Abstract: An audio session management method may involve: determining, by an audio session manager, one or more first media engine capabilities of a first media engine of a first smart audio device, the first media engine being configured for managing one or more audio media streams received by the first smart audio device and for performing first smart audio device signal processing for the one or more audio media streams according to a first media engine sample clock; receiving, by the audio session manager and via a first application communication link, first application control signals from the first application; and controlling the first smart audio device according to the first media engine capabilities, by the audio session manager, via first audio session management control signals transmitted to the first smart audio device via a first smart audio device communication link and without reference to the first media engine sample clock.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method of rendering audio for playback through headphones comprising receiving digital audio content, receiving binaural rendering metadata generated by an authoring tool processing the received digital audio content, receiving playback metadata generated by a playback device, and combining the binaural rendering metadata and playback metadata to optimize playback of the digital audio content through the headphones.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a speaker system that contains an array of multiple dispersion drivers that creates an expansive acoustic pattern to playback multi-channel audio content through a standalone speaker. The speaker system comprises an interface receiving stereo audio; an upmixer generating surround sound formatted audio from the stereo audio including one or more height channels; a virtualizer/downmixer component coupled to the upmixer and generating speaker feeds for two or more loudspeaker output sections, configured to play back the stereo audio, wherein each output section is further configured to play its own dedicated stereo audio signals; and a set of drivers each coupled to a respective output section and configured to project sound in at least two different dispersion patterns.

Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.

Abstract: A system and method of modifying a binaural signal using headtracking information. The system calculates a delay, a first filter response, and a second filter response, and applies these to the left and right components of the binaural signal according to the headtracking information. The system may also apply headtracking to parametric binaural signals. In this manner, headtracking may be applied to pre-rendered binaural audio.

Abstract: In an audio encoder, for audio content received in a source audio format, default gains are generated based on a default dynamic range compression (DRC) curve, and non-default gains are generated for a non-default gain profile. Based on the default gains and non-default gains, differential gains are generated. An audio signal comprising the audio content, the default DRC curve, and differential gains is generated. In an audio decoder, the default DRC curve and the differential gains are identified from the audio signal. Default gains are re-generated based on the default DRC curve. Based on the combination of the re-generated default gains and the differential gains, operations are performed on the audio content extracted from the audio signal.

Abstract: A system and method of modifying a binaural signal using headtracking information. The system calculates a delay, a first filter response, and a second filter response, and applies these to the left and right components of the binaural signal according to the headtracking information. The system may also apply headtracking to parametric binaural signals. In this manner, headtracking may be applied to pre-rendered binaural audio.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an audio signal in an audio processing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes receiving an audio signal and a parameter, the parameter indicating a location of an auditory event boundary. An audio portion between consecutive auditory event boundaries constitutes an auditory event. The method further includes applying a modification to the audio signal based in part on an occurrence of the auditory event. The parameter may be generated by monitoring a characteristic of the audio signal and identifying a change in the characteristic.

Abstract: Individual loudspeaker dynamics processing configuration data, for each of a plurality of loudspeakers of a listening environment, may be obtained. Listening environment dynamics processing configuration data may be determined, based on the individual loudspeaker dynamics processing configuration data. Dynamics processing may be performed on received audio data based on the listening environment dynamics processing configuration data, to generate processed audio data. The processed audio data may be rendered for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers that includes at least some of the plurality of loudspeakers, to produce rendered audio signals. The rendered audio signals may be provided to, and reproduced by, the set of loudspeakers.

Abstract: An audio session management method for an audio environment having multiple audio devices may involve receiving, from a first device implementing a first application and by a device implementing an audio session manager, a first route initiation request to initiate a first route for a first audio session. The first route initiation request may indicate a first audio source and a first audio environment destination. The first audio environment destination may correspond with at least a first person in the audio environment, but in some instances will not indicate an audio device. The method may involve establishing a first route corresponding to the first route initiation request. Establishing the first route may involve determining a first location of at least the first person in the audio environment, determining at least one audio device for a first stage of the first audio session and initiating or scheduling the first audio session.

Abstract: A rendering mode may be determined for received audio data, including audio signals and associated spatial data. The audio data may be rendered for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals. Rendering the audio data may involve determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment. The rendering mode may be variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes. The reference spatial mode may have an assumed listening position and orientation. In the distributed spatial mode(s), one or more elements of the audio data may each be rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data may be warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode.

Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of rendering audio objects with multiple types of renderers. The weighting between the selected renderers depends upon the position information in each audio object. As each type of renderer has a different output coverage, the combination of their weighted outputs results in the audio being perceived at the position according to the position information.

Abstract: In an audio encoder, for audio content received in a source audio format, default gains are generated based on a default dynamic range compression (DRC) curve, and non-default gains are generated for a non-default gain profile. Based on the default gains and non-default gains, differential gains are generated. An audio signal comprising the audio content, the default DRC curve, and differential gains is generated. In an audio decoder, the default DRC curve and the differential gains are identified from the audio signal. Default gains are re-generated based on the default DRC curve. Based on the combination of the re-generated default gains and the differential gains, operations are performed on the audio content extracted from the audio signal.

Abstract: Embodiments are described for a method of rendering audio for playback through headphones comprising receiving digital audio content, receiving binaural rendering metadata generated by an authoring tool processing the received digital audio content, receiving playback metadata generated by a playback device, and combining the binaural rendering metadata and playback metadata to optimize playback of the digital audio content through the headphones.

Abstract: A multi-stream rendering system and method may render and play simultaneously a plurality of audio program streams over a plurality of arbitrarily placed loudspeakers. At least one of the program streams may be a spatial mix. The rendering of said spatial mix may be dynamically modified as a function of the simultaneous rendering of one or more additional program streams. The rendering of one or more additional program streams may be dynamically modified as a function of the simultaneous rendering of the spatial mix.

Abstract: Media input audio data corresponding to a media stream and microphone input audio data from at least one microphone may be received. A first level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the media input audio data, as well as a second level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the microphone input audio data, may be determined. Media output audio data and microphone output audio data may be produced by adjusting levels of one or more of the first and second plurality of frequency bands based on the perceived loudness of the microphone input audio data, of the microphone output audio data, of the media output audio data and the media input audio data. One or more processes may be modified upon receipt of a mode-switching indication.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method for processing an audio signal in an audio processing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes receiving an audio signal and a parameter, the parameter indicating a location of an auditory event boundary. An audio portion between consecutive auditory event boundaries constitutes an auditory event. The method further includes applying a modification to the audio signal based in part on an occurrence of the auditory event. The parameter may be generated by monitoring a characteristic of the audio signal and identifying a change in the characteristic.

Abstract: Media input audio data corresponding to a media stream and microphone input audio data from at least one microphone may be received. A first level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the media input audio data, as well as a second level of at least one of a plurality of frequency bands of the microphone input audio data, may be determined. Media output audio data and microphone output audio data may be produced by adjusting levels of one or more of the first and second plurality of frequency bands based on the perceived loudness of the microphone input audio data, of the microphone output audio data, of the media output audio data and the media input audio data. One or more processes may be modified upon receipt of a mode-switching indication.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method of rendering adaptive audio by receiving input audio comprising channel-based audio, audio objects, and dynamic objects, wherein the dynamic objects are classified as sets of low-priority dynamic objects and high-priority dynamic objects, rendering the channel-based audio, the audio objects, and the low-priority dynamic objects in a first rendering processor of an audio processing system, and rendering the high-priority dynamic objects in a second rendering processor of the audio processing system. The rendered audio is then subject to virtualization and post-processing steps for playback through soundbars and other similar limited height capable speakers.