Spatial Audio Downmixing for Immersive Preview
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for producing three-dimensional (3D) sound effects in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality applications lack effective methods for previewing and manipulating spatial audio data, limiting the ability to enhance media content with immersive sound experiences.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of spatial audio downmixing techniques that allow for the visualization and manipulation of spatial audio objects, enabling users to preview 3D sound by weighting and orienting audio channels relative to a listening position, and converting them into virtual speaker driver signals for aural preview.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spatial audio data is processed with multiple channels representing different directions and locations, then the spatial characteristics and immersion quality are improved, but the complexity of previewing and manipulating the audio data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and visualizes individual sound sources from the multi-channel spatial audio data as separate selectable entities in a user interface. Each sound source can be independently previewed and manipulated, allowing users to work with complex spatial audio data by breaking it down into manageable individual components rather than dealing with the entire multi-channel dataset at once.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visual representation layer as an intermediary between the multi-channel spatial audio data and the user interface. This visual layer maps audio channels to spatial positions and allows users to interact with visual elements that correspond to audio sources, simplifying the manipulation of complex spatial audio data through intuitive visual feedback and control mechanisms.
2Measurement precision
If audio channels are weighted and oriented relative to listening position for aural preview, then the preview accuracy and spatial representation are improved, but the processing complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different weighting factors to different audio channels based on their spatial orientation relative to the listening position. Channels corresponding to sound sources in the direction the user is facing are weighted more heavily, while channels from other directions are weighted less. This local quality approach allows accurate spatial preview while managing computational complexity by focusing processing on relevant channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective channel weighting where only certain audio channels are actively processed and presented based on the user's current viewing orientation, rather than processing all channels equally. This partial action approach provides accurate spatial preview for the relevant audio sources while reducing overall processing complexity by excluding less relevant channels from active processing.
3Ease of operation
If a visualized spatial sound object is presented to represent multiple channels, then the ease of manipulation and user interaction are improved, but the interface complexity and rendering requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visualized spatial sound object that serves multiple functions simultaneously: it represents the spatial positions of multiple audio channels, provides interactive controls for manipulating each channel, displays visual feedback for user actions, and maintains the relationship between visual elements and audio data. This multi-functionality improves ease of operation by consolidating multiple interface elements into a single unified object, while the modular architecture manages the underlying complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Channels of audio data in a spatial audio object are associated with any one or more of a direction and a location of one or more recorded sounds, which channels are to be reproduced as spatial sound. A visualized spatial sound object represents a snapshot/thumbnail of the spatial sound. To preview the spatial sound (by experiencing its snapshot or thumbnail), a user manipulates the orientation of the visualized spatial sound object, and a weighted downmix of the channels is rendered for output as a spatial preview sound, e.g., a single output audio signal is provided to a spatial audio renderer; one or more of the channels that are oriented toward the user are emphasized in the preview sound, more than channels that are oriented away from the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.