Spatial Audio and Video Quality Adjustment in Virtual Conferencing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional videoconferencing technologies lack the social interaction and spatial awareness that physical meetings provide, leading to difficulties in private conversations and efficient communication, especially with multiple participants, and often suffer from performance issues due to bandwidth and hardware limitations.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that renders a three-dimensional virtual space with avatars having texture-mapped video, adjusting audio streams to simulate spatial positioning, allowing users to navigate and interact in a virtual environment, thereby enhancing social interaction and managing bandwidth allocation based on user proximity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional videoconferencing software mixes audio streams equally from multiple participants, then all participants can hear everyone speaking, but private conversations become impossible and social interaction is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to audio mixing by adjusting left-right volume balance based on avatar positions in a 3D virtual space. Instead of uniform mixing, audio streams are positioned spatially with volume attenuation based on distance from the user's avatar, creating a sense of direction and location that enables private conversations and improves social interaction.
2Quantity of substance
If video streams from many participants are transmitted in virtual conferences, then all participants can see each other, but network bandwidth and computing hardware performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting video stream transmission based on spatial proximity. Video streams from participants whose avatars are closer to the user's avatar are transmitted at higher quality, while distant participants' streams are transmitted at lower quality or omitted. This selective approach maintains system performance while supporting large numbers of participants.
3Measurement precision
If audio volume is adjusted based on avatar distance in virtual space, then spatial positioning sense is improved, but audio mixing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual audio mixing with automated spatial audio processing. The system automatically calculates volume attenuation based on the distance between avatars in the virtual space and adjusts left-right balance accordingly. This automated approach achieves precise spatial positioning without requiring manual intervention, managing complexity through algorithmic processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a web-based videoconference system that allows for video avatars to navigate within the virtual environment. The system has a presented mode that allows for a presentation stream to be texture mapped to a presenter screen situated within the virtual environment. The relative left-right sound is adjusted to provide sense of an avatar's position in a virtual space. The sound is further adjusted based on the area where the avatar is located and where the virtual camera is located. Video stream quality is adjusted based on relative position in a virtual space. Three-dimensional modeling is available inside the virtual video conferencing environment.