Spatial Audio Modification for Dynamic Listener Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spatial audio playback technologies struggle to maintain clear audio cues when a listener moves away from the source, especially in headphone and loudspeaker systems, as the audio content becomes difficult to hear due to limitations in rendering audio scenes with six degrees of freedom.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that adjust the spatialization of audio content within an audio scene in response to the listener's distance and direction from a default listening position, increasing the distance between audio elements to maintain clarity and provide spatial awareness, while allowing for selective movement of audio content closer to the listener upon trigger events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If spatial audio content is rendered with six degrees of freedom (orientation and location), then the audio provides accurate spatial positioning, but the audio becomes difficult to hear when the listener moves away from the source
Solution Approach 1:
The audio scene is made dynamic by automatically adjusting the position of audio content based on the detected relative motion between the listener and the device. When motion is detected, the system dynamically repositions audio content to compensate for the listener's movement, maintaining both spatial accuracy and audio clarity throughout the listening experience.
2Adaptability or versatility
If spatial audio content follows the movements of the listener in stereo rendering, then the audio maintains spatial awareness, but the audio provides no clues as to the location of the device
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces an intermediary reference frame (the device location) that mediates between the listener's movement and the audio content positioning. By using the device as a fixed reference point and adjusting audio content relative to it, the system maintains spatial awareness while preserving device location information as a stable spatial anchor.
3Ease of operation
If the listener moves away from the default listening position, then the listener gains mobility, but the audio content becomes difficult to clearly hear
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the listener's relative motion to the device and using this information to adjust audio content positioning. The motion detection mechanism provides feedback about listener movement, which triggers automatic repositioning of audio content to maintain optimal clarity regardless of the listener's position.
4Ease of manufacture
If loudspeaker systems provide fixed directions and locations for audio content, then the setup is simple, but the audio becomes difficult to hear when the listener moves from those positions
Solution Approach 1:
The system adds dynamic adaptability to fixed loudspeaker configurations by automatically adjusting audio content positioning based on listener motion detection. This maintains the simplicity of the fixed speaker setup while adding the versatility to adapt to listener movement, expanding the effective spatial coverage without requiring complex reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
According to various, but not necessarily all, embodiments there is provided an apparatus comprising means for: obtaining an input audio signal comprising at least first audio content and second audio content; rendering an output audio signal with the first and second audio content spatialised in an audio scene; and increasing a distance, within the audio scene, between the first and second audio content in response to an increase in distance, in the real world, between a user and a default listening position relative to a device.