Adaptive Filtering for Spatial Sound Field Reconstruction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Spatial sound field reproduction techniques, such as wave field synthesis and Ambisonics, face limitations in employing a high number of loudspeakers due to technical constraints, leading to impaired sound field reconstruction and reduced listening area size, especially in environments with significant wall reflections where expensive acoustic treatment is impractical.

Innovation Solution

An acoustic multi-input multi-output system with controllable equalizing filter modules, employing an adaptive control algorithm that includes a windowed magnitude constraint and post-ringing constraint to model psychoacoustic properties, iteratively adapts transfer functions to improve sound reproduction by inputting cosine signals, weighting, and scaling to provide an updated impulse response.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If wave field synthesis or Ambisonics techniques are used to achieve highly detailed spatial reproduction, then sound field reconstruction quality is improved, but the number of loudspeakers required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound field reconstruction qualityVSAvoidnumber of loudspeakers
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameters of the equalizing filters (transfer functions) adaptively to optimize sound field reconstruction. By adjusting filter coefficients and applying psychoacoustic constraints (magnitude and post-ringing constraints), the system achieves high-quality spatial reproduction with fewer loudspeakers, transforming the physical constraint into a solvable parameter optimization problem

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical solution of adding more loudspeakers with an electronic/software solution involving adaptive filter control and psychoacoustic constraint algorithms. Instead of increasing hardware quantity, the system uses signal processing and mathematical optimization to achieve the desired sound field reconstruction quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Device complexity

If the number of loudspeakers is reduced due to technical constraints, then device complexity is decreased, but sound field reconstruction quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenumber of loudspeakersVSAvoidsound field reconstruction quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements an adaptive control system that uses feedback from error signals to iteratively optimize equalizing filter transfer functions. The system continuously adjusts filter parameters based on performance metrics and psychoacoustic constraints, enabling high-quality reconstruction with reduced hardware complexity through intelligent adaptive optimization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If acoustic treatment is applied to handle wall reflections, then sound reproduction quality in reflective environments is improved, but cost and implementation complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesound reproduction qualityVSAvoidacoustic treatment implementation
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces physical acoustic treatment (mechanical/structural modifications) with electronic signal processing solutions. By using adaptive equalizing filters and psychoacoustic constraints, the system compensates for room reflections and acoustic imperfections through software algorithms rather than expensive physical acoustic treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces equalizing filters as an intermediary between the audio signal and the loudspeakers. These filters act as a mediator that pre-processes the signal to compensate for adverse acoustic conditions (wall reflections), allowing high-quality reproduction in reflective environments without physical acoustic treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2930954B1Adaptive filtering
Publication Date: 2020.07.22 HARMAN BECKER AUTOMOTIVE SYST GMBH
  • EP2930954B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2930954B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2930954B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A system and method include equalizing filtering with controllable transfer functions in a signal path downstream of an input signal path, and controlling with filter control signals of the controllable transfer function for filtering according to an adaptive control algorithm based on at least one error signal and an input signal on the input signal path. The adaptive control algorithm includes a windowed magnitude constraint with an integrated post-ringing constraint.