Audio Providing Apparatus for Virtual 3D Spatial Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current audio systems face limitations in expressing sound sources in three-dimensional space, particularly with formats like 7.1-channel, 11.1-channel, and 22.2-channel, which are difficult to set up and reproduce optimally in home environments, and existing solutions do not effectively adapt audio signals to the listening environment.

Innovation Solution

An audio providing apparatus that includes an object rendering unit with geometric information analysis, distance and depth controllers, localization, and rendering capabilities to up-mix or down-mix channel audio signals, converting them into optimized object audio signals based on geometric information, and a channel rendering unit that adjusts channel audio signals to match the speaker layout, allowing for virtual 3D rendering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If high-channel-count audio formats (7.1, 11.1, 22.2) are used to express sound sources in three-dimensional space, then the audio quality and spatial expression are improved, but the system complexity and setup difficulty increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial audio precisionVSAvoidaudio system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates virtual copies of audio channels through software processing. Instead of requiring physical speakers for each channel, the system generates virtual channel signals that are mapped to existing physical speakers, achieving high-channel-count spatial audio reproduction with limited hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The audio processing apparatus can handle multiple audio formats (2.1, 5.1, 7.1, 11.1, 22.2 channels) and adaptively process them to work with various speaker configurations. The same device can reproduce different spatial audio formats by dynamically adjusting channel mapping and virtual channel generation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If adaptive audio processing is implemented to optimize rendering according to playback environment, then the audio quality is improved, but the processing complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio rendering accuracyVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores channel mapping relationships and virtual channel generation parameters for different speaker configurations. When audio is played back, the apparatus quickly retrieves and applies the appropriate pre-computed parameters based on the detected speaker layout, avoiding real-time complex calculations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The apparatus dynamically adjusts audio rendering parameters such as channel mapping matrices, virtual channel positions, and spatial distribution coefficients based on the playback environment and speaker configuration. These parameter changes enable adaptive optimization without requiring complex real-time processing algorithms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2930952B1Audio providing apparatus
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2930952B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2930952B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2930952B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An audio providing apparatus and method are provided. The audio providing apparatus includes an object rendering unit that renders an object audio signal by using geometric information regarding the object audio signal, a channel rendering unit that renders an audio signal having a first channel number into an audio signal having a second channel number, and a mixing unit that mixes the rendered object audio signal with the audio signal having the second channel number.