Methods and systems for interactive rendering of object based audio

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11727945-B2
Application number	US-202117392146-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2021
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Aug 15, 2023
Grant date	Aug 15, 2023

Abstract

Methods for generating an object based audio program which is renderable in a personalizable manner, e.g., to provide an immersive, perception of audio content of the program. Other embodiments include steps of delivering (e.g., broadcasting), decoding, and/or rendering such a program. Rendering of audio objects indicated by the program may provide an immersive experience. The audio content of the program may be indicative of multiple object channels (e.g., object channels indicative of user-selectable and user-configurable objects, and typically also a default set of objects which will be rendered in the absence of a selection by a user) and a bed of speaker channels. Another aspect is an audio processing unit (e.g., encoder or decoder) configured to perform, or which includes a buffer memory which stores at least one frame (or other segment) of an object based audio program (or bitstream thereof) generated in accordance with, any embodiment of the method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of decoding audio content of an audio program, said method comprising:
receiving the audio program, wherein the audio program comprises a first set of object channels, and wherein the audio program further comprises a second set of one or more speaker channels that does not include an object channel;
determining a subset of object channels, wherein the subset of object channels is indicative of a subset of the first set of object channels; and
decoding and rendering the audio content of the audio program, wherein the rendering includes rendering the subset of object channels and rendering the second set of one or more speaker channels, and wherein the rendering is further based on an output speaker configuration.

2. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, controls an apparatus to execute the method of claim 1 .

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output speaker configuration includes an array of speakers, configured to render audio objects in the subset of object channels along a trajectory including a sequence of spatial locations, so that the array of speakers are driven to emit sound perceived as emitting from the sequence of spatial locations.

4. A system for decoding audio content of an audio program, said system comprising:
a first subsystem configured to receive the audio program, wherein the audio program comprises a first set of object channels, and wherein the audio program further comprises a second set of one or more speaker channels that does not include an object channel;
a second subsystem coupled to the first subsystem, wherein the second subsystem is configured to determine a subset of object channels, wherein the subset of object channels is indicative of a subset of first the set of object channels; and
a third subsystem coupled to second subsystem, wherein the third subsystem is configured to decode and render the audio content of the audio program, wherein the rendering includes rendering the subset of object channels and rendering the second set of one or more speaker channels, and wherein the rendering is further based on an output speaker configuration.

Assignees

• Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp
• Dolby Int Ab

Inventors

• France Robert Andrew
• Ziegler Thomas
• Mehta Sripal S
• Dowell Andrew Jonathan
• Saungsomboon Prinyar
• Dwyer Michael David
• Farahani Farhad
• Tsingos Nicolas R
• Sanchez Freddie

Classifications

• G10L19/008 Primary

  Multichannel audio signal coding or decoding using interchannel correlation to reduce redundancy, e.g. joint-stereo, intensity-coding or matrixing · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• G10L19/20

  using sound class specific coding, hybrid encoders or object based coding · CPC title

• H04S3/008

  in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02) · CPC title

• H04S7/30

  Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field · CPC title