Audio Apparatus for VR AR Real-World Audio Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies for rendering audio in Virtual and Augmented Reality applications face challenges in providing an optimal user experience due to interference from local real-world audio sources, which can lead to reduced quality and restricted freedom in user interaction.
Innovation Solution
An audio apparatus and method that process audio data by determining properties of real-world audio components and adjusting rendered audio components to achieve a target property for a combined audio component, thereby compensating for the effects of real-world audio sources and improving the overall audio experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rendered audio is provided in VR/AR applications, then spatial audio experience is improved, but interference from real-world audio sources reduces quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures real-world audio sources that would normally be interference and uses them to generate compensatory rendered audio. By processing the real audio signal through virtual acoustic environment simulation, the system converts the harmful interference into a beneficial component that, when combined with the original real audio, produces a enhanced spatial audio experience that maintains consistency between visual and auditory cues.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio processing system segments the total audio into distinct components: real-world audio sources captured by microphones and rendered audio generated through virtual acoustic environment processing. This segmentation allows independent processing and optimization of each component, enabling the system to apply different processing techniques to real and virtual audio sources before combining them to achieve the desired spatial effect.
2Stability of the object's composition
If audio rendering is adapted to compensate for real-world sources, then consistency between visual and auditory scene is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The audio processing device performs multiple functions using a unified processing pipeline: it captures real audio through microphones, simulates virtual acoustic environments, processes audio signals through filtering and mixing, and outputs the combined result. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated device, managing complexity while achieving visual-auditory consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an audio processing device as an intermediary between the real-world audio sources and the user's perception. This intermediary captures, processes, and modifies audio signals to ensure consistency with the visual scene before presenting them to the user. The intermediary manages the complexity of coordinating visual and auditory information, shielding the user from the underlying processing complexity.
3Measurement precision
If microphones are used to capture real audio, then accuracy of real-world audio component is improved, but susceptibility to local environment interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of local environment interference captured by microphones into a beneficial element. Rather than treating environmental audio as noise to be eliminated, the system uses it as the foundation for generating compensatory rendered audio that matches the visual scene, transforming the interference problem into the solution for achieving audio-visual consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses microphones to continuously monitor and capture the real audio environment, including interference sources. This captured audio serves as feedback that drives the audio rendering process, allowing the system to dynamically adjust the generated audio to compensate for what is actually present in the environment, ensuring consistency between the visual and auditory experiences.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio apparatus, e.g. for rendering audio for a virtual/augmented reality application, comprises a receiver (201) for receiving audio data for an audio scene including a first audio component representing a real-world audio source present in an audio environment of a user. A determinator (203) determines a first property of a real-world audio component from the real-world audio source and a target processor (205) determines a target property for a combined audio component being a combination of the real-world audio component received by the user and rendered audio of the first audio component received by the user. An adjuster (207) determines a render property by modifying a property of the first audio component indicated by the audio data for the first audio component in response to the target property and the first property. A renderer (209) renders the first audio component in response to the render property.