Method and apparatus for rendering acoustic signal, and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

In cases of rendering a multichannel signal such as a 22.2 channel signal as a 5.1 channel signal, a three dimensional (3D) audio signal may be reproduced using a two dimensional (2D) output channel, but rendered audio signals are sensitively affected by a layout of speakers and may cause distortion of a sound image when the layout of arranged speakers is different from a standard layout. The present invention may solve the aforementioned problem of the prior art. The audio signal rendering method for reducing distortion of a sound image even when the layout of the arranged speakers is different from the standard layout, according to one embodiment of the present invention, includes: receiving a multi-channel signal including a plurality of input channels that are to be converted to a plurality of output channels; obtaining deviation information about at least one output channel, from a location of a speaker and a standard location corresponding to each of the plurality of output channels; and modifying a panning gain from a height channel included in the plurality of input channels to the output channel having the deviation information, based on obtained deviation information.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of rendering an audio signal, the method comprising:
 receiving multi-channel signals including one or more height input channels, to be converted from input channels configurations to output channel configurations;   obtaining a panning gain for a height input channel to be converted into an output channel based on a standard loudspeaker position;   obtaining deviation information about the output channel, from an output loudspeaker position and the standard loudspeaker position; and   modifying the obtained panning gain based on the obtained deviation information and the standard loudspeaker position.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the deviation information includes at least one of an elevation deviation and an azimuth deviation, and
 wherein the panning gain is modified to keep a central image corresponding to an azimuth of the height input channel.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein plurality of output channels included in the output channel configurations are horizontal channels. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the output channel comprises at least one of a left horizontal channel and a right horizontal channel. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the modifying of the panning gain compensates an effect caused by an elevation deviation, when the obtained deviation information comprises the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the modifying of the panning gain compensates the panning gain by a two-dimensional (2D) panning method, when the obtained deviation information does not comprise the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the compensating of the effect caused by the elevation deviation comprises compensating an inter-aural level difference (ILD) resulting from the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the modified panning gain is proportional to the obtained elevation deviation. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein a sum of square values of modified panning gains with respect to plurality of output channels included in the output channel configurations for each of plurality of input channels included in the input channel configurations is 1. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus for rendering an audio signal, the apparatus comprising:
 a receiver configured to receive a multi-channel signals including one or more height input channels, to be converted from input channel configurations to output channel configurations;   a deviation obtaining unit configured to obtain deviation information about an output channel, from an output loudspeaker position and a standard loudspeaker position; and   a panning gain obtaining unit configured to obtain a panning gain for a height input channel to be converted into the output channel based on the standard loudspeaker position and to modify the obtained panning gain based on the deviation information and the standard loudspeaker position.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the deviation information includes at least one of an elevation deviation and an azimuth deviation, and
 wherein the panning gain is modified to keep a central image corresponding to an azimuth of the height input channel.   
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the plurality of output channels are horizontal channels. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the output channel comprises at least one of a left horizontal channel and a right horizontal channel. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the panning gain obtaining unit compensates an effect caused by an elevation deviation, when the obtained deviation information comprises the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the panning gain obtaining unit compensates the panning gain by a two-dimensional (2D) panning method, when the obtained deviation information does not comprise the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein the panning gain obtaining unit compensates an inter-aural level difference caused by the elevation deviation to compensate an effect caused by the elevation deviation. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the panning gain is proportional to the obtained elevation deviation. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein a sum of square values of modified panning gains with respect to plurality of output channels included in the output channel configurations for each of plurality of input channels included in the input channel configurations is 1. 
     
     
         38 . A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a computer program for executing the method of  claim 20 .