Adaptive Audio Prioritization for Distinguishing Game and External Sound

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users playing video games often face conflicts in comprehending multiple audio signals simultaneously, such as in-game audio and non-game audio, leading to a diminished gameplay experience due to the need to manually pause or mute one audio source to focus on the other.

Innovation Solution

An adaptive audio system that uses artificial intelligence to prioritize and modify audio signals based on game context, user preferences, and non-game environment, ensuring distinct rendering of important audio without conflicts by adjusting characteristics like frequency, volume, and language.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If in-game audio is presented to the user during gameplay, then the user can focus on the game and have a satisfactory gameplay experience, but the user will miss out on non-game audio occurring outside the game

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegameplay experience qualityVSAvoidnon-game audio information
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts audio signal characteristics based on real-time analysis of audio content, user preferences, and game context. Audio parameters such as volume, frequency, and spatial positioning are continuously modified to distinguish between in-game and non-game audio sources, allowing both to be presented simultaneously without conflict

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different processing characteristics to different audio sources based on their origin and importance. In-game audio may receive enhanced spatial positioning and volume levels during critical gameplay moments, while non-game audio may be frequency-shifted or spatially separated, creating distinct auditory experiences for each source type

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of information

If the user manually pauses or mutes in-game audio to comprehend non-game audio, then the user can fully understand external audio, but the gameplay experience is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenon-game audio comprehensionVSAvoidgameplay experience continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes audio parameters such as frequency, volume, and spatial positioning to distinguish between in-game and non-game audio. This allows both audio sources to be presented simultaneously at distinguishable levels, eliminating the need for manual pausing while maintaining full comprehension of both audio streams

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If multiple audio signals are rendered simultaneously, then the user is exposed to both in-game and non-game audio, but the user is unable to fully comprehend both conversations occurring at the same time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio signal varietyVSAvoidaudio comprehension
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the audio output into distinct channels or spatial zones, assigning different audio sources to different segments. This segmentation allows the user to separately comprehend multiple audio streams by directing them to different auditory pathways or spatial locations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds spatial dimensionality to audio rendering by positioning different audio sources in different virtual or physical spaces. This dimensional separation allows the user to distinguish and comprehend multiple audio streams simultaneously by locating them in different spatial coordinates

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS20260069978A1Shunting a first audio source to distinguish presentation of a second audio source
Publication Date: 2026.03.12 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • US20260069978A1 patent drawing
  • US20260069978A1 patent drawing
  • US20260069978A1 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods and systems are disclosed for receiving in-game audio and non-game audio, and assigning a priority to each audio signal contained in the in-game audio and non-game audio. A specific audio signal identified from the in-game audio and the non-game audio is modified to generate a modified audio. The modified audio is forwarded with the unmodified audio to the user, such that the modified audio, when rendered, is distinguishably distinct from the unmodified audio.