Abstract: Described herein is a computer-implemented method for adjusting audio output by a video game system, the method including: obtaining (110) a user profile indicating a user's hearing requirements; determining (120) audio content of one or more audio components to be output by the video game system; and based on the user profile and the determined audio content, adjusting (130) the one or more audio components to meet the user's hearing requirements.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modifying video game audio output using a video gaming system includes: obtaining a hearing loss profile associated with a user, the profile defining a hear loss value varying with frequency; obtaining audio data to be output on the video gaming system, the audio data corresponding to an audio asset and including multiple frequency bands; determining, for each frequency band, a respective loudness level; selecting, for each frequency band, a respective modulation profile based on the frequency band and the respective loudness levels, the modulation profile defining a gain value to be applied dependent on a hearing loss value provided by the hearing loss profile; and applying, to each frequency band, the respective modulation profiles using the hearing loss profile to generate modified video game audio.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for adjusting the audio output of a video gaming system to compensate for a user's hearing loss profile. The method includes: determining an optimal boost curve to be applied to an output audio signal, the optimal boost curve defining a frequency dependent gain value for compensating for a user's hearing loss profile; selecting a plurality of signal processing filters from a filter bank stored in a memory such that, when combined, the plurality of signal processing filters approximate the optimal boost curve; combining the plurality of filters to form an approximate boost curve and applying the approximate boost curve to the output audio signal to compensate for a user's hearing loss profile.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modifying video game audio output using a video gaming system includes obtaining a hearing loss profile associated with a user, the profile defining a hear loss value varying with frequency; obtaining audio data to be output on a video gaming system corresponding to an audio segment, the data including frequency bands; determining, for each frequency band, a respective loudness level; selecting, for each frequency band of the audio data, a respective modulation profile based on the frequency band and the respective loudness levels, the modulation profile defining a gain value to be applied dependent on a hearing loss value provided by the profile; and applying, to each frequency band, the respective modulation profiles using the hearing loss profile to generate modified video game audio.

Abstract: An audio personalisation method for generating a personalised Head-Related Transfer Function, HRTF, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining a base HRTF model comprising a first set of parameters; outputting a sound from a virtual sound source according to the base HRTF model, the virtual sound source having an intended virtual position; receiving at least one user indication corresponding to a user virtual position of the virtual sound source, wherein the intended virtual position is different to the user virtual position; updating the first set of parameters to a second set of parameters based on the at least one indication from the user so as to update the user virtual location; and generating a personalised HRTF model comprising the second set of parameters, wherein the difference between the intended virtual position and the user virtual position according to the personalised HRTF model is less than the difference between the intended virtual position and the user virtual position according to the b

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes storage circuitry to store graphics data for a first device, receiving circuitry to receive second device information indicative of one or more properties for a second device with one or more different capabilities to the first device, control circuitry to reduce a quality of at least one aspect of the graphics data in dependence upon the second device information to obtain modified graphics data and output circuitry to output the modified graphics data, where the control circuitry is configured to reduce a quality of the at least one aspect according to a predetermined quality level from a plurality of predetermined quality levels for the at least one aspect, the predetermined quality level identified in dependence upon the second device information.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for providing haptic feedback to accompany media content delivered by a media device, the apparatus comprising: a detection module, configured to determine a haptic capability associated with the apparatus; a receiving module, configured to receive, from the media device, media data associated with the media content; a haptics generation module, configured to generate a haptic signal based on the determined haptics capability and the received media data; and a transfer interface for transferring haptic feedback generated by an associated haptics actuator to one or more peripherals connected to the media device.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes circuitry configured to: receive a first signal indicative of one or more words communicated from a first user of online content to one or more second users of online content; classify the one or more words using the first signal; receive one or more second signals indicative of one or more physiological characteristics of the first user within a time period of a start of the communication of the one or more words; classify the one or more physiological characteristics using the one or more second signals; based on a classification of the one or more words and a classification of the one or more physiological characteristics, generate an action signal indicating that an action associated with the first user of the online content is to be taken, the action signal indicating a characteristic of the action determined based on a combination of the classification of the one or more words and the classification of the one or more physiological characteristics; and output the act

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes storage circuitry to store audio data for a plurality of respective dialogue recordings for a content and to store text data indicative of a sequence of respective words within the audio data for each of the plurality of respective dialogue recordings, analysis circuitry to compare the text data for a current dialogue recording with predetermined text data for the content and to output comparison data for the current dialogue recording, the comparison data indicative of one or more differences between the text data for the current dialogue recording and the predetermined text data, selection circuitry to select one or more candidate dialogue recordings from the plurality of respective dialogue recordings for the content in dependence upon the comparison data, and recording circuitry to modify at least a portion of the audio data for the current dialogue recording in dependence upon the audio data for one or more of the candidate dialogue recordings to obtain modified audio

Abstract: A system for positioning objects within an environment includes: an input unit operable to receive data representative of at least a portion of an environment comprising one or more features associated with the environment; an object determining unit operable to identify, for one or more objects, one or more features associated with each respective object, and operable to determine which of the one or more objects are to be positioned within the environment; and an object positioning unit operable to position the one or more determined objects within the environment in dependence upon at least one of the features associated with the environment and at least one of the features associated with each respective determined object, where the object positioning unit is operable to utilise a machine learning model, trained using one or more examples of one or more other objects positioned within at least a portion of one or more other environments in dependence upon at least one feature associated with each respecti

