Spatial Audio Capture with Dynamic Metadata Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for transmitting spatial audio signals struggle to adapt dynamically to changes in capture settings, such as orientation or audio focus, which can affect the quality of the spatial audio experience.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that capture spatial audio signals using multiple microphones and generate metadata-assisted spatial audio (MASA) format data, which includes descriptive metadata indicating capture parameters. This data is encoded and transmitted to remote devices for rendering, allowing for real-time adjustments to capture settings during streaming sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If spatial audio signals are transmitted with fixed capture settings, then transmission stability is maintained, but adaptability to changing device orientation and capture parameters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically updates descriptive metadata during the streaming session to reflect changes in capture settings such as device orientation and audio focus. The audio encoder and transmitter are configured to modify metadata parameters in real-time based on current capture conditions, enabling the spatial audio experience to adapt to changing environments without requiring system reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters of descriptive metadata to correspond with updated capture settings. When capture parameters such as orientation or audio focus change, the system modifies the metadata parameters accordingly and transmits the updated bitstream to the remote device, allowing the rendering to reflect the new capture conditions while maintaining system stability.
2Manufacturing precision
If metadata is updated in real-time during streaming, then spatial audio quality is improved, but data transmission overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the specific descriptive metadata parameters that are necessary for spatial audio rendering, rather than transmitting all possible metadata. By selectively updating only the changed parameters in the metadata (such as orientation angles or audio focus directions), the system reduces the overall data volume while maintaining rendering accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies partial updates to the metadata by modifying only the specific parameters that have changed during the streaming session, rather than retransmitting the entire metadata set. This partial action approach maintains spatial audio quality by updating necessary parameters while minimizing unnecessary data transmission.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple capture parameters are monitored and updated, then spatial audio adaptability is enhanced, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The audio encoder is designed with multi-functionality to handle multiple capture parameters simultaneously. It can monitor and update various metadata parameters including orientation, audio focus, and other capture settings within a single unified processing framework, reducing the need for separate processing systems for each parameter type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the monitoring and updating of multiple capture parameters into a unified metadata update process. By combining the tracking of orientation changes, audio focus adjustments, and other capture settings into a single coordinated system, the patent reduces processing complexity while maintaining comprehensive adaptability to capture setting changes.
Data Source
AI summary
There is herein provided a method comprising capturing spatial audio signals by a plurality of microphones using a first capture setting and generating a set of audio encoder input format data comprising a representation of the spatial audio signals and associated metadata, the metadata including, in part, a set of descriptive metadata indicative of one or more capture parameters associated with the first capture setting. The method further comprises providing the set of audio encoder input format data to an audio encoder for encoding the representation of the spatial audio signals and the associated metadata to a bitstream for a current streaming session and transmitting the bitstream to one or more remote devices for rendering the representation of the spatial audio signals based, at least in part, on the set of descriptive metadata. The method further comprises determining, during the current streaming session, that the first capture setting changes to a second capture setting and in response to the determination that the first capture setting changes to a second capture setting, and while transmitting the bitstream, the means for capturing spatial audio signals is configured to capture spatial audio signals using the second capture setting and the means for generating the audio encoder input format data is configured to change at least one of the one or more capture parameters of the set of descriptive metadata to be associated with the second capture setting.