Apparatus and method for processing multi-channel audio signal

1. A multichannel audio signal processing method processed by a unified speech audio coding (USAC) 3D decoder, comprising:

generating an N-channel audio signal of N channels by down-mixing an M-channel audio signal of M channels in a format converter using playback environment or virtual layout, the number of M channels being greater than the number of N channels;

generating a stereo audio signal by performing binaural rendering of the N-channel audio signal in a binaural renderer; and

outputting the stereo audio signal,

wherein the USAC 3D decoder extracts a plurality of channel/prerendered objects, a plurality of objects, compressed object metadata (OAM), spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI), and high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals from a bitstream,

wherein the plurality of channel/prerendered objects are inputted to the format converter through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the plurality of objects are inputted to the object renderer through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI) are inputted into a SAOC 3D decoder,

wherein the high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals are inputted into a HOA renderer,

wherein an outputs results of the format converter, the object renderer, the HOA render, and a SAOC 3D decoder are input to a mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels are outputted from the mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels is inputted into a binaural renderer connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) or is inputted into a third dynamic range control (DRC 3 ) with connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) for a loudspeaker feed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating of the stereo audio signal comprises:

applying a N binaural filter for binaural rendering into each channel audio signal of N-channel audio signal, for each left channel audio signal and each right channel audio signal of the stereo audio signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the generating of the stereo audio signal comprises:

summing a filtering result of the N binaural filter related to to a head related transfer function (HRTF) or a binaural room impulse response (BRIR) for binaural rendering.

4. A multichannel audio signal processing method processed by a unified speech audio coding (USAC) 3D decoder, comprising:

downmixing a M-channel audio signal of M channels for generating N-channel audio signal of N channels in a format converter using playback environment or virtual layout;

generating a stereo audio signal by performing binaural rendering the downmixed N-channel audio signal in a binaural renderer; and

outputting the stereo audio signal,

wherein the USAC 3D decoder extracts a plurality of channel/prerendered objects, a plurality of objects, compressed object metadata (OAM), spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI), and high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals from a bitstream,

wherein the plurality of channel/prerendered objects are inputted to the format converter through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the plurality of objects are inputted to the object renderer through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI) are inputted into a SAOC 3D decoder,

wherein the high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals are inputted into a HOA renderer,

wherein an outputs results of the format converter, the object renderer, the HOA render, and a SAOC 3D decoder are input to a mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels are outputted from the mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels is inputted into a binaural renderer connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) or is inputted into a third dynamic range control (DRC 3 ) with connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) for a loudspeaker feed.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating of the stereo audio signal comprises performing binaural rendering of the downmixed multichannel audio signal in a frequency domain.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the generating of the stereo audio signal comprises generating the stereo audio signal using a plurality of binaural filters respectively corresponding to the N channels of the N-channel audio signal.

7. A multichannel audio signal processing apparatus processed by a unified speech audio coding (USAC) 3D decoder, comprising:

one or more processor configured to:

downmix a M-channel audio signal of M channels in a format converter for generating N-channel audio signal of N channels based on a three-dimensional (3D) loudspeaker layout;

generate a stereo audio signal by performing binaural rendering of the downmixed N-channel audio signal in a binaural renderer; and

output the stereo audio signal,

wherein the USAC 3D decoder extracts a plurality of channel/prerendered objects, a plurality of objects, compressed object metadata (OAM), spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI), and high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals from a bitstream,

wherein the plurality of channel/prerendered objects are inputted to the format converter through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the plurality of objects are inputted to the object renderer through first dynamic range control (DRC 1 ),

wherein the spatial audio object coding (SAOC) transport channels, SAOC side information (SI) are inputted into a SAOC 3D decoder,

wherein the high-order ambisonics (HOA) signals are inputted into a HOA renderer,

wherein an outputs results of the format converter, the object renderer, the HOA render, and a SAOC 3D decoder are input to a mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels are outputted from the mixer,

wherein the N-channel audio signal of N channels is inputted into the binaural renderer connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) or is inputted into a third dynamic range control (DRC 3 ) with connected with the second dynamic range control (DRC 2 ) for a loudspeaker feed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor performs binaural rendering of the downmixed multichannel audio signal in a frequency domain.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor generates the stereo audio signal using a plurality of binaural renderers respectively corresponding to the N channels of the N-channel audio signal.