Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (20240304195). METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DECODING AN AUDIO SOUNDFIELD REPRESENTATION simplified abstract

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METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DECODING AN AUDIO SOUNDFIELD REPRESENTATION

Organization Name

Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation

Inventor(s)

Johann-Markus Batke of Hannover (DE)

Florian Keiler of Hannover (DE)

Johannes Boehm of Goettingen (DE)

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DECODING AN AUDIO SOUNDFIELD REPRESENTATION - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 20240304195 titled 'METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DECODING AN AUDIO SOUNDFIELD REPRESENTATION

Simplified Explanation: The patent application describes a method for decoding soundfield signals, such as ambisonics, for audio playback using a geometrical approach based on loudspeaker positions and source directions.

  • **Key Features and Innovation:**
   - Utilizes a panning function based on loudspeaker and source positions.
   - Calculates a mode matrix from loudspeaker positions.
   - Decodes the soundfield representation using a decode matrix obtained from the panning function and mode matrix.
  • **Potential Applications:**
   - Audio production and mixing.
   - Virtual reality and immersive audio experiences.
   - Spatial audio for gaming and entertainment.
  • **Problems Solved:**
   - Irregular loudspeaker setups causing issues in decoder design.
   - Ensuring accurate decoding of soundfield representations.
  • **Benefits:**
   - Improved audio playback quality.
   - Enhanced spatial audio experience for listeners.
   - Simplified decoder design process.
  • **Commercial Applications:**
   - Audio software development for spatial audio.
   - Integration into audio hardware for immersive sound experiences.
   - Licensing to audio technology companies for product development.
  • **Prior Art:**
   - Prior research on ambisonics and soundfield decoding methods.
   - Studies on loudspeaker configurations for spatial audio playback.
  • **Frequently Updated Research:**
   - Advancements in spatial audio technology.
   - Studies on optimizing soundfield decoding algorithms.

Questions about soundfield decoding:

1. How does this method improve upon traditional soundfield decoding techniques?

   - This method enhances decoding accuracy by incorporating geometrical information from loudspeaker positions and source directions.

2. What are the potential limitations of using a geometrical approach for soundfield decoding?

   - The accuracy of decoding may be affected by the complexity of the soundfield and the precision of loudspeaker positioning.


Original Abstract Submitted

soundfield signals such as e.g. ambisonics carry a representation of a desired sound field. the ambisonics format is based on spherical harmonic decomposition of the soundfield, and higher order ambisonics (hoa) uses spherical harmonics of at least 2order. however, commonly used loudspeaker setups are irregular and lead to problems in decoder design. a method for improved decoding an audio soundfield representation for audio playback comprises calculating a panning function (w) using a geometrical method based on the positions of a plurality of loudspeakers and a plurality of source directions, calculating a mode matrix (�) from the loudspeaker positions, calculating a pseudo-inverse mode matrix (�) and decoding the audio soundfield representation. the decoding is based on a decode matrix (d) that is obtained from the panning function (w) and the pseudo-inverse mode matrix (�).