US 9,854,375 B2 · Selection of coded next generation audio data for transport

Abstract

An example device for receiving audio data includes an audio decoder implemented using digital logic circuitry and configured to decode audio data conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, and an audio data processing unit implemented in digital logic circuitry and configured to receive a manifest file describing a plurality of audio objects conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, wherein the manifest file indicates whether each of the audio objects is available via broadcast, broadband, or both broadcast and broadband, receive selection data indicating which of the audio objects are to be presented, receive streamed media data including the audio objects based on the selection data, and provide the audio objects indicated by the selection data to the audio decoder.

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Claims39

Dependent claims

A method of receiving media data, the method comprising:

receiving a manifest file including audio stream metadata describing a plurality of audio objects conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, wherein the manifest file indicates whether each of the audio objects is available via broadcast, broadband, or both broadcast and broadband;
providing the audio stream metadata to an audio decoder configured to decode audio data conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2;
receiving data representative of the plurality of audio objects from the audio decoder in response to providing the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
receiving selection data indicating which of the audio objects are to be presented;
receiving streamed media data including the audio objects based on the selection data, wherein receiving the streamed media data comprises:
determining which of the audio objects of the plurality audio objects are to be presented using the selection data;
determining, for each of the audio objects that are to be presented, whether the audio object is available via broadcast or broadband using the manifest file;
and
retrieving each of the audio objects that are to be presented via either broadcast or broadband based on the determination of whether the audio objects that are to be presented are available via broadcast or broadband and from network locations specified in the manifest file;
and
providing the audio objects indicated by the selection data to the audio decoder.

8 more elements

A device for receiving audio data, the device comprising:

an audio decoder implemented using digital logic circuitry and configured to decode audio data conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2;
and
an audio data processing unit implemented in digital logic circuitry and configured to:
receive a manifest file including audio stream metadata describing a plurality of audio objects conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, wherein the manifest file indicates whether each of the audio objects is available via broadcast, broadband, or both broadcast and broadband;
provide the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
receive data representative of the plurality of audio objects from the audio decoder in response to providing the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
receive selection data indicating which of the audio objects are to be presented;
receive streamed media data including the audio objects based on the selection data, wherein to receive the streamed media data, the audio data processing unit is configured to:
determine which of the audio objects of the plurality audio objects are to be presented using the selection data;
determine, for each of the audio objects that are to be presented, whether the audio object is available via broadcast or broadband using the manifest file;
and
retrieve each of the audio objects that are to be presented via either broadcast or broadband based on the determination of whether the audio objects that are to be presented are available via broadcast or broadband and from network locations specified in the manifest file;
and
provide the audio objects indicated by the selection data to the audio decoder.

11 more elements

A device for receiving audio data, the device comprising:

an audio decoder implemented using digital logic circuitry and configured to decode audio data conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2;
means for receiving a manifest file describing a plurality of audio objects conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, wherein the manifest file indicates whether each of the audio objects is available via broadcast, broadband, or both broadcast and broadband;
means for providing the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
means for receiving data representative of the plurality of audio objects from the audio decoder in response to providing the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
means for receiving selection data indicating which of the audio objects are to be presented;
means for receiving streamed media data including the audio objects based on the selection data, wherein the means for receiving the streamed media data comprises:
means for determining which of the audio objects of the plurality audio objects are to be presented using the selection data;
means for determining, for each of the audio objects that are to be presented, whether the audio object is available via broadcast or broadband using the manifest file;
and
means for retrieving each of the audio objects that are to be presented via either broadcast or broadband based on the determination of whether the audio objects that are to be presented are available via broadcast or broadband and from network locations specified in the manifest file;
and
means for providing the audio objects indicated by the selection data to the audio decoder.

