Audio Object Clustering With Rendering Metadata Preservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio content presentation methods and devices struggle to efficiently cluster audio objects while preserving rendering metadata, leading to spatial distortion and increased bandwidth requirements.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid approach is employed to cluster audio objects, allowing flexibility in assigning objects across rendering metadata categories while preserving metadata in some instances, reducing spatial distortion and bandwidth by generating audio object clusters with similar attributes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If audio objects are clustered to reduce bandwidth requirements, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but spatial distortion increases and rendering metadata fidelity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth requirementsVSAvoidspatial positioning accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments audio objects into different clusters based on their spatial positions and rendering metadata attributes. By grouping objects with similar characteristics together, the system reduces the overall bandwidth required for transmission while maintaining the spatial fidelity of each cluster. The segmentation allows selective preservation of metadata for cluster-level representation rather than individual object representation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation by transitioning from individual audio object parameters to cluster-level aggregated parameters. Rendering metadata is preserved at the cluster level rather than being transmitted for each individual object, thereby reducing bandwidth while maintaining spatial accuracy through cluster centroid calculations and representative metadata selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Device complexity

If audio objects are clustered to reduce complexity, then processing complexity is reduced, but rendering metadata preservation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoidrendering metadata fidelity
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple audio objects into unified clusters while combining their rendering metadata attributes. By merging objects with similar spatial and rendering characteristics, the system reduces processing complexity through fewer cluster-level operations while preserving essential rendering metadata that defines the acoustic properties of the merged group.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates universal cluster representations that serve multiple functions: spatial positioning, rendering metadata preservation, and bandwidth reduction. Each cluster acts as a multi-functional entity that encapsulates the essential properties of multiple individual audio objects, allowing the system to maintain rendering fidelity while simplifying processing through a unified cluster management approach.

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

Data Source

PatentEP4295587B1Clustering audio objects
Publication Date: 2026.04.15 DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORP
  • EP4295587B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4295587B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4295587B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

A method for clustering audio objects may involve identifying a plurality of audio objects, wherein each audio object of the plurality of audio objects is associated with respective metadata that indicates respective spatial position information and respective rendering metadata. The method may involve assigning audio objects of the plurality of audio objects to categories of rendering metadata of a plurality of categories of rendering metadata, wherein at least one category of rendering metadata comprises a plurality of types of rendering metadata to be preserved. The method may involve determining an allocation of a plurality of audio object clusters to each category of rendering metadata. The method may involve rendering audio objects of the plurality of audio objects to an allocated plurality of audio object clusters based on the metadata that indicates spatial position information and based on the assignments of the audio objects to the categories of rendering metadata.