Variable Decoder Patents (Class 381/22)
  • Patent number: 11942097
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of processing a spatial audio signal for generating a compressed representation of the spatial audio signal. The methods include analyzing the spatial audio signal to determine directions of arrival for one or more audio elements; for at least one frequency subband, determining respective indications of signal power associated with the directions of arrival; generating metadata including direction information that includes indications of the directions of arrival of the audio elements, and energy information that includes respective indications of signal power; generating a channel-based audio signal with a predefined number of channels based on the spatial audio signal; and outputting, as the compressed representation, the channel-based audio signal and the metadata.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: David McGrath
  • Patent number: 11937075
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description using an input signal having a mono-signal or a multi-channel signal comprises: an input signal analyzer for analyzing the input signal to derive direction data and diffuseness data; a low-order components generator for generating a low-order sound field description from the input signal up to a predetermined order and mode; a mid-order components generator for generating a mid-order sound field description above the predetermined order or at the predetermined order and above the predetermined mode and below or at a first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion and of at least one diffuse portion using the direction data and the diffuseness data; and a high-order components generator for generating a high-order sound field description having a component above the first truncation order using a synthesis of at least one direct portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWAND FORSCHUNG E.V
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Oliver Thiergart, Srikanth Korse, Stefan Döhla, Markus Multrus, Fabian Küch, Alexandre Bouthéon, Andrea Eichenseer, Stefan Bayer
  • Patent number: 11863958
    Abstract: There are two representations for Higher Order Ambisonics denoted HOA: spatial domain and coefficient domain. The invention generates from a coefficient domain representation a mixed spatial/coefficient domain representation, wherein the number of said HOA signals can be variable. An aspect of the invention further relates to methods and apparatus decoding multiplexed and perceptually encoded HOA signals, including transforming a vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals of the HOA representation to a corresponding vector of coefficient domain signals by multiplying the vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals with a transform matrix and de-normalizing the vector of PCM encoded and normalized coefficient domain signals, wherein said de-normalizing comprises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 11843932
    Abstract: A device and method for backward compatibility for virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), augmented reality (AR), computer vision, and graphics systems. The device and method enable rendering audio data with more degrees of freedom on devices that support fewer degrees of freedom. The device includes memory configured to store audio data representative of a soundfield captured at a plurality of capture locations, metadata that enables the audio data to be rendered to support N degrees of freedom, and adaptation metadata that enables the audio data to be rendered to support M degrees of freedom. The device also includes one or more processors coupled to the memory, and configured to adapt, based on the adaptation metadata, the audio data to provide the M degrees of freedom, and generate speaker feeds based on the adapted audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Moo Young Kim, Nils Günther Peters, S M Akramus Salehin, Siddhartha Goutham Swaminathan, Dipanjan Sen
  • Patent number: 11838743
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a sound field description from an input signal having one or more channels including: an input signal analyzer for obtaining diffuseness data from the input signal; a sound component generator for generating, from the input signal, one or more sound field components of a first group of sound field components having for each sound field component a direct component and a diffuse component, and for generating, from the input signal, a second group of sound field components having only a direct component, the sound component generator being configured to perform an energy compensation when generating the first group of sound field components, the energy compensation depending on the diffuseness data and a number of sound field components in the second group, a number of diffuse components in the first group, or a maximum order of sound field components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Oliver Thiergart, Srikanth Korse, Stefan Döhla, Markus Multrus, Fabian Küch, Alexandre Bouthéon, Andrea Eichenseer, Stefan Bayer
  • Patent number: 11832079
    Abstract: In at least one embodiment, an audio system is provided. At least one controller is programmed to encode a first and second audio component and to generate a first and a second encoded audio component. The at least one controller is programmed to apply a first gain to at least one of the first encoded audio component and the second encoded audio component to generate at least one of a first and second increased encoded audio component and to decode the at least one of the first and the second increased encoded audio component to generate at least one of a first and second decoded audio component. The at least one controller is further programmed to amplitude pan the at least one of the first and the second decoded audio component to increase a stereo width for an audio output transmitted by a first loudspeaker and a second loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Friedrich Von Turckheim, Stefan Finauer, Adrian von dem Knesebeck
