Method and apparatus for accommodating primary content audio and secondary content remaining audio capability in the digital audio production process

• US 6,772,127 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hearing Enhancement Company, LLC
• Inventors: Saunders, William R., Vaudrey, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABEBE, DANIEL DEMELASH
• Application Number:
  US10/006,894
• Publication Number:
  US 20020040295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 704/500, 704/501, 381/10, 381/17, 381/313
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/03 Application of parametric coding in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/00 Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

The invention enables the inclusion of voice and remaining audio information at different parts of the audio production process. In particular, the invention embodies special techniques for VRA-capable digital mastering and accommodation of VRA by those classes of audio compression formats that sustain less losses of audio data as compared to any codecs that sustain comparable net losses equal or greater than the AC3 compression format. The invention facilitates an end-listener'"'"'s voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) adjustment upon the playback of digital audio media formats by focusing on new configurations of multiple parts of the entire digital audio system, thereby enabling a new technique intended to benefit audio end-users (end-listeners) who wish to control the ratio of the primary vocal/dialog content of an audio program relative to the remaining portion of the audio content in that program.

Claims

1. An audio production method to generate a VRA-capable audio program, comprising:

providing a plurality of audio tracks, the plurality of audio tracks stored on a storage medium, and the plurality of audio tracks having a time-synchronization;

generating, from at least one track in the plurality of audio tracks, a primary content pure voice (PCPV) audio signal, wherein the PCPV audio signal comprises substantially vocal information and retains spatial information;

generating, from at least one other track in the plurality of audio tracks, a secondary content remaining audio (SCRA) audio signal, wherein the SCRA audio signal comprises audio information substantially other than that included in the PCPV audio signal and retains spatial information; and

generating a voice-to-remaining-audio (VRA) auxiliary data channel, the VRA auxiliary data channel;

identifying the VRA-capable audio program as VRA-capable,

identifying playback parameters of the PCPV signal; and

identifying playback parameters of the SCRA signal.

2. The audio production method of claim 1, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the plurality of audio tracks,

the PCPV audio signal,

the SCRA audio signal, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

3. The audio production method of claim 1, further comprising:

compressing the PCPV signal using a digital compression format having a first compression ratio;

compressing the SCRA signal using a digital compression format having a second compression ratio, greater than the first compression ratio; and

compressing the plurality of audio tracks using a digital compression format having a third compression ratio equal to or greater than the second compression ratio.

4. The audio production method of claim 3, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the compressed plurality of audio tracks,

the compressed PCPV signal,

the compressed SCRA signal, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

5. The audio production method of claim 1, wherein the playback parameters of one of the PCPV and SCRA signals include instructions for developing a bitstream such that the one of the PCPV and SCRA content is delivered from the VRA-capable storage medium in a known manner.

6. The audio production method of claim 1, wherein the playback parameters of one of the PCPV and SCRA signals include instructions for spatial playback of the one of the PCPV and SCRA signals.

7. The audio production method of claim 1, wherein the playback parameters of one of the PCPV and SCRA signals include parameters for one of amplitude and dynamic range of the one of the PCPV and SCRA signals.

8. The audio production method of claim 1, wherein the playback parameters of one of the PCPV and SCRA signals includes information on how to one of construct, reconstruct, and playback the one of the PCPV and SCRA signals at a playback device.

9. An audio production method to generate a VRA-capable audio program, comprising:

providing a plurality of audio tracks, the plurality of audio tracks stored on a storage medium, and the plurality of audio tracks having a time-synchronization;

generating, from at least one track in a plurality of audio tracks, a primary content pure voice (PCPV) audio signal, wherein the PCPV audio signal comprises substantially vocal information and retains spatial information;

generating a voice-to-remaining-audio (VRA) auxiliary data channel, the VRA auxiliary data channel;

identifying the VRA-capable audio program as VRA capable,

identifying playback parameters of the PCPV signal; and

identifying playback parameters to allow a decoder to generate from at least one other track in the plurality of audio tracks, a secondary content remaining audio (SCRA) audio signal, wherein the SCRA audio signal comprises audio information substantially other than that included in the PCPV audio signal and retains spatial information.

10. The audio production method of claim 9, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the plurality of audio tracks,

the PCPV signal, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

11. The audio production method of claim 9, further comprising:

compressing the PCPV signal using a digital compression format having a first compression ratio; and

compressing the plurality of audio tracks using a digital compression format having a second compression ratio greater than the first compression ratio.

12. The audio production method of claim 11, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the compressed plurality of audio tracks,

the compressed PCPV signal, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

13. The audio production method of claim 9, wherein the playback parameters of one of the PCPV signal include instructions for developing a bitstream such that the PCPV content is delivered from the VRA-capable storage medium in a known manner.

14. The audio production method of claim 9, wherein the playback parameters of the PCPV signal include information on how to one of construct, reconstruct, and playback the PCPV signal at a playback device.

15. An audio production method to generate a VRA-capable audio program, comprising:

providing a plurality of audio tracks, the plurality of audio tracks stored on a storage medium, and the plurality of audio tracks having a time-synchronization;

generating a voice-to-remaining-audio (VRA) auxiliary data channel, the VRA auxiliary data channel;

identifying the VRA-capable audio program as VRA capable,

identifying playback parameters to allow a decoder to generate, from at least one track in the plurality of audio tracks, a primary content pure voice (PCPV) audio signal, wherein the PCPV audio signal comprises substantially vocal information,

identifying playback parameters to allow the decoder to generate from at least one other track in the plurality of audio tracks, a secondary content remaining audio (SCRA) audio signal, wherein the SCRA audio signal comprises audio information substantially other than that included in the PCPV audio signal.

16. The audio production method of claim 15, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the plurality of audio tracks, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

17. The audio production method of claim 15, further comprising:

compressing the plurality of audio tracks using a digital compression format having a first compression ratio.

18. The audio production method of claim 17, further comprising:

digitally storing on a storage medium;

the compressed plurality of audio tracks, and

the VRA auxiliary data channel;

wherein digitally storing maintains the time-synchronization.

19. A storage medium that stores:

contextual audio information that includes separable primary content audio and secondary content audio, wherein the primary content audio and secondary content audio are not identical;

spatial audio information that includes spatial audio information that enables a listener to perceive spatial orientation of the separable primary content audio and secondary content audio; and

auxiliary data information that includes information that allows one of generation and playback of the separable primary content audio and secondary content audio having a spatial orientation.

20. A storage medium that stores a Voice to Remaining Audio (VRA) format, the format accommodating a delineation of contextual audio information from an audio program with simultaneous delineation of spatial audio information from the audio program, through use of a VRA auxiliary data channel, the delineation created and interpreted by a VRA-capable codec.

21. The storage medium of claim 20, wherein the audio program is one of a film soundtrack, a DVD movie soundtrack, and a compact disc soundtrack.