. The updated play area information is obtained using the same interface as used to obtain the initial play area information. The updated information can include a new position, orientation, and even a new mesh geometry for the play area.

[0172] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a user accessible region (UAR) determiner 802. The user accessible region (UAR) determiner 802 is configured to determine a user accessible region based on the obtained playback region information and the audio scene (or user reachable region URR) information. As previously indicated, the UAR may be determined as the intersection between the playback region and the user reachable region.

[0173] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an audio rendering control parameter determiner 807. In some embodiments, the audio rendering control parameter determiner 807 is configured to obtain or receive audio scene metadata and audio data (from the audio scene metadata and audio data obtainer 801), user accessible area (UAR) information (from the user accessible area (UAR) determiner 802), playback area information (from the playback area information determiner / receiver 803), and listener position (from the listener position obtainer 805).

[0174] Furthermore, the audio rendering control parameter determiner 807 may be configured to generate or determine at least one parameter for audio rendering control (and with respect to user accessible zone information and listener position).

[0175] For example, in some embodiments, the parameter is generated based on the location of the user or listener and whether the user is within a URR, UAR, or playback area.

[0176] For example, Fig.12 As shown in Fig.11 The second example shown in , but where the user:

[0177] within the UAR, as indicated by example location 1207;

[0178] Outside the UAR and scene (but within the play area), as shown by example position 1211;

[0179] Outside the UAR and the play area, as shown by example position 1213; and

[0180] Outside the UAR, play area, and scene, as shown by example position 1209 .

[0181] For example, in some embodiments, the parameter generated by the audio rendering control parameter determiner 807 is an indicator as to whether to render the audio normally or to mute the audio according to:

[0182] User is inside UAR -> Normal rendering

[0183] User is outside UAR -> Mute audio.

[0184] In some other embodiments, parameters for a renderer may be generated based on the following determinations:

[0185] User is inside UAR -> Normal rendering

[0186] User is outside the UAR, but inside the playback area (user is in the playback area, but not inside the scene) -> render with setting S1

[0187] User is outside UAR, but inside URR (user is in the scene, but not inside the playback area) -> render with setting S2

[0188] User is outside the playback area and URR -> Render with setting S3

[0189] The following provides example metadata descriptions for handling different rendering scenarios:

[0190]

[0191] OutsideURRStruct(), OutsidePlayAreaStruct(), and InsidePlayAreaOutsideUARStruct() carry rendering parameter changes.

[0192] The instructions in these structures can be used to modify rendering parameters without any additional information.

[0193] In some embodiments, this information may be used to update the entire scene. This may be based on a flag indicating whether the change is an incremental / incremental update or a full update. The flag may be apply_change_incrementally_flag, equal to 1 indicating an incremental / incremental update, indicating that only the specified parameters are incorporated into the rendering (new parameters or modifying existing parameters). A value of apply_change_incrementally_flag equal to 0 indicates that the change is applied as a full update overwriting the current rendering parameters.

[0194] In some embodiments, the audio rendering control parameter determiner is configured to obtain the parameters directly from the 6DoF metadata bitstream. For example, the behavior of the rendering may be determined / defined from the received bitstream metadata, depending on whether the user is within the playback area or within the UAR. For example, the behavior may be authored by the content creator and reflected in the EIF as follows:

[0195]

[0196]

[0197] In the example above, <playareamesh>Defines a specific grid for the playback area <mesh>Element. The actual geometry, position and orientation of the mesh is received via the Play Area Mesh API.

[0198] also, <uarmesh>Definitions are defined by the renderer based on <urr>Grid and <playareamesh>Created <mesh>Element / component.

[0199] In some embodiments, the playback area information may appear in the form of scene coordinates or in the form of "room coordinates" + offset.

[0200] In turn, these parameters may be passed to the audio rendering control determiner 809 .

[0201] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio rendering control determiner 809. The audio rendering control determiner 809 is configured to determine, based on the generated parameters, controls to be applied to the audio renderer 811. Thus, based on the listener position and the parameters obtained above, the rendering control determiner is configured to determine whether the audio rendering needs to be updated (e.g., muted or unmuted).

[0202] In some embodiments, the apparatus comprises an audio renderer 811. The audio renderer 811 is configured to obtain an audio signal and an output of the audio rendering control determiner 809, and update the audio rendering.

[0203] The audio renderer 811 implementation may be any suitable rendering operation.

[0204] about Fig. 9 , which further describes Figure 8 Operation of the example device shown in .

[0205] Thus, for example, there are operations for receiving audio scene metadata and audio data, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 901.