  • Patent number: 11743674
    Abstract: The positions of a plurality of speakers at a media consumption site are determined. Audio information in an object-based format is received. Gain adjustment value for a sound content portion in the object-based format may be determined based on the position of the sound content portion and the positions of the plurality of speakers. Audio information in a ring-based channel format is received. Gain adjustment value for each ring-based channel in a set of ring-based channels may be determined based on the ring to which the ring-based channel belongs and the positions of the speakers at a media consumption site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignees: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB, Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas R. Tsingos, David S. McGrath, Freddie Sanchez, Antonio Mateos Sole
  • Patent number: 11632643
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of input signals representing a sound space; using the received plurality of input signals to obtain spatial metadata corresponding to the sound space; using the received plurality of input signals to obtain a first spatial audio signal corresponding to the spatial metadata; and associating the first spatial audio signal with the spatial metadata to enable the spatial metadata to be used to process the first spatial audio signal to obtain a second spatial audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Juha Vilkamo, Miikka Vilermo, Mikko Tammi, Jussi Virolainen
  • Patent number: 11611842
    Abstract: An apparatus including circuitry configured for: obtaining media content, wherein the media content includes at least one object data; obtaining priority content information, the priority content information including a priority identification identifying and classifying the at least one object; rendering the at least one object based on the priority content information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy
    Inventors: Kari Juhani Jarvinen, Jussi Leppanen, Tapani Pihlajakuja, Adriana Vasilache
  • Patent number: 11601758
    Abstract: An audio processing chip includes a detector circuit, a first-in first-out (FIFO) circuit, and an adjustment circuitry. The detector circuit is configured to detect an audio stream to output an enable signal. The FIFO circuit is configured to start outputting audio data corresponding to a channel in the audio stream to be a first signal. The adjustment circuitry is configured to process the first signal, in order to generate an output signal and transmit the output signal to a speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chang-Chih Chen, Tsung-Peng Chuang
  • Patent number: 11601773
    Abstract: A multi-channel decoder for generating a binaural signal from a downmix signal using upmix rule information on an energy-error introducing upmix rule for calculating a gain factor based on the upmix rule information and characteristics of head related transfer function based filters corresponding to upmix channels. The one or more gain factors are used by a filter processor for filtering the downmix signal so that an energy corrected binaural signal having a left binaural channel and a right binaural channel is obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventor: Lars Villemoes
  • Patent number: 11570566
    Abstract: A method for generating loudspeaker signals associated with a target screen size is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bit stream containing encoded higher order ambisonics signals, the encoded higher order ambisonics signals describing a sound field associated with a production screen size. The method further includes decoding the encoded higher order ambisonics signals to obtain a first set of decoded higher order ambisonics signals representing dominant components of the sound field and a second set of decoded higher order ambisonics signals representing ambient components of the sound field. The method also includes combining the first set of decoded higher order ambisonics signals and the second set of decoded higher order ambisonics signals to produce a combined set of decoded higher order ambisonics signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Jax, Johannes Boehm, William Redmann
  • Patent number: 11540076
    Abstract: There are two representations for Higher Order Ambisonics denoted HOA: spatial domain and coefficient domain. The invention generates from a coefficient domain representation a mixed spatial/coefficient domain representation, wherein the number of said HOA signals can be variable. An aspect of the invention further relates to methods and apparatus decoding multiplexed and perceptually encoded HOA signals, including transforming a vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals of the HOA representation to a corresponding vector of coefficient domain signals by multiplying the vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals with a transform matrix and de-normalizing the vector of PCM encoded and normalized coefficient domain signals, wherein said de-normalizing comprises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 11516616
    Abstract: A system for and a method of generating an audio image for use in rendering audio. The method comprises accessing an audio stream; accessing positional information, the positional information comprising a first position, a second position and a third position; and generating an audio image. In some embodiments, generating the audio image comprises generating, based on the audio stream, a first virtual wave front to be perceived by a listener as emanating from the first position; generating, based on the audio stream, a second virtual wave front to be perceived by the listener as emanating from the second position; and generating, based on the audio stream, a third virtual wave front to be perceived by the listener as emanating from the third position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: AUDIBLE REALITY INC.
