Apparatus and Method for Generating A Plurality of Audio Channels

Content Provider	The Lens
Related Links	https://www.lens.org/lens/patent/011-023-796-399-265/frontpage
Language	English
Publisher Date	2019-11-27
Access Restriction	Open
Alternative Title	Vorrichtung Und Verfahren Zur Erzeugung Einer Vielzahl Von Audiokanälen Appareil Et Procédé Permettant De Générer Une Pluralité De Canaux Audio
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Patent
Date Applied	2015-01-05
Agent	Zinkler, Franz
Applicant	Fraunhofer Ges Forschung
Application No.	15700180
Claim	Apparatus for generating a plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) for a first speaker setup (14; 14-1) comprising an imaginary speaker determiner (18; 18-1) for determining a position of at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) not contained in the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) to obtain a second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) containing the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) and at least partially speakers of the first speaker setup, wherein the position of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is a predefined position, is determined such that distances between the speakers of the first and/or the second speaker setup (14; 14-1; 24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) are equidistant, or corresponds to an audio format or standard; an energy distribution calculator (26; 26-1); a processor (28; 28-1) configured to generate an energy distribution matrix (D) ; a renderer (38; 38-1) for generating the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) using a downmix information (36) for a downmix from the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) characterized in that the energy distribution calculator (26-1) is configured for calculating the energy distribution from each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3), wherein the energy distribution represents an amount or a share of an energy of each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) being distributed to the other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3); the energy distribution matrix (D) comprises elements (d xy ) that are lower or equal to 1 and representing the energy distribution from each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3); and the processor (28; 28-1) is further configured to calculate a n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D), wherein the n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D) leads the elements (d xy ) representing the energy distribution from the speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) to decrease, wherein n is an integer; and to obtain the downmix information (36) based on the n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D) by ignoring the elements that have decreased or converged to a defined threshold. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exponent n of the n-th power (D n ) is a predefined value. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor (28; 28-1) is further configured to iteratively calculate the power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D), wherein a number of iteration steps is based on a value of the elements (d xy ) of the power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D). Apparatus according to one of previous claims, wherein the energy distribution calculator (26; 26-1) comprises a neighborhood estimator for determining a neighborhood relation of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to at least one speaker of the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) that is a neighbor of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d), and wherein the energy distribution calculator (26; 26-1) is configured to calculate the energy distribution of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) to the at least one neighbor of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d). Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the neighborhood estimator is configured to determine a neighborhood relation of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) in the second speaker setup to at least two speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) that are neighbors of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) and wherein the energy distribution calculator (26; 26-1) is configured to calculate the energy distribution such that the energy distribution among the at least two speakers that are neighbors of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is equal within a predefined tolerance. Apparatus according to one of claims 4 or 5, wherein the neighborhood estimator is configured to determine a neighborhood relation of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to at least two speakers that are neighbors of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) and wherein at least one of the at least two speakers that are neighbors of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is a further imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d). Apparatus according to one of previous claims wherein the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is arranged at one side of a geometric plane (44) comprising speakers (16a-c) of the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) within a predefined tolerance (46a; 46b) and a predefined listener position (42). Apparatus according to one of previous claims, wherein the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is arranged along a second side of a geometric plane (54) comprising a predefined listener position (42) opposing a first side of the geometric plane (54), wherein a speaker of the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) is arranged at the first side of the geometric plane (54) . Format conversion unit (1720) comprising the apparatus according to one of previous claims, wherein the format conversion unit (1720) is configured to output the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) based on input channels comprising a plurality of data channels (1205) and wherein a number of data channels (1205) is higher than a number of the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2). Apparatus according to one of claims 1-8, wherein the apparatus comprises a panner (56) for generating panning coefficients for the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2), and wherein the renderer (38; 38-1) is configured to generate the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) based on the downmix information (36) and the panning coefficients. Object renderer (1210) comprising the apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the object renderer (1210) is configured to output the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) based on position information of audio objects and wherein a number of panning coefficients is higher than a number of the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) such that the audio object is rendered to the first speaker setup (14; 14-1). Apparatus according to one of previous claims, wherein the imaginary speaker determiner (18; 18-1) is configured to calculate a convex hull (52) based on a position of speakers (16a-c) of the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) and to determine the position of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) according to a QuickHull algorithm, wherein the position of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) and the position of speakers (16a-c) of the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) is arranged at the convex hull (52) within a predefined threshold. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide a validity information of the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) indicating that a position of every speaker (16a-c) in the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) is arranged at the convex hull (52) within a predefined threshold or indicating that a position of at least one speaker in the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) is arranged outside the convex hull (52) within a predefined threshold. Audio system, comprising an apparatus (10; 10-1; 10-2) according to one of claims 1-13; and a plurality of speakers (16a-c) according to the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2); wherein the plurality of speakers (16a-c) is configured to receive the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) and to provide a plurality of acoustic signals based on the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2). Method for generating a plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) for a first speaker setup (14; 14-1) comprising determining a position of at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) not contained in the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) to obtain a second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) containing the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) and at least partially speakers of the first speaker setup, wherein the position of the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) is a predefined position, is determined such that distances between the speakers of the first and/or the second speaker setup (14; 14-1; 24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) are equidistant, or corresponds to an audio format or standard; generating an energy distribution matrix (D); generating the plurality of audio channels (12; 12-1; 12-2) using a downmix information (36) for a downmix from the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the first speaker setup (14; 14-1) characterized by calculating the energy distribution from each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3), wherein the energy distribution represents an amount or a share of an energy of each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) being distributed to the other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3), the energy distribution matrix (D) comprising elements (d xy ) that are lower or equal to 1 and representing the energy distribution from each speaker in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the other speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3); calculating a n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D) wherein the n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D) leads the elements (d xy ) representing the energy distribution from the speakers in the second speaker setup (24; 24-1; 24-2; 24-3) to the at least one imaginary speaker (22; 22a-d) to decrease, wherein n is an integer; and obtaining the downmix information (36) based on the n-th power (D n ) of the energy distribution matrix (D) by ignoring the elements that have decreased or converged to a defined threshold. Computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer, a method according to claim 15.
CPC Classification	STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS  SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS;SPEECH RECOGNITION;SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES;SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
Extended Family	011-023-796-399-265 080-391-554-042-951 036-717-008-526-520 036-064-933-037-382 110-281-623-212-555 031-236-978-659-560 179-873-464-670-980 074-290-634-982-863 168-071-276-633-214 038-178-050-840-284 120-550-039-559-117 064-806-829-646-239 104-283-618-844-664 183-993-264-486-899 000-243-863-199-382 006-704-721-189-506 151-072-882-928-773 136-703-216-144-082 021-588-626-903-554 112-039-959-294-141 053-442-267-524-171 091-735-609-176-056 127-565-051-889-043 043-486-618-415-295 082-616-690-432-687 008-352-252-180-125 194-959-795-603-695 050-450-870-483-248 108-030-724-153-891 168-514-712-146-608 165-328-801-682-973 049-084-570-367-410 117-661-293-676-232 083-870-233-105-058 066-899-889-432-660 087-935-799-673-150 061-642-369-362-384 061-214-524-174-025 034-074-981-330-416 096-416-162-237-564 134-753-548-436-957 130-126-670-772-358 125-796-180-465-381 104-823-820-247-198 143-146-840-899-90X 131-531-083-838-282 178-526-551-177-710
Patent ID	3092823
Inventor/Author	Borss Christian Ertel Christian Hilpert Johannes Kuntz Achim Fischer Michael Schuh Florian Grill Bernhard
IPC	H04S3/02 H04S7/00
Status	Active
Simple Family	011-023-796-399-265 080-391-554-042-951 036-717-008-526-520 036-064-933-037-382 110-281-623-212-555 031-236-978-659-560 179-873-464-670-980 074-290-634-982-863 168-071-276-633-214 038-178-050-840-284 120-550-039-559-117 064-806-829-646-239 104-283-618-844-664 183-993-264-486-899 000-243-863-199-382 006-704-721-189-506 151-072-882-928-773 136-703-216-144-082 021-588-626-903-554 112-039-959-294-141 053-442-267-524-171 091-735-609-176-056 127-565-051-889-043 043-486-618-415-295 082-616-690-432-687 008-352-252-180-125 194-959-795-603-695 050-450-870-483-248 108-030-724-153-891 168-514-712-146-608 165-328-801-682-973 049-084-570-367-410 117-661-293-676-232 083-870-233-105-058 066-899-889-432-660 087-935-799-673-150 061-642-369-362-384 061-214-524-174-025 034-074-981-330-416 096-416-162-237-564 134-753-548-436-957 130-126-670-772-358 125-796-180-465-381 104-823-820-247-198 143-146-840-899-90X 131-531-083-838-282 178-526-551-177-710
CPC (with Group)	H04S3/02 H04S7/30 H04S2400/03 H04S2400/11 G10L19/008 G10L19/20 H04S7/308 H04S2400/01
Issuing Authority	United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Kind	Patent/Patent 1st level of publication/Inventor's certificate