Teleconference Audio Co-Location Detection for Feedback Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
In teleconferencing sessions, participants located in close proximity can create audio feedback loops, such as 'howling', due to inadvertent capture and playback of each other's speech, which disrupts communication and requires significant computing resources to suppress.
Innovation Solution
Detect co-located devices by analyzing audio data for shared features and chronological receipt of audio signals to determine co-location, allowing preventative measures to mitigate feedback loops.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If audio feedback suppression is implemented in teleconferencing sessions, then audio quality is improved, but computing resources are significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of co-located devices by analyzing audio data characteristics before feedback loops occur. The teleconferencing system identifies devices in close proximity through audio fingerprinting and spatial analysis, then proactively applies suppression measures only to those specific device pairs, rather than continuously processing all audio streams for feedback detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio processing system is segmented into multiple independent modules: audio capture, fingerprinting extraction, co-location detection, and selective feedback suppression. Each module processes only the necessary portion of audio data, allowing parallel processing and reducing overall computational burden compared to a monolithic feedback suppression system.
2Reliability
If co-location detection is performed continuously, then feedback loop prevention is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs co-location detection periodically at specific intervals during the teleconferencing session rather than continuously. Audio fingerprints are extracted and compared at scheduled checkpoints, and co-location status is reassessed when environmental changes are detected, reducing processing time while maintaining effective feedback loop prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio capture devices and processing systems at each participant location perform self-service co-location detection by analyzing their own audio characteristics and comparing them with received audio streams. This distributed approach eliminates the need for centralized continuous analysis, reducing overall processing time while maintaining detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Audio data is captured by a participant computing device connected to a teleconferencing session using an audio capture device associated with the device. The audio data includes audio originating from an audio source co-located with the device. Subsequent to obtaining the audio data, second audio data is received that comprises second audio captured using a second audio capture devices associated with second participant computing devices connected to the teleconferencing session. Based on reception of the second audio data subsequent to capture of the audio data, a determination is made that some of the second audio originates from the audio source co-located with the device. Based on the determination, co-location information indicating that the device is co-located one or more of the second participant computing devices is generated.