Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Kunal Jathal

Samuel Charles Mindlin

Mohammad Raheel Khalid

Shan Anis

David G Skuratowicz

William Robert Davey

Scott David Brown

An illustrative collaboration space provider system provides a virtual collaboration session that allows for audio communication between a user and one or more other users virtually located within a virtual collaboration space. The user is represented by an avatar located at an avatar location within the virtual collaboration space. The collaboration space provider system receives user input from the user, the user input representative of a voice origination location that is within the virtual collaboration space and is distinct from the avatar location. During the virtual collaboration session, the collaboration space provider system simulates propagation within the virtual collaboration space of a voice communication spoken by the user. The propagation of the voice communication is simulated to originate from the voice origination location and not from the avatar location. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Independent control of avatar location and voice origination location within a virtual collaboration space

An illustrative application executing on a first device establishes a first network connection between the first device and a collaboration platform server managing a set of components for a collaboration platform providing voice communication services with respect to a virtual space. Using the first network connection, the application: 1) sets a first location within the virtual space at which a first voice component is positioned, and 2) determines a second location within the virtual space at which a second voice component is positioned. The application receives, by way of a second network connection between the first and second devices, audio data representing voice communication originating at the second device. Based on the first and second locations, the application generates a spatialized rendering of the audio data for presentation to a user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for spatial rendering of multi-user voice communication

An illustrative collaboration space provider system defines, within a virtual collaboration space, a sound boundary associated with a particular avatar located within the virtual collaboration space. The collaboration space provider system then prevents, based on the sound boundary, at least one direction of audio communication for a user represented by the particular avatar. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Sound boundaries for a virtual collaboration space

An illustrative frequency-domain encoder system transforms time-domain data representative of a content instance into frequency-domain data representative of the content instance. The frequency-domain data includes a plurality of complex coefficients each representing different frequency components of a plurality of frequency components incorporated by the content instance. The frequency-domain encoder system generates a frequency-domain data container that includes the complex coefficients of the frequency-domain data and metadata descriptive of the frequency-domain data. Additionally, within the frequency-domain data container, the frequency-domain encoder system integrates the complex coefficients of the frequency-domain data with timing data representative of a time-dependent feature of the content instance. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for encoding frequency-domain data

An illustrative audio processing system identifies an experience location with which an augmented reality presentation device is associated. The experience location is included within a multizone augmented reality space that is presented by the augmented reality presentation device. The audio processing system determines that the experience location is within both a first sound zone and a second sound zone of the multizone augmented reality space, and, based on the determining that the experience location is within both the first and second sound zones, generates a binaural audio stream for presentation by the augmented reality presentation device. The binaural audio stream includes an environmental audio component implemented by a mix of a first environmental audio stream associated with the first sound zone and a second environmental audio stream associated with the second sound zone. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Audio processing methods and systems for a multizone augmented reality space

An illustrative collaboration space provider system provides a virtual collaboration experience that allows for audio communication between a plurality of users represented by a plurality of avatars located within a virtual collaboration space. The collaboration space provider system defines, based on user input from a first user included in the plurality of users and represented by a first avatar located within the virtual collaboration space, a sound boundary between a first location of the first avatar within the virtual collaboration space and a second location of a second avatar within the virtual collaboration space. Based on the sound boundary between the first and second locations, the collaboration space provider system then prevents audio communication in at least one direction between the first user and a second user represented by the second avatar. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

User-definable sound boundaries to regulate audio communication within a virtual collaboration space

An exemplary speech presentation system receives a simulated binaural audio signal merging together a plurality of concurrent speech instances originating from a plurality of different speakers speaking concurrently. The speech presentation system also receives acoustic propagation data representative of respective propagation effects applied, within the simulated binaural audio signal, to each of the concurrent speech instances to simulate propagation of the concurrent speech instances. Based on the acoustic propagation data, the speech presentation system extracts, from the simulated binaural audio signal, a different auto-transcribable speech signal for each of the plurality of concurrent speech instances. Additionally, based on the extracted auto-transcribable speech signals, the speech presentation system generates a different closed captioning dataset for each of the plurality of concurrent speech instances. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for speech presentation based on simulated binaural audio signals

An exemplary acoustics simulation system selects, from an impulse response library, an impulse response that corresponds to a subspace of an extended reality world. Based on the selected impulse response, the acoustics simulation system generates audio data customized to the subspace of the extended reality world. Additionally, the acoustics simulation system provides the generated audio data for simulating acoustics of the extended reality world as part of a presentation of the extended reality world. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for simulating acoustics of an extended reality world

