Acoustics Simulation System for Extended Reality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio processing techniques, such as convolution reverb, struggle to simulate spatially-varying acoustics in extended reality environments where the listener's location dynamically changes, failing to provide immersive and accurate sound propagation as the user moves within a 3D space.
Innovation Solution
An acoustics simulation system that identifies the user's location within an extended reality world, selects appropriate impulse responses from a library corresponding to different subspaces, and generates an audio stream in real-time, using multi-access edge compute servers to ensure low latency and accurate sound propagation based on the user's orientation and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional convolution reverb techniques are used with a predetermined listener location, then the audio processing is simple and computationally efficient, but the acoustic simulation becomes inaccurate when the user moves dynamically within the extended reality space
Solution Approach 1:
The extended reality space is divided into multiple subspaces, each with its own impulse response characteristics. As the user moves between subspaces, the system dynamically selects and transitions between different impulse responses, enabling accurate acoustic simulation for each location while managing computational complexity through spatial segmentation
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, predetermined listener location to a dynamic model where the listener position continuously changes. The acoustic simulation adapts in real-time by selecting impulse responses based on the user's current subspace and calculating appropriate crossfades during transitions, maintaining accuracy throughout movement
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system dynamically updates acoustic simulation as the user moves, then the immersive experience is enhanced, but the computational latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
Impulse responses for all subspaces are pre-calculated and stored before the user enters the extended reality experience. During runtime, the system only needs to select from these pre-computed impulse responses and perform crossfades, significantly reducing real-time computational latency while maintaining dynamic adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses crossfade parameters to smoothly transition between impulse responses during subspace transitions. By controlling the crossfade duration and timing, the system balances between rapid adaptation to user movement and maintaining low latency, avoiding abrupt acoustic changes while minimizing computational delay
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single impulse response is used for the entire space, then the processing is computationally efficient, but the spatial variation in acoustics is not captured
Solution Approach 1:
Each subspace within the extended reality environment is assigned its own impulse response that captures the local acoustic characteristics of that specific region. This allows the system to accurately represent spatial variations in acoustics (such as different reverberation properties in different rooms or areas) while managing processing efficiency by only activating the impulse response relevant to the user's current location
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
The system provides highly immersive and acoustically accurate extended reality experiences by dynamically simulating sound changes as the user moves, ensuring that sound is realistically rendered from any orientation and direction, enhancing the realism and enjoyment of the experience.
Implementation Method 1
Audio signal processing techniques such as convolution reverb are used for simulating acoustic properties (e.g., reverberation, etc.) of a physical or virtual 3D space from a particular location within the 3D space.
Implementation Method 2
simulating acoustic properties (e.g., reverberation, etc.) of a physical or virtual 3D space
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary acoustics simulation system selects, from an impulse response library, an impulse response that corresponds to a subspace of an extended reality world. Based on the selected impulse response, the acoustics simulation system generates audio data customized to the subspace of the extended reality world. Additionally, the acoustics simulation system provides the generated audio data for simulating acoustics of the extended reality world as part of a presentation of the extended reality world. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.