Surround sound panner

• US 6,507,658 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kind of Loud Technologies LLC (Universal Audio, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kind of Loud Technologies LLC (Universal Audio, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abel, Jonathan S., Putnam, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grier, Laura A
• Application Number:
  US09/492,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 381/17, 381/18, 381/63, 381/309, 381/310, 381/74, 381/26
• US Class Current: 381/17
• 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 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/40 Visual indication of stereophonic sound image

Abstract

A method and apparatus implements a novel surround sound panning paradigm. Rather than controlling the x-y position of a perceived sound source within a linear grid, the perceived sound is characterized by specifying perceived arrival energy as a function of direction of arrival. In one embodiment, perceived sound source azimuth and width (or spatial extent) are specified, which parameters are used in a novel panning law to control each output channel. In a preferred implementation, the panning control is provided in a Plug-In application for a conventional DAW environment such as Pro Tools, which application includes an interface that provides precise control over the direction and spatial extent of audio.

Claims

1. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing a panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound, and speaker configuration; and

deriving panning weights based on the panning profile and speaker configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the panning profile specifies panning width.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a signal; and

applying the panning weights to the signal.

4. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing a surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound;

receiving a desired soundfield width; and

adjusting the panning profile in accordance with the desired soundfield width.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a desired soundfield azimuth; and

further adjusting the panning profile in accordance with the desired soundfield azimuth.

6. An apparatus for surround sound panning, comprising:

means for preparing a surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound; and

means for displaying the surround sound panning profile.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for accepting user adjustments of the surround sound panning profile.

8. An apparatus for surround sound panning, comprising:

means for preparing a surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound; and

means for displaying a feature of the surround sound panning profile.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

means for accepting user adjustments of the feature of the surround sound panning profile.

10. A method for determining surround sound panning weights, comprising:

preparing a desired surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound, and a speaker configuration.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

preparing a speaker fade function; and

integrating a function of the desired surround sound panning profile and the speaker fade function.

12. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing panning parameters of a surround sound panning profile specified in a cartesian coordinate system, the surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound;

translating said panning parameters to a polar coordinate system.

13. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing panning parameters of a desired surround sound panning profile specified in a polar coordinate system, the surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound; and

translating said panning parameters to a cartesian coordinate system.

14. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing front/back and left/right panning parameters; and

deriving panning azimuth of a surround sound panning profile using said panning parameters, the surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound.

15. A method for surround sound panning, comprising:

preparing front/back and left/right panning parameters; and

deriving panning width of a surround sound panning profile using said panning parameters, the surround sound panning profile having a non-zero spatial extent parameter of a perceived sound.