    Inventors: Matthew Boerum, Bryan Martin
  • Patent number: 11502860
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for audio group identification for conferencing. For example, methods may include joining a conference call using a network interface; accessing an audio signal that has been captured using a microphone; detecting a control signal in the audio signal; and, responsive to detection of the control signal, invoking modification of an audio path of the conference call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: BabbleLabs LLC
    Inventors: Raul Alejandro Casas, Samer Hijazi, Hua Mu, Marcin Ciolek, Dror Maydan, Christopher Rowen, Erik Panu
  • Patent number: 11417348
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program to encode and decode a channel coherence parameter applied on a frequency band basis, where the coherence parameters of each frequency band form a coherence vector. The coherence vector is encoded and decoded using a predictive scheme followed by a variable bit rate entropy coding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERISSON (PUBL)
    Inventors: Erik Norvell, Fredrik Jansson
  • Patent number: 11379178
    Abstract: An audio processor for processing an audio signal includes: an audio signal modifier for modifying the audio signal in response to a user input; a loudness controller for determining a loudness compensation gain based on a reference loudness or a reference gain and a modified loudness or a modified gain, where the modified loudness or the modified gain depends on the user input; and a loudness manipulator for manipulating a loudness of a signal using the loudness compensation gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Inventors: Fabian Küch, Christian Uhle, Michael Kratschmer, Bernhard Neugebauer, Michael Meier
  • Patent number: 11368807
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising means for: in response to user input, selecting at least one sound source of a spatial audio scene, comprising multiple sound sources, the spatial audio scene being defined by spatial audio content; selecting at least one related contextual sound source based on the at least one selected sound source; and causing rendering of an audio preview, representing the spatial audio content, that can be selected by a user, wherein the audio preview comprises a mix of sound sources including at least the at least one selected sound source and the at least one related contextual sound source but not all of the multiple sound sources of the spatial audio scene, and wherein selection of the audio preview causes an operation on at least the selected sound source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Lasse Laaksonen, Miikka Vilermo, Arto Lehtiniemi, Sujeet Shyamsundar Mate
  • Patent number: 11361778
    Abstract: An audio scene encoder for encoding an audio scene, the audio scene having at least two component signals, has: a core encoder for core encoding the at least two component signals, wherein the core encoder is configured to generate a first encoded representation for a first portion of the at least two component signals, and to generate a second encoded representation for a second portion of the at least two component signals, a spatial analyzer for analyzing the audio scene to derive one or more spatial parameters or one or more spatial parameter sets for the second portion; and an output interface for forming the encoded audio scene signal, the encoded audio scene signal having the first encoded representation, the second encoded representation, and the one or more spatial parameters or one or more spatial parameter sets for the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Stefan Bayer, Markus Multrus, Oliver Thiergart, Alexandre Bouthéon, Jürgen Herre, Florin Ghido, Wolfgang Jaegers, Fabian Küch
  • Patent number: 11343630
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing an audio signal, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for processing an audio signal, which synthesize an object signal and a channel signal and effectively perform binaural rendering of the synthesized signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignees: WILUS INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY INC., GCOA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyunoh Oh, Taegyu Lee, Jinsam Kwak, Juhyung Son
  • Patent number: 11341981
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electronic device including a speaker, a communication circuit, a processor, and a memory. The processor is configured to receive first data including a first audio frame corresponding to a first interval and a second audio frame corresponding to a second interval subsequent to the first interval, using the communication circuit, to store the second audio frame in the memory in response to reception of the first data, to output a first audio signal generated based on the first audio frame, through the speaker, and to store the third audio frame in the memory and output a second audio signal generated based on the second audio frame of the second data through the speaker when second data including the second audio frame and a third audio frame corresponding to a third interval subsequent to the second interval is received using the communication circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hangil Moon, Hyunwook Kim, Sanghoon Lee, Euibum Han
  • Patent number: 11297455
    Abstract: There are two representations for Higher Order Ambisonics denoted HOA: spatial domain and coefficient domain. The invention generates from a coefficient domain representation a mixed spatial/coefficient domain representation, wherein the number of said HOA signals can be variable. An aspect of the invention further relates to methods and apparatus decoding multiplexed and perceptually encoded HOA signals, including transforming a vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals of the HOA representation to a corresponding vector of coefficient domain signals by multiplying the vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals with a transform matrix and de-normalizing the vector of PCM encoded and normalized coefficient domain signals, wherein said de-normalizing comprises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 11218740
