Adaptive Microphone Sensitivity for Target Sound Amplification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In noisy public spaces, it is difficult for individuals to focus on a target sound source due to surrounding noise, and this challenge is exacerbated by hearing impairments, necessitating an apparatus or method to amplify the target sound while rejecting unwanted noise.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device-based adaptive beamforming system that uses a camera to determine the location and sensitivity of microphones, adjusting their sensitivity based on image and user input data to amplify sound from a target direction while attenuating noise from other directions, utilizing principles of wave propagation and phase relationships.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the microphone sensitivity is increased to amplify the target sound, then the target sound is enhanced, but the surrounding noise is also amplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by adjusting the sensitivity of individual microphones in the array differently based on their spatial position relative to the target sound source. Each microphone's sensitivity is optimized for its specific location, allowing the system to enhance sounds from the target direction while suppressing noise from other directions through position-dependent sensitivity adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts microphone sensitivity in real-time based on the detected position of the target sound source. As the target source moves or as the device orientation changes, the sensitivity parameters are continuously updated to maintain optimal signal-to-noise ratio, making the noise suppression adaptive rather than static.
2Measurement precision
If the microphone sensitivity is adjusted based on camera coordinates, then the target sound direction is enhanced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the camera's visual coordinate system with the microphone array's acoustic sensing system. By integrating the target object's coordinates obtained from the camera with the spatial arrangement of microphones, the system creates a unified coordinate framework that simplifies the calculation of sensitivity adjustments and reduces the overall system complexity despite the multi-sensor integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera acts as an intermediary that provides visual information about the target sound source's position. This visual data serves as a mediator to determine the appropriate sensitivity settings for the microphones, translating spatial visual information into acoustic sensitivity parameters without requiring direct complex acoustic analysis.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively amplifies the target sound source while reducing noise from other directions, improving the signal-to-noise ratio and aiding individuals with hearing impairments by accurately determining the target sound's direction and adjusting microphone sensitivity accordingly.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing principles of wave propagation and phase relationships
Implementation Method 2
utilizing principles of wave propagation and phase relationships
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed for transmitting audio data to at least one output for audio playback. The computer-program product comprises instructions for receiving at least one of a digital image of a target source using a camera, and distance and angle information of the target source entered at a user interface. The computer-program product comprises instructions for generating one or more first coordinates based on the at least one of the digital image and the distance and angle information. The computer-program product comprises instructions for adjusting a sensitivity of a first microphone based on the one or more first coordinates. The computer-program product comprises instructions for receiving audio data from the target source in response to adjusting the sensitivity of the first microphone and transmitting the audio data to one or more outputs for audio playback.