Voxel-Based Acoustic 3D Extent Modeling for Realistic Audio Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for rendering audio in VR, AR, MR, and XR environments using voxel-based geometries face challenges in simplifying the process and reducing computational burden for representing audio objects with an extent.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for rendering audio in a voxel-based audio scene representation involves determining intersection points and line segments within the 3D extent, allocating audio sources to specific locations based on these segments, and applying occlusion and diffraction modeling to create a realistic audio experience without explicit signaling of source coordinates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If voxel-based geometry is used to represent audio objects with extent, then acoustic realism is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The audio object with extent is segmented into multiple point sources distributed within the voxel-based geometry. Each point source represents a localized acoustic emission point, and the collective behavior of these segmented point sources reproduces the acoustic characteristics of the extended object, achieving realistic audio rendering through division into manageable computational units
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from representing audio objects as zero-dimensional point sources to three-dimensional voxel-based geometries with extent. By introducing spatial dimensions and distributing point sources throughout the volume, the system achieves realistic acoustic rendering that accounts for the physical extent of audio objects while maintaining computational tractability through structured voxel representation
2Reliability
If audio sources are allocated to multiple locations within 3D extent, then audio experience quality is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores the voxel-based geometry representation and point source allocations during an encoding phase. This preliminary action allows the complex spatial distribution calculations to be performed in advance, so that during real-time audio rendering, the pre-computed point source locations can be directly applied without recalculation, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining high audio quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allocates point sources to specific voxels within the 3D extent based on acoustic relevance rather than uniformly distributing them throughout the entire volume. This partial action approach concentrates computational resources on the most acoustically significant regions, achieving high audio experience quality with reduced processing requirements compared to exhaustive allocation across all possible locations
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein is a method of rendering audio in an audio scene. The method comprises receiving a voxel-based audio scene representation of the audio scene, the audio scene representation including an indication of extent voxels representing a 3D extent together with a plurality of audio source signals for audio sources associated with the 3D extent; obtaining coordinates of an intersection point inside the 3D extent; determining one or more line-segments running through the intersection point and extending along respective coordinate directions of the audio scene representation, wherein end points of each line segment are determined based on coordinates of one or more of the extent voxels; and allocating audio sources among the plurality of audio sources to audio source locations within the audio scene based on the one or more line-segments. Further described are a respective apparatus and computer program product.