Abstract: In a device or method for rendering a sound program for headphones, a location is received for placing the sound program with respect to first and second ear pieces. If the location is between the first ear piece and the second ear piece, the sound program is filtered to produce low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The high-frequency portion is panned according to the location to produce first and second high-frequency signals. The low-frequency portion and the first high-frequency signal are combined to produce a first headphone driver signal to drive the first ear piece. A second headphone driver signal is similarly produced. The sound program may be a stereo sound program. The device or method may also provide for a location that is between the first ear piece and a near-field boundary. Other aspects are also described.

Abstract: A device and a method of using the device to determine a user-specific head-related transfer function (HRTF), are described. The device can determine first geometric data corresponding to visible features of a pinna of a user in an image, and second geometric data corresponding to hidden features of the pinna obfuscated by the visible features in the image. The first geometric data and the second geometric data are combined in a geometric model that describes a shape of the pinna, and the user-specific HRTF is determined based on the geometric model. The user-specific HRTF is used to render spatial audio to the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: In a device or method for rendering a sound program for headphones, a location is received for placing the sound program with respect to first and second ear pieces. If the location is between the first ear piece and the second ear piece, the sound program is filtered to produce low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The high-frequency portion is panned according to the location to produce first and second high-frequency signals. The low-frequency portion and the first high-frequency signal are combined to produce a first headphone driver signal to drive the first ear piece. A second headphone driver signal is similarly produced. The sound program may be a stereo sound program. The device or method may also provide for a location that is between the first ear piece and a near-field boundary. Other aspects are also described.

Abstract: A method for routing audio content through an electronic device that is to be worn by a user. The method obtains a communication and determines whether the communication is private. In response to determining that the communication is private, the method drives a bone conduction transducer of the electronic device with an audio signal associated with the communication. In response to determining that the communication is not private, however, the method drives a speaker of the electronic device with the audio signal.

Abstract: Processing of ambience and speech can include extracting from audio signals, ambience and speech signals. One or more spatial parameters can be generated that define spatial characteristics of ambience sound in the one or more ambience audio signals. The primary speech signal, the one or more ambience audio signals, and the spatial parameters can be encoded into one or more encoded data streams. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method for self-calibrating a sound pickup process that uses a microphone array in a wearable device that also includes a loudspeaker, where the microphone array being in a physical arrangement with respect to the loudspeaker. The method obtains, for each of several microphones of the microphone array, one or more transfer functions that each represent a response of the microphone to sound from a position in an acoustic space. The method determines whether a physical arrangement of the microphone array with respect to the loudspeaker has changed and adjusts the transfer function, for at least one of the microphones of the several microphones, in response to determining that the current physical arrangement of the microphone array with respect to the loudspeaker has changed.

Abstract: Transfer functions can describe responses of microphones or ears to sounds at different locations on a sphere. The transfer functions can be compressed by determining, based on transfer functions, a) one or more basis transfer functions, and b) spherical harmonics coefficients that describe variations of the transfer functions with respect to spherical coordinates. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: Audio processing with audio transparency can include receiving a user content audio signal and receiving a microphone signal. The microphone signal can contain sensed sound of a user environment. Strength of the sensed sound can be increased based on strength of the user content audio signal, to reduce a masking of the sensed sound during playback. The sensed sound and the user content audio signal can be combined in a composite output audio signal used to drive a speaker. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: An audio system and a method of using the audio system to determine an interaural head-related transfer function (HRTF) parameter, are described. The audio system can generate binaural recordings using microphones that are worn by a user in everyday scenarios. The audio system can measure interaural parameter values of selected segments of the recordings, and the measurements can be accumulated over time. The interaural HRTF parameter can be estimated based on the measurements. The interaural HRTF parameter can be used to adapt a generic HRTF to generate an individualized HRTF for the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A method for routing audio content through an electronic device that is to be worn by a user. The method obtains a communication and determines whether the communication is private. In response to determining that the communication is private, the method drives a bone conduction transducer of the electronic device with an audio signal associated with the communication. In response to determining that the communication is not private, however, the method drives a speaker of the electronic device with the audio signal.

