Method and apparatus for providing virtual audio reproduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602946-B2
Application number	US-201414578218-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to permit audio signals to provide additional information to a user regarding the distance to the source of the audio signals, thereby increasing a user's situational awareness. In the context of a method, a distance and a direction from a user to an object are determined. The method also scales the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user. The method also causes an audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user. The audio cue is such that the object appears to be located within the predefined sound field region in the direction and at the modified distance from the user from the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving signals relating to an object;
determining a distance from a user to the object and a direction from the user to the object;
scaling the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user; and
causing at least one audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the object appears to be located within the predefined sound field region in the direction and at the modified distance from the user, wherein causing at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user comprises causing a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the object.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the object comprises a sound source, wherein receiving signals comprises receiving audio signals from the sound source, and wherein causing a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user comprises causing a representation of the audio signals from the sound source to be audibly provided to the user such that the audio signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the sound source.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein causing a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user comprises causing an artificially created sound representative of a parameter of the object to be audibly provided to the user.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein causing at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user comprises processing audio signals with a head related transfer function filter that is dependent upon both the modified distance and the direction from the user to the object to create the at least one audio cue.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising determining a position and a head bearing of the user and identifying the head related transfer function filter based upon the position and head bearing of the user, wherein determining a distance and a direction from a user to an object comprises determining the distance and the direction from the user to the object based upon the position and head bearing of the user.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined sound field region comprises a volume about the user of a predefined dimension, and wherein scaling the distance to the object to create a modified distance comprises scaling coordinates representative of the object so as to lie within the volume of the predefined dimension.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the volume comprises a sphere of a predefined radius, and wherein scaling coordinates representative of the object comprises scaling spherical coordinates representative of the object so as to lie within the sphere of the predefined radius.

8. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:
receive signals relating to an object;
determine a distance from a user to the object and a direction from the user to the object;
scale the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user; and
cause at least one audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the object appears to be located within the predefined sound field region in the direction and at the modified distance from the user, wherein the apparatus causes the at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user by causing a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such that the signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the object.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the object comprises a sound source, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to receive signals by receiving audio signals from the sound source, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user by causing a representation of the audio signals from the sound source to be audibly provided such that the audio signals appear to originate at the modified distance and from the direction of the sound source.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause a representation of the signals that were received relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user by causing an artificially created sound representative of a parameter of the object to be audibly provided to the user.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to cause at least one audio cue to be audibly provided to the user by processing the at least one audio cue with a head related transfer function filter that is dependent upon both the modified distance and the direction from the user to the object to create the at least one audio cue.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine a position and a head bearing of the user and identify the head related transfer function filter based upon the position and head bearing of the user, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to determine a distance and a direction from a user to an object by determining the distance and the direction from the user to the object based upon the position and head bearing of the user.

13. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the predefined sound field region comprises a volume about the user of a predefined dimension, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to scale the distance to the object to create a modified distance by scaling coordinates representative of the object so as to lie within the volume of the predefined dimension.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the volume comprises a sphere of a predefined radius, and wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to scale coordinates to the object by scaling spherical coordinates representative of the object so as to lie within the sphere of the predefined radius.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising program code instructions configured to:
receive signals relating to an object;
determine a distance from a user to the object and a direction from the user to the object;
scale the distance to the object to create a modified distance within a predefined sound field region about the user; and
cause at least one audio cue relating to the object to be audibly provided to the user such tha

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Karkkainen Leo M
• Vetek Akos
• Uusitalo Mikko A
• Honkala Mikko J

Classifications

• H04S7/303 Primary

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• G10L21/034

  Automatic adjustment · 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