Environment Acoustics Persistence Using Precaptured XR Audio Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing XR systems fail to accurately simulate virtual audio that corresponds to a user's surroundings and spatial movements, leading to feelings of inauthenticity and potential motion sickness, as they do not account for the acoustic properties of the real environment.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing and storing audio data in mixed reality environments using sensors, speakers, and processors to generate and present audio signals that reflect the user's environment, incorporating dimensions such as reverberation time, gain, and absorption coefficients to create realistic and immersive audio experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional audio systems are used in XR environments, then device complexity is reduced, but auditory realism and user immersion deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary acoustic characterization of the physical environment before audio presentation by capturing ambient sound data and analyzing acoustic properties such as reverberation time, early decay time, and background noise levels. This pre-acquired acoustic data is then used to configure the audio engine parameters, eliminating the need for real-time complex calculations during audio playback and reducing operational device complexity while maintaining auditory realism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an audio engine as an intermediary component that acts as a bridge between the simple conventional audio hardware and the requirement for realistic auditory output. The audio engine processes and adjusts audio signals based on captured environmental acoustic data, applying corrections for reverberation, spatial positioning, and spectral matching. This intermediary layer enables complex audio processing without requiring complex hardware, resolving the contradiction between device simplicity and auditory realism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual audio does not match environmental acoustic properties, then device complexity is reduced, but user immersion and authenticity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system adapts virtual audio to match environmental acoustic properties by dynamically changing key audio parameters including reverberation time, early decay time, background noise levels, and spectral characteristics. The audio engine adjusts these parameters based on real-time or pre-captured measurements of the physical environment, enabling the same audio content to sound authentic in different acoustic spaces without requiring complex hardware reconfiguration for each environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic audio rendering where acoustic parameters are not fixed but adapt continuously based on the user's environment and movement. The system monitors changes in the physical environment and updates audio parameters accordingly, creating a dynamic audio experience that responds to environmental changes. This dynamic approach enables environmental adaptation while using computationally efficient algorithms rather than complex hardware systems.
3Reliability
If acoustic data is continuously updated in real-time, then auditory realism is improved, but processing time and system resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs acoustic characterization and data capture in advance during periods when the user is not actively using the XR application or during transitions between applications. The audio engine pre-processes this acoustic data and stores it for rapid retrieval during actual audio playback, eliminating the need for time-consuming real-time processing during critical user interactions while maintaining high auditory realism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous real-time acoustic analysis, the system employs periodic sampling of the acoustic environment at strategically chosen moments such as during application launches, scene transitions, or user pauses. This periodic approach captures sufficient acoustic data to maintain realism while dramatically reducing processing time and resource consumption compared to continuous monitoring, as the acoustic environment typically changes slowly over time.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for storing, organizing, and maintaining acoustic data for mixed reality systems. A system may include one or more sensors of a head-wearable device, a speaker of the head-wearable device, and one or more processors. A method performed by the one or more processors may include receiving a request to present an audio signal. An environment may be identified via the one or more sensors of the head-wearable device. One or more audio model components associated with the environment may be retrieved. A first audio model may be generated based on the audio model components. A second audio model may be generated based on the first audio model. A modified audio signal may be determined based on the second audio model and based on the request to present an audio signal. The modified audio signal may be presented via the speaker of the head-wearable device.