An exemplary acoustics generation system accesses acoustic propagation data representative of characteristics affecting propagation of a virtual sound to an avatar within an extended reality world being experienced by a user associated with the avatar. Based on the acoustic propagation data, the acoustics generation system also generates a binaural audio signal representative of the virtual sound as experienced by the avatar when the propagation of the virtual sound to the avatar is simulated in accordance with the characteristics affecting the propagation. Additionally, the acoustics generation system prepares the binaural audio signal for presentation to the user as the user experiences the extended reality world by way of the avatar. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for generating audio for an extended reality world

An exemplary frequency-domain encoder system accesses a set of encoder parameters. The frequency-domain encoder system also accesses time-domain data representative of a content instance. In accordance with the set of encoder parameters, the frequency-domain encoder system transforms the time-domain data into frequency-domain data representative of the content instance. The frequency-domain data includes a plurality of complex coefficients each representing different frequency components of a plurality of frequency components incorporated by the content instance. Also in accordance with the set of encoder parameters, the frequency-domain encoder system generates a frequency-domain data container that includes, in a predefined data container format, the complex coefficients of the frequency-domain data and metadata descriptive of the frequency-domain data. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

An exemplary audio processing system accesses audio stream data representative of a plurality of virtual sounds that virtually originate within an extended reality world and include real-time captured speech originating from a speaking user experiencing the extended reality world and a prerecorded or synthesized sound originating from a real audio source. The audio processing system also accesses acoustic propagation data representative of characteristics that affect propagation within the extended reality world of the virtual sounds to a listening avatar. As the virtual sounds propagate to the listening avatar, the audio processing system renders, based on the audio stream data and the acoustic propagation data, a composite binaural audio stream that represents simulated reproductions of the virtual sounds. The simulated reproductions of the virtual sounds are customized to account for the characteristics that affect the propagation of the virtual sounds to the listening avatar. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for providing a composite audio stream for an extended reality world

A spatialized audio presentation system selects, based on an orientation of an avatar with respect to a virtual sound source, a head-related impulse response from a library of head-related impulse responses corresponding to different potential orientations of the avatar with respect to the virtual sound source. The spatialized audio presentation system applies the selected head-related impulse response to a sound that is generated by the virtual sound source and is to be presented to a user associated with the avatar. Additionally, the spatialized audio presentation system applies an additional effect to the sound that is to be presented to the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for generating spatialized audio

An exemplary speech presentation system receives a simulated binaural audio signal associated with a media player device that is presenting an artificial reality world to a user. The simulated binaural audio signal is representative of a simulation of sound propagating to an avatar representing the user within the artificial reality world. The speech presentation system further receives acoustic propagation data representative of an aspect affecting propagation of sound to the avatar within the artificial reality world. Based on the acoustic propagation data, the speech presentation system extracts an auto-transcribable speech signal from the simulated binaural audio signal. The auto-transcribable speech signal is representative of speech originating from a speaker within the artificial reality world. Based on the auto-transcribable speech signal, the speech presentation system generates a closed captioning dataset representative of the speech and provides the dataset to the media player device. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for speech presentation in an artificial reality world

An exemplary acoustics simulation system identifies a location within an extended reality world of an avatar of a user who is using a media player device to experience the extended reality world via the avatar. The acoustics simulation system selects, from an impulse response library that includes a plurality of different impulse responses each corresponding to a different subspace of the extended reality world, an impulse response that corresponds to a particular subspace of the different subspaces of the extended reality world. Specifically, the particular subspace selected is associated with the location that has been identified. Based on the selected impulse response, the acoustics simulation system generates an audio stream configured, when rendered by the media player device, to present sound to the user in accordance with simulated acoustics customized to the identified location of the avatar within the extended reality world. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Methods and systems for simulating spatially-varying acoustics of an extended reality world

An exemplary acoustics generation system accesses time-domain audio data representative of a virtual sound presented to an avatar of a user experiencing an extended reality world, and transforms the time-domain audio data into frequency-domain audio data representative of the virtual sound. The system also accesses acoustic propagation data representative of characteristics affecting propagation of the virtual sound to the avatar within the extended reality world. Based on the frequency-domain audio data and acoustic propagation data, the system generates a frequency-domain binaural audio signal representative of the virtual sound as experienced by the avatar when the propagation of the virtual sound to the avatar is simulated in accordance with the characteristics affecting the propagation. Additionally, the system transforms the frequency-domain binaural audio signal into a time-domain binaural audio signal configured for presentation to the user as the user experiences the extended reality world. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Kunal Jathal