IP Library › Granted Patent US 12671955
Granted Patent B2
US 12671955 · App. 18/602,517 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Personalization of audio content within a real-world environment

Inventors: Yuan-Yi Fan (New York, NY); Neil Wakefield (New York, NY)
Assignee: Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC
H04S7/303
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12671955
App. No.
18/602,517
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatuses can playback audiovisual content having audio and visual content. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can playback the visual content to various viewers within a real-world environment. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can cause playback of the audio content on various real-world user devices that are associated with these viewers. These systems, methods, and apparatuses can personalize the audio content being played back by these real-world user devices to various spatial positions of these real-world user devices within the real-world environment.

Claims (65)

1 . A method for delivering audio content to a real-world user device within a real-world environment, the method comprising:

receiving, by a display device server within the real-world environment, a spatial position of the real-world user device within the real-world environment;

identifying, by the display device server, a type of visual content from among a plurality of types of visual content being played back by a real-world display device within the real-world environment;

personalizing, by the display device server, the audio content to the spatial position for the type of visual content; and

transmitting, by the display device server, the personalized audio content to the real-world user device for playback.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the personalizing comprises:

identifying a spatial zone that includes the spatial position from among a plurality of spatial zones within the real-world environment; and

accessing an audio parameter that is associated with the spatial zone and the type of visual content from among a plurality of audio parameters that are associated with a plurality of spatial positions and a plurality of types of visual content.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of spatial zones comprises a plurality of concentric three-dimensional volumes surrounding the display device server within the real-world environment.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the personalizing comprises processing the audio content to produce the audio content having the audio parameter at the spatial position.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

developing a virtual model of the real-world environment in a virtual environment, the virtual model including a virtual display device that is associated with the real-world display device and a plurality of virtual user devices that are associated with a plurality of real-world user devices within the plurality of spatial zones; and

simulating playback of a plurality of audio contents from the virtual display device to the plurality of virtual user devices to determine the plurality of audio parameters within the plurality of spatial positions for the plurality of types of visual content.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the developing the virtual model comprises:

defining a three-dimensional geometry of a virtual space in the virtual environment;

identifying a set of real-world acoustical properties that is associated with the type of visual content from among a plurality of sets of real-world acoustical properties that are associated with the plurality of types of visual content; and

assigning the set of real-world acoustical properties to three-dimensional surfaces of the virtual display device to model interactions of the plurality of audio contents with the display device server within the real-world environment.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising playing back, by a real-world display device that is associated with the display device server, visual content that is associated with the audio content at the spatial position.

8 . A display device server for delivering audio content to a real-world user device within a real-world environment, the display device server comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, configuring the processor to:

receive a spatial position of the real-world user device within the real-world environment,

identify a type of visual content from among a plurality of types of visual content being played back by a real-world display device within the real-world environment,

personalize the audio content to the spatial position for the type of visual content, and

transmit the personalized audio content to the real-world user device for playback.

9 . The display device server of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

identify a spatial zone that includes the spatial position from among a plurality of spatial zones within the real-world environment; and

access an audio parameter that is associated with the spatial zone and the type of visual content from among a plurality of audio parameters that are associated with a plurality of spatial positions and a plurality of types of visual content.

10 . The display device server of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of spatial zones comprises a plurality of concentric three-dimensional volumes surrounding the display device server within the real-world environment.

11 . The display device server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to process the audio content to produce the audio content having the audio parameter at the spatial position.

12 . The display device server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configure the processor to:

develop a virtual model of the real-world environment in a virtual environment, the virtual model including a virtual display device that is associated with the real-world display device and a plurality of virtual user devices that are associated with a plurality of real-world user devices within the plurality of spatial zones; and

simulate playback of a plurality of audio contents from the virtual display device to the plurality of virtual user devices to determine the plurality of audio parameters within the plurality of spatial positions for the plurality of types of visual content.

13 . The display device server of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

define a three-dimensional geometry of a virtual space in the virtual environment;

identify a set of real-world acoustical properties that is associated with the type of visual content from among a plurality of sets of real-world acoustical properties that are associated with the plurality of types of visual content; and

assign the set of real-world acoustical properties to three-dimensional surfaces of the virtual display device to model interactions of the plurality of audio contents with the display device server within the real-world environment.

14 . The display device server of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further configure the processor to play back visual content that is associated with the audio content at the spatial position on a display device that is associated with the display device server.

15 . A display device for delivering audio content to a real-world user device within a real-world environment, the display device comprising:

a visual display configured to play back visual content; and

a display device server configured to:

receive a spatial position of the real-world user device within the real-world environment;

identify a type of visual content from among a plurality of types of visual content being played back by the real-world display device within the real-world environment;

personalize the audio content to the spatial position for the type of visual content; and

transmit the personalized audio content that is associated with the visual content to the real-world user device for playback.

16 . The display device of claim 15 , wherein the display device server is configured to:

identify a spatial zone that includes the spatial position from among a plurality of spatial zones within the real-world environment; and

access an audio parameter that is associated with the spatial zone and the type of visual content from among a plurality of audio parameters that are associated with a plurality of spatial positions and a plurality of types of visual content.

17 . The display device of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of spatial zones comprises a plurality of concentric three-dimensional volumes surrounding the display device server within the real-world environment.

18 . The display device of claim 16 , wherein the display device server is configured to process the audio content to produce the audio content having the audio parameter at the spatial position.

19 . The display device of claim 16 , wherein the display device server is further configured to:

develop a virtual model of the real-world environment in a virtual environment, the virtual model including a virtual display device that is associated with the real-world display device and a plurality of virtual user devices that are associated with a plurality of real-world user devices within the plurality of spatial zones; and

simulate playback of a plurality of audio content from the virtual display device to the plurality of virtual user devices to determine the plurality of audio parameters within the plurality of spatial positions for the plurality of types of visual content.

20 . The display device of claim 19 , wherein the display device server is configured to:

define a three-dimensional geometry of a virtual space in the virtual environment;

identify a set of real-world acoustical properties that is associated with the type of visual content from among a plurality of sets of real-world acoustical properties that are associated with the plurality of types of visual content; and

assign the set of real-world acoustical properties to three-dimensional surfaces of the virtual display device to model interactions of the plurality of audio content with the display device server within the real-world environment.

21 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the personalizing further comprises:

determining a value for the audio parameter based upon the spatial position and the type of visual content; and

processing the audio content according to the value to personalize the audio content for playback at the spatial position for the type of visual content.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein determining the value for the audio parameter comprises selecting the value based on preference information associated with a user for playback of the type of visual content.

23 . The display device server of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to:

determine a value for the audio parameter based upon the spatial position and the type of visual content; and

process the audio content according to the value to personalize the audio content for playback at the spatial position for the type of visual content.

24 . The display device server of claim 23 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to select the value based on preference information associated with a user for playback of the type of visual content.