Apparatus, Method or Computer Program for Generating a Sound Field Description

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention presents an apparatus, method, and computer program that generate compact, flexible sound field descriptions from microphone signals, using an advanced process that estimates sound directions for each time-frequency segment and calculates spatial sound field components such as Ambisonics. Unlike conventional systems which require specific microphone arrangements, this technology can work with arbitrary microphone setups and efficiently creates detailed spatial audio information suitable for any playback format.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Immersive 3D audio recording for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) applications
• Spatial audio capture in film, television, and live events, enabling post-production flexibility
• Flexible sound field recording for music production, enabling subsequent rendering to various speaker or headphone setups
• Spatial teleconferencing and remote presence systems
• Compact and portable microphone arrays for spatial sound capture in consumer electronics (e.g., smartphones, cameras)
• Game audio engines requiring real-time spatial audio rendering from recorded sound fields

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Highly flexible: Works with various and arbitrary microphone geometries, removing the need for specialized, expensive arrays
• Efficient computation of higher-order spatial audio representations (such as Ambisonics) from as few as two microphones
• Supports conversion to any playback configuration (e.g., surround speakers, headphones, 3D audio systems)
• Improved cost-effectiveness—less restrictive hardware requirements lead to affordable spatial audio capture
• Post-capture freedom: Enables editing and re-rendering the sound field to suit different speaker setups without re-recording
• Enhanced realism and immersion for listeners using advanced spatial audio cues
• Can separate and decorrelate direct and diffuse sound components, improving spatial accuracy

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

An apparatus for generating a sound field description having a representation of sound field components, comprises a direction determiner (102) for determining one or more sound directions for each time-frequency tile of a plurality of time-frequency tiles of a plurality of microphone signals; a spatial basis function evaluator (103) for evaluating, for each time-frequency tile of the plurality of time-frequency tiles, one or more spatial basis functions using the one or more sound directions; and a sound field component calculator (201 ) for calculating, for each time-frequency tile of the plurality of time-frequency tiles, one or more sound field components corresponding to the one or more spatial basis functions evaluated using the one or more sound directions and a reference signal for a corresponding time-frequency tile, the reference signal being derived from one or more microphone signals of the plurality of microphone signals.