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding secondary media data including metadata and control data for primary media data is shown, wherein the encoder is configured to encode the secondary media data using adding redundancy or bandlimiting and wherein the encoder is configured to output the encoded secondary media data as a stream of digital words. Therefore, the stream of digital words may be formed such that it is capable to resist a typical processing of a digital audio stream. Furthermore, processors for processing a digital audio stream are able to process the stream of digital words, since the stream of digital words may be designed as an audio-like or analog-like digital stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Robert Bleidt, Tobias Bliem, Stefan Kraegeloh
  • Patent number: 11197120
    Abstract: An audio processing apparatus comprises a receiver (705) which receives audio data including audio components and render configuration data including audio transducer position data for a set of audio transducers (703). A renderer (707) generating audio transducer signals for the set of audio transducers from the audio data. The renderer (7010) is capable of rendering audio components in accordance with a plurality of rendering modes. A render controller (709) selects the rendering modes for the renderer (707) from the plurality of rendering modes based on the audio transducer position data. The renderer (707) can employ different rendering modes for different subsets of the set of audio transducers the render controller (709) can independently select rendering modes for each of the different subsets of the set of audio transducers (703).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Werner Paulus Josephus De Bruijn, Aki Sakari Harma, Arnoldus Werner Johannes Oomen
  • Patent number: 11120677
    Abstract: A system and method for transcoding and mixing of video data in a security video distribution system for a video security system in response to selection of video data. User devices such as mobile user devices can select displayed video data streams sent from the video security system and create new views of the selected video data streams without the prior steps of configuring and pushing new views from a server within the system. At the time of selection, user devices can specify operations to perform on the selected video data, such as zoom and combine. In a preferred embodiment, transcoding and mixing of video data streams within the security video distribution system utilizes shared memory between processes. This has advantages not only in equipment cost savings and efficiency, but also provides for real-time collaboration and sharing of video content in a video security system using mobile user devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: Sensormatic Electronics, LLC
    Inventor: Kim Lasko
  • Patent number: 11096002
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive at least one audio signal; obtain, associated with the at least one audio signal over at least one frequency band: at least one spatial audio energy ratio parameter; and at least one remainder energy ratio, wherein a sum of the at least one spatial audio energy ratio parameter and the at least one remainder energy ratio over the frequency band equal a determined value; and control a transmission/storage of the at least one spatial audio energy ratio, and the at least one remainder energy ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Tapani Pihlajakuja, Arto Juhani Lehtiniemi, Antti Johannes Eronen, Lasse Juhani Laaksonen
  • Patent number: 11043224
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for encoding an HOA signal representation (c(t)) of a sound field having an order of N and a number O=(N+1)2 of coefficient sequences to a mezzanine HOA signal representation (wMEZZ(t)). The present invention further relates to methods and apparatus for decoding a reconstructed HOA signal representation from the mezzanine HOA signal representation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Florian Keiler, Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 11039263
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a recording medium including a wide sound composition and a method for producing said wide sound composition. The wide sound composition comprises a full composition or a partial composition recorded in combination with a delayed full composition or a partial composition. The method for producing said wide sound composition comprises at least an audio reproducing mechanism, an audio recording device and a recording medium for the storage of a wide sound composition, wherein said audio reproducing mechanism comprises at least a first and second electroacoustic device and a source music and, wherein said source music comprises at least a full composition or a partial composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Inventor: Mark Petrouske
  • Patent number: 10999689
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing an audio signal, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for processing an audio signal, which synthesize an object signal and a channel signal and effectively perform binaural rendering of the synthesized signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: WILUS INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Hyunoh Oh, Taegyu Lee, Jinsam Kwak, Juhyung Son
  • Patent number: 10980002
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a method in a user equipment (UE) includes receiving broadcasted system information from a network node. The broadcasted system information may include explicit configuration information for a communications channel. The method further includes determining a configuration of the communications channel based, at least in part, on the explicit configuration information. The explicit configuration information may be used by the user equipment to override default channel configuration information. The method may further include receiving data over the communications channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Johan Rune, Pål Frenger, Stefan Wager
  • Patent number: 10979842