Abstract: An audio system and a method of using the audio system to generate a head-related transfer function (HRTF) map, are described. The audio system can determine one or more HRTF and corresponding HRTF locations along an azimuthal path of an azimuth extending around a head of a user. The HRTFs or HRTF locations can be measured, and other HRTFs or HRTF locations can be interpolated or extrapolated. The HRTF map can include the HRTFs assigned to HRTF locations along the azimuth. HRTFs from the HRTF map are used to render spatial audio to the user. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: A computer system having an electronic device determines a listener position within a computer-generated reality (CGR) setting that is to be aurally experienced by a user of the electronic device through at least one speaker. The system determines a source position of a virtual sound source within the CGR setting and determines a characteristic of a virtual object within the CGR setting, where the characteristic include a geometry of an edge of the virtual object. The system determines at least one edge-diffraction filter parameter for an edge-diffraction filter based on 1) the listener position, 2) the source position, and 3) the geometry. The system applies the edge-diffraction filter to an input audio signal to produce a filtered audio signal that accounts for edge-diffraction of sound produced by the virtual sound source within the CGR setting.

Abstract: Transfer functions can describe responses of microphones or ears to sounds at different locations on a sphere. The transfer functions can be compressed by determining, based on transfer functions, a) one or more basis transfer functions, and b) spherical harmonics coefficients that describe variations of the transfer functions with respect to spherical coordinates. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method for producing a target directivity function that includes a set of spatially biased HRTFs. A set of left ear and right ear head related transfer functions (HRTFs) are selected. The left ear and right ear head HRTFs are multiplied with an on-camera emphasis function (OCE), to produce the spatially biased HRTFs. The OCE may be designed to shape the sound profile of the HRTFs to provide emphasis in a desired location or direction that is a function of the specific orientation of the device as it is being used to make a video recording. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Abstract: An audio system having a depth capturing device and a microphone array to respectively detect a point cloud and a local sound field, is described. The point cloud includes points corresponding to objects in a source space, and the local sound field includes sounds received in respective directions from the source space. The audio system includes one or more processors to generate a global sound field based on distances to the points and directions of the sounds. The global sound field includes virtual sound sources emitting respective sounds at respective points. A speaker can render the virtual sound sources to a user in a virtual space that corresponds to the source space.

Abstract: In a device or method for rendering a sound program for headphones, a location is received for placing the sound program with respect to first and second ear pieces. If the location is between the first ear piece and the second ear piece, the sound program is filtered to produce low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The high-frequency portion is panned according to the location to produce first and second high-frequency signals. The low-frequency portion and the first high-frequency signal are combined to produce a first headphone driver signal to drive the first ear piece. A second headphone driver signal is similarly produced. The sound program may be a stereo sound program. The device or method may also provide for a location that is between the first ear piece and a near-field boundary. Other aspects are also described.

Abstract: A device with microphones can generate microphone signals during an audio recording. The device can store, in an electronic audio data file, the microphone signals, and metadata that includes impulse responses of the microphones. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Abstract: In a device or method for rendering a sound program for headphones, a location is received for placing the sound program with respect to first and second ear pieces. If the location is between the first ear piece and the second ear piece, the sound program is filtered to produce low-frequency and high-frequency portions. The high-frequency portion is panned according to the location to produce first and second high-frequency signals. The low-frequency portion and the first high-frequency signal are combined to produce a first headphone driver signal to drive the first ear piece. A second headphone driver signal is similarly produced. The sound program may be a stereo sound program. The device or method may also provide for a location that is between the first ear piece and a near-field boundary. Other aspects are also described.

Abstract: Image analysis of a video signal is performed to produce first metadata, and audio analysis of a multi-channel sound track associated with the video signal is performed to produce second metadata. A number of time segments of the sound track are processed, wherein each time segment is processed by either (i) spatial filtering of the audio signals or (ii) spatial rendering of the audio signals, not both, wherein for each time segment a decision was made to select between the spatial filtering or the spatial rendering, in accordance with the first and second metadata. A mix of the processed sound track and the video signal is generated. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Abstract: Processing input audio channels for generating spatial audio can include receiving a plurality of microphone signals that capture a sound field. Each microphone signal can be transformed into a frequency domain signal. From each frequency domain signal, a direct component and a diffuse component can be extracted. The direct component can be processed with a parametric renderer. The diffuse component can be processed with a linear renderer. The components can be combined, resulting in a spatial audio output. The levels of the components can be adjusted to match a direct to diffuse ratio (DDR) of the output with the DDR of the captured sound field. Other aspects are also described and claimed.