Audio Mixing Modules for Latency-Tolerant and Sensitive Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio signal processing methods are inefficient, power-intensive, and prone to undesirable audio artifacts due to inadequate handling of latency-tolerant and latency-sensitive signals.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize two mixer modules to buffer and process latency-tolerant and latency-sensitive audio signals differently, with the first mixer module buffering latency-tolerant signals for a longer duration and processing them to modify characteristics, and the second mixer module buffering latency-sensitive signals for a shorter duration and combining them with processed latency-tolerant signals to create a combined audio signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single audio processing system processes all audio signals with the same buffering duration, then the system structure is simple, but power consumption increases and audio artifacts occur due to inadequate differentiation between latency-tolerant and latency-sensitive signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the audio processing system into two separate mixer modules: a first mixer module for latency-tolerant audio signals and a second mixer module for latency-sensitive audio signals. Each module applies different buffering strategies appropriate to its signal type, enabling optimized power consumption and audio quality without requiring a complex unified system redesign.
2Productivity
If latency-tolerant audio signals are buffered for a long duration, then processing efficiency improves, but audio artifacts increase for latency-sensitive signals
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments audio signals into latency-tolerant and latency-sensitive categories, routing them through different mixer modules with appropriately tuned buffering parameters. This allows long buffering durations for latency-tolerant signals to maximize processing efficiency while short buffering durations for latency-sensitive signals prevent audio artifacts.
Solution Approach 2:
Each mixer module is configured with local buffering characteristics optimized for its specific signal type. The first mixer module uses longer buffering durations suitable for latency-tolerant signals, while the second mixer module uses shorter buffering durations for latency-sensitive signals, ensuring each processing path has the quality characteristics needed for its specific purpose.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If latency-sensitive audio signals are buffered for a short duration, then audio artifacts are minimized, but processing efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates latency-sensitive audio signal processing into a dedicated second mixer module that operates independently from the first mixer module handling latency-tolerant signals. This segmentation allows the latency-sensitive processing to use short buffering durations that minimize audio artifacts while the overall system maintains high efficiency through parallel processing of both signal types.
4Device complexity
If a unified buffering strategy is used for all audio signals, then system complexity is reduced, but power consumption increases due to inefficient processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements segmentation into two mixer modules with different buffering strategies, which initially appears to increase complexity. However, this segmentation enables significant energy efficiency improvements by preventing the processing of latency-sensitive signals with excessive buffering, thereby reducing wasted computational resources and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the buffering duration parameter based on the type of audio signal being processed. By adjusting this key parameter differently for latency-tolerant versus latency-sensitive signals, the system achieves optimal energy efficiency without requiring complete system redesign, balancing complexity and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An example system may include a first mixer module configured to receive a latency-tolerant audio signal, buffer the latency-tolerant audio signal for a first duration, and process the latency-tolerant audio signal. The system may also include a second mixer module configured to receive the processed latency-tolerant audio signal from the first mixer module. The second mixer may also be configured to receive a latency-sensitive audio signal, where the latency-sensitive audio signal is shorter in duration than the latency-tolerant audio signal, and where the latency-sensitive audio signal corresponds to a user input. The second mixer may also be configured to buffer the latency-sensitive audio signal for a second duration, where the second duration is shorter than the first duration. The second mixer may also be configured to process the latency-sensitive audio signal, and combine the processed latency-tolerant audio signal and the processed latency-sensitive audio signal to create a combined signal.