Apparatus and method for rendering a sound scene using pipeline stages

A method of rendering a sound scene using an apparatus comprising a first pipeline stage comprising a first control layer and a reconfigurable first audio data processor, wherein the reconfigurable first audio data processor is configured to operate in accordance with a first configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor;

• a second pipeline stage located, with respect to a pipeline flow, subsequent to the first pipeline stage, the second pipeline stage comprising a second control layer and a reconfigurable second audio data processor, wherein the reconfigurable second audio data processor is configured to operate in accordance with a first configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor, the method comprising:
• controlling the first control layer and the second control layer in response to the sound scene, so that the first control layer prepares a second configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor being implemented as a first digital signal processor (DSP) having a first input buffer and a first output buffer during or subsequent to an operation of the reconfigurable first audio data processor in the first configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor, and so that the second control layer prepares a second configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor being implemented as a second digital signal processor (DSP) having a second input buffer and a second output buffer during or subsequent to an operation of the reconfigurable second audio data processor in the first configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor, and
• controlling the first control layer or the second control layer using a switch control to reconfigure the reconfigurable first audio data processor to the second configuration for the reconfigurable first audio data processor or to reconfigure the reconfigurable second audio data processor to the second configuration for the reconfigurable second audio data processor at a certain time instant,
• wherein controlling comprises receiving changes to the sound scene at change time instants in accordance with an interaction workflow,
• wherein the controlling comprises providing control instructions to the first and the second control layers in accordance with a control workflow, and
• wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor operate in accordance with a processing workflow,
• wherein the first control layer is configured to create a first processing diagram representing the second configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor from information in render items for the first pipeline stage provided in the control workflow, the processing diagram describing necessary DSP steps for the first digital signal processor, the first input buffer and the first output buffer,
• wherein the second control layer is configured to create a second processing diagram representing the second configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor from information in render items for the second pipeline stage provided in the control workflow, the processing diagram describing necessary DSP steps for the second digital signal processor, the second input buffer and the second output buffer,
• wherein the first and second processing diagrams are lined up in the first pipeline stage and the second pipeline stage for synchronization, and
• wherein the processing diagrams are handed over to the processing workflow simultaneously for the first pipeline stage and the second pipeline stage after a control update from the control workflow is propagated through the apparatus and in response to a trigger by the switch control provided by the controlling.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform, when the computer program is run by a computer, a method of rendering a sound scene using an apparatus comprising a first pipeline stage comprising a first control layer and a reconfigurable first audio data processor, wherein the reconfigurable first audio data processor is configured to operate in accordance with a first configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor;

• a second pipeline stage located, with respect to a pipeline flow, subsequent to the first pipeline stage, the second pipeline stage comprising a second control layer and a reconfigurable second audio data processor, wherein the reconfigurable second audio data processor is configured to operate in accordance with a first configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor, the method comprising:
• controlling the first control layer and the second control layer in response to the sound scene, so that the first control layer prepares a second configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor being implemented as a first digital signal processor (DSP) having a first input buffer and a first output buffer during or subsequent to an operation of the reconfigurable first audio data processor in the first configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor, and so that the second control layer prepares a second configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor being implemented as a second digital signal processor (DSP) having a second input buffer and a second output buffer during or subsequent to an operation of the reconfigurable second audio data processor in the first configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor, and
• controlling the first control layer or the second control layer using a switch control to reconfigure the reconfigurable first audio data processor to the second configuration for the reconfigurable first audio data processor or to reconfigure the reconfigurable second audio data processor to the second configuration for the reconfigurable second audio data processor at a certain time instant,
• wherein controlling comprises receiving changes to the sound scene at change time instants in accordance with an interaction workflow,
• wherein the controlling comprises providing control instructions to the first and the second control layers in accordance with a control workflow, and
• wherein the first digital signal processor and the second digital signal processor operate in accordance with a processing workflow,
• wherein the first control layer is configured to create a first processing diagram representing the second configuration of the reconfigurable first audio data processor from information in render items for the first pipeline stage provided in the control workflow, the processing diagram describing necessary DSP steps for the first digital signal processor, the first input buffer and the first output buffer,
• wherein the second control layer is configured to create a second processing diagram representing the second configuration of the reconfigurable second audio data processor from information in render items for the second pipeline stage provided in the control workflow, the processing diagram describing necessary DSP steps for the second digital signal processor, the second input buffer and the second output buffer,
• wherein the first and second processing diagrams are lined up in the first pipeline stage and the second pipeline stage for synchronization, and
• wherein the processing diagrams are handed over to the processing workflow simultaneously for the first pipeline stage and the second pipeline stage after a control update from the control workflow is propagated through the apparatus and in response to a trigger by the switch control provided by the controlling.