Sound transmission method and communication device thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a sound transmission method which is applied to a communication device. The sound transmission method comprises the steps that an arithmetic unit of the communication device decomposes an obtained audio signal into at least one audio track with specific sound elements, the arithmetic unit converts the at least one audio track into a symbol text, and the arithmetic unit transmits the symbol text through a transceiver of the communication device. Wherein the specific sound element refers to a main sound source transmitted by the communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention provides a sound transmission method and a communication device thereof, particularly a sound transmission method and a communication device thereof that can convert audio tracks into recombined symbols. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional online conferencing systems convert analog audio into digital signals, then transmit these signals to other computers where specific frequency bands are filtered out to suppress ambient noise. Because traditional systems directly convert analog audio to digital without volume adjustment, inconsistent volume between different audio sources occurs when the audio is played back on other computers, and post-production effects are not possible. Furthermore, traditional systems are ineffective at echo cancellation and audio delay correction, and are prone to feedback due to microphones and speakers being too close together. Therefore, designing a sound transmission method and communication device that effectively corrects echo cancellation and audio delay while preventing feedback is a crucial development issue for the communications industry. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide a sound transmission method and communication device that can convert audio tracks into reconstructed symbols to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0004] An embodiment of the present invention provides a sound transmission method applied to a communication device, the sound transmission method comprising:

[0005] The processing unit of the communication device decomposes the acquired audio signal into at least one audio track with specific sound elements;

[0006] The processing unit converts at least one audio track into symbolic text; and

[0007] The processing unit uses the transceiver of the communication device to transmit the symbolic text.

[0008] Preferably, the symbolic text is selected from one or a combination of phonetic symbols, musical notation symbols, and characteristic symbols;

[0009] The phonetic symbols include code symbols, phonetic symbols, Chinese fonts, and foreign letters; the musical notation symbols include notes, rests, accidentals, and staffs; and the feature symbols include voiceprint symbols, tone symbols, and intonation symbols.

[0010] Preferably, it further comprises:

[0011] The processing unit removes the portion of the symbolic text that corresponds to another audio track emitted by the playback module of the communication device.

[0012] Preferably, it further comprises:

[0013] The processing unit calculates the coordinate information of the at least one audio track; and

[0014] The calculation unit attaches the coordinate information to the symbol text.

[0015] Preferably, it further comprises:

[0016] The processing unit appends the change information corresponding to the at least one audio track to the symbol text.

[0017] Preferably, it further comprises:

[0018] The processing unit obtains the symbol text through the transceiver;

[0019] The processing unit generates a restored audio track based on the symbolic text; and

[0020] The processing unit uses the transceiver to transmit the restored audio track to the playback module of the communication device.

[0021] More preferably, it also includes:

[0022] The processing unit obtains the coordinate information and / or change information corresponding to the symbol text; and

[0023] The processing unit adjusts the restored audio track according to the coordinate information and / or the change information.

[0024] Preferably, it further comprises:

[0025] The processing unit identifies the specific sound element from the audio signal based on the built-in data of the storage module of the communication device to establish the at least one audio track.

[0026] More preferably, it also includes:

[0027] The processing unit filters out the parts of the audio signal from which the specific sound element cannot be identified.

[0028] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a communication device, which includes:

[0029] A radio module is used to acquire audio signals; and

[0030] The processing unit, electrically connected to the radio module, is used to execute the sound transmission method described above.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the sound transmission method provided by the embodiments of the present invention has a sound reception process and a sound playback process; the communication device can execute both the sound reception and playback processes of the sound transmission method simultaneously, or it can be combined with other external devices to execute only the sound reception or playback process of the sound transmission method. This communication device and its sound transmission method convert audio signals into symbolic text and selectively transmit them through encryption or compression. Then, the receiving end (which may be the communication device or an external device) decrypts or decompresses the text and creates a restored audio track based on the symbolic text and its voiceprint, and plays it, rather than directly transmitting and playing an existing audio track. The coordinate information and change information contained in the audio signal are also sent and restored along with the symbolic text. Therefore, the communication device and its sound transmission method of the present invention not only prevent feedback but also provide mixing adjustments for various sound processing procedures and have excellent correction effects on echo cancellation and sound delay. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a sound transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a sound transmission method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To provide a further understanding of the purpose, structure, features, and functions of the present invention, detailed descriptions are provided below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0036] Certain terms are used in the specification and claims to refer to specific elements. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that manufacturers may use different names to refer to the same element. This specification and claims do not distinguish elements by differences in name, but rather by differences in function. The term "comprising" throughout the specification and claims is an open-ended term and should be interpreted as "comprising but not limited to".

[0037] The ordinal numbers used in the instruction manual, such as "first," "second," and "third," are used to modify components. They do not imply or represent any previous ordinal number of the component, nor do they represent the order of one component with another component, or the order of manufacturing methods. The use of these ordinal numbers is only to make it clear that a component with a certain name can be distinguished from another component with the same name.

