Apparatus, Method or Computer Program for Synthesizing a Spatially Extended Sound Source Using Variance or Covariance Data

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This invention relates to an apparatus, method, or computer program for generating and rendering spatially extended sound sources (SESS)—that is, sound sources that occupy a range of space (like a choir, river, or grand piano) rather than being a single point. The system improves the realism and flexibility of synthesized audio by dividing the listener's surrounding space into spatial sectors and using precomputed variance/co-variance data for each sector. It enables real-time, efficient, and accurate rendering of sound objects with complex spatial properties, including occlusion (e.g. sound partially blocked by an object like a wall or bush) and distance effects, for headphone or loudspeaker playback.

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• Virtual and augmented reality environments, where spatially accurate and dynamic soundscapes enhance user immersion.
• Video games requiring realistic audio rendering for environments with multiple, large, or moving sound sources.
• 3D audio content creation and post-production for cinema, television, or streaming media.
• Assistive technologies for simulating spatial hearing for research, audiology, or hearing aids.
• Remote communication or telepresence systems where spatial cues improve situational awareness and realism.
• Architectural or environmental simulation where accurate spatial audio simulation is needed (e.g., for concert halls, machinery plants).
• Next-generation audio codecs or standards (such as MPEG-I) optimized for spatial audio rendering and efficient storage.

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• Enables realistic, dynamic, and efficient rendering of spatially extended audio sources for immersive experiences.
• Allows for fine-grained spatial modification—such as simulating sound occlusion by obstacles or attenuation due to distance—for a more natural sound perception.
• Reduces computational burden in real-time applications through the use of precomputed data and an efficient lookup structure (sector-based storage).
• Provides flexibility and scalability for rendering sources of arbitrary shape, size, and position relative to the listener, supporting 6 degrees of freedom user movement.
• Improves storage efficiency by storing only necessary variance/covariance data, instead of full impulse response sets for all possible positions.
• Supports frequency-dependent processing, enabling accurate modeling of acoustical phenomena like low-pass filtering by occluding objects.
• Directly benefits emerging multimedia and communication standards pushing for more immersive audio experiences.

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Patent Abstract

An apparatus for synthesizing a spatially extended sound source (SESS), comprises: a storage (200, 2000) for storing one or more rendering data items for different limited spatial sectors, wherein the different limited spatial sectors are located in a rendering range for a listener, wherein the one or more rendering data items for a limited spatial sector comprises at least one of a left variance data item, a right variance data item, and a left-right covariance data item; a sector identification processor (4000) for identifying one or more limited spatial sectors for the spatially extended sound source within the rendering range for the listener based on spatially extended sound source data; a target data calculator (5000) for calculating target rendering data from the stored left variance data, the stored right variance data, or the stored covariance data; and an audio processor (300, 3000) for processing an audio signal representing the spatially extended sound source using the target rendering data.