Surround Signal Rendering from Mono or Stereo Downmix
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods and apparatuses are unable to generate a surround signal with multi-channel features in environments capable only of producing mono or stereo signals, limiting the efficient processing of media signals.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing apparatus and method that utilizes spatial information to convert a media signal into a surround signal by generating source mapping information, applying filter information for a surround effect, and integrating this information with a downmix signal to produce a surround signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional methods use spatial information to generate multi-channel signals, then surround signal quality is improved, but device complexity increases requiring multi-channel generation capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a downmix signal as an intermediary that bridges the gap between multi-source input and surround output. Instead of directly generating multi-channel signals from spatial information, the system first creates a downmix signal (mono or stereo) and then uses spatial information to synthesize the surround effect, allowing simple devices to achieve complex surround sound output
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the surround signal generation process into distinct stages: source mapping (mapping sources to downmix channels), sub-rendering (applying filter information per source), and integration (combining sub-rendering results). This segmentation allows each stage to be processed independently, simplifying the overall device requirements while maintaining surround signal quality
2Device complexity
If devices are limited to mono or stereo output, then device complexity is reduced, but surround signal generation capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the downmix signal processing universal by designing it to work with both mono and stereo inputs, as well as with multi-channel outputs. The same processing pipeline (source mapping, sub-rendering, integration) can generate surround effects regardless of the input downmix type, allowing a single device configuration to serve multiple output requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for processing a media signal and method thereof are disclosed, by which the media signal can be converted to a surround signal by using spatial information of the media signal. The present invention provides a method of processing a signal, the method comprising of extracting spatial information and a downmix signal from a bitstream; and generating rendering information by using the spatial information and filter information having a surround effect, wherein the rendering information comprises first rendering information applied to one channel of the downmix signal extracted from the bitstream and then transmitted on the same channel and second rendering information applied to the channel and then transmitted on another channel.