Fraunhofer Sonamic^®

Through Fraunhofer’s Symphoria, 3D sound in the automobile is a reality. Under the umbrella of Fraunhofer Sonamic, a new set of technologies expands the automotive sound product range to intelligent audio processing. This new set of technologies takes customer experience of in-car entertainment systems to a new level.

To learn more about Fraunhofer Sonamic and to request the software please contact: amm-info@iis.fraunhofer.de. The audio experts at Fraunhofer are happy to find the best solution for you.

The number of in-vehicle media sources has significantly increased in recent years. Today, it is easy to play audio data from USB sticks, MP3 players or smartphones in the car. However, each audio source produces different levels of volume, which the driver must adjust. Adjusting the volume is inconvenient and also presents a safety risk by briefly distracting the driver from the road.

Fraunhofer Sonamic Loudness technology increases passenger comfort and safety by ensuring consistency of volume level while switching between radio channels, media sources or audio tracks. Sonamic Loudness technology also safeguards the dynamic range and sound of the music.

With hybrid radio, passengers can continuously listen to a radio station during a car ride even when leaving the broadcast area. This works by combining a radio transmission with the accompanying web stream. Compared to a radio signal’s reception, a web stream can have a delay of 20 seconds or more. When switching to the web stream, portions of the delayed feed are either lost or played twice; both of which are irritating to the listener. Fraunhofer Sonamic TimeScaling synchronizes both signals with each other to produce a precise, indistinguishable transition.

This seamless switch works by having the system recognize in advance that the radio signal will soon be interrupted. The radio begins to calculate the existing offset to the web stream. The resulting value is needed to delay the signal in a way that is inaudible to the customer. Compensating this time difference allows seamless switching, which means passengers can continue to listen to the radio station far beyond the transmission area.

The process also works in reverse, when the system recognizes that the radio signal is strong enough again for good reception. This means it can seamlessly switch from the web stream to the radio signal while keeping the amount of mobile data used for Internet access to a minimum.

These days, car buyers are looking for something special when they buy a new car, making the interior and special features all the more important. Fraunhofer’s Sonamic Panorama transforms the sound system into a real selling point, giving drivers and their passengers the feeling that they could be standing right there on stage with their favorite band. It truly is music brought to life in all its richness and intensity.

With Sonamic Panorama, the sound surrounds drivers on all sides, with the sound sources evenly distributed across a U-shaped soundstage. Outer sound sources in the stereo signal sound from behind the listener to the side, while the mid sources remain acoustically unaltered directly in front of the listener. This means that the listener can appreciate details that would otherwise be hidden in pure stereo playback. The playback is kept free of artifacts and is robust to FM noise and poor digital reception.   

Fraunhofer Sonamic Panorama has been developed specially for small, medium and compact class vehicles. The algorithm does not require any additional hardware, and is compatible with all existing speaker configurations (minimum of four speaker positions). We recommend installing a central speaker for the best results.