Directional Audio Conversion Between Loudspeaker Setups
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing audio signals to achieve directional sound localization are limited in flexibility and efficiency, particularly in converting directional audio information between different loudspeaker setups, as they often require specific encoding and decoding procedures that are not decoupled.
Innovation Solution
A directional coding conversion method and system that receives input audio signals with directional information, extracts and decodes this information according to a first loudspeaker setup, and processes it to produce output audio signals compatible with a second loudspeaker setup, using techniques like vector base amplitude panning (VBAP) to ensure accurate directional sound placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If specific encoding and decoding procedures are used for directional audio conversion, then directional sound localization accuracy is improved, but system flexibility and adaptability to different loudspeaker setups deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary coordinate system that acts as a mediator between the first loudspeaker setup and the second loudspeaker setup. By converting directional audio information from the first setup's coordinate system to an intermediary coordinate system, and then to the second setup's coordinate system, the system achieves both accurate directional localization and flexibility across different loudspeaker configurations without requiring specific encoding/decoding procedures for each setup pair
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter representation of directional audio information by transforming it from setup-specific coordinate parameters to intermediary coordinate parameters. This parameter transformation enables the system to maintain directional accuracy while adapting to different loudspeaker setups, as the intermediary coordinate system serves as a universal representation that can be converted to any target setup
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional directional coding conversion methods are used, then directional information can be converted between setups, but processing time and memory resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential directional information parameters from the audio signals and processes only these extracted parameters for conversion, rather than processing the entire audio signal. This extraction approach significantly reduces processing time and memory resource requirements while maintaining the directional information conversion capability between different loudspeaker setups
3Device complexity
If encoding and decoding are coupled in directional audio processing, then processing simplicity is maintained, but system flexibility and reusability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the directional audio processing into distinct encoding and decoding stages by introducing the intermediary coordinate system as a separate processing layer. The encoding stage converts from the first loudspeaker setup to the intermediary coordinate system, while the decoding stage converts from the intermediary coordinate system to the second loudspeaker setup. This segmentation allows encoding and decoding to be independently developed, optimized, and reused across different setup combinations while maintaining overall processing simplicity
Data Source
AI summary
A directional coding conversion method and system includes receiving input audio signals that comprise directional audio coded signals into which directional audio information is encoded according to a first loudspeaker setup and extracting the directional audio coded signals from the received input audio signals. The method and system further includes decoding, according to the first loudspeaker setup, the extracted directional audio coded signals to provide at least one absolute audio signal and corresponding absolute directional information and processing the at least one absolute audio signal and the absolute directional information to provide first output audio signals coded according to a second loudspeaker setup.