Graphically displaying audio pan or phase information

• US 7,899,565 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• 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:
  US12/456,163
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 700/94, 381/56, 381/57, 381/58, 715/716
• 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 with respect to displacement and time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating relative displacement of components of the audio data to the left and right of a center value and a second axis indicating time.

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 where a histogram count for a particular pan position is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding 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 data includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted pan position, where the brightness level indicates an intensity of components 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 data includes associating a color with each plotted pan position, where the color indicates the one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to pan position and time for performing one or more editing operations.

8. The method of claim 7, where the one or more editing operations include removing audio data within the region.

9. 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 with respect to time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating phase difference of components of the audio data and a second axis indicating time.

10. The method of claim 9, 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.

11. The method of claim 10, 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.

12. The method of claim 10, where plotting the calculated phase difference data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to phase difference where a histogram count for a particular phase difference is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding phase difference; and

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

13. The method of claim 9, 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.

14. The method of claim 9, where plotting the calculated phase difference includes associating a color with each plotted phase difference, where the color indicates one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to phase difference and time for performing one or more editing operations.

16. 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 with respect to displacement and time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating relative displacement of components of the audio data to the left and right of a center value and a second axis indicating time.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, 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.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, 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.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, where plotting the calculated pan position data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to pan position where a histogram count for a particular pan position is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding pan position; and

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

20. The computer program product of claim 16, where plotting the calculated pan position data includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted pan position, where the brightness level indicates an intensity of components of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, where plotting the calculated pan position data includes associating a color with each plotted pan position, where the color indicates one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, further operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to pan position and time for performing one or more editing operations.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, where the one or more editing operations include removing audio data within the region.

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 with respect to time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating phase difference of components of the audio data and a second axis indicating time.

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 where a histogram count for a particular phase difference is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding 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 one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

30. The computer program product of claim 24, further operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to phase difference and time for performing one or more editing operations.

31. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured 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 with respect to displacement and time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating relative displacement of components of the audio data to the left and right of a center value and a second axis indicating time.

32. The system of claim 31, 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.

33. The system of claim 32, 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.

34. The system of claim 32, where plotting the calculated pan position data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to pan position where a histogram count for a particular pan position is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding pan position; and

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

35. The system of claim 31, where plotting the calculated pan position data includes identifying a brightness level associated with each plotted pan position, where the brightness level indicates an intensity of components of the audio data for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

36. The system of claim 31, where plotting the calculated pan position data includes associating a color with each plotted pan position, where the color indicates the one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular pan position at a given point in time.

37. The system of claim 31, further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to pan position and time for performing one or more editing operations.

38. The system of claim 37, where the one or more editing operations include removing audio data within the region.

39. A system comprising:

one or more processors configured 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 with respect to time, where the visual representation includes a first axis indicating phase difference of components of the audio data and a second axis indicating time.

40. The system of claim 39, 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.

41. The system of claim 40, 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.

42. The system of claim 40, where plotting the calculated phase difference data comprises:

creating a histogram for each block relating the one or more frequency bands to phase difference where a histogram count for a particular phase difference is incremented for each frequency band having a corresponding phase difference; and

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

43. The system of claim 39, 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.

44. The system of claim 39, where plotting the calculated phase difference includes associating a color with each plotted phase difference, where the color indicates one or more frequencies of the audio data components for that particular phase difference at a given point in time.

45. The system of claim 44, further operable to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input with respect to the visual representation of the audio data, the input selecting a region with respect to phase difference and time for performing one or more editing operations.