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: The present document relates to methods and apparatus for rendering input audio for playback in a playback environment. The input audio includes at least one audio object and associated metadata, and the associated metadata indicates at least a location of the audio object. A method for rendering input audio including divergence metadata for playback in a playback environment comprises creating two additional audio objects associated with the audio object such that respective locations of the two additional audio objects are evenly spaced from the location of the audio object, on opposite sides of the location of the audio object when seen from an intended listener's position in the playback environment, determining respective weight factors for application to the audio object and the two additional audio objects, and rendering the audio object and the two additional audio objects to one or more speaker feeds in accordance with the determined weight factors.

Abstract: A method may involve: receiving direction of arrival (DOA) data corresponding to sound emitted by at least a first smart audio device of the audio environment that includes a first audio transmitter and a first audio receiver, the DOA data corresponding to sound received by at least a second smart audio device of the audio environment that includes a second audio transmitter and a second audio receiver, the DOA data corresponding to sound emitted by at least the second smart audio device and received by at least the first smart audio device; receiving one or more configuration parameters corresponding to the audio environment, to one or more audio devices, or both; and minimizing a cost function based at least in part on the DOA data and the configuration parameter(s), to estimate a position and an orientation of at least the first smart audio device and the second smart audio device.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for training a machine learning algorithm. The method may comprise receiving a first input multichannel audio signal. The method may comprise generating, using the machine learning algorithm, an intermediate audio signal based on the first input multichannel audio signal. The method may comprise rendering the intermediate audio signal into a first output multichannel audio signal. Further, the method may comprise improving the machine learning algorithm based on a difference between the first input multichannel audio signal and the first output multichannel audio signal. Described herein are further an apparatus for generating an intermediate audio format from an input multichannel audio signal as well as a respective computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium with instructions adapted to carry out said method when executed by a device having processing capability.

Abstract: An audio object including audio content and object metadata is received. The object metadata indicates an object spatial position of the audio object to be rendered by audio speakers in a playback environment. Based on the object spatial position and source spatial positions of the audio speakers, initial gain values for the audio speakers are determined. The initial gain values can be used to select a set of audio speakers from among the audio speakers. Based on the object spatial position and a set of source spatial positions at which the set of audio speakers are respectively located in the playback environment, a set of non-negative optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers is determined. The audio object at the object spatial position is rendered with the set of optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers.

Abstract: An audio processing method may involve receiving output signals from each microphone of a plurality of microphones in an audio environment, the output signals corresponding to a current utterance of a person and determining, based on the output signals, one or more aspects of context information relating to the person, including an estimated current proximity of the person to one or more microphone locations. The method may involve selecting two or more loudspeaker-equipped audio devices based, at least in part, on the one or more aspects of the context information, determining one or more types of audio processing changes to apply to audio data being rendered to loudspeaker feed signals for the audio devices and causing one or more types of audio processing changes to be applied. In some examples, the audio processing changes have the effect of increasing a speech to echo ratio at one or more microphones.

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: Methods, systems, and computer program products for rending an audio object having an apparent size are disclosed. An audio processing system receives audio panning data including a first grid mapping first virtual sound sources in a space and speaker positions to speaker gains. The first grid specifies first speaker gains of the first virtual sound sources in the space. The audio processing system determines a second grid of second virtual sound sources in the space, including mapping the first virtual sound sources into the second virtual sound sources of the second virtual sources. The audio processing system selects at least one of the first grid or second grid for rendering an audio object based on an apparent size of the audio object. The audio processing system renders the audio object based on the selected grid or grids.

Abstract: An audio object including audio content and object metadata is received. The object metadata indicates an object spatial position of the audio object to be rendered by audio speakers in a playback environment. Based on the object spatial position and source spatial positions of the audio speakers, initial gain values for the audio speakers are determined. The initial gain values can be used to select a set of audio speakers from among the audio speakers. Based on the object spatial position and a set of source spatial positions at which the set of audio speakers are respectively located in the playback environment, a set of non-negative optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers is determined. The audio object at the object spatial position is rendered with the set of optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers.

