IP Library Granted Patent US 12,238,510
Granted Patent B2
US 12,238,510 · App. 18/614,116 · Granted Feb 25, 2025

Light-based spatial audio metering

Inventors: Yuan-Yi Fan (Los Angeles, CA); Neil Andrew Wakefield (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Sphere Entertainment Group, LLC
H04S7/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,238,510
App. No.
18/614,116
Granted
Feb 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for visualizing sound coverage in a venue. An embodiment operates by receiving audio content from an audio source, determining audio signal properties of the audio content, where the audio signal properties comprise one or more spectral, temporal, spatial components (e.g., energy, spectrum or directivity), receiving an audio system configuration of loudspeakers or sound beams of a venue, visualizing the audio signal based on a mapping of an intersection of a unique volumetric beam of colored light, representing the spectral, temporal, spatial components, with a portion of the venue and displaying the visualized audio signal as a virtual representation of sound coverage of the portion of the venue.

Claims (33)

1. An audio visualization system, comprising:

a signal processor configured to analyze a plurality of audio signals in real-time to determine properties of each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the properties include at least an instantaneous level and an audio frequency component, and wherein the plurality of audio signals are sourced from a plurality of speakers arranged in multiple predetermined locations in a venue;

a configuration manager configured to retain a configuration of the plurality of speakers, wherein the configuration includes respective locations of the plurality of speakers within the venue, respective speaker emission directions, and audio maps of the respective instantaneous level and audio frequency components for the plurality of audio signals to one or more of the plurality of speakers; and

a three dimensional visualization renderer configured to synthesize, based on the configuration of the plurality of speakers, a three dimensional representation of the instantaneous level and the audio frequency component of each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the three dimensional representation is a combination of a static scene of at least a portion of the venue and a plurality of light-beam overlays.

2. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light-beam overlays each comprise a unique color volumetric beam of light.

3. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional visualization renderer is further configured to communicate with the configuration manager to look up a source location of each of the plurality of audio signals and rendering, within the static scene, a set of visual markers at a spatial origin of each audio signal.

4. The audio visualization system of claim 3 , wherein the three dimensional visualization renderer is further configured to map an intersection of light beams from the spatial origin to one or more surfaces of the portion of the venue.

5. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to assign a color for each of the audio frequency components.

6. The audio visualization system of claim 5 , wherein the signal processor is further configured to assign, for each of the audio frequency components, an intensity of the color based on the respective instantaneous level of the plurality of audio signals.

7. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional visualization renderer is further configured to render reference points within the static scene to include any of: venue walls, venue seating, a venue stage, or a venue proscenium opening.

8. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote venue library that stores various remote venue images that are presented in the synthesizing of the static scene.

9. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the venue may be any of: a real-world location, a simulation of a fictitious location, an outdoor venue, or an indoor venue.

10. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional representation is displayable within an environment including any of: an extended reality, virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality.

11. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional visualization renderer is further configured to aggregate the audio frequency components into bands of frequencies, wherein the bands of frequencies are rendered together as a single light beam.

12. The audio visualization system of claim 11 , wherein the bands of frequencies comprise audio signals of any of: a drum, a bass, a melody, or a vocal band.

13. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of speakers comprises any of: individual speakers, an array of speakers, or a sound beam.

14. The audio visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the venue is substantially a dome.

15. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to perform operations comprising:

analyzing a plurality of audio signals for a plurality of speakers arranged in multiple predetermined locations in a venue;

determining, in real-time, properties of each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the properties include at least an instantaneous level and audio frequency components;

retaining a configuration of the plurality of speakers, wherein the configuration includes respective locations of the plurality of speakers within the venue, respective speaker emission directions, and audio maps of the respective instantaneous level and audio frequency components for the plurality of audio signals to one or more of the plurality of speakers; and

rendering, based on the audio maps, a three dimensional representation of the properties, wherein the three dimensional representation is a combination of a static scene of at least a portion of the venue and a plurality of light-beam overlays.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of light-beam overlays each comprise a unique color volumetric beam of light.

17. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising looking up a source location of each of the plurality of audio signals and rendering, within the static scene, a set of visual markers at a spatial origin of each audio signal.

18. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising assigning, for each of the audio frequency components, an intensity of a color based on the respective instantaneous levels of the audio frequency components.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the configuration further includes audio signal geometric properties including any of: location, orientation, size, number of sound beams, shape of an array of sound beams, or coverage patterns.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

analyzing a plurality of audio signals for a plurality of speakers arranged in multiple predetermined locations in a venue;

determining, in real-time, properties of each of the plurality of audio signals, wherein the properties include at least an instantaneous level and audio frequency components;

retaining a configuration of the plurality of speakers, wherein the configuration includes respective locations of the plurality of speakers within the venue, respective speaker emission directions, and audio maps of the respective instantaneous level and audio frequency components for the plurality of audio signals to one or more of the plurality of speakers; and

rendering, based on the audio maps, a three dimensional representation of the properties, wherein the three dimensional representation is a combination of a static scene of at least a portion of the venue and a plurality of light-beam overlays.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 10, 2024
From: MSG ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC
To: SPHERE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 069145/0927 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 29, 2024
From: FAN, YUAN-YI; WAKEFIELD, NEIL ANDREW
To: MSG ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 066950/0738 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17811633 · Jul 11, 2022
Related Publication 20240276173A1 · Aug 15, 2024
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