Backward Compatible Audio Bitstreams with Embedded Enhanced Transports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio technologies face challenges in providing backward compatibility while enhancing soundfield reproduction, as legacy audio systems struggle to efficiently process higher-order ambisonic signals without introducing artifacts, and existing solutions like B2A converters and simulcasting are inflexible and bandwidth-intensive.
Innovation Solution
The development of a method that generates a backward compatible bitstream with embedded enhanced audio transports, allowing for higher resolution soundfield reproduction by synchronizing and extending legacy audio formats, enabling both legacy and enhanced audio playback systems to operate seamlessly without introducing artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If higher order ambisonic signals are processed using legacy audio formats, then backward compatibility is maintained, but soundfield reproduction resolution is limited and artifacts are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The audio signal is segmented into legacy audio transport data and enhanced audio transport data, allowing legacy systems to process only the legacy portion while enhanced systems can utilize both portions for higher resolution reproduction
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced audio transport data is embedded within the legacy audio bitstream structure, with the enhanced data nested as additional elements that legacy decoders can ignore while enhanced decoders can extract and utilize
2Reliability
If B2A converters are used to process higher-order ambisonic signals, then backward compatibility is achieved, but the solution is inflexible and introduces processing limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to different playback capabilities by embedding multiple transport formats in the same bitstream, allowing legacy systems to process basic audio while enhanced systems can access and process higher-order ambisonic data for improved spatial reproduction
Solution Approach 2:
The enhanced audio transport elements are designed to be universally compatible, allowing the same bitstream to be processed by both legacy audio systems and enhanced audio systems with different capabilities
3Reliability
If simulcasting is used to provide both legacy and enhanced audio formats, then backward compatibility is maintained, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The legacy audio transport data and enhanced audio transport data are merged into a single integrated bitstream using a unified syntax structure, eliminating the need for separate simulcast streams and reducing overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining support for both legacy and enhanced playback systems
Data Source
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AI summary
In general, techniques are described by which to embed enhanced audio transports in backward compatible bitstreams. A device comprising a memory and one or more processors may be configured to perform the techniques. The memory may store the backward compatible bitstream, which conforms to a legacy transport format. The processor(s) may obtain, from the backward compatible bitstream, legacy audio data that conforms to a legacy audio format, and obtain, from the backward compatible bitstream, extended audio data that enhances the legacy audio data. The processor(s) may also obtain, based on the legacy audio data and the extended audio data, enhanced audio data that conforms to an enhanced audio format, and output the enhanced audio data to one or more speakers.