Spatial Audio Upmixing Per-Channel Mixing Granularity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spatial audio processing technologies in simulated reality applications lack the ability to perform granular per-channel mixing of spatial sound, limiting the customization and enhancement of 3D sound effects in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality environments.
Innovation Solution
The development of spatial audio upmixing techniques that allow for the creation of new audio objects by combining selected portions of input spatial audio objects, using a computer-implemented method involving a scene combiner process to generate a new spatial audio object with a spherical array of virtual sound sources, enabling more precise control over sound fields and effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional upmixing techniques are used, then spatial audio processing is simpler, but the mixing granularity is coarse and cannot achieve per-channel level control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the spatial audio processing into individual channel operations. Each channel of the input spatial audio object is processed independently through the sound effect pipeline, allowing per-channel mixing granularity. The output spatial audio object maintains separate channel data that can be individually controlled and mixed, transforming the coarse conventional upmixing into fine-grained per-channel processing.
2Reliability
If spatial audio objects with multiple channels are processed, then the spatial characteristics are preserved, but the processing and mixing become more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies sound effects to the input spatial audio object before the mixing operation. By pre-processing each channel with the desired sound effects and storing the processed channel data in the output spatial audio object, the system establishes the spatial characteristics early in the pipeline. This preliminary action simplifies subsequent mixing operations while maintaining spatial fidelity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If custom mixing of different input audio objects is enabled, then the customization capability is enhanced, but the computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables selective mixing where users can choose to mix only specific channels or portions of spatial audio objects rather than processing the entire audio field. The per-channel mixing architecture allows partial processing of the audio data, computing only the necessary channels for the desired custom mix. This partial action approach reduces computational energy while maintaining full customization capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Spatial audio upmixing enables mixing spatial sound on a more granular per-channel level than is possible using conventional upmixing. A spatial bed is a multi-channel audio content that represents a complete sound field description, e.g., a virtual sphere of sound, for example surrounding a simulated reality listener in a simulated reality environment. A new spatial bed is generated by combining sections of at least two of such spatial beds. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.