Room Acoustic Property Estimation via Directional Sound Beam Decay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Extended reality systems face challenges in seamlessly integrating virtual objects into the physical world, particularly in rendering virtual sounds that originate from the same acoustic space as the user, leading to a disjointed audio experience if not accurately simulated.
Innovation Solution
A method using a microphone array to estimate room acoustic material properties by forming sound beams that measure directional acoustic energy decay, allowing the system to map and apply these properties for spatial sound rendering, focusing on far-field sources for quick adaptation to changing environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional audio rendering is used without environmental adaptation, then device complexity is reduced, but audio realism and immersion deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically estimates room acoustic properties by analyzing ambient sounds captured by the microphone array, without requiring manual input or calibration from the user. The processor independently determines acoustic characteristics and applies appropriate spatial filters to render virtual sounds realistically, making the system self-configuring and adaptive to different environments.
2Measurement precision
If acoustic properties are estimated from all sound sources, then measurement accuracy improves, but adaptation speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively processes only far-field sound sources when estimating room acoustic properties, excluding near-field sources that would contaminate the measurement. This directional selection allows rapid adaptation to new environments by focusing computational resources on relevant acoustic information while filtering out local interference.
3Quantity of substance
If near-field sound sources are included in acoustic estimation, then sound pressure level increases, but measurement accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and excludes near-field sound sources from the acoustic estimation process, separating them from far-field environmental sounds. By removing the disturbing near-field components (such as sounds from the device itself or immediate surroundings), the system achieves accurate room acoustic property estimation based solely on far-field reverberant sounds.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides a realistic and immersive audio experience by accurately simulating virtual sounds as if they originate from the user's physical environment, adapting quickly to new acoustic spaces without near-field interference.
Implementation Method 1
Audio capture devices such as microphones or devices with microphones can sense sounds by converting changes in sound pressure to an electrical signal with an electro-acoustic transducer
Implementation Method 2
An acoustic beamformer can process the microphone signals to pick up sound that is concentrated at a particular location or direction
Implementation Method 3
A decay of the acoustic energy measured through each of the one or more sound beams. Due to directionality of each sound beam, each decay is that measures directional acoustic energy
Data Source
AI summary
Acoustic pickup beams (sound beams) can be formed in a physical environment from a plurality of microphone signals. Each of the sound beams can measure acoustic energy in a direction of the respective sound beam. Directional decay of the acoustic energy measured through each of the sound beams is determined. Room surface acoustic properties of the physical environment are determined based on mapping the directional decay of the acoustic energy to the physical environment. Other aspects are described and claimed.