System and method for real-time sound simulation
AssigneeSuntracker Technologies Ltd.
InventorIan Edward Ashdown
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to the real-time simulation of sound in three-dimensional virtual environments. In particular, a geometric method based on the principles of acoustic radiosity determines the room impulse responses of a virtual environment with arbitrary polygonal surfaces. The complexity of the method is of the order of the square of the number of patches that define the virtual environment. The room impulse responses are convolved with an audio signal and output through a speaker to simulate reverberation within the virtual environment, which corresponds to a physical environment.
Claims15
A method for simulating acoustics of a physical environment within a building comprising the steps of:
- (a) dividing surfaces of a virtual environment that corresponds to the physical environment into patches, each patch having an echogram;
- (b) distributing total acoustic power of an audio impulse generated by an acoustic source directly to those of the patches that are visible to the acoustic source;
- (c) storing, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the total acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the total acoustic power;
- (d) selecting the patch that has the most acoustic power to reflect;
- (e) determining acoustic power that is absorbed by the selected patch;
- (f) distributing reflected acoustic power from the selected patch to those of the patches that are visible to the selected patch;
- (g) storing, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the reflected acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the reflected acoustic power;
- (h) repeating steps (d) to (g) until a difference between the total acoustic power and a total of the acoustic power absorbed by all selected patches has reached a threshold;
- and
- (i) playing, via an audio output device, an audio signal that has been convolved with one of the echograms
A system for simulating acoustics of a physical environment within a building comprising:
- an audio output device;
- a processor;
- and
- computer readable memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by the processor cause the system to:
- (a) divide surfaces of a virtual environment that corresponds to the physical environment into patches, each patch having an echogram;
- (b) distribute total acoustic power of an audio impulse generated by an acoustic source directly to those of the patches that are visible to the acoustic source;
- (c) store, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the total acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the total acoustic power;
- (d) select the patch that has the most acoustic power to reflect;
- (e) determine acoustic power that is absorbed by the selected patch;
- (f) distribute reflected acoustic power from the selected patch to those of the patches that are visible to the selected patch;
- (g) store, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the reflected acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the reflected acoustic power;
- (h) repeat steps (d) to (g) until a difference between the total acoustic power and a total of the acoustic power absorbed by all selected patches has reached a threshold;
- and
- (i) play, via an audio output device, an audio signal that has been convolved with one of the echograms.
Computer readable memory storing computer-readable instructions, which, when executed by a processor cause the processor to:
- (a) divide surfaces of a virtual environment that corresponds to the physical environment into patches, each patch having an echogram;
- (b) distribute total acoustic power of an audio impulse generated by an acoustic source directly to those of the patches that are visible to the acoustic source;
- (c) store, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the total acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the total acoustic power;
- (d) select the patch that has the most acoustic power to reflect;
- (e) determine acoustic power that is absorbed by the selected patch;
- (f) distribute reflected acoustic power from the selected patch to those of the patches that are visible to the selected patch;
- (g) store, in the echogram for each patch that receives a portion of the reflected acoustic power, a value and a time corresponding to said portion of the reflected acoustic power;
- (h) repeat steps (d) to (g) until a difference between the total acoustic power and a total of the acoustic power absorbed by all selected patches has reached a threshold;
- and
- (i) play, via an audio output device, an audio signal that has been convolved with one of the echograms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.