Acoustic Zone Recognition for Faster Multi-Room Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio playback systems face challenges in quickly selecting and playing music across multiple zones in a home environment without manual navigation, leading to increased time-to-music due to complex menu systems and lack of efficient zone management.
Innovation Solution
The use of acoustic signatures emitted by playback devices to automatically recognize and configure playback zones, allowing for dynamic UI updates on controllers, such as smartphones or dedicated devices, to streamline music selection and playback across multiple zones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If manual navigation through complex menu systems is used to select and configure playback zones, then users can precisely control playback settings, but time-to-music increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic zone recognition and configuration without requiring manual user input. The acoustic signature detection system autonomously identifies playback zones and configures appropriate settings, eliminating the need for users to navigate complex menus and manually select zones, thereby dramatically reducing time-to-music while maintaining precise control capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures acoustic signatures for different playback zones in advance. When music playback is requested, the system has already prepared the zone identification data structures and acoustic signature mappings, enabling immediate automatic zone selection and configuration without requiring users to go through manual setup procedures
2Loss of time
If acoustic signature detection is implemented for automatic zone recognition, then time-to-music is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical interaction (users physically navigating menus and selecting zones) with acoustic field-based detection. Microphones capture acoustic signatures emitted by playback devices, and signal processing algorithms automatically identify zones based on these acoustic patterns, eliminating the need for complex user interface navigation while reducing time-to-music
Solution Approach 2:
Acoustic signatures serve as an intermediary medium between playback devices and the control system. Instead of direct complex communication protocols or user interface interactions, the system uses acoustic emissions as a simple, reliable carrier of zone identification information, simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling automatic zone recognition
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple playback zones are supported simultaneously, then audio coverage is improved, but zone management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the home environment into distinct acoustic zones, each with its own unique acoustic signature emitted by playback devices. This segmentation allows the system to independently identify and manage multiple zones simultaneously, providing versatile multi-zone playback capability while simplifying zone management through automatic acoustic-based differentiation rather than complex manual configuration
Data Source
AI summary
A first computing device is configured to establish a communication path with a second computing device and receive, from the second computing device over the communication path, an indication to begin transmitting an audio tone comprising identifying information for the first computing device, where the audio tone, when detected by the second computing device, causes the second computing device to update a user interface of the second computing device. Based on the received indication, the first computing device begins transmitting the audio tone. The second computing device is configured to detect, via at least one microphone, the audio tone and then, based on the detected audio tone, update the user interface.