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: Methods for rendering audio for playback by two or more speakers are disclosed. The audio includes one or more audio signals, each with an associated intended perceived spatial position. Relative activation of the speakers may be a cost function of a model of perceived spatial position of the audio signals when played back over the speakers, a measure of proximity of the intended perceived spatial position of the audio signals to positions of the speakers, and one or more additional dynamically configurable functions. The dynamically configurable functions may be based on at least one or more properties of the audio signals, one or more properties of the set of speakers and/or one or more external inputs.

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: Embodiments are described for a method of simultaneously localizing a set of speakers and microphones, having only the times of arrival between each of the speakers and microphones. An autodiscovery process uses an external input to set: a global translation (3 continuous parameters), a global rotation (3 continuous parameters), and discrete symmetries, i.e., an exchange of any axis pairs and/or reversal of any axis. Different time of arrival acquisition techniques may be used, such as ultrasonic sweeps or generic multitrack audio content. The autodiscovery algorithm is based in minimizing a certain cost function, and the process allows for latencies in the recordings, possibly linked to the latencies in the emission.

Abstract: An audio object including audio content and object metadata is received. The object metadata indicates an object spatial position of the audio object to be rendered by audio speakers in a playback environment. Based on the object spatial position and source spatial positions of the audio speakers, initial gain values for the audio speakers are determined. The initial gain values can be used to select a set of audio speakers from among the audio speakers. Based on the object spatial position and a set of source spatial positions at which the set of audio speakers are respectively located in the playback environment, a set of non-negative optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers is determined. The audio object at the object spatial position is rendered with the set of optimized gain values for the set of audio speakers.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for rending an audio object having an apparent size are disclosed. An audio processing system receives audio panning data including a first grid mapping first virtual sound sources in a space and speaker positions to speaker gains. The first grid specifies first speaker gains of the first virtual sound sources in the space. The audio processing system determines a second grid of second virtual sound sources in the space, including mapping the first virtual sound sources into the second virtual sound sources of the second virtual sources. The audio processing system selects at least one of the first grid or second grid for rendering an audio object based on an apparent size of the audio object. The audio processing system renders the audio object based on the selected grid or grids.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for creating object-based audio content from a text input for use in audio books and/or audio play, the method including the steps of: a) receiving the text input; b) performing a semantic analysis of the received text input; c) synthesizing speech and effects based on one or more results of the semantic analysis to generate one or more audio objects; d) generating metadata for the one or more audio objects; and e) creating the object-based audio content including the one or more audio objects and the metadata. Described herein are further a computer-based system including one or more processors configured to perform said method and a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium with instructions adapted to carry out said method when executed by a device having processing capability.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for creating object-based audio content from a text input for use in audio books and/or audio play, the method including the steps of: a) receiving the text input; b) performing a semantic analysis of the received text input; c) synthesizing speech and effects based on one or more results of the semantic analysis to generate one or more audio objects; d) generating metadata for the one or more audio objects; and e) creating the object-based audio content including the one or more audio objects and the metadata. Described herein are further a computer-based system including one or more processors configured to perform said method and a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium with instructions adapted to carry out said method when executed by a device having processing capability.

Abstract: The present document relates to methods and apparatus for rendering input audio for playback in a playback environment. The input audio includes at least one audio object and associated metadata, and the associated metadata indicates at least a location of the audio object. A method for rendering input audio including divergence metadata for playback in a playback environment comprises creating two additional audio objects associated with the audio object such that respective locations of the two additional audio objects are evenly spaced from the location of the audio object, on opposite sides of the location of the audio object when seen from an intended listener's position in the playback environment, determining respective weight factors for application to the audio object and the two additional audio objects, and rendering the audio object and the two additional audio objects to one or more speaker feeds in accordance with the determined weight factors.