Extended Reality Audio Rendering Interface for Listening Position Selection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users in augmented, virtual, or mixed reality systems struggle to select a desired listening position, leading to suboptimal audio experiences in immersive environments.
Innovation Solution
A user interface that allows users to indicate a desired listening position, enabling the device to select and render audio streams accordingly, using ambisonic coefficients for accurate 3D sound localization and dynamic adaptation to user movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If automatic audio stream selection is implemented without user input, then device complexity is reduced, but audio immersion and user satisfaction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects user presence in the visual scene and determines listening position without requiring explicit user input. The audio processing unit monitors video feed, identifies when the user appears in the scene, and automatically selects appropriate audio streams based on the determined listening position, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring continuous user commands
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the visual scene to detect user presence and adjusts audio stream selection based on real-time detection results. This feedback loop ensures that audio immersion quality is maintained by adapting to user position and presence dynamically, resolving the contradiction between automatic operation and audio quality
2Reliability
If user interface for listening position selection is added, then audio immersion is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines listening position by detecting user presence in the visual scene rather than requiring users to manually select positions. The audio processing unit autonomously identifies when the user appears in the scene and selects appropriate audio streams, eliminating the need for complex user interfaces while maintaining high audio immersion quality
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of requiring users to actively select listening positions through interfaces, the system inverts the approach by automatically detecting user position from video input and configuring audio accordingly. This passive detection approach improves ease of operation while maintaining audio immersion
3Reliability
If multiple audio streams are processed and rendered dynamically, then audio immersion is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts audio stream rendering based on detected user presence and position. When the user is detected in the visual scene, the audio processing unit activates dynamic multi-stream rendering with spatial audio effects. When the user is not detected or conditions change, the system reduces processing to essential audio streams, optimizing energy consumption while maintaining immersion quality when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes processing parameters based on user presence detection. When the user is present in the visual scene, the system enables full multi-stream processing with spatial effects. When conditions change, processing intensity is reduced, allowing energy consumption to adapt to actual immersion requirements rather than running at maximum capacity continuously
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A device may be configured to play one or more of a plurality of audio streams. The device may include a memory configured to store the plurality of audio streams, each of the audio streams representative of a soundfield. The device also may include one or more processors coupled to the memory, and configured to present a user interface to a user, obtain an indication from a user via the user interface representing a desired listening position; and select, based on the indication, at least one audio stream of the plurality of audio streams.