Spatially Bounded Audio Rendering for Interior-Exterior Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spatial audio rendering technologies fail to provide a spatially consistent and meaningful audio experience when a listener moves between the interior and exterior of spatially-bounded audio elements, such as a virtual city or a fountain, due to the limitations of channel-based, object-based, and Higher-order ambisonics (HOA) formats, leading to spatial distortions and inadequate transitions.
Innovation Solution
A method is provided to represent spatially-bounded audio elements with an interior listener-centric format and associated metadata, allowing for the derivation of an exterior representation that maintains spatial consistency, using downmix matrices or signal transformations to create a distinct audio experience inside and outside the boundary, with smooth transitions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If channel-based, object-based, or HOA formats are used for spatial audio rendering, then spatial audio representation is supported, but spatial consistency and meaningful transitions when moving between interior and exterior of spatially-bounded audio elements are not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The audio element is divided into two distinct representations: an interior representation for listeners inside the spatial boundary and an exterior representation for listeners outside. This segmentation allows each representation to be optimized for its specific context, with the interior representation providing immersive spatial audio and the exterior representation providing distance-based attenuation, thereby achieving spatial consistency while enabling meaningful transitions between the two states.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between interior and exterior representations based on the listener's position relative to the spatial boundary. When the listener crosses the boundary, the renderer transitions from one representation to the other, creating a meaningful and adaptive audio experience that responds to the listener's movement through the virtual environment.
2Ease of operation
If interior listener-centric format is used for spatially-bounded audio elements, then immersive audio experience inside the boundary is achieved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interior representation is applied locally only when the listener is inside the spatial boundary, providing immersive audio experience precisely where needed. The exterior representation is used when the listener is outside, with simpler distance-based attenuation. This localized application of different representation qualities optimizes the balance between immersive experience and computational complexity.
3Reliability
If smooth transitions between interior and exterior representations are implemented, then spatial consistency is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The renderer determines the listener's position relative to the spatial boundary in advance and prepares the appropriate representation (interior or exterior) accordingly. This preliminary determination allows for efficient switching between representations without requiring complex real-time computation during the transition, thereby maintaining spatial consistency while managing computational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of audio rendering. The method includes receiving an audio element, wherein the audio element comprises: i) an interior representation that is valid within a spatial region, the interior representation of the audio element being in a listener-centric format and ii) information indicating the spatial region. The method further includes determining that a listener is outside the spatial region. The method further includes deriving an exterior representation of the audio element and rendering the audio element using the exterior representation of the audio element. In another aspect, a method of providing a spatially-bounded audio element is provided. The method includes providing, to a rendering node, an audio element. The audio element includes: (i) an interior representation that is valid within a spatial region, the interior representation being in a listener-centric format; and (ii) information indicating the spatial region.