9 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a receiver device to:

receive a manifest file describing a plurality of audio objects conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2, wherein the manifest file indicates whether each of the audio objects is available via broadcast, broadband, or both broadcast and broadband;
provide the audio stream metadata to an audio decoder configured to decode audio data conforming to MPEG-H or AC-4 part 2;
receive data representative of the plurality of audio objects from the audio decoder in response to providing the audio stream metadata to the audio decoder;
receive selection data indicating which of the audio objects are to be presented;
receive streamed media data including the audio objects based on the selection data wherein the instructions that cause the processor to receive the streamed media data comprise instructions that cause the processor to:
determine which of the audio objects of the plurality audio objects are to be presented using the selection data;
determine, for each of the audio objects that are to be presented, whether the audio object is available via broadcast or broadband using the manifest file;
and
retrieve each of the audio objects that are to be presented via either broadcast or broadband based on the determination of whether the audio objects that are to be presented are available via broadcast or broadband and from network locations specified in the manifest file;
and
provide the audio objects indicated by the selection data to an audio decoder of the receiver device.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description24,590 words

Summary662 words

#This disclosure relates to transport of media data, and in particular, transport of audio data.

#A higher-order ambisonics (HOA) signal (often represented by a plurality of spherical harmonic coefficients (SHC) or other hierarchical elements) is a three-dimensional representation of a soundfield. The HOA or SHC representation may represent the soundfield in a manner that is independent of the local speaker geometry used to playback a multi-channel audio signal rendered from the SHC signal. The HOA or SHC representation may be encoded. Corresponding video data may also be encoded, as well as other media data, such as timed text.

#After media data, such as audio or video data, has been encoded, the media data may be packetized for transmission or storage. The media data may be assembled into a media file conforming to any of a variety of standards, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) base media file format and extensions thereof.

Brief description of the drawings22 figures

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example system that implements techniques for streaming media data over a network.

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example set of components of a retrieval unit in greater detail.

#FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating elements of example multimedia content.

Detailed description23,470 words

#In general, this disclosure describes techniques for transporting encoded media data, such as encoded audio data. The techniques of this disclosure are generally directed to advertising available audio data streams in a set of metadata accompanying one of the streams, such as a music and effects (M&E) stream. That is, a variety of different audio data streams may be available, e.g., the M&E stream, dialogue streams of various languages, and commentary of various languages. The metadata may describe which sets of audio data streams are available and characteristics of the streams. The metadata may further indicate how the streams can be accessed, e.g., whether the streams are available via a broadcast (such as an ATSC 3.0 broadcast or a network-based broadcast or multicast, such as enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS)), broadband (e.g., unicast network retrieval), or both.

#The metadata may be included in a manifest file, such as a media presentation description (MPD) of Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) or included in other types of manifest files associated with other HTTP streaming protocols. Moreover, a receiving device may include an audio processing unit configured to receive the metadata. The metadata may conform to a next generation audio (NGA) coding standard, such as MPEG-H or AC-4 Part 2. Thus, rather than configuring an MPEG-2 Systems layer unit or other such processing unit to analyze the metadata, certain aspects of the techniques of this disclosure include using an NGA audio decoding unit that is already configured to process the metadata of an NGA coding standard to provide information from the metadata to the MPEG-2 Systems layer unit. In this manner, the techniques of this disclosure can leverage the capabilities of the NGA audio decoding unit as part of a data transmission and reception process, in addition to part of a decoding and rendering process.

#Furthermore, in accordance with certain techniques of this disclosure, and in accordance with the DASH streaming protocol, each audio stream may correspond to a DASH Adaptation Set. That is, the manifest file discussed above may signal characteristics for Adaptation Sets, where each of the Adaptation Sets may correspond to one of the available audio data streams.

Facts

Application

15/365,557Filed 30 Nov 2016 · us provisional application

Priority

1 Dec 2015

Published

US 2017/0156015 A11 Jun 2017

Granted

26 Dec 2017

Term ends

30 Nov 2036

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification9 codes

H04S 3/006
Systems employing more than two channels, e.g. quadraphonic: in which a plurality of audio signals are transformed in a combination of audio…
H04N 21/23439
Involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements: for…
H04N 21/26258
Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the…:…
H04N 21/8106
Monomedia components thereof: involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages

Timeline

1 Dec 2015Priority claimedParent application 62/261,743
30 Nov 2016Application filedUS 15/365,557
1 Jun 2017PublishedUS 2017/0156015 A1
6 Jun 2017Assigned to Qualcomm Incorporatedassignment of assignor's interest
26 Dec 2017GrantedUS 9,854,375 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
30 Nov 2036Term endsEstimated

Selection of coded next generation audio data for transport

Life of this patent

Selection of coded next generation audio data for transport

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims39

Description24,590 words

Drawings

Classification9 codes

Life of this patent

Description24,590 words