[0038] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1This is a functional block diagram of a communication device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication device 10 may include a processing unit 12, a storage module 14, a transceiver 16, a radio module 18, and a playback module 20. The processing unit 12 is electrically connected to the storage module 14 and the transceiver 16, and may be an electronic component such as a controller or processor. The radio module 18 may be a microphone, and the playback module 20 may be a speaker or headphones. The radio module 18 and the playback module 20 may be internal components of the communication device 10 and electrically connected to the processing unit 12 via a wired connection, or they may be external components of the communication device 10 and electrically connected to the processing unit 12 via a wireless connection. The application of the radio module 18 and the playback module 20 is not limited to the above-described manner and depends on specific design requirements.

[0039] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a sound transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 The aforementioned sound transmission method is applicable to Figure 1 The communication device 10 shown first executes steps S100 and S102. The receiving module 18 acquires the audio signal of the surrounding environment, and the processing unit 12 then analyzes the audio signal to decompose it into audio tracks with specific sound elements. In step S102, the sound transmission method can better decompose the audio signal into identifiable and unidentifiable sounds. Identifiable sounds are human voices, instrument sounds, or similar sounds that can be represented by symbols. Different creatures or instruments will have different voiceprints. Unidentifiable sounds are usually regarded as background noise, such as the sound of flowing water, animal calls, wind, or rain that cannot be represented by symbols. Identifiable sounds are the main sound source transmitted by the communication device 10. They are defined as audio tracks with specific sound elements (i.e., voiceprints). Therefore, the sound transmission method can identify specific sound elements from the audio signal to build audio tracks according to the built-in data of the storage module 14.

[0040] Next, step S104 is selectively executed, where the processing unit 12 filters out portions of the audio signal from which specific sound elements cannot be identified. In other words, the aforementioned unidentifiable sounds cannot identify specific sound elements (i.e., human voices, musical instruments, or similar sounds represented by symbols). The communication device 10 can choose to directly delete the unidentifiable sounds or retain them in the storage module 14 but not apply them to subsequent steps of the sound transmission method. This invention may also use other sound analysis methods to analyze unidentifiable sounds, then apply the analysis results to available audio tracks or treat them as identifiable sounds, or convert the analysis results of unidentifiable sounds into specific symbols using other processing methods; however, its application is not limited to these and depends on specific design requirements.

[0041] Next, step S106 is executed, where the processing unit 12 converts the audio track with specific sound elements decomposed in step S102 into symbolic text. The symbolic text defined in this invention can be selected from one or a combination of phonetic symbols, musical notation symbols, and characteristic symbols. Phonetic symbols may include (but are not limited to) code symbols, phonetic symbols, Chinese characters, and foreign letters; code symbols may be Morse code or other common communication codes. Chinese characters may be pronounced using phonetic symbols or foreign letters (such as Romanization). Foreign letters may be any European or Asian language. Phonetic symbols and foreign letters may cover various known phonetic systems. Musical notation symbols may include (but are not limited to) notes, rests, accidentals, and staff notation; any characters representing modern musical notation fall within the scope of this invention. Characteristic symbols may include (but are not limited to) voiceprint symbols, tone symbols, and intonation symbols. Different organisms or musical instruments will have unique voiceprint symbols. Tone symbols may be the four tones of musicology. Intonation marks may include stress, falling intonation, rising intonation, beat, and / or volume.

[0042] Next, in step S108, the processing unit 12 removes the portion of the symbolic text corresponding to another audio track emitted by the speaker (playback module 20). In step S108, the processing unit 12 is electrically connected to the playback module 20, thus it can obtain the audio signal and its audio track emitted by the playback module 20; the sound transmission method finds and removes the symbolic text corresponding to the audio track emitted by the playback module 20 from the symbolic text obtained in step S106, preventing the sound emitted by the playback module 20 from being received by the receiver module 18 and then played back, thereby effectively avoiding feedback.

[0043] In step S110, the processing unit 12 transmits the corresponding audio track of the audio signal acquired by the microphone module 18 to the headphones (playback module 20). In step S110, if the communication device 10 is simultaneously connected to both the microphone (microphone module 18) and the headphones (playback module 20), the preferred sound transmission method will send the sound from the microphone (microphone module 18) back to the headphones (playback module 20), creating a side tone to provide auditory feedback. Steps S108 and S110 are optional steps in the sound transmission method; the communication device 10 can determine whether to execute the feedback prevention step and / or the auditory feedback step based on the configuration of the playback module 20 (e.g., speaker or headphones).

