US 11,785,414 B2
Apparatus and method for generating a plurality of audio channels
Christian Borss, Erlangen (DE); Christian Ertel, Eckental (DE); Johannes Hilpert, Nuremberg (DE); Achim Kuntz, Hemhofen (DE); Michael Fischer, Erlangen (DE); Florian Schuh, Zirndorf (DE); and Bernhard Grill, Lauf (DE)
Assigned to Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e. V., Munich (DE)
Filed by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Munich (DE)
Filed on Jul. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/815,860.
Application 17/815,860 is a continuation of application No. 17/145,758, filed on Jan. 11, 2021, granted, now 11,438,723.
Application 17/145,758 is a continuation of application No. 16/804,686, filed on Feb. 28, 2020, granted, now 10,904,693, issued on Jan. 26, 2021.
Application 16/804,686 is a continuation of application No. 16/154,502, filed on Oct. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,595,153, issued on Mar. 17, 2020.
Application 16/154,502 is a continuation of application No. 15/650,146, filed on Jul. 14, 2017, granted, now 10,097,945, issued on Oct. 9, 2018.
Application 15/650,146 is a continuation of application No. 15/202,443, filed on Jul. 5, 2016, granted, now 9,729,995, issued on Aug. 8, 2017.
Application 15/202,443 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2015/050043, filed on Jan. 5, 2015.
Claims priority of application No. 14150362 (EP), filed on Jan. 7, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2022/0377493 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04S 3/02 (2006.01); H04S 7/00 (2006.01); G10L 19/008 (2013.01); G10L 19/20 (2013.01)
CPC H04S 7/308 (2013.01) [G10L 19/008 (2013.01); G10L 19/20 (2013.01); H04S 3/02 (2013.01); H04S 7/30 (2013.01); H04S 2400/01 (2013.01); H04S 2400/03 (2013.01); H04S 2400/11 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for generating a plurality of audio channels for a speaker setup, comprising:
a processor repeating an energy distribution from a speaker not contained in the speaker setup to the speakers in the speaker setup to acquire a downmix information for a downmix to the speaker setup; and
a renderer for generating the plurality of audio channels using the downmix information, and at least one of the group consisting of:
a. the processor configured to generate an energy distribution matrix based on the energy distribution, wherein the energy distribution matrix comprises elements representing the energy distribution of the speaker to speakers of the speaker setup; and wherein the processor is further configured to iteratively calculate a power of the energy distribution matrix, wherein a number of iteration steps is based on a value of the power of the energy distribution matrix; or
b. an energy distribution calculator for calculating the energy distribution; wherein the energy distribution calculator comprises a neighborhood estimator for determining at least one speaker of the speaker setup that is a neighbor of the speaker, and wherein the energy distribution calculator is configured to calculate the energy distribution of the speaker to the at least one neighbor of the speaker; wherein the neighborhood estimator is configured to determine at least two speakers that are neighbors of the speaker and wherein the energy distribution calculator is configured to calculate the energy distribution such that the energy distribution among the at least two speakers that are neighbors of the speaker is equal within a predefined tolerance; or
c. the speakers of the speaker setup are arranged within a predefined tolerance in a geometric plane, wherein the geometric plane comprises a predefined listener position, and wherein the speaker is arranged at one side of the geometric plane; or
d. a speaker of the speaker setup is arranged at a first side of the geometric plane and wherein the speaker is arranged along a second side of the geometric plane opposing the first side of the geometric plane; or
e. a format conversion unit, wherein the format conversion unit is configured to output the plurality of audio channels based on a plurality of data channels and wherein a number of data channels is higher than a number of the plurality of audio channels; or
f. the speaker setup comprises a first speaker setup, wherein a speaker determiner is configured for determining a position of the speaker not comprised in the speaker setup to acquire a second speaker setup comprising the speaker; wherein the speaker determiner is configured to calculate a convex hull based on a position of speakers of the first speaker setup and to determine the position of the speaker according to a QuickHull algorithm, wherein the position of the speaker and the position of speakers of the first speaker setup is arranged at the convex hull within a predefined threshold.