[0206] There are also operations for receiving playback area information, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 903.

[0207] according to Fig. 9 In step 905, there is an operation of obtaining or determining a user reachable region (URR).

[0208] Furthermore, according to Fig. 9 In step 907, there is an operation of obtaining or determining a user accessible area (UAR).

[0209] In addition, there are operations to obtain the listener position, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 909.

[0210] Then, there is an operation of obtaining at least one parameter related to audio rendering control for the user accessible area, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 911.

[0211] Furthermore, there are operations that determine the need to control audio rendering, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 913.

[0212] After the above operations have been implemented, the operations may include: in response to determining that the audio rendering needs to be controlled, updating the audio rendering according to the rendering modification parameters, such as Fig. 9 As shown in step 915.

[0213] In some embodiments, the various aspects described herein may be Fig.13 The example device shown is used in the system.

[0214] For example, the server 1301 may be configured to save or store 6DoF rendering metadata based on playback area, URR and UAR information about the listener position, 6DoF audio content, and rendering modification data discussed previously. Thus, for example, in some embodiments, the server includes an MPEG-I 6DoF content bitstream and 6DoF audio content obtainer 1311, which is configured to obtain listener position-dependent rendering metadata modifier information 1313 (as discussed above, which may be based on playback area, URR or UAR) and a 6DoF bitstream (6DoF metadata + audio content) 1315, and provide it to a client device 1351.

[0215] In addition, if Fig.13 The apparatus system shown in shows a suitable client device 1351. In some embodiments, the client device 1351 includes a playback device 1361 and an optional user tracking infrastructure 1371 associated with the playback device, such as a head-mounted device for tracking the head movements of the user or listener. In some embodiments, the user tracking infrastructure is implemented within the playback device. Therefore, the playback device 1361 is configured to generate tracking information on its own or obtain tracking information via the infrastructure. In some embodiments, the user head tracking information 1362 can be passed to a renderer 1363 (or more specifically, a 6DoF audio renderer).

[0216] In some embodiments, the playback device 1361 includes a renderer 1363. The renderer 1363 may also include a playback area determiner 1367 configured to obtain playback area information such as from the HMD 1371. The renderer may also include a UAR determiner 1369 and a modifier 1365.

[0217] The 6DoF audio renderer 1363 may be any general 6DoF audio renderer or MPEG-I audio renderer.

[0218] Thus, in some implementations, the renderer 1363 is configured to obtain URR, play area ingestion information from the 6DoF content bitstream (from the audio scene description), and then determine the UAR (within the UAR determiner 1369). In turn, the UAR, URR, and play area can be used to determine parameters, or based on rendering modification metadata for controlling audio rendering. In some embodiments, rendering modifications can be performed according to instructions specified by the content creator. In some embodiments, this information can also be obtained as a dynamic update. Similarly, the play area information can also be obtained as dynamic information during content consumption.

[0219] In some implementations, in addition to the virtual reality example shown above, the concept can also be applied to other situations, such as augmented reality AR, mixed reality MR, or XR.

[0220] Furthermore, in some implementations, the above concepts can be used not only for adapting MPEG-I audio renderers, but also for other 6DoF rendering systems.

[0221] refer to Fig.14 , the example electronic device may represent any of the devices shown above (e.g., computer 1 511, computer 2 521, or computer 3 531). The device may be any suitable electronic device or device. For example, in some embodiments, device 1400 is a mobile device, a user device, a tablet computer, a computer, an audio playback device, etc.

[0222] In some embodiments, device 1400 includes at least one processor or central processing unit 1407. Processor 1407 may be configured to execute various program codes, such as the methods described herein.

[0223] In some embodiments, the device 1400 includes a memory 1411. In some embodiments, at least one processor 1407 is coupled to the memory 1411. The memory 1411 can be any suitable storage component. In some embodiments, the memory 1411 includes a program code portion for storing program codes that can be implemented on the processor 1407. In addition, in some embodiments, the memory 1411 can also include a storage data portion for storing data (e.g., data that has been processed or will be processed according to the embodiments described herein). Whenever necessary, the processor 140 can obtain the implementation program code stored in the program code portion and the data stored in the storage data portion via the memory-processor coupling.

