Crowd Noise Audio Processing Using Vocoder and Diffusion Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for generating in-game crowd ambience, such as recording live or studio chants, are expensive and inflexible, limiting the ability of game developers and players to customize and interact with crowd sounds.
Innovation Solution
An audio processing apparatus and method that uses a modulation means, such as a channel vocoder, and diffusion delay units to generate crowd sounds from a user's voice, allowing for customization and simulation of a large crowd's spectral characteristics and acoustics, enabling flexible and cost-effective crowd chant creation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If crowd chants are recorded live or in studio, then the quality and authenticity of crowd ambience is improved, but the cost and production complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a vocoder to analyze the spectral characteristics of a single person's voice and uses this information to modulate noise signals, creating a synthetic crowd chant that copies the essential spectral features of real crowd audio without requiring actual crowd recordings
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of recording actual crowds (requiring microphones, recording equipment, and physical presence) with an electronic signal processing system that synthesizes crowd sounds through modulation and diffusion delay operations
2Manufacturing precision
If crowd chants are recorded from actual crowds, then the realism of the ambience is improved, but the flexibility and player interaction are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic generation of crowd chants where the spectral characteristics can be adjusted in real-time based on player input, allowing the crowd ambience to adapt and change during gameplay rather than being fixed to pre-recorded material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows modification of spectral parameters and diffusion delay settings to create different crowd chant variations, enabling players to customize crowd behavior and characteristics to match different game scenarios and team identities
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple delay operations are applied to simulate crowd diffusion, then the spatial realism is improved, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the diffusion delay effect into multiple discrete delay operations, each handling a specific temporal aspect of crowd sound diffusion, allowing the complex spatial effect to be built from simpler, manageable components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables a single person to generate realistic crowd sounds, providing game developers with cost-effective and flexible options for crowd chants and players with the ability to customize their gaming experience, enhancing immersion and interaction.
Implementation Method 1
modulation means operable to modulate a noise signal in response to the audio signal to generate a modulated noise signal
Implementation Method 2
diffusion delay means operable to apply a series of two or more delay operations
Data Source
AI summary
An audio apparatus is suitable for generating crowd sounds from an audio signal is disclosed in which the apparatus comprises modulation means operable to modulate a noise signal in response to the audio signal to generate a modulated noise signal, and diffusion delay means. The diffusion delay means is operable to apply a series of two or more delay operations, the input signal to a first such delay operation in the series being the modulated noise signal, and input to each subsequent delay operation in the series being the output signal generated by a preceding delay operation. Each delay operation comprises modifying that operation's input signal by the addition of a delayed version of that operation's input signal.