Head-Related Filter Sections for Real-Time Spatial Audio Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing HR filter rendering methods require densely-sampled measurements, which are cumbersome and time-consuming, and computational complexity limits real-time rendering in systems with limited calculation capacity.
Innovation Solution
A method to dynamically allocate computational resources to HR filter sections based on their importance, using a partitioned alpha matrix to compute HR filters efficiently, allowing for real-time rendering with adjustable accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If densely-sampled measurements are used for HR filter rendering, then spatial audio quality is improved, but measurement time and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the HR filter computation into multiple sections (first section, second section, third section) corresponding to different frequency ranges or filter tap groups. Each section can be processed independently and in parallel, reducing the overall measurement and computation time while maintaining the quality benefits of dense sampling.
2Measurement precision
If full computational resources are allocated to HR filter evaluation, then rendering accuracy is improved, but computational complexity increases beyond capacity of constrained systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different computational precision levels to different sections of the HR filter. Critical frequency ranges or filter sections that have greater impact on spatial audio perception are computed with higher precision, while less critical sections use reduced precision. This maintains overall rendering accuracy while reducing total computational complexity to fit constrained systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent computes only the necessary portions of the HR filter with full precision, while using approximations or reduced computations for other portions. This partial action approach achieves sufficient rendering accuracy for the application without requiring full computational resources, enabling real-time processing on devices with limited capacity.
3Speed
If HR filters are computed in real-time, then rendering speed is improved, but computational resources are consumed rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the HR filter computation into multiple independent sections that can be processed in parallel. This segmentation enables real-time rendering by distributing the computational load across multiple processing units or threads, achieving the required rendering speed without concentrating all computational resource consumption in a single bottleneck.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic computation strategies where HR filters are updated at appropriate intervals rather than continuously at maximum precision. Between updates, previously computed filter sections are reused, reducing the average computational resource consumption while maintaining real-time rendering capability through efficient resource management.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing an estimated head-related (HR) filter, ĥ′, that consists of a set of S HR filter sections ĥ′s for s=1 to S. The method includes obtaining an alpha matrix (e.g., an N×K matrix), wherein the alpha matrix consists of S sections, where each one of the sections of the alpha matrix corresponds to a different one of the S HR filter sections (e.g., the first section of the alpha matrix corresponds to ĥ′1, the second section of the alpha matrix corresponds to ĥ′2, etc.), each section of the alpha matrix consists of N sub-vectors (N>1, e.g., N=8), and each sub-vector comprises a number of scalar values. The method further includes separately computing each one of the S HR filter sections, wherein, for at least a certain one of the S HR filter sections, ĥ′s, the step of computing ĥ′s comprises using not more than a predetermined number, qs, of the sub-vectors within the section of the alpha matrix corresponding to ĥ′s to compute ĥ′s, where qs is less than N.