Sonicemotion Ag

Sennheiser Electronic Gmbh & Co Kg

Renato Pellegrini

Etienne Corteel

Matthias Rosenthal

Alexander Krüger

Clemens Kuhn-Rahloff

Matthais Rosenthal

Clemens Kuhn

Binaurally reproduced audio signals are often perceived as unnatural. For example, speech intelligibility may be reduced. For improving the spatial reproduction of audio signals, the invention enables binaurally virtualizing a single-channel audio signal only partially by filtering. A degree of binaural virtualization for the audio signal based on one or more processing parameters (P, P, P) may be freely chosen. A control allows a smooth transition between a completely binaural virtualization based on HRTF and a non-binaural virtualization corresponding to panning. A first range (B) starts with a completely binaural virtualization and the HRTFs that are commonly used for this. In this range, the HRTFs are modified by scaling and by approaching them to the gain factors of the panning while decreasing a degree of binaural virtualization. In a subsequent second range (B) that leads to a completely panning-like virtualization, the resulting phase is reduced, or adjusted to the panning phase of 0&#xb0;. By selecting one or more processing parameters, different audio signals may be binaurally virtualized to different degrees before being superposed to each other.

Method and device for audio signal processing for binaural virtualization

In order for a microphone array to capture sound emanating from a moving object whose exact position is unknown at the time of arrival of the sound signal, a method for controlling the microphone array comprises steps of receiving position information that includes a position (p) and a velocity of the moving object from a tracking system, receiving a plurality of microphone signals that comprise sound of a sound event emanating from the moving object from a plurality of microphone capsules, calculating a directional characteristic from the plurality of microphone signals, wherein the directional characteristic is based on beamforming according to the position information and wherein an audio output signal is generated that includes the sound from a preferred direction of high sensitivity, and providing the audio output signal at an output. A beam width or opening angle (&#x3b1;) of the directional characteristic varies over time and depends on the velocity of the moving object, wherein a higher velocity of the moving object results in a larger beam width or larger opening angle respectively.

Method for controlling a microphone array and device for controlling a microphone array

A method and a device for sound field reproduction from a first audio input signal uses a plurality of loudspeakers for synthesizing a sound field within a preferred listening area in which none of the loudspeakers are located and therefore described as emanating from a virtual source. The method further includes the steps of calculating a plurality of positioning filter coefficients using virtual source description data and loudspeaker description data according to a sound field reproduction technique; and modifying the first audio input signal using the positioning filter coefficients to form second audio input signals. A loudspeaker ranking of the importance of each loudspeaker for the synthesis of the sound field within the preferred listening area is therefore defined. Then, second audio input signals are modified according to the loudspeaker ranking to form third audio input signals. Finally, the loudspeakers are alimented with the third audio input signals which synthesize a sound field.

Method and device for improved sound field rendering accuracy within a preferred listening area

The invention relates to a method and device for reproducing sound from a first input audio signal () using a plurality of first loudspeakers () and producing a target binaural impression to a listener () within a listening area (). In order to decrease the sensibility of the reproduction of sound to the environment acoustics and to simplify the adaptation of the reproduced sound to the listener's head orientation and position, it is proposed to first define a plurality of second virtual loudspeakers () positioned outside of the listening area (), then to estimate a transfer function () between each second virtual loudspeaker () and the listener's ears (and), to compute from the estimated transfer functions () transaural filters () that modify the said first input audio signal () to synthesize second audio input signals () and to synthesize input signals () from second audio input signals () for creating a synthesized wave field () by the said first loudspeakers () that appears, within the listening area (), to be emitted by the plurality of second virtual loudspeakers () as a plurality of wave fronts () in order to reproduce the target binaural impression at the ears of the listener (and).

Method and system for producing a binaural impression using loudspeakers

The invention relates to a method and device for generating data about the mutual position of at least three acoustic transducers. The aim of the invention is to make it possible to continuously measure and calculate the mutual position of at least three acoustic transducers, particularly the rotation and the position of a human head wearing headphones within a room without using any additional transmitter element on the head, headphone, or body of the listener, during audio playback. This aim is achieved by connecting the acoustic transducers to a digitally operated system which comprises an output path emitting audio signals to first and second acoustic transducers, an input path receiving audio signals from the third acoustic transducer, an audio signal source that is connected to the output path, an ultrasound generator that is connected to the output path, and an information generator which indicates a position and is connected to the input path.

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Niederhasli, Switzerland

Renato Pellegrini