Method for providing a spatialized soundfield

1. A method for producing transaural spatialized sound, comprising:

receiving audio signals representing spatial audio objects;

filtering each audio signal through a spatialization filter to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio;

segregating the array of virtual audio transducer signals into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset;

time-offsetting respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and

combining the time-offset respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising abating a peak amplitude of the combined time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filtering comprises processing at least two audio channels with a graphic processing unit configured to act as an audio signal processor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the array of virtual audio transducer signals is a linear array of 12 virtual audio transducers.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual audio transducer array is a linear array having at least 3 times a number of virtual audio transducer signals as physical audio transducer drive signals.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each subset is a non-overlapping adjacent group of virtual audio transducer signals.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein each subset is a non-overlapping adjacent group of at least 6 virtual audio transducer signals.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each subset has a virtual audio transducer with a location which overlaps a represented location range of another subset of virtual audio transducer signals.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the overlap is one virtual audio transducer signal.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the array of virtual audio transducer signals is a linear array having 12 virtual audio transducer signals, divided into two non-overlapping groups of 6 adjacent virtual audio transducer signals each, which are respectively combined to form 2 physical audio transducer drive signals.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the corresponding physical audio transducer for each group is located between the 3 rd and 4 th virtual audio transducer of the adjacent group of 6 virtual audio transducer signals.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filtering comprises cross-talk cancellation.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said filtering is performed using reentrant data filters.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising receiving a signal representing an ear location of the listener.

15. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising tracking a movement of the listener, and adapting the filtering dependent on the tracked movement.

16. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising adaptively assigning virtual audio transducer signals to respective subsets.

17. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

adaptively determining a head related transfer function of a listener;

filtering according to the adaptively determined a head related transfer function;

sensing a characteristic of a head of the listener; and

adapting the head related transfer function in dependence on the characteristic.

18. A system for producing transaural spatialized sound, comprising:

an input configured to receive audio signals representing spatial audio objects;

a spatialization audio data filter, configured to process each audio signal to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio, the array of virtual audio transducer signals being segregated into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset;

a time-delay processor, configured to time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and

a combiner, configured to combine the time-offsetted respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal.

19. The system according to claim 18 , further comprising at least one of:

a peak amplitude abatement filter configured to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer of the combined time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals;

a limiter configured to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer of the combined time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals;

a compander configured to reduce saturation distortion of the physical audio transducer of the combined time-offsetted respective virtual audio transducer signals; and

a phase rotator configured to rotate a relative phase of at least one virtual audio transducer signal.

20. A system for producing spatialized sound, comprising:

an input configured to receive audio signals representing spatial audio objects;

at least one automated processor, configured to:

process each audio signal through a spatialization filter to generate an array of virtual audio transducer signals for a virtual audio transducer array representing spatialized audio, the array of virtual audio transducer signals being segregated into subsets each comprising a plurality of virtual audio transducer signals, each subset being for driving a physical audio transducer situated within a physical location range of the respective subset;

time-offset respective virtual audio transducer signals of a respective subset based on a time difference of arrival of a sound from a nominal location of respective virtual audio transducer and the physical location of the corresponding physical audio transducer with respect to a targeted ear of a listener; and

combine the time-offsetted respective virtual speaker signals of the respective subset as a physical audio transducer drive signal; and

at least one output port configured to present the physical audio transducer drive signals for respective subsets.