[0224] In some embodiments, the device 1400 includes a user interface 1405. In some embodiments, the user interface 1405 may be coupled to a processor 1407. In some embodiments, the processor 1407 may control the operation of the user interface 1405 and receive input from the user interface 1405. In some embodiments, the user interface 1405 may enable a user to input commands to the device 1400, for example, via a keyboard. In some embodiments, the user interface 1405 may enable a user to obtain information from the device 1400. For example, the user interface 1405 may include a display configured to display information from the device 1400 to the user. In some embodiments, the user interface 1405 may include a touch screen or touch interface that enables information to be input to the device 1400 and also displays information to a user of the device 1400. In some embodiments, the user interface 1405 may be a user interface for communicating with a position determiner as described herein.

[0225] In some embodiments, the device 1400 includes an input / output port 1409. In some embodiments, the input / output port 1409 includes a transceiver. In such embodiments, the transceiver can be coupled to the processor 1407 and configured to enable communication with other devices or electronic devices, for example, via a wireless communication network. In some embodiments, the transceiver or any suitable transceiver or transmitter and / or receiver device can be configured to communicate with other electronic devices or devices via a wired or wired coupling.

[0226] The transceiver can communicate with other devices via any suitable known communication protocol. For example, in some embodiments, the transceiver can use a suitable Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, a wireless local area network (WLAN) protocol such as, for example, IEEE 802.X, a suitable short-range radio frequency communication protocol such as Bluetooth, or an infrared data communication path (IRDA).

[0227] The transceiver input / output port 1409 may be configured to receive signals and, in some embodiments, determine parameters as described herein using the processor 1407 executing appropriate code.

[0228] It is also noted herein that while the above describes exemplifying embodiments, there are several variations and modifications which may be made to the disclosed solution without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0229] In general, various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects of the disclosure may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. Although various aspects of the disclosure may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other graphical representation, it is well known that the boxes, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0230] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following:

[0231] (a) hardware circuit implementation only (such as analog and / or digital circuit implementation only);

[0232] (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software such as (where applicable):

[0233] (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware; and

[0234] (ii) any portion of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor, software and memory, either

[0235] Working together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions); and

[0236] (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or portion of a microprocessor, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but where the software may not be present, for operation.

[0237] This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" also covers an implementation of merely one or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" also covers (for example and if applicable to a particular claim element) a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0238] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software (such as in a processor entity, which may be executed by a data processor of a mobile device) or hardware or a combination of software and hardware. Computer software or programs (also referred to as program products, including software routines, applets and / or macros) may be stored in any device-readable data storage medium, and they include program instructions for performing specific tasks. A computer program product may include one or more computer executable components that are configured to perform an embodiment when the program is running. One or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or a portion thereof.

[0239] Furthermore, in this regard, it should be noted that any box of the logic flow in the accompanying drawings may represent program steps, or interconnected logic circuits, blocks and functions, or a combination of program steps and logic circuits, blocks and functions. The software may be stored on a physical medium such as a memory chip, or a storage block implemented within a processor, a magnetic medium (such as a hard disk or floppy disk), and an optical medium (such as, for example, a DVD and its data variants, a CD). Physical media are non-transitory media.

[0240] The memory may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based storage devices, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The data processor may be of any type suitable for the local technical environment and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of the following: a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an FPGA, a gate-level circuit, and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture.

[0241] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced in various components such as integrated circuit modules. The design of integrated circuits is generally a highly automated process. Complex and powerful software tools are available to convert a logic level design into a semiconductor circuit design ready to be etched and formed on a semiconductor substrate.

[0242] The scope of protection sought by various embodiments of the present disclosure is set out by the independent claims. Embodiments and features described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims (if any) should be interpreted as examples that can be used to understand various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0243] The foregoing description has provided a complete and informative description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure by way of non-limiting examples. However, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims, various modifications and changes may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant art in view of the foregoing description. However, all these and similar modifications to the teachings of the present disclosure still fall within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. In fact, there are further embodiments that include a combination of one or more embodiments with any other embodiments previously discussed.< / mesh> < / playareamesh> < / urr> < / uarmesh> < / mesh> < / playareamesh>

Claims

1. An apparatus for rendering an audio scene to be consumed by a listener in a physical space, the apparatus comprising components configured to: obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information; Obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: geometry; position; orientation; and coordinate systems; generating an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the playback area information; as well as Based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The component is further configured to determine a playback zone movement, wherein the playback zone movement defines a panning operation of the listener together with the playback zone within the audio scene.

3. The device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein: The component is further configured to generate at least one output audio signal by using an audio rendering of at least one audio signal, the audio rendering being based on the rendering control parameters.

4. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The component is further configured to obtain a listener position, wherein the component is configured to obtain the rendering control parameter based on the playback area information and further based on the listener position.