    Abstract: An exemplary audio processing system accesses audio stream data representative of a plurality of virtual sounds that virtually originate within an extended reality world and include real-time captured speech originating from a speaking user experiencing the extended reality world and a prerecorded or synthesized sound originating from a real audio source. The audio processing system also accesses acoustic propagation data representative of characteristics that affect propagation within the extended reality world of the virtual sounds to a listening avatar. As the virtual sounds propagate to the listening avatar, the audio processing system renders, based on the audio stream data and the acoustic propagation data, a composite binaural audio stream that represents simulated reproductions of the virtual sounds. The simulated reproductions of the virtual sounds are customized to account for the characteristics that affect the propagation of the virtual sounds to the listening avatar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Charles Mindlin, Mohammad Raheel Khalid, Kunal Jathal, Shan Anis
  • Patent number: 10950246
    Abstract: An apparatus for downmixing three or more audio input channels to obtain two or more audio output channels is provided. The apparatus includes a receiving interface for receiving the three or more audio input channels and for receiving side information. Moreover, the apparatus includes a downmixer for downmixing the three or more audio input channels depending on the side information to obtain the two or more audio output channels. The number of the audio output channels is smaller than the number of the audio input channels. The side information indicates a characteristic of at least one of the three or more audio input channels, or a characteristic of one or more sound waves recorded within the one or more audio input channels, or a characteristic of one or more sound sources which emitted one or more sound waves recorded within the one or more audio input channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Arne Borsum, Stephan Schreiner, Harald Fuchs, Michael Kratz, Bernhard Grill, Sebastian Scharrer
  • Patent number: 10897682
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Jun Wang, Giulio Cengarle, Juan Felix Torres, Daniel Arteaga
  • Patent number: 10893375
    Abstract: A method of encoding channel or object based input audio for playback, the method including the steps of: (a) initially rendering the channel or object based input audio into an initial output presentation; (b) determining an estimate of the dominant audio component from the channel or object based input audio and determining a series of dominant audio component weighting factors for mapping the initial output presentation into the dominant audio component; (c) determining an estimate of the dominant audio component direction or position; and (d) encoding the initial output presentation, the dominant audio component weighting factors, the dominant audio component direction or position as the encoded signal for playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, David Matthew Cooper, Mark F. Davis, David S. McGrath, Kristofer Kjoerling, Harald Mundt, Rhonda J. Wilson
  • Patent number: 10891963
    Abstract: A decoder for generating an audio output signal having one or more audio output channels is provided. The decoder includes a receiving interface for receiving an audio input signal including a plurality of audio object signals, for receiving loudness information on the audio object signals, and for receiving rendering information indicating whether one or more of the audio object signals shall be amplified or attenuated. Moreover, the decoder includes a signal processor for generating the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal. The signal processor is configured to determine a loudness compensation value depending on the loudness information and depending on the rendering information. Furthermore, the signal processor is configured to generate the one or more audio output channels of the audio output signal from the audio input signal depending on the rendering information and depending on the loudness compensation value. Moreover, an encoder is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Inventors: Jouni Paulus, Sascha Disch, Harald Fuchs, Bernhard Grill, Oliver Hellmuth, Adrian Murtaza, Falko Ridderbusch, Leon Terentiv
  • Patent number: 10869156
    Abstract: A method comprising: causing display of a sound-source virtual visual object in a three-dimensional virtual visual space; causing display of a multiplicity of interconnecting virtual visual objects in the three-dimensional virtual visual space, wherein at least some of the multiplicity of interconnecting virtual visual objects interconnect visually a sound-source virtual visual object and a user-controlled virtual visual object, wherein a visual appearance of each interconnecting virtual visual object, is dependent up on one or more characteristics of a sound object associated with the sound-source virtual visual object to which the interconnecting virtual visual object is interconnected, and wherein audio processing of the sound objects to produce rendered sound objects depends on user-interaction with the user-controlled virtual visual object and user-controlled interconnection of interconnecting virtual visual objects between sound-source virtual visual objects and the user-controlled virtual visual object
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
    Inventors: Arto Lehtiniemi, Antti Eronen, Jussi Leppänen, Juha Arrasvuori
  • Patent number: 10862446
    Abstract: Systems and methods for limiting volume in an audio playback device using a feedback controller are disclosed herein. In one example, a gain stage modulates gain of an audio signal based in part on feedback from a downstream limiter. The gain stage receives a first audio signal as well as a feedback signal from the feedback controller. Based at least in part on the feedback signal from the feedback controller, the gain stage modulates a gain of the first audio signal to provide a second audio signal. The second audio signal is delivered to the limiter, which limits the second audio signal to produce an output signal. The output signal is played back via a transducer. The feedback controller receives a gain reduction value from the limiter and determines a feedback signal to provide to the gain stage upstream of the limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Sonos, Inc.
