Spatialized audio relative to a peripheral device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11871209-B2
Application number	US-202217713147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

An audio system, method, and computer program product which includes a wearable audio device and a peripheral device. Each device is capable of determining its respective absolute or relative position and orientation. Once the relative positions and orientations between the devices are known, virtual sound sources are generated at fixed positions and orientations relative to the peripheral device such that any change in position and/or orientation of the peripheral device produces a proportional change in the position and/or orientation of the virtual sound sources. Additionally, first order and second order reflected audio paths may be simulated for each virtual sound source to increase the realism of the simulated sources. Each sound path can be produced by modifying the original audio signal using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) to simulate audio as though it were perceived by the user's left and right ears as coming from each virtual sound source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer program product for simulating audio signals, the computer program product including a set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions stored in memory, the set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions being executable on at least one processor and configured to:
receive an audio signal at a device;
track a rotational orientation of the device;
generate a first modified audio signal using the audio signal, wherein the first modified audio signal is modified using a first head-related transfer function (HRTF) to simulate at least two virtual sound sources, the at least two virtual sound sources pinned in space relative to the device using at least the rotational orientation of the device;
generate a second modified audio signal using the audio signal, wherein the second modified audio signal is modified using a second HRTF to simulate the at least two virtual sound sources, the second HRTF different from the first HRTF;
cause the first modified audio signal to be rendered using a first speaker of the device; and
cause the second modified audio signal to be rendered using a second speaker of the device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the rotational orientation of the device is about a vertical axis through the device.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 , wherein the set of non-transitory computer-readable instructions are further configured to track an additional rotational orientation of the device, wherein the at least two virtual sound sources are further pinned in space relative to the device using the additional rotational orientation of the device.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein tracking the rotational orientation of the device is performed using at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a global positioning sensor (GPS), a proximity sensor, a microphone, a lidar sensor, or a camera.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources include a left channel and a right channel.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources further include a discrete, extracted, or phantom center channel.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources include a virtual surround sound system.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources further include virtual height channels.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the first and second HRTFs simulate i) direct sound originating from each of the at least two virtual sound sources and ii) first order acoustic reflections from each of the at least two virtual sound sources.

10. A device comprising:
a first speaker;
a second speaker; and
at least one processor configured to
track a rotational orientation of the device,
generate a first modified audio signal using an audio signal, wherein the first modified audio signal is modified using a first head-related transfer function (HRTF) to simulate at least two virtual sound sources, the at least two virtual sound sources pinned in space relative to the device using at least the rotational orientation of the device,
generate a second modified audio signal using the audio signal, wherein the second modified audio signal is modified using a second HRTF to simulate the at least two virtual sound sources, the second HRTF different from the first HRTF,
cause the first modified audio signal to be rendered using the first speaker, and
cause the second modified audio signal to be rendered using the second speaker.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the rotational orientation of the device is about a vertical axis through the device.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to track an additional rotational orientation of the device, wherein the at least two virtual sound sources are further pinned in space relative to the device using the additional rotational orientation of the device.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein tracking the rotational orientation of the device is performed using at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a global positioning sensor (GPS), a proximity sensor, a microphone, a lidar sensor, or a camera.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources include a left channel and a right channel.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources further include a discrete, extracted, or phantom center channel.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources include a virtual surround sound system.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the at least two virtual sound sources further include virtual height channels.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the first and second HRTFs simulate i) direct sound originating from each of the at least two virtual sound sources and ii) first order acoustic reflections from each of the at least two virtual sound sources.

19. A method for simulating audio signals comprising:
receiving an audio signal at a device;
tracking a rotational orientation of the device;
generating a first modified audio signal using the audio signal, wherein the first modified audio signal is modified using a first head-related transfer function (HRTF) to simulate at least two virtual sound sources, the at least two virtual sound sources pinned in space relative to the device using at least the rotational orientation of the device;
generating a second modified audio signal using the audio signal, wherein the second modified audio signal is modified using a second HRTF to simulate the at least two virtual sound sources, the second HRTF different from the first HRTF;
causing the first modified audio signal to be rendered using a first speaker of the device; and
causing the second modified audio signal to be rendered using a second speaker of the device.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the rotational orientation of the device is about a vertical axis through the device.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Freeman Eric J
• Dick David Avi
• Torres Wade P
• Tengelsen Daniel R
• Bernstein Eric Raczka

Classifications

• H04S7/304 Primary

  For headphones · CPC title

• H04S2420/01

  Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] · CPC title

• H04S7/306 Primary

  For headphones · CPC title

• H04S2400/11

  Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) · CPC title