Multichannel Audio Down-Mixing for Real-Time Binaural Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-quality multichannel audio signals with a large number of channels, such as 10.2 or 22.2 channels, pose challenges for real-time binaural rendering on devices with limited calculation capabilities, like mobile terminals, due to increased computational demands.
Innovation Solution
The method involves down-mixing the multichannel audio signal to a lower number of channels using a channel down-mixing unit and then performing binaural rendering using a binaural rendering unit, which can include sub-sampling based on virtual or 3D loudspeaker layouts, and processing in the frequency domain with multiple binaural renderers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If binaural rendering is performed on high-quality multichannel audio signals with a large number of channels, then audio quality is improved, but computational load increases making real-time processing difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the binaural rendering process into two distinct stages: first down-mixing the multichannel audio signal to a reduced channel configuration, then performing binaural rendering on the down-mixed signal. This segmentation separates the channel reduction operation from the computationally intensive binaural filtering, allowing each stage to be optimized independently and reducing the overall computational burden while preserving audio quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the down-mixing operation before binaural rendering. By reducing the number of channels in advance, the system prepares the audio signal in a form that requires less computational resources for the subsequent binaural rendering stage, enabling real-time processing on mobile devices with limited computational capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If the number of channels in multichannel audio signal increases, then audio quality is improved, but the amount of filtering calculation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the channel dimension from the binaural rendering process by performing down-mixing separately. Instead of applying binaural filters to each channel of the original multichannel signal, the system first extracts and combines spatial information through down-mixing to create a reduced-channel signal, then applies binaural rendering. This extraction of the channel reduction step significantly reduces the number of filtering operations required.
3Productivity
If binaural filtering calculation is performed in real-time on mobile terminals, then playback capability is improved, but calculation capability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the processing pipeline into down-mixing and binaural rendering stages, allowing the computationally intensive binaural filtering to operate on a reduced-channel signal. This segmentation enables real-time processing on mobile terminals by reducing the calculation capability requirements while maintaining the ability to deliver high-quality multichannel audio playback.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an apparatus and method for processing a multichannel audio signal. A multichannel audio signal processing method may include: generating an N-channel audio signal of N channels by down-mixing an M-channel audio signal of M channels; and generating a stereo audio signal by performing binaural rendering of the N-channel audio signal.