Hybrid BRIR/HRTF Data for Sparse Binaural Spatial Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing binaural rendering technologies face challenges with sparse, noisy, or corrupted binaural room impulse response (BRIR) and head-related transfer function (HRTF) data sets, leading to suboptimal spatial audio rendering with artifacts like coloration in timbre and imprecise localization, especially when room effects are not accounted for.
Innovation Solution
A binaural renderer that combines user-specific, potentially sparse or corrupted BRIR/HRTF data sets with predefined, high-quality data sets, applying perceptual matching to ensure accurate directional perception and uncolored timbre, even with low directional resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If user-specific BRIR/HRTF data sets are used for binaural rendering, then personalization and accuracy are improved, but data quality and completeness deteriorate due to sparsity, noise, or corruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines user-specific BRIR/HRTF data sets with predefined high-quality data sets to create a hybrid data set. The rendering device merges the personalized measurements with reference data, using the predefined data to supplement and correct the user-specific data, thereby maintaining both personalization and data quality reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The predefined BRIR/HRTF data sets act as an intermediary reference standard. When user-specific data is sparse, noisy, or corrupted, the system uses the predefined data as a mediator to fill gaps and correct errors, ensuring consistent and reliable rendering without requiring perfect user measurements.
2Manufacturing precision
If high-resolution BRIR/HRTF data sets are used, then rendering quality is improved, but data sparsity and directional coverage deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges dense predefined data with user-specific measurements to achieve both high rendering quality and comprehensive directional coverage. The predefined data provides dense sampling across all directions, while user-specific data adds personalized characteristics, resulting in a combined data set that is both dense and personalized.
3Device complexity
If room effects are excluded from rendering, then processing complexity is reduced, but spatial accuracy and naturalness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The predefined BRIR data sets include pre-computed room effects and acoustic characteristics. By using these pre-processed data, the system incorporates accurate spatial information and room interactions without performing complex real-time room modeling, thus maintaining high spatial accuracy while reducing processing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus including circuitry configured to: obtain a spatial audio signal including at least one audio signal and spatial metadata associated with the at least one audio signal; obtain at least one data set related to binaural rendering; obtain at least one pre-defined data set related to binaural rendering; and generate a binaural audio signal based on a combination of at least part of the at least one data set and the at least one pre-defined data set, and the spatial audio signal.