AR Sound System Frequency Band Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality sound systems fail to effectively emphasize or de-emphasize specific frequencies in ambient sound while maintaining overall auditory awareness, and they often disrupt directional sound localization, which is crucial in dangerous situations like riots or military operations.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality sound system that uses a personal computing device and an ambient audio processing system with microphones, processors, and wireless communication links to process and filter ambient sound in real-time, applying location-based processing parameters to emphasize or de-emphasize specific sounds and provide directional feedback without blocking ambient noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an in-ear earbud is used for communications, then communication with group members is enabled, but hearing of ambient sounds is impeded and directional sound localization is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The audio output is segmented into multiple frequency bands, with different processing applied to each band. Critical low-frequency sounds and high-frequency sounds are emphasized while mid-range frequencies are attenuated, allowing the user to hear important ambient sounds without blocking them completely.
Solution Approach 2:
Different frequency ranges are treated differently - low frequencies are boosted for critical sounds like gunshots, high frequencies are enhanced for detail, while mid-range is reduced to allow ambient sound passage. This localized frequency processing resolves the contradiction by making the earbud both effective for communication and aware of ambient threats.
2Measurement precision
If ambient sound is blocked out to provide directional guidance, then guidance accuracy is improved, but the ability to determine sound direction is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges ambient sound reproduction with superimposed directional guidance cues. The earbud plays back ambient sound from the environment while simultaneously overlaying processed guidance sounds, allowing the user to maintain spatial awareness while receiving precise directional information through the combined audio signal.
3Reliability
If low and high frequency sounds are emphasized, then critical sound detection is improved, but overall sound balance is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The equalization parameters are dynamically adjusted based on the detected ambient sound characteristics. When critical sounds like gunshots or footsteps are detected, the system dynamically boosts low and high frequencies. When normal ambient sound is detected, the system maintains a more balanced frequency response, thus adapting the sound balance to the situation rather than applying a static distortion.
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality sound systems is disclosed. An augmented reality sound system includes a at least one microphone for receiving ambient sound and a memory storing one or more augmented reality sound profiles and a respective set of processing parameters. The system further includes a processor coupled to the memory and configured to generate augmented ambient sound from the ambient sound by reproducing the ambient sound in conjunction with processed sound superimposed over the ambient sound as directed by one or more of the set of processing parameters retrieved from the memory based on a selected augmented reality sound profile.