Asymmetric Audio Channel Control for Individual Stream Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In existing audio conferencing systems, users in a listener's position cannot control individual audio sources, as audio streams from multiple sources are mixed, and control is limited to server-level management, preventing users from managing specific audio streams.
Innovation Solution
Establishing a bi-directional media session with an asymmetric channel structure between participants and a mixer, allowing for the use of a mono channel for receiving audio data and a multichannel for mixing and transferring audio data, enabling users to control volume, noise removal, and modulation of specific audio streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If audio streams from multiple participants are mixed into a single channel, then the complexity of audio management is reduced and all participants can receive audio simultaneously, but users lose the ability to control individual audio sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the mixed audio stream into separate audio channels, each corresponding to a specific participant or audio source. This allows the system to maintain the simplicity of mixed audio delivery while enabling individual control of each audio source through separate channel management. The segmentation is implemented by creating distinct audio tracks that can be independently processed and controlled by the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional dimension to audio management by organizing audio sources not just as a single mixed stream but as multiple dimensional channels. Each channel represents a separate audio source in the mix, allowing users to navigate and control individual sources within the mixed audio environment. This dimensional approach transforms the flat mixed audio into a structured multi-channel audio space.
2Device complexity
If a single mono channel is used for audio transmission, then the communication protocol complexity is reduced, but the system cannot support individual audio stream control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic channel structure where the audio system can adapt between mono and multichannel modes. The channel configuration is not fixed but can be dynamically adjusted based on user needs and system capabilities. This dynamic approach allows the system to start with simple mono transmission and escalate to multichannel when individual audio control is required, optimizing both complexity and functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal audio channel structure that can function in multiple modes - both as a simple mono channel for basic audio transmission and as a multichannel structure for detailed audio control. The same underlying infrastructure supports both operational modes, making the system versatile and adaptable to different usage scenarios without requiring separate systems.
3Loss of energy
If audio data is transmitted as a mixed stream, then network bandwidth consumption is reduced, but users cannot selectively manage or control specific audio sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the audio stream to have different characteristics and control options. Each audio source within the mixed stream maintains its own properties and can be controlled independently. This local differentiation enables users to apply specific processing, volume control, or filtering to individual audio sources while maintaining the efficiency of mixed stream transmission for the overall audio mix.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are methods and systems for controlling audio using an asymmetric channel of an audio conference. An audio control method may include establishing, by a processor included in a computer apparatus, a bi-directional media session having an asymmetric channel structure between a first participant among a plurality of participants participating in an audio conference and a mixer, receiving, by the processor, first audio data from the first participant through a media session of a first channel structure in the bi-directional media session, mixing, by the processor, second audio data of at least two participants excluding the first participant from among the plurality of participants, using a multichannel, and transferring, by the processor, the mixed audio data of the at least two participants mixed using the multichannel to the first participant through a media session of a second channel structure in the bi-directional media session.