    Inventor: Aurelio Ramos
  • Patent number: 10777208
    Abstract: A schematic block diagram of an audio encoder for encoding a multichannel audio signal is shown. The audio encoder includes a linear prediction domain encoder, a frequency domain encoder, and a controller for switching between the linear prediction domain encoder and the frequency domain encoder. The controller is configured such that a portion of the multichannel signal is represented either by an encoded frame of the linear prediction domain encoder or by an encoded frame of the frequency domain encoder. The linear prediction domain encoder includes a downmixer for downmixing the multichannel signal to obtain a downmixed signal. The linear prediction domain encoder further includes a linear prediction domain core encoder for encoding the downmix signal and furthermore, the linear prediction domain encoder includes a first joint multichannel encoder for generating first multichannel information from the multichannel signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Guillaume Fuchs, Emmanuel Ravelli, Christian Neukam, Konstantin Schmidt, Conrad Benndorf, Andreas Niedermeier, Benjamin Schubert, Ralf Geiger
  • Patent number: 10757521
    Abstract: A stereo parameter conditioner performs a conditioning operation on a first value of a stereo parameter and a second value of the stereo parameter to generate a conditioned value of the stereo parameter. The first value is associated with a first frequency range, and the second value is associated with a second frequency range. The conditioned value is associated with a particular frequency range that is a subset of the first frequency range or a subset of the second frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Venkata Subrahmanyam Chandra Sekhar Chebiyyam, Venkatraman Atti
  • Patent number: 10705793
    Abstract: A method is provided for exchanging data between a user device and an audio output device over a wireless link. A user device detects that a trigger event for initializing a low latency mode has occurred at the user device, the low latency mode configured to cause the audio output device to reduce a size of a render buffer to be used for rendering audio data. In response to the detecting, the user device transmits an indication to the audio output device to initialize the low latency mode, the indication causing the audio output device to reduce the size of the render buffer to be used for rendering the audio data. The user device then transmits the audio data to the audio output device over the wireless link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: BOSE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Douglas Warren Young
  • Patent number: 10687164
    Abstract: A method implemented by a processing device for processing an ambisonic content including a plurality of ambisonic components of a plurality of orders defining a succession of ambisonic channels in each of which an ambisonic component is represented. The method includes: frequency filtering of the ambisonic components in a plurality of frequency bands, compiling an ambisonic decoding matrix, processing the ambisonic decoding matrix in order to extract, by matrix dimension reduction, a plurality of ambisonic decoding sub-matrices each associated with an ambisonic order and a frequency band selected for this ambisonic order, respective applications of the decoding sub-matrices to the ambisonic components in each selected frequency band, and a reconstruction, band by band, of the results of said respective applications, in order to deliver a plurality of decoded signals, each associated with a sound source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: ORANGE
    Inventors: Mathieu Baque, Alexandre Guerin
  • Patent number: 10672409
    Abstract: A decoding device includes: a separating unit separating first encoded data, a spectrum including a low-band spectrum of audio signals having been encoded, and second encoded data, a high-band spectrum of a higher band having been encoded, based on the first encoded data; a first decoding unit decoding the first encoded data and generating a first decoded spectrum; a first amplitude normalizer dividing amplitude of the first decoded spectrum into sub-bands, normalizing the spectrum of each sub-band by the largest amplitude of the first decoded spectrum within each sub-band, and generating a normalized spectrum; an addition unit adding noise spectrum to the normalized spectrum and generating a noise-added normalized spectrum; a second decoding unit decoding the second encoded data using the noise-added normalized spectrum, and generating a second noise-added spectrum; and a converter performing time-frequency conversion regarding a spectrum coupled based on the first decoded spectrum and second noise-added spe
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Takuya Kawashima, Hiroyuki Ehara
  • Patent number: 10659906
