Layered Spatial Audio Encoding for Teleconferencing Adaptability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to provide a spatially layered, encoded audio signal that offers a continuous and varying mix of sound field and monophonic layers during tele-conferencing, affecting the perceptual continuity of the listening experience.
Innovation Solution
An audio encoding system comprising a spatial analyzer, adaptive rotation stage, and analysis stage that decomposes audio signals into rotated signals and time-variable gain profiles, allowing for efficient encoding and decoding of spatial audio formats, including monophonic and sound field representations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If audio signals are encoded using traditional monophonic or fixed sound field formats, then encoding simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to varying audio content and playback scenarios deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The audio signal is segmented into multiple layers: a monophonic layer containing the dominant audio component and sound field layers containing spatial information. This segmentation allows the system to adapt to different playback scenarios by selectively encoding and transmitting only the necessary layers, improving adaptability while controlling encoding complexity through modular processing
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the mixing between monophonic and sound field layers based on audio content analysis and playback scenario detection. The encoder continuously analyzes the audio signal characteristics and modifies the layer mixing in real-time, enabling adaptability to varying audio content while maintaining manageable encoding complexity through automated dynamic adjustment
2Reliability
If a fixed mix of sound field and monophonic layers is used, then encoding process simplicity is maintained, but perceptual continuity of the listening experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder implements dynamic mixing that continuously adjusts the balance between monophonic and sound field layers based on real-time audio content analysis. This dynamic adaptation ensures perceptual continuity by smoothly transitioning between different layer mixes as the audio content evolves, maintaining reliable listening experience while managing encoding complexity through automated control
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the encoder analyzes the encoded audio signal and adjusts the layer mixing accordingly. This closed-loop approach ensures perceptual continuity by detecting changes in audio content and automatically adjusting the monophonic-sound field layer balance to maintain optimal listening experience across varying conditions
3Manufacturing precision
If all layers of encoded audio are transmitted, then audio quality is maximized, but transmission efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the essential audio layers based on playback scenario detection and content analysis. Instead of transmitting all encoded layers universally, the encoder selectively extracts and transmits the monophonic layer for teleconferencing scenarios or the sound field layer for spatial audio scenarios, maintaining high audio quality while improving transmission efficiency by eliminating redundant data
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality optimization by transmitting different layer combinations tailored to specific playback scenarios and endpoint capabilities. The encoder adjusts the transmitted layer mix locally according to the detected scenario (e.g., teleconferencing vs. spatial audio playback), ensuring optimal audio quality for each scenario while improving overall transmission efficiency through scenario-specific optimization
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a layered audio coding format with a monophonic layer and at least one sound field layer. A plurality of audio signals is decomposed, in accordance with decomposition parameters controlling the quantitative properties of an or- thogonal energy-compacting transform, into rotated audio signals. Further, a time- variable gain profile specifying constructively how the rotated audio signals may be processed to attenuate undesired audio content is derived. The monophonic layer may comprise one of the rotated signals and the gain profile. The sound field layer may comprise the rotated signals and the decomposition parameters. In one embodiment, the gain profile comprises a cleaning gain profile with the main purpose of eliminating non-speech components and/or noise. The gain profile may also com- prise mutually independent broadband gains. Because signals in the audio coding format can be mixed with a limited computational effort, the invention may advanta- geously be applied in a tele-conferencing application.