System and method for formatting multimode sound content and metadata

• US 20060206221A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verax Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verax Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Metcalf, Randall B.
• Application Number:
  US11/358,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0091 Means for obtaining special acoustic effects combined with modulation G10H1/043
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/301 Soundscape or sound field simulation, reproduction or control for musical purposes, e.g. surround or 3D sound; Granular synthesis
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2240/056 MIDI or other note-oriented file format
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/024 Positioning of loudspeaker enclosures for spatial sound reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/305 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/308 Electronic adaptation dependent on speaker or headphone connection

Abstract

A system and method for providing individual control over sound objects that are discretely received at a playback device. The sound objects may be representative of individual sound sources, and may include both sound content produced by the sound objects as well as other characteristics of the sound objects. The other characteristics of the sound objects may comprise one or more of a directivity pattern, position information, an object movement algorithm, and or other characteristics. In some instances, the other characteristics may establish an integral wave starting point, a relative position, and a scale for each of the N sound objects.

Claims

1. A sound player device comprising:

means for individually receiving N sound objects, wherein each individual sound object corresponds to a single sound source and comprises sound information and form information, the sound information being related to sounds produced by the single sound source and the form information being related to one or more other characteristics of the sound source;

means for assigning the N sound objects to M output channels;

means for receiving synthesis information, the synthesis information being associated with one or more schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels;

means for determining one or more characteristics of the M output channels; and

means for selecting a default scheme from the schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the one or more characteristics of the M output channels,

wherein the means for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels assigns the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the default scheme.

2. The sound player device of claim 1, wherein the sound information comprises tonal information and amplitude information.

3. The sound player device of claim 2, wherein the sound information comprises a mono soundtrack.

4. The sound player device of claim 1, wherein the form information comprises one or more of a directivity pattern, position information, or an object movement algorithm.

5. The sound player device of claim 1, further comprising means for enabling a user to reject the default scheme and manually select another one of the schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels, wherein the means for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels assigns the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the manually selected scheme.

6. The sound player device of claim 1, further comprising means for enabling a user to modify the default scheme, wherein the assignment of the N sound objects to the M output channels by the means for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels reflects the modifications to the default scheme.

7. The sound player device of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics of the M output channels comprises one or more of a number of output channels, a frequency response of one or more of the M output channels, a directivity pattern of one or more of the M output channels, or a power of one or more of the M output channels.

8. The sound player device of claim 1, wherein the form information establishes an integral wave starting point, a relative position, and a scale for each of the N sound objects.

9. A method comprising:

individually receiving N sound objects, wherein each individual sound object corresponds to a single sound source and comprises sound information and form information, the sound information being related to sounds produced by the single sound source and the form information being related to one or more other characteristics of the sound source;

receiving synthesis information, the synthesis information being associated with one or more schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels;

determining one or more characteristics of the M output channels;

selecting a default scheme from the schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the one or more characteristics of the M output channels;

and

assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the default scheme.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sound information comprises tonal information and amplitude information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sound information comprises a mono soundtrack.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the form information comprises one or more of a directivity pattern, position information, or an object movement algorithm.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

enabling a user to reject the default scheme;

enabling the user to manually select another one of the schemes for assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels; and

assigning the N sound objects to the M output channels based on the manually selected scheme.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising enabling a user to modify the default scheme, wherein the assignment of the N sound objects to the M output channels reflects the modifications to the default scheme.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more characteristics of the M output channels comprises one or more of a number of output channels, a frequency response of one or more of the M output channels, a directivity pattern of one or more of the M output channels, or a power of one or more of the M output channels.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the form information establishes an integral wave starting point, a relative position, and a scale for each of the N sound objects.

17. A user interface for controlling a sound player device, the user interface comprising:

means for presenting N sound objects to a user, wherein each individual sound object corresponds to a single sound source and comprises sound information and form information, the sound information being related to sounds produced by the single sound source and the form information being related to one or more other characteristics of the sound source;

means for presenting an assignment of the N sound objects to M output channels to the user;

means for presenting one or more characteristics of the M output channels to the user; and

means for enabling the user to modify the form information associated with one or more of the N sound objects.

18. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the form information comprises one or more of a directivity pattern, position information, or an object movement algorithm.

19. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the form information establishes an integral wave starting point, a relative position, and a scale for each of the N sound objects.

20. The user interface of claim 17, wherein the one or more characteristics of the M output channels comprises one or more of a number of output channels, a frequency response of one or more of the M output channels, a directivity pattern of one or more of the M output channels, or a power of one or more of the M output channels.