Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.

Shan Anis

Samuel Charles Mindlin

Kunal Jathal

Mohammad Raheel Khalid

David G Skuratowicz

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 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 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 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 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 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.

Methods and systems for generating frequency-accurate acoustics for an extended reality world

An exemplary extended reality audio processing system accesses first and second audio streams representative, respectively, of first and second virtual sounds within an extended reality world being experienced by a user by way of a media player device. The system also accesses acoustic propagation data representative of characteristics that affect the propagation of the first and second virtual sounds to an avatar of the user. Based on the first and second audio streams and the real-time acoustic propagation data, the system renders a composite binaural audio stream representative of a composite virtual sound that comprises a combination of simulated reproductions of the first and second virtual sounds that are customized to account for the characteristics that affect the propagation. The system further transmits the composite binaural audio stream to the media player device for presentation to the user as the user experiences the extended reality world.

A spatialized audio presentation system identifies an orientation of a virtual avatar, associated with a user engaged in a virtual experience, with respect to a virtual sound source within a virtual space. Within the virtual space, the virtual sound source generates a sound to be presented to the user while the user is engaged in the virtual experience. Based on the identified orientation of the virtual avatar, the system selects a head-related impulse response from a library of head-related impulse responses corresponding to different potential orientations of the virtual avatar with respect to the virtual sound source. The system then generates respective versions of the sound for presentation to the user at the left and right ears of the user by applying, respectively, a left-side component and a right-side component of the selected head-related impulse response to the sound. Corresponding methods are also disclosed.

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Jersey City, NJ, United States of America

Shan Anis