System and method for controlling audio

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12582909-B2
Application number	US-202318100292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2023
Priority date	Jan 27, 2022
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A system comprising: an event detection unit, configured to detect a significant event associated with a video game environment and to selectively output an indication of a detected event; and a separation unit configured to perform source separation on music in playback in dependence upon the indication from the event detection unit, and an audio output unit configured to output for playback audio derived from the result of source separation by the separation unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
one or more storage devices storing instructions; one or more processors, that upon execution of the instructions, configured to:
receive an audio signal in a video game environment;
detect, based on the audio signal, an event associated with the video game environment;
perform source separation to separate one or more audio tracks from the audio signal in dependence upon the event; and
output the one or more audio tracks for playback.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the event is dialogue associated with the video game environment.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the dialogue associated with the video game environment comprises dialogue having a source among the audio signal.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the dialogue associated with the video game comprises audio from a voice chat relating to the video game environment.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to selectively output audio characteristics associated with the event, and
wherein the processor is configured to perform the source separation in dependence upon the audio characteristics.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to alter one or more audio characteristics of the one or more audio tracks in dependence upon the event.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to reduce the volume of the one or more separated audio tracks in dependence upon the event.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate multiple channels of audio based on the result of source separation, and further configured to output a multi-channel audio comprising the multiple channels of audio for playback.

9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to output a multi-channel audio for playback, the multi-channel audio comprising separated vocal tracks in respective channels and dialogue from the game in another channel.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect artefacts in the result of source separation and further configured to adjust audio characteristics of the output audio for playback.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify or generate music in playback.

12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect one or more types of events which cause confusion to a user of the video game environment, and further configured to detect such events which cause confusion as the events.

13 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a microphone, wherein the processor is configured to detect an input of speech through the microphone as the event.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more audio tracks comprise one or more vocal tracks.

15 . A method, comprising:
receiving an audio signal in a video game environment; detecting, based on the audio signal, an event associated with the video game environment; performing source separation to separate one or more audio tracks from the audio signal in dependence on the detection of the event; and outputting the one or more audio tracks for playback.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more audio tracks comprise one or more vocal tracks.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a computer of an entertainment system, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
receiving an audio signal in a video game environment; detecting, based on the audio signal, an event associated with the video game environment; performing source separation to separate one or more audio tracks from the audio signal in dependence on the detection of the event; and outputting the one or more audio tracks for playback.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the event is dialogue associated with the video game environment.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more audio tracks comprise one or more vocal tracks.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the event is dialogue associated with the video game environment.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe Ltd

Inventors

• Thwaites Joe

Classifications

• G06F3/165

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

• A63F13/424 Primary

  involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition · CPC title

• A63F13/215

  comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone · CPC title

• A63F13/54 Primary

  involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall · CPC title

• G10L25/78 Primary

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title