Spatial Audio Conversion Using B-Format for Better Ambient Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spatial audio processing methods, such as DirAC, face limitations in reproducing reverberated or ambient sounds with limited quality, particularly when using mono DirAC streams, which require additional audio channels for improved quality and are not efficient in processing directional audio components from multiple sources.
Innovation Solution
The conversion of spatial audio signals from a mono DirAC stream into a B-format signal, allowing for the processing and rendering of directional components, which can then be combined and encoded back into a DirAC stream, enabling improved spatial processing and efficiency in handling multiple audio sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If only a single audio channel is transmitted in a mono DirAC stream, then transmission efficiency and compactness are improved, but spatial reproduction quality for reverberated or ambient sounds deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The spatial audio signal is segmented into omnidirectional and directional components, allowing the mono channel to carry the omnidirectional part while directional information is synthesized or added separately, thus maintaining compact transmission while improving spatial quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the representation parameters by converting between B-format and DirAC formats, allowing flexible switching between compact mono transmission and high-quality multi-channel spatial reproduction depending on the application requirements
2Manufacturing precision
If additional audio channels are transmitted to improve spatial quality, then spatial reproduction quality is improved, but transmission efficiency and compactness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides a universal solution that can operate in both mono and multi-channel modes, allowing the same processing framework to serve both compact transmission and high-quality spatial reproduction needs through format conversion
3Device complexity
If spatial audio signals are processed in DirAC format with limited channels, then processing complexity is reduced, but spatial rendering accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The B-format representation serves as an intermediary that facilitates accurate spatial processing. By converting to B-format for processing and then back to DirAC, the system achieves accurate spatial rendering while maintaining the benefits of DirAC's compact representation
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for determining a converted spatial audio signal, the converted spatial audio signal having an omnidirectional audio component and at least one directional audio component, from an input spatial audio signal, the input spatial audio signal having an input audio representation and an input direction of arrival. The apparatus has an estimator for estimating a wave representation having a wave field measure and a wave direction of arrival measure based on the input audio representation and the input direction of arrival. The apparatus further has a processor for processing the wave field measure and the wave direction of arrival measure to obtain the omnidirectional audio component and the at least one directional component.