Abstract: An audio personalisation method for a first user includes: testing a first user on a calibration test, the calibration test comprising requiring a user to match a test sound to a test location, either by controlling the position of the presented sound or controlling the position of the presented location, for a sequence of test matches, each test sound being presented at a position using a default head related transfer function ‘HRTF’, receiving an estimate of each matching location from the first user, and calculating a respective error for each estimate, to generate a sequence of location estimate errors for the first user; and comparing at least some of the location estimate errors for the first user with estimate errors of the same locations previously generated for at least a subset of a corpus of reference individuals; identifying a reference individual with the closest match of compared location estimation errors to those of the first user; and using an HRTF, previously obtained for the identified refe

Abstract: A data processing apparatus includes circuitry configured to: receive a first signal indicative of one or more words communicated from a first user of online content to one or more second users of online content; classify the one or more words using the first signal; receive one or more second signals indicative of one or more physiological characteristics of the one or more second users in response to the communicated one or more words; classify the one or more physiological characteristics of the one or more second users using the one or more second signals; determine, based on a classification of the one or more words and a classification of the one or more physiological characteristics of the one or more second users, whether to generate an action signal, the action signal indicating that an action associated with the first user of the online content is to be taken; and when it is determined an action signal is to be generated, generate and output the action signal.

Abstract: A data processing apparatus comprising-includes circuitry configured to: receive one or more pairs of first and second frames of a video image to be output for display; determine a first value indicative of a brightness of one or more pixels of the first frame in each pair; determine a second value indicative of a brightness of a corresponding one or more pixels of the second frame in each pair; based on a difference between the first and second values of each pair, adjust a pixel value of the one or more pixels of the first frame in each pair or adjust a pixel value of the corresponding one or more pixels of the second frame in each pair to reduce the magnitude of the difference between the first and second values of each pair; and output the first and second frames of each pair with the adjusted pixel value of the one or more pixels of the first frame or with the adjusted pixel value of the corresponding one or more pixels of the second frame for display.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of synthesising an HRTF is disclosed. The method comprising: providing the HRTF of a subject measured at a particular measurement angle; processing the HRTF to remove localisation perception features of the HRTF, where the processing comprises: removing spectral notches from the measured HRTF, the resulting processed HRTF referred to as the HRTF'; and calculating a subject's HRTF timbre by subtracting a baseline HRTF at the measurement angle from the subject's HRTF', the baseline HRTF comprising a generalised response component such that the HRTF timbre comprises subject-specific variations in the HRTF. The method further comprises using the HRTF timbre to synthesise an HRTF. The method allows for generating a personalised timbre component of an HRTF to provide better personalisation of an HRTF, thereby providing improved binaural audio.

Abstract: The invention provides techniques for intelligently positioning speech in a virtual environment. Factors such as user preferences, the location of virtual environment audio and/or visual events, avatar location, and others can be taken into account when selecting a suitable location for the speech. The virtual environment can be a game environment, a meeting environment, an augmented reality environment, a virtual reality environment, and the like. The invention can be implemented by an audio processing unit which may be part of a game console.

Abstract: A method of compressing an impulse response set, the impulse response set comprising a plurality of impulse responses. The method comprises identifying at least one common impulse response element in the plurality of impulse responses, each common impulse response element being present in at least some of the plurality of impulse responses. The or each common impulse response element is removed from each of the impulse responses identified as comprising that common impulse response element, thereby generating a corresponding set of compressed impulse responses. Then, the compressed impulse responses, the identified common impulse response elements and, for each identified common impulse response element, mapping data representing a mapping of that common impulse response element to the compressed impulse responses from which it was removed, are stored.

Abstract: The invention provides a computer-implemented method of detecting errors in audio outputs occurring during gameplay, the method comprising: providing an audio output distribution, the audio output distribution comprising a distribution of confirmed audio outputs that are clustered according to features of the confirmed audio outputs, wherein each of the confirmed audio outputs is a combination of audio components that occur during gameplay; receiving a sample audio output that occurs during gameplay; comparing the sample audio output to the audio output distribution; and detecting an error in the sample audio output when the sample audio output is inconsistent with the audio output distribution.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for processing 3D audio, the method comprising: there is provided a computer-implemented method for processing 3D audio, the method comprising: obtaining a first ambisonic signal representing a sound; and upmixing the first ambisonic signal to derive a second ambisonic signal representing the sound; wherein the second ambisonic signal is a higher quality representation of the sound than the first ambisonic signal. This reduces the storage and processing requirements of providing high quality 3D audio.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method for generating reverb on an audio signal in a video game environment during gameplay. The method comprises receiving data from a virtual camera arranged in the video game environment during gameplay. The method also comprises processing the virtual camera data to determine one or more features of the video game environment that influence the reverb on an audio signal within the video game environment. The method further comprises generating reverb on an audio signal based on the one or more features of the video game environment.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for decorrelating a set of simulated audio signals in a virtual environment is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: obtaining a first set of decorrelation filters; evaluating the first set of decorrelation filters to determine a similarity metric representing the similarity between the first set of decorrelation filters; if the similarity metric is above a predetermined threshold, regenerating the set of decorrelation filters so as to reduce the similarity metric; and applying the regenerated set of decorrelation filters to the simulated audio signals.