Apple Inc.

Other

Audyssey Laboratories, Inc.

Tomlinson M Holman

Christopher T Eubank

Martin E Johnson

Afrooz Family

Sylvain J Choisel

Ian M Richter

Frank M Baumgarte

Eric A Allamanche

Marc-Andre Chenier

Yves Millette

Marc-Olivier Lepage

Erik L Wang

Jonathan D Sheaffer

Matthew Irvine Brown

Joshua D Atkins

Nikolas T Vitt

Michael B Howes

Ryan J Mihelich

Mitchell R Lerner

Stephen E Pinto

Anthony Ghannoum

Matthew S Connolly

Bertrand Nepveu

Dirk Schroeder

Soenke Pelzer

Gary P Geaves

Simon Fortin-Deschênes

Vincent Chapdelaine-Couture

Yan Cote

Alexander P Niemeyer

Timothy E Sandrik

Anthony P Bidmead

Sandy J Carter

Aram M Lindahl

Andrew Dow Turner

Simon Fortin-deschênes

Gary P Greaves

An audio device can sense sound in a physical environment using a plurality of microphones to generate a plurality of microphone signals. Clean speech can be extracted from microphone signals. Ambience can be extracted from the microphone signals. The clean speech can be encoded at a first compression level. The ambience can be encoded at a second compression level that is higher than the first compression level. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Audio encoding with compressed ambience

In various implementations, a method comprises: identifying a plurality of data items, each of the plurality of data items having at least a first metadata field or a second metadata field; displaying a volumetric environment including a first plurality of SR objects corresponding to a first plurality of data items among the plurality of data items, wherein the first plurality of data items includes the first metadata field with first metadata field values; detecting a first user input indicative of the second metadata field; and in response to detecting the first user input, replacing the first plurality of SR objects within the volumetric environment with a second plurality of SR objects corresponding to a second plurality of data items among the plurality of data items, wherein each of the second plurality of data items includes the second metadata field with second metadata field values.

Method and device for presenting a synthesized reality user interface

A method performed by a portable media player device. The method receives a microphone signal that includes audio content output by an audio playback device via a loudspeaker. The method determines identification information regarding the audio content, wherein the identification information is determined through an acoustic signal analysis of the microphone signal. In response to determining that the audio playback device has ceased outputting the audio content, the method retrieves from local memory of the portable media player device or a remote device with which the portable media player device is communicatively coupled, an audio signal that corresponds to the audio content and drives a speaker that is not part of the audio playback device using the audio signal to continue outputting the audio content and any additional audio content related to the audio content.

Method and system for seamless media synchronization and handoff

A method for automatically reacting to an audience's vocal reaction during movie playback. A pre-recorded movie is obtained for playback through a display and a speaker. An audience vocal reaction during playback of an original scene in the movie is detected and in response the original scene is lengthened in both picture and sound while playback of the original scene is resumed once the audience vocal reaction has subsided. In another aspect, reverberation is generated in response to and based on the vocal reaction then added as audio output through the speaker, but only until the vocal reaction has ended at which point the added reverberation ends. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Audience reactive media

An audio asset library containing audio assets formatted in accordance with a file format for spatial audio includes asset metadata that enables simulated reality (SR) application developers to compose sounds for use in SR applications. The audio assets are formatted to include audio data encoding a sound capable of being composed into a SR application along with asset metadata describing not only how the sound was encoded, but also how a listener in SR environment experiences the sound. A SR developer platform is configured so that developers can compose sound for SR objects using audio assets stored in the audio library, including editing the asset metadata to include transformation parameters that support dynamic transformation of the asset metadata in the SR environment to alter how the SR listener experiences the composed sound. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

File format for spatial audio

The present disclosure relates to techniques for presenting a combined view of a virtual environment and a real environment in response to detecting a transition event associated with an object in the real environment. While presenting the combined view, if an input of a first type is detected, the combined view is adjusted by increasing the visibility of imagery of the virtual environment and decreasing the visibility of imagery of the real environment. If an input of a second type is detected, the combined view is adjusted by decreasing the visibility of the imagery of the virtual environment and increasing the visibility of the imagery of the real environment.

Inserting imagery from a real environment into a virtual environment

Spatializing audio can include determining a draw-away curve of an audio signal and modifying the draw-away curve based on a strength of the audio signal. The strength can be determined prior to spatializing the audio signal. The audio signal can be attenuated or modified based on the modified draw-away curve. The attenuated or modified audio signal can be spatialized. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Modification of signal attenuation relative to distance based on signal characteristics

The present disclosure relates to techniques for transitioning between imagery and sounds of two different environments, such as a virtual environment and a real environment. A view of a first environment and audio associated with the first environment are provided. In response to detecting a transition event, a view of the first environment combined with a second environment is provided. The combined view includes imagery of the first environment at a first visibility value and imagery of the second environment at a second visibility value. In addition, in response to detecting a transition event, the first environment audio is mixed with audio associated with the second environment.

Transitioning between imagery and sounds of a virtual environment and a real environment

The present disclosure relates to techniques for inserting imagery from a real environment into a virtual environment. While presenting (e.g., displaying) the virtual environment at an electronic device, a proximity of the electronic device to a physical object located in a real environment is detected. In response to detecting that the proximity of the electronic device to the physical object is less than a first threshold distance, imagery of the physical object is isolated from other imagery of the real environment. The isolated imagery of the physical object is inserted into the virtual environment at a location corresponding to the location of the physical object in the real environment. The imagery of the physical object has a first visibility value associated with the proximity of the electronic device to the physical object.

A method for reducing gain for audio amplification by an audio system having a tweeter channel, an optional midrange channel, and a woofer channel. Gain of the woofer channel is reduced simultaneously with reducing gain of the tweeter channel, both responsive to detecting the same instance of overloading (overdriving) the woofer channel. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Linking audio amplification gain reduction per channel and across frequency ranges

Audio processing with audio transparency can include receiving a user content audio signal and receiving a microphone signal. The microphone signal can contain sensed sound of a user environment. Strength of the sensed sound can be increased based on strength of the user content audio signal, to reduce a masking of the sensed sound during playback. The sensed sound and the user content audio signal can be combined in a composite output audio signal used to drive a speaker. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Adjusting audio transparency based on content

In various implementations, methods of presenting a synthesized reality (SR) user interface are disclosed, including moving a data item in SR user interface, regrouping data items in an SR user interface, selecting groups of data items in an SR user interface, and playing audio files represented by data items in an SR user interface.

Growing community of inventors

Yucca Valley, CA, United States of America

Tomlinson M Holman