[0044] Next, step S112 is executed, where the processing unit 12 calculates the coordinate information of the audio tracks with specific sound elements decomposed by each audio module 18 when the communication device 10 has multiple audio modules 18, and appends this coordinate information to the symbolic text converted from the audio track. The coordinate information is used to represent the positional relationship of the audio module 18 relative to the communication device 10 in space. In a preferred embodiment, the coordinate information can be three-dimensional coordinate information, distance coordinate information, etc. Step S114 is also executed, where the processing unit 12 appends the change information corresponding to the audio track to the symbolic text; the change information refers to the information provided by the communication device 10 regarding volume, tempo, voice changing effects, and / or other sound adjustments. Finally, step S116 is executed, where the transceiver 16 transmits the symbolic text appended with the coordinate information and change information.

[0045] For example, the communication device 10 can be used in a conference setting. It uses step S112 to obtain the coordinate information of each of the multiple audio receiving modules 18, and attaches it to the symbolic text converted from each audio track. Subsequently, when the playback module 20 reads the symbolic text, it can adjust the volume of the corresponding audio track according to the coordinate information, and / or simulate and create frequency changes and a stereo effect in the sound playback. Furthermore, the sound transmission method of this invention can selectively add time codes and other sound processing procedures to the symbolic text to achieve audio-visual synchronization in subsequent applications. As described in step S114, volume, tempo, voice changing effects, and / or other change information are all considered sound processing procedures, and their changes depend on specific design requirements.

[0046] Please see Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a sound transmission method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 The aforementioned sound transmission method is applicable to Figure 1 The communication device 10 shown; Figure 2 Steps S110 to S116 constitute the sound reception process of the sound transmission method. Figure 3The steps described constitute the playback process of the sound transmission method. First, steps S200 and S202 are executed, where transceiver 16 acquires symbolic text and parses its coordinate information and / or change information from the symbolic text. In step S200, the sound transmission method may acquire symbolic text created by the communication device 10 itself or symbolic text sent by an external device; the variation depends on whether the communication device 10 is paired with other external devices. Next, steps S204 and S206 are executed. The processing unit 12 creates and adjusts a restored audio track based on the symbolic text and its accompanying coordinate information and / or change information, and then transmits the restored audio track to the playback module 20 using transceiver 16; or, as the playback module 20 plays the restored audio track according to the symbolic text. In step S206, the sound transmission method may use transceiver 16 to transmit the restored audio track to the playback module 20 of the communication device 10, or it may transmit it to the playback module of an external device; the variation depends on whether the communication device 10 is paired with other external devices.

[0047] In summary, the sound transmission method of the present invention has a sound reception process and a sound playback process. The communication device can execute both the sound reception and playback processes of the sound transmission method simultaneously, or it can be used with other external devices to execute only the sound reception or playback process of the sound transmission method. This communication device and its sound transmission method convert audio signals into symbolic text and selectively transmit them through encryption or compression. Then, the receiving end (which may be the communication device or an external device) decrypts or decompresses the text and uses the symbolic text and its voiceprint to create and play the restored audio track, rather than directly transmitting and playing an existing audio track. The coordinate information and change information contained in the audio signal are also sent and restored along with the symbolic text. Therefore, the communication device and its sound transmission method of the present invention not only prevent feedback but also provide mixing adjustments for various sound processing procedures and have excellent correction effects for echo cancellation and sound delay.

[0048] The present invention has been described in the above-described embodiments; however, these embodiments are merely examples for implementing the present invention. It must be noted that the disclosed embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention. Conversely, any modifications and refinements made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention are within the scope of patent protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A sound transmission method, applied to a communication device, characterized in that, This sound transmission method includes: The processing unit of the communication device decomposes the acquired audio signal into at least one audio track with specific sound elements; The processing unit converts at least one audio track into symbolic text; and The processing unit uses the transceiver of the communication device to transmit the symbolic text.

2. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The symbol text is selected from one or a combination of phonetic symbols, musical notation symbols, and characteristic symbols; Among them, the phonetic symbols include code symbols, phonetic symbols, Chinese fonts and foreign letters; the musical notation symbols include notes, rests, accidentals and staves; and the feature symbols include voiceprint symbols, tone symbols and intonation symbols.

3. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit removes the portion of the symbolic text that corresponds to another audio track emitted by the playback module of the communication device.

4. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit calculates the coordinate information of the at least one audio track; and The calculation unit attaches the coordinate information to the symbol text.

5. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit appends the change information corresponding to the at least one audio track to the symbol text.

6. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit obtains the symbol text through the transceiver; The processing unit generates a restored audio track based on the symbolic text; and The processing unit uses the transceiver to transmit the restored audio track to the playback module of the communication device.

7. The sound transmission method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit obtains the coordinate information and / or change information corresponding to the symbol text; and The processing unit adjusts the restored audio track according to the coordinate information and / or the change information.

8. The sound transmission method as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit identifies the specific sound element from the audio signal based on the built-in data of the storage module of the communication device to establish the at least one audio track.

9. The sound transmission method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes: The processing unit filters out the parts of the audio signal from which the specific sound element cannot be identified.

10. A communication device, characterized in that, It includes: A radio module is used to acquire audio signals; and The processing unit, electrically connected to the radio module, is used to execute the sound transmission method as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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