Graphically displaying audio pan or phase information

• US 7,548,791 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Briney, III; Walter F
• Application Number:
  US11/437,516
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 381/56, 381/57, 381/58
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0008 Associated control or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/235 Flanging or phasing effects, i.e. creating time and frequency dependent constructive and destructive interferences, obtained, e.g. by using swept comb filters or a feedback loop around all-pass filters with gradually changing non-linear phase response or delays
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/305 Source positioning in a soundscape, e.g. instrument positioning on a virtual soundstage, stereo panning or related delay or reverberation changes; Changing the stereo width of a musical source
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/015 PDA [personal digital assistant] or palmtop computing devices used for musical purposes, e.g. portable music players, tablet computers, e-readers or smart phones in which mobile telephony functions need not be used touch-screen interfaces G10H2220/096

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for displaying visual representations of features of audio data are provided. In one implementation, a computer-implemented method is provided. Audio data is received. A visual representation of the audio data showing pan position is displayed. Displaying the visual representation includes calculating pan position data comprising one or more pan positions associated with audio data per unit time and plotting the calculated pan position data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving audio data; and

displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing pan position, including;

calculating pan position data comprising one or more pan positions associated with audio data per unit time; and

plotting the calculated pan position data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

2. The method of claim 1, where calculating the pan position data comprises:

separating the audio data into a set of blocks;

performing a fast Fourier transform on each block to separate the audio data of the block into one or more frequency bands; and

calculating a pan position for each frequency band.

3. The method of claim 2, where calculating a pan position for each frequency band includes comparing the amplitude of audio data associated with the frequency band corresponding to a left audio channel and a right audio channel.

4. The method of claim 2, where plotting the calculated pan position data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to pan position; and

plotting pan position data over time using data from each created histogram.

5. The method of claim 1, where plotting the calculated pan position includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted pan position, where the brightness level indicates a relative amount of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

6. The method of claim 1, where plotting the calculated pan position includes associating a color with each plotted pan position, where the color indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

7. The method of claim 1, where plotting the calculated pan position includes associating a grey-scale value with each plotted pan position, where the grey-scale value indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input to perform one or more editing operations using the displayed audio data.

9. The method of claim 1, where plotting the calculated pan position data includes plotting discrete points representing different portions of the audio data at each of a plurality of points in time.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving audio data; and

displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing phase difference, including;

calculating phase difference data comprising one or more phase difference values associated with audio data per unit time; and

plotting the calculated phase difference data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

11. The method of claim 10, where calculating phase difference data comprises:

separating the audio data into a set of blocks;

performing a fast Fourier transform on each block to separate the audio data of the block into one or more frequency bands; and

calculating a phase difference for each frequency band.

12. The method of claim 11, where calculating a phase difference for each frequency band includes:

calculating the phase of audio data associated with the frequency band corresponding to a left audio channel and a right audio channel; and

calculating the difference between the phase of the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

13. The method of claim 11, where plotting the calculated phase difference data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to phase difference; and

plotting phase difference data over time using data from each created histogram.

14. The method of claim 10, where plotting the calculated phase difference data includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted phase difference, where the brightness level indicates a relative amount of the audio data for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

15. The method of claim 10, where plotting the calculated phase difference includes associating a color with each plotted phase difference, where the color indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

16. The method of claim 10, where plotting the calculated phase difference includes associating a grey-scale value with each plotted phase difference, where the grey-scale value indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

17. The method of claim 10, where plotting the calculated phase difference data includes plotting discrete points representing different portions of the audio data at each of a plurality of points in time.

18. A computer program product, encoded on a machine-readable storage device, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving audio data; and

displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing pan position, including;

calculating pan position data comprising one or more pan positions associated with audio data per unit time; and

plotting the calculated pan position data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, where calculating the pan position data comprises:

separating the audio data into a set of blocks;

performing a fast Fourier transform on each block to separate the audio data of the block into one or more frequency bands; and

calculating a pan position for each frequency band.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, where calculating a pan position for each frequency band includes comparing the amplitude of audio data associated with the frequency band corresponding to a left audio channel and a right audio channel.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, where plotting the calculated pan position data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to pan position; and

plotting pan position data over time using data from each created histogram.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, where plotting the calculated pan position includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted pan position, where the brightness level indicates a relative amount of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, where plotting the calculated pan position includes associating a color with each plotted pan position, where the color indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

24. A computer program product, encoded on a machine readable storage device, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving audio data; and

displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing phase difference, including;

calculating phase difference data comprising one or more phase difference values associated with audio data per unit time; and

plotting the calculated phase difference data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 where calculating phase difference data comprises:

separating the audio data into a set of blocks;

performing a fast Fourier transform on each block to separate the audio data of the block into one or more frequency bands; and

calculating a phase difference for each frequency band.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, where calculating a phase difference for each frequency band includes:

calculating the phase of audio data associated with the frequency band corresponding to a left audio channel and a right audio channel, and

calculating the difference between the phase of the left audio channel and the right audio channel.

27. The computer program product of claim 25, where plotting the calculated phase difference data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to phase difference; and

plotting phase difference data over time using data from each created histogram.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, where plotting the calculated phase difference data includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted phase difference, where the brightness level indicates a relative amount of the audio data for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

29. The computer program product of claim 24, where plotting the calculated pan position includes associating a color with each plotted phase difference, where the color indicates the frequencies of the audio data for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

30. A system, comprising:

means for receiving audio data; and

means for displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing pan position, including;

calculating pan position data comprising one or more pan positions associated with audio data per unit time, and

plotting the calculated pan position data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

31. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a machine readable storage device including instructions which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to generate a graphical user interface configured to present a display of audio data, including;

a first axis indicating displacement to the left and right of a center value;

a second axis indicating time; and

a plot of pan position with respect to displacement and time using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.

32. A system comprising:

a processor and a memory operable to perform operations comprising;

receiving audio data; and

displaying a visual representation of the audio data showing pan position, including;

calculating pan position data comprising one or more pan positions associated with audio data per unit time, and

plotting the calculated pan position data using a visual spectrum corresponding to a spectrum of the audio data.