    Abstract: An example audio decoding device includes processing circuitry and a memory device coupled to the processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to receive, in a bitstream, encoded representations of audio objects of a three-dimensional (3D) soundfield, to receive metadata associated with the bitstream, to obtain, from the received metadata, one or more transmission factors associated with one or more of the audio objects, and to apply the transmission factors to the one or more audio objects to obtain parallax-adjusted audio objects of the 3D soundfield. The memory device is configured to store at least a portion of the received bitstream, the received metadata, or the parallax-adjusted audio objects of the 3D soundfield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
    Inventors: Moo Young Kim, Nils Günther Peters, Dipanjan Sen
  • Patent number: 10650835
    Abstract: The following coding scenario is addressed: A number of audio source signals need to be transmitted or stored for the purpose of mixing wave field synthesis, multi-channel surround, or stereo signals after decoding the source signals. The proposed technique offers significant coding gain when jointly coding the source signals, compared to separately coding them, even when no redundancy is present between the source signals. This is possible by considering statistical properties of the source signals, the properties of mixing techniques, and spatial hearing. The sum of the source signals is transmitted plus the statistical properties of the source signals which mostly determine the perceptually important spatial cues of the final mixed audio channels. Source signals are recovered at the receiver such that their statistical properties approximate the corresponding properties of the original source signals. Subjective evaluations indicate that high audio quality is achieved by the proposed scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventor: Christof Faller
  • Patent number: 10645515
    Abstract: Disclosed are a multi-channel audio signal processing method and a multi-channel audio signal processing apparatus. The multi-channel audio signal processing method may generate N channel output signals from N/2 channel downmix signals based on an N-N/2-N structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung Kwon Beack, Jeong Il Seo, Jong Mo Sung, Tae Jin Lee, Dae Young Jang, Jin Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 10614821
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for decoding Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) audio signals. HOA audio signals may be decompressed based on perceptual decoding to determine at least an HOA representation corresponding to the HOA audio signals. A rotated transform may be determined based on a rotation of a spherical sample grid. A rotated HOA representation may be determined based on the rotated transform and the HOA representation. The rotated HOA representation may be rendered to output to a loudspeaker setup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Johannes Boehm, Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger, Peter Jax
  • Patent number: 10609506
    Abstract: Improved tools for authoring and rendering audio reproduction data are provided. Some such authoring tools allow audio reproduction data to be generalized for a wide variety of reproduction environments. Audio reproduction data may be authored by creating metadata for audio objects. The metadata may be created with reference to speaker zones. During the rendering process, the audio reproduction data may be reproduced according to the reproduction speaker layout of a particular reproduction environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Nicolas R. Tsingos, Charles Q. Robinson, Jurgen W. Scharpf
  • Patent number: 10600429
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for encoding and decoding a stereo audio signal based on an input signal. According to the disclosure, a hybrid approach of using both parametric stereo coding and a discrete representation of the stereo audio signal is used which may improve the quality of the encoded and decoded audio for certain bitrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 10593343
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding a surround audio signal includes a Bitstream De-multiplexer for unpacking a bitstream into spatial parameters and core parameters, a set of core decoders for decoding the core parameters into a set of core signals, a matrix derivation unit for deriving the rendering matrix from the spatial parameters and playback speaker layout information, and a renderer for rendering of the decoded core signals to playback signals using the rendering matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Zongxian Liu, Naoya Tanaka
  • Patent number: 10580419
    Abstract: An encoder and an encoding method for a multi-channel signal, and a decoder and a decoding method for a multi-channel signal are disclosed. A multi-channel signal may be efficiently processed by consecutive downmixing or upmixing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung Kwon Beack, Tae Jin Lee, Jong Mo Sung, Jeong Il Seo, Kyeong Ok Kang, Dae Young Jang, Jin Woong Kim