HOA Soundfield Adaptation for Screen-Viewing Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current audio technologies struggle to adapt Higher-Order Ambisonics (HOA) soundfields to varying screen sizes and viewing perspectives, leading to misalignment of acoustic elements with visual components in mixed audio/video reproduction scenarios, limiting user control and coherence in audio-visual experiences.

Innovation Solution

A system that adjusts HOA soundfields based on field of view parameters of both the reference screen and the viewing window, using processors to render HOA audio signals over speakers, ensuring spatial alignment and coherence with visual content, by employing field of view parameters to modify audio rendering matrices and adapt audio objects to match video perspectives and screen sizes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If HOA audio signal is rendered using fixed rendering parameters, then the audio rendering process is simple and fast, but the spatial alignment between acoustic elements and visual components deteriorates when screen size or viewing perspective changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial alignment precisionVSAvoidrendering system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic rendering adaptation by adjusting HOA rendering parameters based on detected screen size and viewing perspective. The system dynamically computes rendering matrices and applies spatial transformation to align acoustic elements with visual components, transforming a static rendering system into a dynamic one that adapts to varying display conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes rendering parameters including rendering matrices, spatial transformation coefficients, and gain factors based on screen dimensions and viewing angle. By modifying these parameters according to the actual display configuration, the system achieves precise spatial alignment without requiring complete system redesign for different screen sizes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If HOA content is adapted to different screen sizes and viewing perspectives, then spatial alignment with visual components is improved, but the processing time and computational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespatial alignment precisionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary computation of rendering matrices and spatial transformation parameters during content encoding or initial system setup. By pre-computing these transformations and storing them in lookup tables or memory structures, the system reduces real-time processing requirements during actual audio rendering, thus minimizing processing time delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex real-time spatial transformation calculations with pre-computed rendering matrices and simplified parameter applications. Instead of performing full spherical harmonic transformations in real-time, the system uses pre-generated transformation matrices that can be quickly applied through matrix multiplication, significantly reducing computational load and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the audio rendering system is made flexible to support various screen sizes and viewing perspectives, then adaptability is improved, but the control and synchronization between audio and video components becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen size adaptabilityVSAvoidaudio-video synchronization control
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal rendering framework that handles multiple screen sizes, viewing perspectives, and display configurations through a single unified system. The same HOA rendering engine with adaptive transformation matrices can serve diverse display scenarios, eliminating the need for separate rendering systems for different screen configurations and simplifying control operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system detects actual screen size and viewing perspective parameters, compares them with reference values, and automatically adjusts rendering parameters accordingly. This closed-loop feedback system maintains audio-video synchronization by continuously adapting to changing display conditions without requiring manual intervention or complex user control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3668124B1Screen related adaptation of HOA content
Publication Date: 2021.11.17 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3668124B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3668124B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3668124B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This disclosure describes techniques for coding of higher-order ambisonics audio data comprising at least one higher-order ambisonic (HOA) coefficient corresponding to a spherical harmonic basis function having an order greater than one. This disclosure describes techniques for adjusting HOA soundfields to potentially improve spatial alignment of the acoustic elements to the visual component in a mixed audio/video reproduction scenario. In one example, a device for rendering an HOA audio signal includes one or more processors configured to render the HOA audio signal over one or more speakers based on one or more field of view (FOV) parameters of a reference screen and one or more FOV parameters of a viewing window.