By-Pass Audio Object Loudness Compensation in Decoder Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio rendering technologies face challenges in maintaining consistent loudness across different audio programs and channels, leading to annoying volume differences during switching, as existing solutions fail to accurately estimate and compensate for loudness changes in real-time without delay.
Innovation Solution
A decoder and encoder system that utilizes loudness information and rendering information to calculate a compensation value, allowing for precise control over audio object signals to maintain consistent loudness, even when rendering settings change, by processing audio object signals in a parametric manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If audio rendering is conducted on the decoder side to enable flexible audio object manipulation, then adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but the total loudness of the received audio signal changes, causing volume differences between programs and channels
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder pre-calculates and embeds loudness information for each audio object signal before transmission. This preliminary action allows the decoder to access accurate loudness data without having to perform complex measurements during rendering, thus maintaining loudness consistency while enabling rendering flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the pre-embedded loudness information as feedback to adjust the rendering process. The decoder compares the rendered output loudness with the embedded reference loudness and applies compensation to maintain consistency, creating a closed-loop control system that ensures reliable loudness across different rendering configurations.
2Ease of operation
If traditional loudness measurement methods are used on the decoded audio signal, then measurement simplicity is improved, but temporal delay occurs reducing productivity in real-time applications
Solution Approach 1:
The loudness information is calculated and embedded in the encoded audio signal before transmission. This preliminary calculation eliminates the need for time-consuming loudness measurements during decoding, providing both simple access to loudness data and immediate availability for real-time applications without temporal delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded loudness information acts as an intermediary that carries the measurement results from the encoder to the decoder. This intermediary provides the decoder with accurate loudness data without requiring the decoder to perform complex real-time measurements, thus maintaining both simplicity and real-time performance.
3Ease of operation
If audio object signals are manipulated during rendering to improve ease of operation, then adaptability is improved, but the loudness estimation accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system embeds loudness information for individual audio objects before rendering manipulation. This allows the decoder to know the original loudness characteristics of each object, enabling accurate loudness estimation even after rendering operations such as panning, mixing, or format conversion are applied.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes from measuring loudness of the final rendered signal to using embedded loudness parameters of individual audio objects. This parameter change allows accurate loudness tracking throughout the rendering process, maintaining measurement precision while enabling flexible audio manipulation.
Data Source
AI summary
A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels is provided, having a receiving interface for receiving an audio input signal having a plurality of audio object signals, for receiving loudness information on the audio object signals, and for receiving rendering information indicating whether one or more of the audio object signals shall be amplified or attenuated, further having a signal processor for generating the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal, configured to determine a loudness compensation value depending on the loudness information and depending on the rendering information, and configured to generate the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal from the audio input signal depending on the rendering information and depending on the loudness compensation value. One or more by-pass audio object signals are employed for generating the audio output signal. Moreover, an encoder is provided.