{
  "patent_number": "US 10743125",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How a Device Renders Immersive Sound Objects Using Speaker Virtualization",
  "original_title": "Audio processing apparatus with channel remapper and object renderer",
  "summary": "Dolby's patent describes an audio processing system that takes individual sound elements, like a buzzing bee, and places them precisely in a 3D space using smart software that makes speakers sound like they are in different locations.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes an audio processing apparatus that handles both traditional multichannel audio and newer object-based audio. It receives various inputs, including \"channel metadata,\" \"object metadata,\" \"multichannel audio signals,\" and \"object audio signals\" (Claim 1). An audio decoder first processes these signals. Then, a \"channel remapper\" adjusts traditional multichannel audio to fit the specific speaker setup in a room. Crucially, an \"object renderer\" takes individual sound objects, like a specific voice or a car engine, and places them in a virtual 3D space. It does this by using the \"spatial position and size\" information from the object metadata to select a specific \"dynamic speaker virtualization algorithm\" from many options and then fine-tunes that algorithm to make the sound appear exactly where it should be (Claim 1). Finally, the system outputs these processed audio signals.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover systems that only process traditional multichannel audio without also handling object-based audio signals and their associated metadata.",
    "Does not cover audio rendering systems that use a single, static speaker virtualization algorithm instead of dynamically selecting from multiple options.",
    "Does not cover systems where the speaker virtualization algorithm's parameters are not dynamically controlled based on the audio object's spatial position and size.",
    "Does not cover the physical speaker array setup itself, nor the specific act of reflecting sound off room surfaces, as these are not part of the claims.",
    "Does not cover systems that render audio objects without considering their 'size' parameter, as both 'spatial position and size' are specified for algorithm selection and control (Claim 1)."
  ],
  "filed": "2017-09-26",
  "granted": "2020-08-11",
  "expires": "2037-09-26",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "Dolby Laboratories Licensing",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/dolby-laboratories-licensing",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Joshua B. Lando",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/joshua-b-lando"
    },
    {
      "name": "Stewart Murrie",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/stewart-murrie"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alan Seefeldt",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/alan-seefeldt"
    },
    {
      "name": "C. Phillip Brown",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/c-phillip-brown"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sripal S. Mehta",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/sripal-s-mehta"
    },
    {
      "name": "Spencer Hooks",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/spencer-hooks"
    },
    {
      "name": "Brett G. Crockett",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/brett-g-crockett"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "software",
    "telecommunications",
    "media_entertainment"
  ],
  "abstract": "Embodiments are described for rendering spatial audio content through a system that is configured to reflect audio off of one or more surfaces of a listening environment. The system includes an array of audio drivers distributed around a room, wherein at least one driver of the array of drivers is configured to project sound waves toward one or more surfaces of the listening environment for reflection to a listening area within the listening environment and a renderer configured to receive and process audio streams and one or more metadata sets that are associated with each of the audio streams and that specify a playback location in the listening environment.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10743125/audio-processing-apparatus-with-channel-remapper-and-object-renderer",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/10743125/audio-processing-apparatus-with-channel-remapper-and-object-renderer/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US10743125",
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      "countryCode": "US",
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}