Audio spatial environment engine

1. A system for converting from an N channel audio system to an M channel audio system, where N is an integer greater than M, comprising:

one or more correlators that are each configured for receiving two of the N channels of audio data and time-shifting at least one of the N channels of audio data thereby eliminating time delays less than a predetermined level between the channels to generate correlated channels of audio data, where the time delays less than the predetermined level are below a level perceptible by human listeners;

one or more phase shift systems, each configured for performing a phase shift on one or more of the correlated channels of audio data; and

one or more summers configured for receiving at least one of the correlated channels of audio data and at least one of the phase shifted channels of audio data and generating one of the M channels of audio data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein one or more of the summers is configured for receiving one or more of the N channels of audio data that has not been correlated or phase shifted.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a multiplier configured for multiplying one or more of the channels of audio data that has not been correlated or phase shifted by a scaling factor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the correlators further comprise:

a first correlator configured for time-shifting at least one of the left front channel audio data and the right front channel audio data for eliminating time delays below a predetermined level between the left front channel audio data and the right front channel audio data and outputting correlated left front channel audio data and correlated right front channel audio data; and

a second correlator configured for time-shifting at least one of the left rear channel audio data and the right rear channel audio data for eliminating time delays below a predetermined level between the left rear channel audio data and the right rear channel audio data and outputting correlated left rear channel audio data and correlated right rear channel audio data.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the correlators further comprise:

a third correlator configured for time-shifting at least one of the correlated left front channel audio data and the correlated left rear channel audio data for eliminating time delays below a predetermined level between the correlated left front channel audio data and the correlated left rear channel audio data and outputting correlated left front channel audio data and correlated left rear channel audio data; and

a fourth correlator configured for time-shifting at least one of the correlated right front channel audio data and the correlated right rear channel audio data for eliminating time delays below a predetermined level between the correlated right front channel audio data and the correlated right rear channel audio data and outputting correlated right front channel audio data and correlated right rear channel audio data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the phase shift is performed on the correlated left rear audio data and the correlated right rear channel audio data.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the correlated front channel audio data and correlated left rear channel audio data are summed with center channel data to generate a stereo left channel output as one of the M channels.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the correlated right rear channel is subtracted from the sum of the correlated right front channel data and the center channel data to generate a stereo right channel output as one of the M channels.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more correlators eliminates time delays between two of the N channels below a predetermined level of 7 ms.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more phase shift systems are configured for performing a Hilbert transform on one of the correlated channels of audio data.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein negative frequencies of the correlated channels get a +90° phase shift and positive frequencies of the correlated channels get a −90° phase shift.

12. An apparatus for converting a surround audio signal to a stereo signal, comprising:

a system configured for time-shifting at least one of a left front channel signal and a left rear channel signal thereby eliminating any time delays below a predetermined level between the left front and left rear channel signals, where the time delays below the predetermined level are below a level perceptible by human listeners, and further processing the left front channel signal and a the left rear channel signal to generate a left intermediate output containing first spatial relationship data based on the left front channel signal and the left rear channel signal;

a system configured for processing a right front channel signal and a right rear channel signal to generate a right intermediate output containing second spatial relationship data based on the right front channel signal and the right rear channel signal;

a system configured for processing the left intermediate output and a center channel input to generate an enhanced stereo left channel signal containing the first spatial relationship data; and

a system configured for processing the right intermediate output and the center channel input to generate an enhanced stereo right channel signal containing the second spatial relationship data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the system configured for processing the right front channel signal and the right rear channel signal to generate the right intermediate output comprises a correlation system configured for time-shifting the phase of the right front channel signal and the right rear channel signal thereby eliminating any time delays below a predetermined level between the right front and right rear channel signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the systems configured for processing the left intermediate output, the right intermediate output and the center channel input to generate the enhanced stereo left channel signal and the enhanced stereo right channel signal each comprise a summer.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the systems configured for processing the left intermediate output, the right intermediate output and the center channel input to generate the enhanced stereo left channel signal and the enhanced stereo right channel signal operable as a down mixer.

16. A method for converting a surround audio signal to a stereo signal, comprising:

time-shifting at least one of a left front channel signal and a left rear channel signal thereby eliminating any time delays below a predetermined level between the left front and left rear channel signals, where the time delays below the predetermined level are below a level perceptible by human listeners,

generating a left intermediate signal from the left front channel signal and the left rear channel signal;

generating a right intermediate signal from a right front channel signal and a right rear channel signal;

generating an enhanced stereo left channel signal from the left intermediate signal and a center channel signal; and

generating an enhanced stereo right channel signal from the right intermediate signal and the center channel signal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein generating the enhanced stereo left channel signal and the enhanced stereo right channel signal from the left intermediate signal, the right intermediate signal and the center channel signal comprises combining the left intermediate signal and the center channel signal and combining the right intermediate signal and the center channel signal.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein generating the enhanced stereo left channel signal signal from the left intermediate signal and the center channel signal and generating the enhanced stereo right channel signal from the right intermediate signal and the center channel comprises down mixing the left intermediate signal, the right intermediate signal and the center channel signal.