5. The device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The component configured to obtain the at least one information for rendering the audio scene with the at least one audio signal based on the at least one information is configured to: obtain information defining a user accessible area, the user accessible area indicating a part of the scene that the listener can experience.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The user accessible area defines an intersection of the user accessible area and an area within the physical space defined in the playback area information within which the listener is allowed to physically move.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein: The rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering and, wherein, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter for an acoustic element within the user accessible area; obtaining rendering control parameters for an acoustic element within the user accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user accessible area; and Rendering control parameters are obtained for acoustic elements outside the user-accessible area.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein: The rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering and, wherein, cause the apparatus to perform at least one of the following: obtaining rendering control parameters for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside the user accessible area to make them directionally less obtrusive; Obtaining rendering control parameters for providing a higher direct to reverberant energy ratio; obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing increased distance attenuation; and Rendering control parameters are obtained for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user-accessible area.

9. A method for rendering an audio scene to be consumed by a listener in a physical space, the method comprising: obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information; Obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: geometry; position; orientation; and coordinate systems; generating an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the playback area information; as well as Based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The method comprises determining a playback area movement, wherein the playback area movement defines a translation operation of the listener together with the playback area within the audio scene.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein: The method comprises generating at least one output audio signal by using audio rendering of at least one audio signal based on the rendering control parameters.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein: The method comprises: obtaining a listener position, wherein obtaining the rendering control parameter based on the playback area information comprises: obtaining the rendering control parameter based on the listener position.

13. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein: Obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information comprises obtaining information defining a user-reachable area, the user-reachable area indicating a portion of the scene that the listener can experience.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Obtaining the playback area information includes determining a user accessible area, the user accessible area defining an intersection of the user reachable area and an area within the physical space defined in the playback area information within which the listener is allowed to physically move.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering, including at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter for an acoustic element within the user accessible area; obtaining a rendering control parameter regarding an acoustic element within the user accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user accessible area; as well as Rendering control parameters are obtained for acoustic elements outside the user-accessible area.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The rendering control parameters are configured to update the audio rendering, including at least one of the following: obtaining rendering control parameters for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside the user accessible area to make them directionally less obtrusive; Obtaining rendering control parameters for providing a higher direct to reverberant energy ratio; Obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing increased distance attenuation; as well as Rendering control parameters are obtained for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user-accessible area.

17. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed on one or more processors, perform: obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information; Obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: geometry; position; orientation; and coordinate systems; generating an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the playback area information; as well as Based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

18. An apparatus comprising: one or more processors, and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to: obtaining at least one information to render the audio scene with at least one audio signal according to the at least one information; Obtaining playback area information, the playback area information comprising information about an area within the physical space in which the listener is allowed to physically move, the playback area information comprising at least one of the following: geometry; position; orientation; and coordinate systems; generating an audio rendering using the at least one audio signal according to the playback area information; as well as Based on the playback area information, a rendering control parameter is obtained, wherein the rendering control parameter is configured to update the audio rendering.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further configured to: determine the movement of the playback area, wherein: The playback area movement defines a panning operation of the listener together with the playback area within the audio scene.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further caused to generate at least one output audio signal using an audio rendering of at least one audio signal, the audio rendering being based on the rendering control parameters.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, further configured to: obtain a listener position, wherein: The apparatus is caused to obtain the rendering control parameter based on the listener position.

22. The device according to claim 18, wherein The apparatus is caused to obtain the at least one information causing the apparatus to: obtain information defining a user accessible area, the user accessible area indicating a portion of the scene that the listener can experience.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein: The user accessible area defines an intersection of the user accessible area and the area within the physical space.

24. The device according to claim 23, wherein: Obtaining the rendering control parameter enables the device to perform at least one of the following: obtaining at least one audio rendering modification parameter for an acoustic element within the user accessible area; obtaining a rendering control parameter regarding an acoustic element within the user accessible area relative to another acoustic element outside the user accessible area; as well as Rendering control parameters are obtained for acoustic elements outside the user-accessible area.

25. The device according to claim 23, wherein: Obtaining the rendering control parameter enables the device to perform at least one of the following: obtaining rendering control parameters for reducing a direct sound to reverberation ratio for acoustic elements outside the user accessible area to make them directionally less obtrusive; Obtaining rendering control parameters for providing a higher direct to reverberant energy ratio; Obtaining a rendering control parameter for providing increased distance attenuation; as well as Rendering control parameters are obtained for providing audio source switching based on a proximity threshold to the user-accessible area.

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