Binaural Headphone for 3D Surround Sound Playback with Azimuth Steering Feedback

Abstract

To develop a product for people listeing to virtual 3D surrounding audios when they are on the move, a special 3D sound headphone is developed. This 3D sound headphone is able to reproduce 5.1 wave format data to bi-aural (two channels) output data. The headphone is equipped with a gyro sensor providing azimuth angle message. The azimuth angle message is associated with movement of the listener‟s head. According to the spatial placement of speakers in 360 degree plane, the signal processing algorithm is done in the computer. C Language is used to do the signal processing in the computer. The processing scheme is to mix the 5.1 channel audio data into two channels outputs. The mixing algorithm goes through a Head Related Transfer Function. The response of this transfer function changes with the input of azimuth angle message. By this headphone equipped with the processing technique mentioned above, audio data changes in time when listener‟s head is turning. This report aims to explain the theory used in this product, the working procedures and its final results in detail.