IP Library Granted Patent US 12,317,064
Granted Patent B2
US 12,317,064 · App. 18/389,698 · Granted May 27, 2025

Mixed reality spatial audio

Inventors: Brian Lloyd Schmidt (Bellevue, WA); Jehangir Tajik (Fort Lauderdale, FL); Jean-Marc Jot (Aptos, CA)
Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
H04S7/304G06F3/01H04S3/008H04S7/306H04R5/033H04S7/301H04S2400/01H04S2400/11H04S2400/15H04S2420/01
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,317,064
App. No.
18/389,698
Granted
May 27, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of presenting an audio signal to a user of a mixed reality environment is disclosed. According to examples of the method, an audio event associated with the mixed reality environment is detected. The audio event is associated with a first audio signal. A location of the user with respect to the mixed reality environment is determined. An acoustic region associated with the location of the user is identified. A first acoustic parameter associated with the first acoustic region is determined. A transfer function is determined using the first acoustic parameter. The transfer function is applied to the first audio signal to produce a second audio signal, which is then presented to the user.

Claims (42)

1. A method of presenting sound to a user of a mixed reality environment, the method comprising:

determining a first location of the user with respect to the mixed reality environment;

in response to determining the first location, accessing, from a memory, a transfer function, the transfer function based on a first acoustic parameter associated with a first location and further based on an acoustic relationship between the first location and a second location with respect to the mixed reality environment;

detecting an audio event associated with the mixed reality environment, wherein the audio event is associated with a first audio signal;

applying the transfer function to the first audio signal to produce a second audio signal; and

presenting, to the user, a sound based on the second audio signal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the first acoustic parameter to the memory.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the user comprises a user of a first wearable device; and

the first acoustic parameter comprises an acoustic parameter communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the first wearable device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the transfer function to the memory.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the user comprises a user of a first wearable device; and

the transfer function comprises a transfer function communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the first wearable device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transfer function is based on a determination that the first location is acoustically coupled to the second location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transfer function is based on a determination that the first location belongs to a first acoustic region and the second location belongs to the first acoustic region.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first acoustic parameter is determined based on a spatial property of the first location detected via a sensor of a wearable device associated with the mixed reality environment.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second location is determined based on an output of a sensor of a wearable device associated with the mixed reality environment.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first location comprises a source location of the audio event and the second location comprises a location of the user.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transfer function is based further on a second acoustic parameter associated with the second location.

12. A wearable device comprising:

one or more sensors;

one or more speakers; and

one or more processors configured to perform a method comprising:

determining, via the one or more sensors, a first location of a user of the wearable device with respect to a mixed reality environment;

in response to determining the first location, accessing, from a memory, a transfer function, the transfer function based on a first acoustic parameter associated with the first location and further based on an acoustic relationship between the first location and a second location with respect to the mixed reality environment;

detecting an audio event associated with the mixed reality environment, wherein the audio event is associated with a first audio signal;

applying the transfer function to the first audio signal to produce a second audio signal; and

presenting, to the user via the one or more speakers, a sound based on the second audio signal.

13. The wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the first acoustic parameter from the wearable device to the memory.

14. The wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the first acoustic parameter comprises an acoustic parameter communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the wearable device.

15. The wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the transfer function from the wearable device to the memory.

16. The wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the transfer function comprises a transfer function communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the wearable device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

determining, via one or more sensors of a wearable device comprising the one or more processors, a first location of a user of the wearable device with respect to a mixed reality environment;

in response to determining the first location, accessing, from a memory, a transfer function, the transfer function based on a first acoustic parameter associated with the first location and further based on an acoustic relationship between the first location and a second location with respect to the mixed reality environment;

detecting an audio event associated with the mixed reality environment, wherein the audio event is associated with a first audio signal;

applying the transfer function to the first audio signal to produce a second audio signal; and

presenting, to the user via one or more speakers of the wearable device, a sound based on the second audio signal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the first acoustic parameter comprises an acoustic parameter communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the wearable device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises communicating the transfer function from the wearable device to the memory.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the transfer function comprises a transfer function communicated to the memory by a second wearable device different from the wearable device.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2025
From: MAGIC LEAP, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC; MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073439/0168 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2025
From: MAGIC LEAP, INC.; MENTOR ACQUISITION ONE, LLC; MOLECULAR IMPRINTS, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073388/0027 →