Computer performance of executing binaural sound

• US 10,728,685 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2019
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glen A. Norris, Philip Scott Lyren
• Original Assignee: Glen A. Norris, Philip Scott Lyren
• Inventors: Lyren, Philip Scott, Norris, Glen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Kenny H
• Application Number:
  US16/276,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20190182611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/11 Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field H04S2420/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/01 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 Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

A method improves performance of a computer that provides binaural sound to a listener. A memory stores coordinate locations that follow a path of how the head of the listener moves. This path is retrieved in anticipation of subsequent head movements of the listener to improve computer performance of executing binaural sound.

Claims

1. A method that improves performance of an electronic device that convolves sound that localizes as binaural sound to a listener, the method comprising:

determining current azimuth coordinates of a sound localization point (SLP) from where binaural sound externally emanates to the listener;

determining future azimuth coordinates of a SLP from where the binaural sound will externally emanate to the listener at a future time after a head of the listener moves along an axial plane;

improving the performance of the electronic device that convolves the binaural sound by prefetching and caching a plurality of head related transfer functions (HRTFs) that have the future azimuth coordinates while the binaural sound emanates from the SLP with the current azimuth coordinates; and

executing the HRTFs that have the future azimuth coordinates after the head of the listener moves along the axial plane.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the binaural sound will be convolved to externally localize at a SLP that occurs in a cone of confusion with respect to the head of the listener; and

saving processing resources by switching the binaural sound to internally localizes to the listener in stereo sound or mono sound.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining frequencies of different sounds that will be convolved to externally localize at SLPs that occur away from the head of the listener; and

saving processing resources by not convolving the sounds when the frequencies of the sounds occur within a predetermined frequency range.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

improving the performance of the electronic device that convolves the binaural sound by prefetching a path that includes a sequence of coordinate locations that define how the head of the listener will move at a time in a future while the listener listens to the binaural sound.