Multi-User Spatial Audio Rendering Through Loudspeaker Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio rendering technologies at loudspeakers struggle to provide immersive spatial audio experiences in multi-user settings, leading to mismatches between perceived audio and visual representations for different users.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for rendering audio in a three-dimensional scene using multiple loudspeakers, which determines the number of users and configures apparent positions of audio objects based on loudspeaker arrangements to ensure consistent audio perception across users, independent of their positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If audio objects are mapped to loudspeakers based on single-user position, then spatial audio accuracy for that user is improved, but audio-visual mismatch occurs for other users in multi-user settings
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts audio rendering based on the number of users detected. When multiple users are present, it switches from position-dependent rendering to position-independent rendering, making the audio experience adaptable to different user configurations while maintaining spatial accuracy for each scenario
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the rendering parameter from user-position-dependent to user-position-independent when detecting multi-user scenarios. This parameter change allows the system to maintain consistent audio-visual alignment across multiple users by mapping audio objects to loudspeaker positions rather than calculating positions relative to each user's location
2Ease of operation
If audio rendering is adjusted based on each user's position, then immersive experience for individual user is improved, but system complexity increases for multi-user management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the user position dependency from the audio rendering process in multi-user scenarios. By removing the need to track and calculate positions for multiple users, the system maintains immersive audio quality while significantly reducing the complexity of multi-user management
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a universal rendering approach that works for all users simultaneously in multi-user settings. Instead of creating separate rendering pipelines for each user, a single position-independent rendering method serves all users, reducing system complexity while maintaining accessibility and ease of operation
3Area of stationary object
If multiple audio objects are mapped to available loudspeakers, then spatial coverage is improved, but audio objects may be mapped outside the loudspeaker arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a new dimension to audio object mapping by allowing objects to be rendered outside the physical loudspeaker arrangement. This enables the system to maintain accurate spatial relationships and coverage for all audio objects, even when their mapped positions extend beyond the physical boundaries of the loudspeaker configuration
Data Source
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AI summary
This specification describes an apparatus comprising means for rendering audio for a three-dimensional scene at one or more of a plurality of loudspeakers, wherein the plurality of loudspeakers are arranged in a first loudspeaker arrangement suitable for providing spatial audio corresponding to the three-dimensional scene, wherein the three-dimensional scene comprises a first audio object, wherein the means for rendering comprises: means for determining a number of users consuming the three-dimensional scene; and means for configuring, based on determining that more than one user is consuming the three-dimensional scene, an apparent position of the first audio object to be mapped to a position of a first loudspeaker of the plurality of loudspeakers.