Immersive Audio Fading for Vehicle Speaker Layout Adaptation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for fading audio signals in immersive audio systems are inefficient and ineffective in maintaining accurate spatialization and artistic intent, particularly in vehicles with multiple loudspeakers including height channels.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a processor that receives object-based audio and metadata, renders it into a multichannel audio presentation, determines mixes based on loudspeaker layouts, and generates loudspeaker signals to optimize playback, incorporating features like gain adjustment, delay, and filtering to adapt to different seating configurations and spatial cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual linear panning between stereo speaker pairs is used, then the fading operation is simple to implement, but the spatial audio quality and artistic intent are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial audio renderer as an intermediary component between the audio source and the loudspeakers. This renderer receives object-based audio with spatial metadata and converts it into a multichannel audio presentation tailored to the specific loudspeaker layout, enabling accurate spatialization without requiring complex manual panning operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts multiple audio parameters including gain, delay, and filtering based on the detected loudspeaker layout and seating configuration. By automatically modifying these parameters through processing, the system achieves high spatial audio quality while maintaining ease of operation through automated adaptation rather than manual control.
2Device complexity
If existing fading techniques are applied to immersive audio systems with height channels, then the system complexity is reduced, but the spatialization accuracy and immersive experience are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The spatial audio renderer is designed as a universal processing system that can handle multiple audio formats and loudspeaker layouts (e.g., 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, Dolby Atmos) through a single integrated architecture. This multi-functional renderer automatically adapts to different configurations including height channels, maintaining spatialization accuracy across diverse immersive audio systems without requiring separate specialized processing for each layout.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the detected loudspeaker layout and seating configuration are used to automatically adjust the audio rendering parameters. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain high spatialization accuracy by continuously adapting the gain, delay, and filtering parameters to match the actual physical arrangement of speakers and listening positions.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated rendering based on metadata is used, then the spatial audio quality is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary rendering of the audio signal into a multichannel presentation tailored to the specific loudspeaker layout before the actual playback occurs. By pre-processing the spatial audio transformation based on metadata about the audio objects and their spatial characteristics, the system optimizes the rendering pipeline to reduce real-time computational burden while maintaining high spatial audio quality.
Data Source
AI summary
Enclosed are embodiments for immersive audio fading. In some embodiments, a method comprises: receiving object-based audio and metadata; rendering the object-based audio into a multichannel audio presentation for a first loudspeaker layout based on the metadata determining a first mix based on the multichannel audio presentation and a second loudspeaker layout associated with the vehicle; generating first loudspeaker signals based on the first mix for playback through loudspeakers in the second loudspeaker layout; receiving input; determining a second mix different from the first mix based on the multichannel audio presentation and the input; and generating second loudspeaker signals based on the second mix for play back through the loudspeakers in the second loudspeaker layout.