Apparatus and method for providing a measure of spatiality associated with an audio stream

An apparatus for evaluating an audio stream,

• wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis,
• wherein the apparatus comprises a computer programmed to, or an electronic circuit configured to, evaluate the audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream by:
• acquiring a first level information based on a first set of audio channels of the audio stream and acquiring a second level information based on a second set of audio channels of the audio stream, and
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the first level information and the second level information,
• wherein the first set of audio channels of the audio stream is to be reproduced on loudspeakers in one or more first spatial layers and wherein the second set of audio channels of the audio stream is to be reproduced on loudspeakers on one or more second spatial layers,
• wherein the one or more first layers and the one or more second layers are spatially distanced,
• wherein the apparatus is configured to determine a masking threshold based on a level information of the first set of audio channels and to compare the masking threshold to a level information of the second set of audio channels, and
• wherein the apparatus is configured to increase the measure of spatiality when the comparison indicates that the masking threshold is exceeded by the sound level of the second set of audio channels.

An apparatus for evaluating an audio stream, wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis, wherein the apparatus comprises a computer programmed to, or an electronic circuit configured to, evaluate the audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream, by:

• determining a similarity measure between a first set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more first spatial layers and a second set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more second spatial layers,
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the similarity measure,
• determining a masking threshold based on a level information of the first set of audio channels and to compare the masking threshold to a level information of the second set of audio channels, and
• increasing the measure of spatiality when the comparison indicates that the masking threshold is exceeded by the level information of the second set of audio channels and the similarity measure indicates a low similarity between the first set and the second set.

A method for evaluating an audio stream, wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis, the method comprising:

• evaluating audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream by:
• acquiring a first level information based on a first set of audio channels of the audio stream and acquiring a second level information based on a second set of audio channels of the audio stream, and
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the first level information and the second level information,
• wherein the first set of audio channels of the audio stream is to be reproduced on loudspeakers in one or more first spatial layers and wherein the second set of audio channels of the audio stream is to be reproduced on loudspeakers on one or more second spatial layers,
• wherein the one or more first layers and the one or more second layers are spatially distanced,
• determining a masking threshold based on a level information of the first set of audio channels and to compare the masking threshold to a level information of the second set of audio channels, and
• increasing the measure of spatiality when the comparison indicates that the masking threshold is exceeded by the sound level of the second set of audio channels.

Method for evaluating an audio stream, wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis, the method comprising:

• evaluating audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream by:
• determining a similarity measure between a first set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more first spatial layers and a second set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more second spatial layers, and
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the similarity measure, and
• determining a masking threshold based on a level information of the first set of audio channels and to compare the masking threshold to a level information of the second set of audio channels, and
• increasing the measure of spatiality when the comparison indicates that the masking threshold is exceeded by the level information of the second set of audio channels and the similarity measure indicates a low similarity between the first set and the second set.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program, to be executed by a computer, stored thereon to perform the method for evaluating an audio stream, wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis, the method comprising:

• evaluating audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream by:
• determining a similarity measure between a first set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more first spatial layers and a second set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more second spatial layers;
• acquiring an upmix origin estimate based on a similarity measure between a first set of audio channels of the audio stream and a second set of audio channels of the audio stream, the upmix origin estimate indicating whether the audio stream has been obtained by up-mixing, and
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the upmix origin estimate.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method for evaluating an audio stream, wherein the audio stream comprises audio channels to be reproduced at at least two different spatial layers, wherein the two spatial layers are arranged in a manner distanced along a spatial axis, the method comprising:

• evaluating audio channels of the audio stream to provide a measure of spatiality associated with the audio stream by:
• determining a similarity measure between a first set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more first spatial layers and a second set of audio channels of the audio stream to be reproduced at one or more second spatial layers,
• determining the measure of spatiality based on the similarity measure,
• determining a masking threshold based on a level information of the first set of audio channels and to compare the masking threshold to a level information of the second set of audio channels, and
• increasing the measure of spatiality when the comparison indicates that the masking threshold is exceeded by the level information of the second set of audio channels and the similarity measure indicates a low similarity between the first set and the second set,
• when said computer program is run by a computer.