Binaural audio encoding/decoding and rendering for a headset

A method of rendering binaural audio for a headset, the method comprising:

• receiving audio signals comprising a plurality of channels, wherein each channel is encoded with information associated with a particular beam angle for that channel, wherein the information includes a beam identifier which is a number that represents an association of a beam channel with a corresponding particular beam angle for the beam channel;
• receiving a signal associated with a head rotation angle from a head tracking sensor of the headset;
• determining a rotated beam angle for each of the particular beam angles associated with each channel of the plurality of channels by subtracting the head rotation angle received from the head tracking sensor from the particular beam angle for the beam channel determined based on the beam identifier;
• after determining the rotated beam angle for each of the particular beam angles associated with each channel of the plurality of channels, generating a plurality of binaural audio signals by applying a head related transfer function to each channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the head related transfer function of each channel of the plurality of channels is based on a plurality of sound sources being located at certain distances estimated by a speaker tracking function integrated with the headset;
• combining the plurality of binaural audio signals into a single binaural audio channel;
• and
• providing the single binaural audio channel to the headset.

An apparatus for encoding audio signals to provide binaural audio to a headset comprising:

• a microphone array comprising a first plurality of elements;
• at least one processor in communication with the microphone array and configured to:
• receive the audio signals from the first plurality of elements;
• generate a first plurality of channels based on the audio signals, wherein the first plurality of channels are active beam channels and each active beam channel of the first plurality of channels is associated with a particular beam angle for that active beam channel;
• select a second plurality of channels from the first plurality of channels that satisfy a defined activity criteria among the active beam channels of the first plurality of channels, wherein the second plurality of channels is a subset of the first plurality of channels and includes a smaller number of channels than the first plurality of channels;
• include a beam identifier, instead of a corresponding particular beam angle, with each of the selected second plurality of channels, wherein the beam identifier is a number that represents an association of a channel of the second plurality of channels with the corresponding particular beam angle;
• estimate, using a speaker tracking function, a distance from a sound source for each of the selected second plurality of channels;
• and
• encode the audio signals from the selected second plurality of channels with information associated with the particular beam angle and the distance for each of the selected second plurality of channels, wherein the encoded audio signals are configured to provide the binaural audio to the headset.