APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DATA IN A MULTI-RENDERER SYSTEM

• US 20080019534A1
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V., Tu Ilmenau
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V., Tu Ilmenau
• Inventors: SATTLER, Kai-Uwe, HEIMRICH, Thomas, REICHELT, Katrin, GATZSCHE, Gabriel, BRIX, Sandra
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,231 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/13 Application of wave-field synthesis in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

An apparatus for providing data for wave field synthesis rendering in a wave field synthesis system with plurality of renderer modules, at least one loudspeaker being associated with each renderer module, and the loudspeakers associated with the renderer modules being attachable at different positions in a reproduction room, includes a provider for providing a plurality of audio files, wherein a virtual source at a source position is associated with an audio file, and a data output for providing the audio file to a renderer with which an active loudspeaker is associated, with the data output further formed to not provide the audio file to a renderer if all loudspeakers associated with the renderer are not to be active for the reproduction of the source. Thus, unnecessary data transmissions in the wave field synthesis system are avoided, while making optimum use of the renderer maximum capacity in a multi-renderer system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing data for the wave field synthesis rendering in a wave field synthesis system with a plurality of renderer modules, wherein at least one loudspeaker is associated with each renderer module, and wherein the loudspeakers associated with the renderers are attachable at different positions in a reproduction room, comprising:

a provider for providing a plurality of audio files, wherein a virtual source at a source position is associated with an audio file; and

a data output for providing the audio file to a renderer with which a loudspeaker is associated that is to be active for the reproduction of the virtual source, wherein the data output is further formed to not provide the audio file to another renderer module if loudspeakers associated with the other renderer are not to be active for the reproduction of the source.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a data manager for determining whether the at least one loudspeaker associated with a renderer module is to be active for the reproduction of the virtual source or not, wherein the data manager is formed to perform the determination based on the source position and a loudspeaker position or a renderer identification.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reproduction room comprises a reference point, wherein the data manager is formed to

determine a loudspeaker to be active if the source position is between the reference point and the loudspeaker, or if the loudspeaker is between the source position and the reference point.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data manager is formed to determine a loudspeaker to be active if an angle between a first line from the source position to the reference point and a second line from the loudspeaker to the reference point lies between 0°

and 90°

.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the data manager is formed to determine a loudspeaker to be non-active if a connection line from the source position to the reference point does not comprise any directional components parallel to a main sound emission direction of the loudspeaker.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein several loudspeakers are associated with a renderer module, and wherein the data output is formed to supply the renderer with the audio file only if more than 10% of the loudspeakers associated with the renderer module have been determined to be active, or if the loudspeakers associated with the renderer module would provide, for a virtual source, a synthesis signal with an amplitude higher than a minimum threshold.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein several loudspeakers are associated with a renderer module, and wherein the renderer module is supplied with an audio file only if at least one loudspeaker associated with the renderer has been determined to be active.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each renderer module comprises a certain maximum processing capacity, and wherein the data output is formed to provide an audio file to a renderer only when a minimum proportion of the loudspeakers associated with the renderer module has been determined to be active, wherein the minimum proportion is variable and depends on a utilization of the renderer module, which can be determined by a utilization determinator.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data output is formed to increase a minimum proportion if the utilization determined by the utilization determinator increases.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the utilization determinator is formed to determine a current or estimated future utilization.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data output comprises a lookup table, which is formed to receive a source position as input quantity, and which is formed to provide, as output quantity for the renderer modules, information as to whether a renderer module for the source position input on the input side is to be active or not.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data output is formed to provide the audio file for a virtual source, a source position for the virtual source, and information on beginning, end and/or duration of the virtual source in an audio scene to a renderer module with which an active loudspeaker is associated.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data output is formed to further provide information on a type of the virtual source, i.e. whether the virtual source is a point source, a source for plane waves or a source for waves of another shape, to a renderer module.

14. A method for providing data for the wave field synthesis rendering in a wave field synthesis system with a plurality of renderer modules, wherein at least one loudspeaker is associated with each renderer module, and wherein the loudspeakers associated with the renderers are attachable at different positions in a reproduction room, comprising:

providing a plurality of audio files, wherein a virtual source at a source position is associated with an audio file; and

providing the audio file to a renderer with which a loudspeaker is associated that is to be active for the reproduction of the virtual source, wherein the audio file is not provided to another renderer module if loudspeakers associated with the other renderer are not to be active for the reproduction of the source.

15. A computer program with program code for performing, when the program is executed on a computer, a method for providing data for the wave field synthesis rendering in a wave field synthesis system with a plurality of renderer modules, wherein at least one loudspeaker is associated with each renderer module, and wherein the loudspeakers associated with the renderers are attachable at different positions in a reproduction room, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of audio files, wherein a virtual source at a source position is associated with an audio file; and

providing the audio file to a renderer with which a loudspeaker is associated that is to be active for the reproduction of the virtual source, wherein the audio file is not provided to another renderer module if loudspeakers associated with the other renderer are not to be active for the reproduction of the source.