Spatial Audio Processing With Threshold-Based Listener Updates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spatial audio technologies face challenges in providing stable and high-quality spatial audio outputs due to instabilities caused by changes in listener orientation and location, leading to latency and poor audio rendering.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that processes audio signals using information about the listener's orientation and location to generate spatial metadata, enabling transmission of processed audio signals and metadata for improved spatial audio rendering, with mechanisms to optimize data transmission and reduce latency by only updating when significant changes occur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous updates of spatial audio signals are transmitted to accommodate listener movement, then spatial audio quality is maintained, but data transmission volume increases and latency occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial updates by only transmitting spatial audio signals when the listener's movement exceeds a predetermined threshold. Instead of continuous updates, the system selectively updates based on significant position changes, thereby reducing transmission frequency while maintaining audio quality when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic checking of listener position at predetermined intervals, with updates triggered only when movement thresholds are exceeded. This periodic monitoring approach balances between continuous tracking for quality and intermittent updates for reducing latency and transmission load.
2Reliability
If frequent updates of spatial audio signals are transmitted to reflect listener position changes, then spatial audio quality is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial updates by only transmitting spatial audio signals when the listener's movement exceeds a predetermined threshold. This selective updating reduces the frequency of power-intensive transmission operations while maintaining audio quality when position changes are significant.
Solution Approach 2:
The system checks listener position periodically at predetermined intervals rather than continuously, reducing the power consumption associated with constant monitoring and transmission while still maintaining spatial audio quality through timely updates when movement occurs.
3Measurement precision
If spatial audio signals are updated for every listener position change, then audio rendering accuracy is maintained, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial processing by only updating spatial audio signals when listener movement exceeds a predetermined threshold. This selective approach reduces processing complexity by avoiding unnecessary calculations and updates while maintaining rendering accuracy when position changes are significant.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of the disclosure relate to apparatus, methods and computer programs for processing spatial audio. In examples, an apparatus can be configured to receive information indicative of a first orientation and/or location of a listener and also to obtain input audio signals. The apparatus can be configured to process the input audio signals using at least the information indicative of the first orientation and/or location of the listener to generate processed audio signals and to generate spatial metadata based at least on the input audio signals. The apparatus can also be configured to enable transmission of the processed audio signals and the spatial metadata, wherein the transmitted signals and the spatial metadata are configured to enable rendering of a spatial audio output based on the processed audio signals and the spatial metadata and information indicative of a second orientation and/or location of the listener.