Apple patents method to compress 3D audio data for streaming
Apple describes a way to shrink the size of 3D audio files by simplifying the data that describes where sounds come from. The process involves mathematically transforming this data to remove redundancy before sending it over the internet.
In the filing’s own words
Encoding, decoding, and processing spatial descriptors (SD) produced from higher order ambisonics (HOA) data for purposes of bitrate reduction is described. Some aspects include encoding an SD by subtracting a mean vector, multiplying a unitary transform matrix, clustering, and/or lossless encoding, and/or decoding an SD by adding a mean vector, multiplying an inverse of the unitary transform matrix, processing clusters, and/or lossless decoding. Other aspects are also described and claimed.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method for decoding a k-dimensional spatial descriptor (SD) produced from higher order ambisonics (HOA) data, comprising: receiving a bitstream; generating a k-dimensional transformed SD based on the bitstream; determining an inverse of a unitary transform; and multiplying the k-dimensional transformed SD by the inverse of the unitary transform to produce an output k-dimensional SD to reconstruct HOA data.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Processing Spatial Descriptors from Higher Order Ambisonics Data
- Publication number
- US20260279361A1
- Application number
- 19079074
- Filed
- Mar 13, 2025
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G10L 19/008 Physics & computingG10L 19/0017 Physics & computingG10L 19/035 Physics & computingG10L 19/038 Physics & computingG10L 2019/0004 Physics & computingMore from Apple in Audio & voice
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.