Acoustic Signal Processing for Dialogue Audibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acoustic signal processing techniques, such as those for 22.2 ch multi-channel broadcasts, fail to effectively improve the audibility of dialogue due to background sounds overpowering dialogue, especially for elderly listeners, and require more loudspeakers than necessary for effective sound localization.
Innovation Solution
An acoustic signal processing device that processes multi-channel signals to output fewer channel signals, using flag storage, sound image localizers, and dynamic range compression to place dialogue sound images closer to the listener, reducing the need for multiple loudspeakers and enhancing dialogue audibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the sound volume of dialogue is increased, then the audibility of dialogue is improved, but the listener feels that the sound is excessively annoying due to over-recruitment symptom
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating processing between dialogue signals and background sounds. The dialog flag identifies dialogue-specific channels, and separate signal processing is applied to dialogue versus other audio components, allowing enhanced dialogue audibility without uniformly increasing all sound volumes that would cause over-recruitment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio signal into dialogue components and background sound components using dialog flags and channel identification. This segmentation allows independent processing where dialogue can be enhanced without proportionally increasing background noise, preventing the harmful over-recruitment effect while maintaining dialogue audibility
2Measurement precision
If 24 loudspeakers are used for 22.2 ch acoustic system, then the sound quality is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses signal processing to create virtual sound images that replicate the effect of multiple loudspeakers using fewer physical devices. Through sound image localization techniques, the system synthesizes spatial audio effects that mimic a 22.2 ch system using only two loudspeakers, eliminating the need for expensive and complex multi-loudspeaker setups
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of multiple physical loudspeakers with an electronic signal processing system. Instead of using 24 loudspeakers to achieve spatial sound distribution, the invention uses digital signal processing, sound image localization, and virtual channel synthesis to achieve the same effect with minimal hardware
3Measurement precision
If sound volume is increased to overcome background sounds, then dialogue audibility is improved, but the background sounds still cover the dialogue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by identifying dialogue-specific channels through dialog flags and applying selective signal processing only to those channels. This allows the system to enhance dialogue signals independently from background sound channels, improving dialogue audibility without proportionally amplifying background interference
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts dialogue signals from the mixed audio stream using dialog flags and channel identification. By separating dialogue components from the overall audio signal, the system can process and enhance only the dialogue portion, effectively removing it from the background sound mixture and preventing coverage by background noise
Data Source
AI summary
An acoustic signal processing device includes: a front signal processor which generates first L and R signals by performing signal processing on a first signal which is a front channel signal; a first adder which generates a fourth signal which is a left channel signal by adding the first L signal and a second signal which is a left channel signal; and a second adder which generates a fifth signal which is a right channel signal by adding the first R signal and a third signal which is a right channel signal. The front signal processor generates the first L and R signals by signal processing in which the first signal is distributed and placed at predetermined positions when the first signal is a dialog signal, and distributed and placed at positions different from the predetermined positions when the first signal is not a dialog signal.