# US 12,003,950 B2 · Environmental condition based spatial audio presentation

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- Number: US 12,003,950 B2
- Document ID: US12003950B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/660,671
- Filed: 2022-04-26
- Published: 2022-08-11
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-15
- Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
- Inventors: Arthur Charles Tomlin; Kendall Clark York; Jeffrey Sipko; Adolfo Hernandez Santisteban; Aaron Daniel Krauss; Andrew Frederick Muehlhausen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003950B2

## CPC

- H04S 7/303: {Tracking of listener position or orientation}
- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)}
- H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved
- H04S 2400/11: Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence)
- H04S 2420/01: Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD]
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A wearable spatial audio device is provided. The wearable spatial audio device includes one or more audio speakers, one or more processors, and a storage machine holding instructions executable by the one or more processors. Map data is obtained for a real-world environment that includes one or more dynamic audio objects. A device-specific subset of audio tracks is obtained, and a device-specific spatialized audio mix of the device-specific subset of audio tracks that is based on the map data is obtained. An indication of a change in an environmental condition relative to one or more of the dynamic audio objects is received. The device-specific spatialized audio mix is adjusted based on the change in the environmental condition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spatial audio output device, comprising:
one or more audio speakers;
a communication subsystem;
a logic machine; and
a storage machine holding instructions executable by the logic machine to:
receive, via the communication subsystem, a device-specific subset of audio tracks for a dynamic audio object in an environment, wherein the device-specific subset of audio tracks are received as a stream from a server;
receive, via the communications subsystem, a synchronizing signal indicating a timing of audio playback initiation; and
initiating playback of the device-specific subset of audio tracks based on the synchronizing signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, wherein the spatial audio output device is a wearable device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, wherein the synchronizing signal is received from another spatial audio output device.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, wherein the device-specific subset of audio tracks is based are based on a location of the spatial audio output device relative to the dynamic audio object in the environment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, wherein the device-specific subset of audio tracks includes audio tracks for the dynamic audio object and excludes audio tracks for other dynamic audio objects in the environment.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the logic machine to:
access device playback capabilities;
receive a user preference relating to a language; and
wherein the device-specific subset of audio tracks is based on the playback capabilities and the language.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spatial audio output device of claim 1, further comprising a near-eye, see-through display.

### Claim 8

A system for presenting spatialized audio to two or more users within an environment, the system comprising:
a logic machine; and
a storage machine comprising instructions executable by the logic machine to:
communicatively connect to two or more spatial audio output devices;
for each spatial audio output device communicatively connected to the system:
generate, from a set of audio tracks for one or more dynamic audio objects positioned within the environment, a device-specific subset of audio tracks;
generate, based upon a location of the spatial audio output device relative to the one or more dynamic audio objects positioned within the environment, a device-specific spatialized audio mix including the device-specific subset of audio tracks;
send the device-specific spatialized audio mix to the spatial output audio device;
receive a trigger signal indicating to initiate playback at each spatial output audio device; and
based on the trigger signal, synchronously signal to initiate playback of the device-specific spatialized audio mixes at each spatial audio output device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the spatial audio output devices are wearable spatial audio output devices.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the device-specific subset of audio tracks are based on playback capabilities of the particular spatial audio output device for which the device-specific subset of audio tracks are generated.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the trigger signal is received from the respective spatial audio output device.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the trigger signal is generated by the system.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein the device-specific spatialized audio mix is based on playback capabilities of the respective device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The system of claim 8, wherein synchronously signaling to initiate playback causes playback of the device-specific spatialized audio mix to be synchronized with playback of a visual component of the dynamic audio object.

### Claim 15

A computer-implemented method for presenting spatialized audio to two or more users within an environment, the method comprising:
communicatively connecting, by a server, to a first wearable spatial audio device and a second wearable spatial audio device;
generating, by the server, from a set of audio tracks for one or more dynamic audio objects positioned within the environment, a device-specific subset of audio tracks;
generating, based upon a location of a first wearable spatial audio output device relative to the one or more dynamic audio objects positioned within the environment, a first device-specific spatialized audio mix including the device-specific subset of audio tracks;
generating, based upon a location of a second wearable spatial audio output device relative to the one or more dynamic audio objects positioned within the environment, a second device-specific spatialized audio mix including the device-specific subset of audio tracks;
sending, by the server, the first device-specific spatialized audio mix to the first wearable spatial output audio device;
sending, by the server, the second device-specific spatialized audio mix to the second wearable spatial output audio device; and
synchronously signaling the first wearable spatial output audio device and the second wearable spatial output audio device to cause synchronous playback of the first device-specific spatialized audio mix and the second device-specific spatialized audio mix.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving a change in environment indication from the first wearable spatial output audio device;
based on the change in environment indication, generating an adjusted first device-specific spatialized audio mix; and
sending the adjusted first device-specific spatialized audio mix to the first wearable spatial output audio device.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving at least one of a gaze indication or a focus indication from the first wearable spatial output audio device;
based on the at least one of the gaze indication or the focus indication, generating an adjusted first device-specific spatialized audio mix; and
sending the adjusted first device-specific spatialized audio mix to the first wearable spatial output audio device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein:
the first device-specific spatialized audio mix is generated based on playback capabilities of the first wearable spatial output audio device; and
the second device-specific spatialized audio mix is generated based on playback capabilities of the second wearable spatial output audio device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving a first user-preferred language from the first wearable spatial output audio device, wherein the generated first device-specific spatialized audio mix is in the first user-preferred language; and
receiving a second user-preferred language from the second wearable spatial output audio device, wherein the generated second device-specific spatialized audio mix is in the second user-preferred language.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, synchronously signaling the first wearable spatial output audio device and the second wearable spatial output audio device occurs based on the first wearable spatial output audio device and the second wearable spatial output audio device being within a threshold distance of the one or more dynamic audio objects.
