Video-Guided Surround Sound Upmixing for Audio-Visual Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio upmixing methods rely solely on audio analysis, failing to accurately match audio to video content, leading to incorrect loudspeaker channel assignments and reduced immersion and spatial experience.
Innovation Solution
A framework that performs joint audio and video scene analysis to estimate visual object trajectories, positioning audio signals based on video transitions and speaker configurations, enhancing audio upmixing to match artistic intent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If audio upmixing relies solely on audio analysis, then the process is simpler and faster, but the accuracy of matching audio to video content deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines audio analysis and video scene analysis into a unified framework. The audio analyzer extracts audio signals and their trajectories, while the video scene analyzer segments visual objects and tracks their trajectories. By merging these two analysis streams and correlating audio-visual trajectories, the system achieves accurate audio-to-video synchronization without relying on either analysis alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a correlation module that acts as an intermediary between audio analysis and video analysis. This module receives trajectories from both analyzers and determines correspondence between audio signals and visual objects by comparing their spatial and temporal characteristics, thereby bridging the two analysis domains.
2Reliability
If conventional audio upmixing is used, then the system is simpler to implement, but the spatial experience and immersion for listeners deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio signal into multiple audio objects with distinct trajectories, and segments the video scene into multiple visual objects with distinct trajectories. This segmentation allows the system to independently process and correlate specific audio-visual pairs, improving spatial accuracy by assigning audio to specific spatial locations based on matched trajectories.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to traditional audio upmixing by incorporating video frame timestamps and object trajectories. Instead of only analyzing audio in the time-frequency domain, the system now operates in a four-dimensional space (x, y, time, frame number), enabling more precise spatial mapping of audio to visual objects.
3Manufacturing precision
If audio trajectory is not matched with video, then audio processing is faster and simpler, but the alignment with creative intent deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary trajectory estimation for both audio signals and visual objects before the main correlation process. By pre-computing trajectories from audio signals and video frames separately, the system can quickly compare and match them without performing complex real-time analysis, thus reducing overall processing time while maintaining precision.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment provides a method of audio upmixing comprising performing video scene analysis by segmenting visual objects from video frames of a video, and performing audio analysis by extracting audio signals from an audio corresponding to the video. The method further comprises determining whether any of the audio signals correspond to any of the visual objects, and estimating a video-based trajectory of a visual object if the visual object is in motion and transitions from on-screen to off-screen, or vice versa, during the video. The method further comprises positioning an audio trajectory of an audio signal from at least one speaker associated with the display to at least one other speaker associated with providing surround sound. The audio trajectory is automatically matched with the video. The audio signal is delivered to the at least one speaker and the at least one other speaker for audio reproduction during the presentation.