VR Audio Zooming Control for Selective Source Focus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for applying an audio zooming effect, such as the cocktail party effect, are not readily applicable in virtual reality (VR) environments, where users interact with multiple audio sources, making it difficult to enhance the audio source of interest amidst noise.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that control audio signals in VR by identifying and activating an audio zooming effect for specific audio objects based on user gaze, distance, or random selection, adjusting volume levels, direct-to-reverberant ratios, and frequency characteristics to enhance the audio source of interest.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing dialogue enhancement methods are used to amplify significant sounds, then the volume of significant sound is improved, but the method is not readily applicable to virtual reality space and immersive media
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting audio signal parameters (volume level, direct-to-reverberant ratio, frequency characteristics) based on user interaction data such as gaze direction and distance. This allows the system to adapt the audio enhancement to VR-specific conditions while maintaining the core dialogue enhancement functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements dynamics by making the audio enhancement adaptive and dynamic rather than static. The audio zooming effect is continuously adjusted based on real-time user gaze data, distance to audio objects, and interaction patterns, enabling the system to respond to changing VR environment conditions and user interests.
2Reliability
If audio zooming effect is applied to all audio objects, then the listening experience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively applying audio enhancement only to specific audio objects that match user interest criteria (gaze direction, distance, interaction). Instead of uniformly processing all audio signals, the system focuses computational resources on enhancing only the relevant audio sources, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining high listening experience quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by applying audio zooming effect to only a subset of audio objects at any given time based on user attention. The processor identifies and enhances only the audio objects that the user is currently interested in, rather than processing all audio objects equally, thereby reducing computational complexity while preserving audio quality for relevant sources.
3Reliability
If multiple audio sources are present in VR, then the immersive experience is improved, but it becomes difficult to focus on audio source of interest amidst noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by isolating and extracting the audio signal of interest from the mixture of multiple audio sources. Using user gaze data and spatial information, the system extracts only the relevant audio object's signal and applies enhancement specifically to that extracted component, effectively separating it from the background noise and other audio sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses user gaze data and spatial position information as intermediary parameters to bridge between the multiple audio sources and the user's attention. These intermediaries help the system identify which audio source the user is interested in, enabling selective enhancement without directly analyzing the complex acoustic mixture of all audio sources.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio signal controlling method includes identifying whether an audio zooming effect is used for at least one audio object present in a virtual reality (VR) through an audio zooming effect field included in metadata, and controlling an audio signal corresponding to the audio object based on a preset method when the audio zooming effect is identified as being used.