Scene-Specific Audio Signal Processing for Binaural Room Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Stereo audio signals directly input to headsets fail to accurately restore the original expressive and immersive feelings of audio content, such as orientations, distances, and surround sound, due to lack of scene-specific rendering.

Innovation Solution

An audio signal processing method that splits the audio signal into direct and diffusion parts, uses a room impulse response database to obtain binaural responses for sense-of-orientation and sense-of-space rendering, and synthesizes these responses to create a rendered audio signal tailored to the current scene.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If stereo audio signals are directly input to headsets, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision of audio content restoration deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidmeasurement precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces room impulse response (RIR) as an intermediary element that mediates between the stereo audio signal and the binaural output. The RIR database serves as a mediator that contains pre-computed acoustic characteristics of different rooms, allowing the system to transform stereo audio into scene-specific binaural audio without requiring complex real-time acoustic modeling. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction by providing precise audio restoration through pre-computed RIR data while maintaining operational simplicity through automated scene detection and database querying.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing room impulse responses for various scenes in a database before actual audio rendering. The RIR database is built in advance with acoustic characteristics of different rooms, allowing the system to quickly retrieve and apply appropriate RIR data during audio playback. This preliminary preparation enables high-precision audio restoration without requiring complex real-time calculations, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If scene-specific binaural rendering is implemented, then the measurement precision of audio content restoration is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio rendering process into distinct functional modules: audio signal input, scene detection, RIR database query, convolution processing, and binaural output. By dividing the complex rendering task into these segmented steps, the system manages device complexity through modular architecture while achieving high measurement precision through specialized processing at each stage. The RIR database serves as a pre-computed reference that simplifies the convolution operation, reducing real-time computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by storing pre-computed room impulse responses in a database for later retrieval and application. Instead of computing RIR in real-time, the system copies pre-computed RIR data from the database for the current scene, significantly reducing computational complexity. This copying approach maintains measurement precision by using accurate pre-computed acoustic characteristics while reducing device complexity through efficient data retrieval and application.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If a room impulse response database is used, then the measurement precision of scene-specific rendering is improved, but the volume of stored data increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement precisionVSAvoidquantity of substance
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by organizing the RIR database according to specific scene characteristics and only loading or processing the RIR data relevant to the current detected scene. Rather than processing all possible room types simultaneously, the system identifies the local scene context (e.g., living room, office, outdoor) and retrieves only the corresponding RIR data. This local quality approach improves measurement precision through scene-specific acoustic characteristics while reducing the effective quantity of data that needs to be stored and processed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes parameter changes by representing different rooms through varying RIR parameters (impulse response characteristics) rather than storing complete acoustic models. The RIR database stores compact parameter representations of room acoustic properties, allowing the system to switch between different room types by changing these parameters. This parameter-based approach improves measurement precision through accurate acoustic modeling while minimizing the quantity of stored data through efficient parameter compression and selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12445798B2Audio signal processing method and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.10.14 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • US12445798B2 patent drawing
  • US12445798B2 patent drawing
  • US12445798B2 patent drawing

AI summary

This application relates to the audio field, and discloses an audio signal processing method and an electronic device, to resolve a problem that a stereo audio signal is directly input to a user through a headset and original expressive and immersive feelings of audio content cannot be accurately restored. A specific solution is as follows: A direct part and a diffusion part are separated from an audio signal. A corresponding room impulse response is obtained from a preset room impulse response database based on a current scene. Synthesis is performed based on a head-related transfer function and the room impulse response to obtain a binaural room impulse response for sense-of-orientation rendering and a binaural room impulse response for sense-of-space rendering.