1. Field
Embodiments of the following description relate to an apparatus and method for generating a panoramic sound and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for generating a more realistic panoramic sound by applying signal processing to a 2-channel stereo input so that a sound surrounds a listener.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, audio contents are provided to a listener in a 2-channel stereo format. As a multichannel system is recently becoming widespread, a demand from users for multichannel signal reproduction or a multichannel signal effect is increasing rapidly.
Reproduction of a multichannel signal may be performed by converting an original 2-channel signal to a multichannel signal and reproducing the multichannel signal via a multichannel speaker. Here, a technology for expanding an input 2-channel to a multichannel is called up-mixing. However, when a real speaker is adapted for only a 2-channel signal, post-processing of an output signal is necessary to provide a panoramic sound effect to a listener even with the 2-channel speaker.
According to a conventional method for generating a panoramic sound, signal processing is applied to a general 2-channel stereo input signal so that a sound surrounds a listener and a more vibrant sound is provided to the listener. However, the conventional method has the following problems.
Since the conventional method generates a virtual speaker without separation of a sound source, interference between sound sources hinders generation of the virtual speaker.
In addition, a sound may be reproduced in a direction unintended by a sound source manufacturer and one sound source may be reproduced through both a real speaker and a virtual speaker, thereby causing a ghost sound image.
Furthermore, in an environment for reproducing an extracted multichannel signal, a location of a speaker may differ according to users. Thus, since there is a change in a location of the speaker, from an original intention, a sound image may be lost.
In conclusion, the conventional method of generating a panoramic sound has the following problems of (i) generation of a ghost sound source caused by overlapping of sound sources, (ii) hindrance in generation of a virtual speaker due to interference by the overlapping of sound sources, and (iii) damage to a sound image caused when structures are different between a speaker used by a user and a speaker intended by a channel separation technology. Accordingly, there is a need for solving the aforementioned limitations.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds