Location-Based Audio Rendering with Pre-Computed Acoustic Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio processing technologies fail to provide immersive and realistic spatial audio experiences as users move, as they do not dynamically adjust audio rendering to account for the user's physical location and environment, leading to a less realistic sound experience.
Innovation Solution
A processing device determines a user's location and provides a virtual playback format with a fixed virtual speaker position and an acoustic model, using pre-computed and real-time calculated components to render audio that simulates the user's environment, including crowd-sourced audio, to create a location-based, immersive audio experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If audio rendering dynamically adjusts based on user location and environment, then spatial audio realism and immersion are improved, but computational overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-computes acoustic models for different locations and environments before the user actually visits them. These pre-computed models are stored and later retrieved when the user is at the location, eliminating the need for real-time computation during audio playback. This resolves the contradiction by performing computationally intensive tasks in advance rather than during actual use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates location-specific acoustic models tailored to each particular environment rather than using a single generic model. Each location receives a customized acoustic model that accurately represents its specific acoustic characteristics, improving spatial audio realism without requiring excessive computational resources during playback since the models are pre-computed.
2Adaptability or versatility
If audio rendering uses pre-computed acoustic models for multiple locations, then audio experience consistency across users is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a universal acoustic model repository that serves multiple users and locations. A single pre-computed acoustic model for a given location can be shared and reused by multiple users who visit that location, ensuring consistent audio experiences without requiring each user's device to independently compute models. This multi-functional approach reduces system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of acoustic models for different locations and stores them in a repository. These copied models can be efficiently distributed and retrieved by multiple users without requiring the original computation to be repeated. The copying mechanism enables consistent audio experiences across users while keeping individual device complexity low.
3Stability of the object's composition
If virtual speaker positions are fixed in the environment, then spatial audio stability is improved, but adaptability to user movement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses fixed virtual speaker positions in the environment as a stable reference framework, but dynamically adapts the audio rendering by applying location-specific acoustic models that account for user position and movement. The virtual speakers remain stationary in the acoustic model, providing stability, while the rendering process dynamically adjusts based on the user's current location and the pre-computed acoustic characteristics of the environment, achieving both stability and adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method may include determining a location of a user, determining a virtual playback format based on the location of the user, where the virtual playback format includes a position of a virtual speaker that is fixed in an environment of the user, and determining an acoustic model based on the location of the user. The method also includes rendering audio at the playback device based on the acoustic model and the virtual playback format.