MULTI-DIMENSIONAL PARAMETRIC AUDIO SYSTEM AND METHOD

1 . A method of producing multi-dimensional parametric audio, comprising:

determining a desired spatial position of an audio component relative to a predetermined listening position;

processing the audio component for a predetermined number of output channels, wherein the step of processing the audio component comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel so that the audio component is created at the desired apparent spatial position relative to the listening position;

encoding two or more output channels of the audio component with the determined phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel; and

modulating the encoded output channels onto respective ultrasonic carriers for emission via a predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining echo, reverb, flange, and phasor values and the encoding step further comprises encoding two or more output channels with the determined echo, reverb, flange, and phasor values.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel based on a predetermined location of the each of the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel based on a predetermined location of the each of the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of receiving an encoded audio source comprising an audio component, wherein the audio source is encoded with component positioning information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the encoded audio source comprises a plurality of audio components and is encoded with information that relates to the spatial position of each audio component of the plurality of audio components and further comprising the step of decoding the encoded audio source to obtain each audio component of the plurality of audio components and the information that relates to the spatial position of each audio component.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the encoded audio source comprises a plurality of surround sound channels and is encoded with information identifying each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels of a surround sound configuration and further comprising the step of decoding the encoded audio source to obtain each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises six channels corresponding to five speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises seven channels corresponding to six speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises eight channels corresponding to seven speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels comprises an audio component and is encoded with positioning information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component within that channel.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of decoding each surround sound channel to obtain the audio component and the position information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component within that channel.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of determining the desired spatial position comprises determining the desired spatial positioning of an audio component based on a predetermined listening position, the specific surround sound channel comprising the audio component, and the positioning information of the audio component within the surround sound channel.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each surround sound channel comprises a plurality of audio components, wherein the determining, processing, and encoding steps are applied to each audio component of the plurality of audio components.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of combining each encoded output channel of each audio component of the plurality of audio components into an encoded output bitstream for each output channel and wherein the step of outputting comprises outputting the encoded output bitstreams for each output channel to a predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined number of output channels is the same number as the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the predetermined number of output channels and predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters is two.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wherein the audio component comprises a component, wherein a component comprises at least one of a frequency component, a Dolby channel, and an audio object.

19 . A multi-dimensional parametric audio system, comprising:

an audio source comprising an audio component;

an audio encoder;

a predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters;

wherein the parametric audio encoder is configured to perform the steps of:

determining a desired spatial position of an audio component relative to a predetermined listening position;

processing the audio component into a predetermined number of output channels, wherein the step of processing the audio component comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel so that the audio component is created at the desired spatial position relative to the listening position;

encoding two or more output channels of the audio component with the determined phase, delay, and gain values previously determined for each output channel; and

outputting the encoded output channels to a predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining echo, reverb, flange, and phasor values and the encoding step further comprises encoding two or more output channels with the determined echo, reverb, flange, and phasor values.

21 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel based on a predetermined location of the each of the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

22 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the step of processing the audio component further comprises determining the appropriate phase, delay, and gain values for each output channel based on a predetermined location of the each of the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

23 . The system of claim 21 , further comprising the step of receiving an encoded audio source comprising an audio component, wherein the audio source is encoded with positioning information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the encoded audio source comprises a plurality of audio components and is encoded with information that relates to the spatial position of each audio component of the plurality of audio components.

25 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the encoded audio source comprises a plurality of surround sound channels and is encoded with information identifying each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels of a surround sound configuration and further comprising the step of decoding the encoded audio source to obtain each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises six channels corresponding to five speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

27 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises seven channels corresponding to six speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

28 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the surround sound configuration comprises eight channels corresponding to seven speakers and one subwoofer or low frequency speaker.

29 . The system of claim 25 , wherein each surround sound channel of the plurality of surround sound channels comprises an audio component and is encoded with positioning information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component within that channel.

30 . The system of claim 29 , further comprising the step of decoding each surround sound channel to obtain the audio component and the position information that relates to the spatial position of the audio component within that channel.

31 . The system of claim 30 , wherein the step of determining the desired spatial position comprises determining the desired spatial positioning of an audio component based on a predetermined listening position, the specific surround sound channel comprising the audio component, and the positioning information of the audio component within the surround sound channel.

32 . The system of claim 29 , wherein each surround sound channel comprises a plurality of audio components, wherein the determining, processing, and encoding steps are applied to each audio component of the plurality of audio components.

33 . The system of claim 32 , further comprising the step of combining each encoded output channel of each audio component of the plurality of audio components into an encoded output bitstream for each output channel and wherein the step of outputting comprises outputting the encoded output bitstreams for each output channel to a predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

34 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined number of output channels is the same number as the predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters.

35 . The system of claim 34 , wherein the predetermined number of output channels and predetermined number of ultrasonic emitters is two.

36 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the system is combined with a conventional surround sound system to create a hybrid conventional surround and ultrasonic sound system.