Binaural Audio with Relative and Pseudo Head Tracking

While it has been known for years that head-tracking can significantly improve binaural rendering, it has not been widely used in consumer applications. The goal of the proposed techniques is to leverage head tracking, while making it more usable for mobile applications, where the sound image shall not have an absolute position in space. Relative head tracking keeps the sound image in front, while reducing the effect of head movements to only small fluctuations. Relative head tracking can be implemented with only a gyrometer; there is no need for absolute direction. An even more economical technique with the goal to improve binaural rendering is pseudo head tracking. It generates small head movements using a random process without resorting to a gyroscope. The results of a subjective test indicate that both relative and pseudo head tracking can contribute to spaciousness and front/back differentiation.     «

While it has been known for years that head-tracking can significantly improve binaural rendering, it has not been widely used in consumer applications. The goal of the proposed techniques is to leverage head tracking, while making it more usable for mobile applications, where the sound image shall not have an absolute position in space. Relative head tracking keeps the sound image in front, while reducing the effect of head movements to only small fluctuations. Relative head tracking can be imp...     »