Rendering of audio elements

1 . A method for rendering an audio element, the method comprising:

determining a top gain value, G_top, for a top part of an interior representation of the audio element based on L and T, where L is the vertical distance between a reference plane and a listening point and T is a vertical distance between the reference plane and a topmost point of an extent of the audio element; and/or

determining a bottom gain value, G_bottom, for a bottom part of the interior representation of the audio element based on L and B, where B is a vertical distance between the reference plane and a bottommost point of the extent of the audio element, wherein

the audio element is represented using at least a first virtual speaker, and

the method further comprises:

producing a first virtual speaker signal, y1, for the first virtual speaker;

using g and y1 to produce a gain adjusted first virtual speaker signal, y1′, where g is function of at least the top gain value or the bottom gain value; and

using y1′ to render the audio element.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

T is the vertical distance between a topmost point of a selected portion of the extent for the audio element and the reference plane, and

B is the vertical distance between a bottommost point of the selected portion of the extent for the audio element and the reference plane.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio element has an original extent and said extent of the audio element is a simplified extent for the audio element that represents the original extent from a certain listening position.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio element is represented using a set of virtual speakers comprising a set of one or more top virtual speakers positioned above a listening point and/or a set of one or more bottom virtual speakers positioned below the listening point.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein

the set of top virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein

the set of virtual speakers comprises a set of two or more rear virtual speakers,

the set of rear virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker,

the method further comprises determining a rear gain value, G_rear, for the set of rear virtual speakers, and

g is a function of at least the top gain value, G_top, and the rear gain value, G_rear.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein

g=G _ top*G _rear.

8 . The method of claim 4 , wherein

the set of bottom virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein

the set of virtual speakers comprises a set of two or more rear virtual speakers,

the set of rear virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker,

the method further comprises determining a rear gain value, G_rear, for the set of rear virtual speakers, and

g is a function of at least the bottom gain value, G_bottom, and the rear gain value, G_rear.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein

g=G _bottom* G _rear.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the method comprises determining G_top, and

determining G_top comprises:

setting G_top to 0 if L≥T,

setting G_top to (T−L)/β if (T−β is ≤L and L<T), where β describes a size of a fade region below the topmost point, or

setting G_top to 1 if L< (T−β).

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the method comprises determining G_top, and

determining G_top comprises:

setting G_top to 0 if L≥(T+β),

setting G_top to 1+((T−L)/β) if (T is ≤L and L<T+β), where β describes a size of a fade region above the topmost point, or

setting G_top to 1 if L<T.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the method comprises determining G_bottom, and

determining G_bottom comprises:

setting G_bottom to 1 if L≥B+β,

setting G_bottom to (L−B)/β if (B is ≤L and L<B+β), where β describes a size of a fade region above the bottommost point, or

setting G_bottom to 0 if L<B.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the method comprises determining G_bottom, and

determining G_bottom comprises:

setting G_bottom to 1 if L≥B,

setting G_bottom to 1+((L−B)/β) if (B−β is ≤L and L<B), where β describes a size of a fade region below the bottommost point, otherwise

setting G_bottom to 0 if L< (B−β).

15 . An audio rendering apparatus, the audio rendering comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory storing instructions which when executed by the processing circuitry of causes the audio rendering apparatus to perform a method comprising:

determining a top gain value, G_top, for a top part of an interior representation of an audio element based on L and T, where L is the vertical distance between a reference plane and a listening point and T is a vertical distance between the reference plane and a topmost point of an extent of the audio element; and/or

determining a bottom gain value, G_bottom, for a bottom part of the interior representation of the audio element based on L and B, where B is a vertical distance between the reference plane and a bottommost point of the extent of the audio element, wherein

the audio element is represented using at least a first virtual speaker, and

the method further comprises:

producing a first virtual speaker signal, y1, for the first virtual speaker;

using g and y1 to produce a gain adjusted first virtual speaker signal, y1′, where g is function of at least the top gain value or the bottom gain value; and

using y1′ to render the audio element.

16 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

T is the vertical distance between a topmost point of a selected portion of the extent for the audio element and the reference plane, and

B is the vertical distance between a bottommost point of the selected portion of the extent for the audio element and the reference plane.

17 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the audio element has an original extent and said extent of the audio element is a simplified extent for the audio element that represents the original extent from a certain listening position.

18 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the audio element is represented using a set of virtual speakers comprising a set of one or more top virtual speakers positioned above a listening point and/or a set of one or more bottom virtual speakers positioned below the listening point.

19 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 18 , wherein

the set of top virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker.

20 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 19 , wherein

the set of virtual speakers comprises a set of two or more rear virtual speakers,

the set of rear virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker,

the audio rendering apparatus is further configured to determine a rear gain value, G_rear, for the set of rear virtual speakers, and

g is a function of at least the top gain value, G_top, and the rear gain value, G_rear.

21 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 18 , wherein

the set of bottom virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker.

22 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 21 , wherein

the set of virtual speakers comprises a set of two or more rear virtual speakers,

the set of rear virtual speakers comprises the first virtual speaker,

the audio rendering apparatus is further configured to determine a rear gain value, G_rear, for the set of rear virtual speakers, and

g is a function of at least the bottom gain value, G_bottom, and the rear gain value, G_rear.

23 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the audio rendering apparatus is configured to determine G_top by performing a process that includes one of the following steps:

setting G_top to 0 if L≥T,

setting G_top to (T−L)/β if (T−β is ≤L and L<T), where β describes a size of a fade region below the topmost point, or

setting G_top to 1 if L< (T−β).

24 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the audio rendering apparatus is configured to determine G_top by performing a process that includes one of the following steps:

setting G_top to 0 if L≥(T+β),

setting G_top to 1+((T−L)/β) if (T is ≤L and L<T+β), where β describes a size of a fade region above the topmost point, or

setting G_top to 1 if L<T.

25 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the audio rendering apparatus is configured to determine G_bottom by performing a process that includes one of the following steps:

setting G_bottom to 1 if L≥B+β,

setting G_bottom to (L−B)/β if (B is ≤L and L<B+B), where β describes a size of a fade region above the bottommost point, or

setting G_bottom to 0 if L<B.

26 . The audio rendering apparatus of claim 15 , wherein

the audio rendering apparatus is configured to determine G_bottom by performing a process that includes one of the following steps:

setting G_bottom to 1 if L≥B,

setting G_bottom to 1+((L−B)/β) if (B−β is ≤L and L<B), where β describes a size of a fade region below the bottommost point, otherwise

setting G_bottom to 0 if L< (B−β).