Adaptable spatial audio playback

An audio processing method, comprising:

• receiving audio data by a control system and via an interface system, the audio data including one or more audio signals and associated spatial data, the spatial data indicating an intended perceived spatial position corresponding to an audio signal, the spatial data including at least one of channel data or spatial metadata;
• determining, by the control system, a rendering mode by implementing a content type classifier to identify one or more elements of the audio data to be rendered in a more spatially distributed manner;
• rendering, by the control system, the audio data for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals, wherein:
• rendering the audio data comprises determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment;
• the rendering mode is variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes;
• the reference spatial mode has an assumed listening position and orientation;
• and
• in the one or more distributed spatial modes, the one or more elements of the audio data is or are each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data are warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode;
• and
• providing, via the interface system, the rendered audio signals to at least some loudspeakers of the set of loudspeakers of the environment.

One or more non-transitory media having software encoded thereon, the software including instructions for controlling one or more devices to perform an audio processing method comprising:

• receiving audio data by a control system and via an interface system, the audio data including one or more audio signals and associated spatial data, the spatial data indicating an intended perceived spatial position corresponding to an audio signal, the spatial data including at least one of channel data or spatial metadata;
• determining, by the control system, a rendering mode;
• rendering, by the control system, the audio data for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals, wherein:
• rendering the audio data comprises determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment;
• the rendering mode is variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes;
• the reference spatial mode has an assumed listening position and orientation;
• and
• in the one or more distributed spatial modes, one or more elements of the audio data is or are each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data are warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode, wherein rendering the one or more elements of the audio data in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode involves creating copies of the one or more elements and rendering all of the copies simultaneously at a distributed set of positions across the environment;
• and
• providing, via the interface system, the rendered audio signals to at least some loudspeakers of the set of loudspeakers of the environment.

An audio processing system, comprising:

• an interface system;
• and
• a control system configured for:
• receiving audio data via the interface system, the audio data including one or more audio signals and associated spatial data, the spatial data indicating an intended perceived spatial position corresponding to an audio signal, the spatial data including at least one of channel data or spatial metadata;
• determining a rendering mode;
• rendering the audio data for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals, wherein:
• rendering the audio data comprises determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment;
• the rendering mode is variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes, wherein at least one of the one or more distributed spatial modes involves applying a periodic modification to the spatial location of the at least one element;
• the reference spatial mode has an assumed listening position and orientation;
• and
• in the one or more distributed spatial modes, one or more elements of the audio data is or are each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data are warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode;
• providing, via the interface system, the rendered audio signals to at least some loudspeakers of the set of loudspeakers of the environment.

An audio processing system, comprising:

• an interface system;
• and
• a control system configured for:
• receiving audio data via the interface system, the audio data including one or more audio signals and associated spatial data, the spatial data indicating an intended perceived spatial position corresponding to an audio signal, the spatial data including at least one of channel data or spatial metadata;
• determining a rendering mode;
• rendering the audio data for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals, wherein:
• the rendering is based on Center of Mass Amplitude Panning, Flexible Virtualization or a combination thereof;
• rendering the audio data comprises determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment;
• the rendering mode is variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes;
• the reference spatial mode has an assumed listening position and orientation;
• and
• in the one or more distributed spatial modes, one or more elements of the audio data is or are each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data are warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode;
• rendering the one or more elements of the audio data in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode involves warping a rendering position of each of the one or more elements towards a zero radius;
• and
• providing, via the interface system, the rendered audio signals to at least some loudspeakers of the set of loudspeakers of the environment.

An audio processing system, comprising:

• an interface system;
• and
• a control system configured for:
• receiving audio data via the interface system, the audio data including one or more audio signals and associated spatial data, the spatial data indicating an intended perceived spatial position corresponding to an audio signal, the spatial data including at least one of channel data or spatial metadata;
• determining a rendering mode;
• rendering the audio data for reproduction via a set of loudspeakers of an environment according to the rendering mode, to produce rendered audio signals, wherein:
• rendering the audio data comprises determining relative activation of a set of loudspeakers in an environment;
• the rendering mode is variable between a reference spatial mode and one or more distributed spatial modes;
• the reference spatial mode has an assumed listening position and orientation;
• and
• in the one or more distributed spatial modes, one or more elements of the audio data is or are each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner than in the reference spatial mode and spatial locations of remaining elements of the audio data are warped such that they span a rendering space of the environment more completely than in the reference spatial mode, the one or more elements of the audio data each rendered in a more spatially distributed manner corresponding to one or more of front sound stage data, music vocals, dialogue, bass, percussion, or other solo or lead instruments, the front sound stage data comprising audio data received in Dolby Atmos format and having spatial metadata indicating an (x,y) spatial position wherein y<0.5;
• and
• providing, via the interface system, the rendered audio signals to at least some loudspeakers of the set of loudspeakers of the environment.