Audio Virtualization Using Personalized HRTF Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in achieving high fidelity audio virtualization over headphones lies in the dependency on personalized binaural room impulse responses, which require professional sound rooms and equipment, making it difficult for average listeners to obtain high-quality sound reproduction, especially when using non-personalized impulse data.
Innovation Solution
The method involves modifying binaural room impulse response data by incorporating information from personalized impulse response data sets to improve the perceived quality of virtual sound rooms, allowing for the replacement of non-room related portions with corresponding personalized data, and adjusting reverberation and early reflection characteristics to match those of a higher-quality room.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If personalized binaural room impulse responses are used to improve audio virtualization quality, then realism and sound quality are improved, but the requirement for professional sound rooms and equipment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the binaural room impulse response into distinct components: head-related transfer function (HRTF) data and room impulse response (RIR) data. This allows the personalized HRTF to be separated from the room characteristics, enabling users to apply their own HRTF to generic room responses without needing professional measurement facilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the generic room impulse response and modifies it by incorporating personalized HRTF data. This copying approach allows users to obtain personalized audio virtualization without needing to perform actual measurements in professional sound rooms, as they can use standardized room responses combined with their own HRTF characteristics.
2Ease of operation
If non-personalized impulse data is used to simplify the process, then ease of operation is improved, but realism and spatial naturalness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by personalizing only the HRTF portion of the impulse response while keeping the room impulse response generic. This allows the system to maintain simplicity in obtaining room data while enhancing spatial naturalness through personalized head-related transfer function data that accounts for individual anatomical differences.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an asymmetric structure where the HRTF component is personalized to each user while the RIR component remains generic. This asymmetric approach allows the system to balance ease of operation with realism, as users only need to provide their HRTF characteristics rather than complete personalized room measurements.
3Measurement precision
If high fidelity measurements are performed to improve sound quality, then audio realism is improved, but the difficulty of measurement and access to professional facilities increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the HRTF component from the complete binaural room impulse response measurement process. By separating the head-related characteristics from the room characteristics, users can obtain their HRTF data through simpler means while using pre-measured high-quality room impulse responses, thereby improving accessibility without sacrificing sound quality fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary high-fidelity measurements of room impulse responses in professional facilities beforehand, creating a library of high-quality generic RIR data. This preliminary action allows users to later combine these pre-measured room responses with their own HRTF data without needing access to professional measurement facilities themselves.
Data Source
AI summary
Virtual sound room rendering is most realistic when the listener has themselves been the subject of the binaural room impulse response measurements, and most pleasing when the sound room involved has a high acoustic fidelity. Where the listener has no access to good sound rooms non-personalised high fidelity sound rooms are modified using information from a listener's personalised binaural impulse response data to improve the realism of such rooms. Where sound rooms are available, information from higher fidelity non-personalised sound rooms are used to improve the sound quality of the listener's personalised room data. Alternatively either personalised or non-personalised rooms can be improved through modification of their reverberation characteristics according to the listener's taste.