AR Sound Boundary Visualization for Voice Communication Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In crowded and noisy environments, it is challenging for users to calibrate their voice volume to ensure only the intended recipients can hear them while avoiding disturbance to others, as existing technologies lack effective methods to predict and manage voice boundaries in real-time.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality system calculates sound boundaries using environmental factors and ambient noise levels to predict who can hear and understand a user's voice, providing visual indicators and automatically switching to assisted communication modes when necessary to ensure intended recipients receive the message without disturbing others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users increase voice volume to ensure intended recipients can hear, then communication reliability improves, but disturbance to unintended recipients increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the acoustic space by calculating distinct sound boundaries: a first sound boundary for understandable communication and a second sound boundary for audible communication. This segmentation allows the system to identify different zones where intended versus unintended recipients are located, enabling precise control over communication reach without affecting the entire surrounding area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (automated electronic transmission) that bridges the gap when voice communication cannot reach intended recipients. When the system detects that intended recipients are beyond the first sound boundary, it automatically transmits the communication electronically, eliminating the need to increase voice volume and thereby avoiding disturbance to unintended recipients.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If users decrease voice volume to avoid disturbing others, then social etiquette improves, but communication effectiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback to users through visual indicators displayed in the augmented reality interface. The indicators show whether intended recipients are within the first sound boundary (understandable) or second sound boundary (audible), and whether unintended recipients are within the audible boundary. This feedback enables users to adjust their voice volume appropriately based on the actual acoustic conditions and recipient locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The automated electronic transmission system acts as an intermediary that ensures communication effectiveness when voice volume is kept low. By automatically detecting when intended recipients are beyond the understandable boundary and transmitting the communication electronically, the system maintains communication reliability without requiring users to increase voice volume to levels that would disturb others.
3Measurement precision
If system calculates detailed sound boundaries and provides visual indicators, then communication precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex acoustic measurement and visualization hardware with software-based calculations running on existing mobile devices. Instead of using physical sensors and displays to measure and show sound boundaries, the system uses computational algorithms to calculate boundaries based on environmental factors and ambient noise levels, then presents the results through the device's existing screen and processor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the multi-functionality of modern mobile devices, which already possess the necessary sensors (microphones, accelerometers, GPS), processors, and display capabilities. By making the device perform multiple functions (acoustic measurement, boundary calculation, visual indication, and automated transmission), the system achieves high measurement precision without adding dedicated hardware complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for augmenting communication, a computer program product for augmenting communication, and an augmented reality system. The method for augmenting communication may comprise calculating a sound boundary within which a communication can be heard, generating a visualization of the sound boundary on an augmented reality device, and presenting the visualization on the augmented reality device. The sound boundary may represent a predicted maximum distance at which the communication can be understood.