Audio Mixing with Phase Alignment for Clear Guidance Playback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mixing apparatuses often result in masking of audio guidance signals by music signals, making it difficult for listeners to clearly hear the audio guidance intended for priority, such as navigation instructions, while music is playing in a car.
Innovation Solution
A mixing apparatus and method that utilize a weighting circuit to adjust the amplitude and phase spectra of audio signals within a control target band, amplifying the priority audio signal and attenuating the non-priority audio signal, and aligning the phase of the non-priority signal with the priority signal to reduce masking and enhance audibility of the audio guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional mixing is used to play music and audio guidance simultaneously, then both signals are output, but the audio guidance is masked by the music making it difficult to hear clearly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing to different frequency bands by dividing the audio spectrum into multiple bands. The audio guidance signal is selectively enhanced in specific frequency bands where it is most needed, while the music signal is processed differently in other bands. This local differentiation allows the audio guidance to be clearly heard in critical frequency ranges without completely suppressing the music, thus resolving the masking problem while maintaining overall audio quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the mixing ratio between audio guidance and music signals based on real-time analysis of signal characteristics. The system continuously monitors the audio signals and adapts the processing parameters, including frequency band allocation and amplitude adjustment, to optimize the audibility of audio guidance while preserving music quality. This dynamic adaptation ensures effective masking prevention under varying audio conditions.
2Reliability
If the volume of music is reduced to make audio guidance audible, then audio guidance becomes clear, but the passenger listening to music experiences inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly reducing music volume across all frequencies, the patent applies selective processing to specific frequency bands. The audio guidance signal is boosted in frequency ranges where human speech is most prominent, while the music volume is maintained or adjusted differently in other frequency ranges. This localized approach ensures audio guidance clarity without significantly degrading the overall music listening experience for passengers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies amplitude adjustment selectively to specific frequency components rather than to the entire audio signal. By focusing the enhancement action only on the frequency bands where audio guidance is present, the system achieves sufficient audibility of guidance signals without excessively reducing the overall music volume. This partial action approach minimizes the impact on music quality while ensuring guidance clarity.
3Reliability
If amplitude of priority audio signal is increased to overcome masking, then audio guidance becomes audible, but the overall sound balance is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements frequency-dependent amplitude adjustment where the priority audio signal is amplified selectively in specific frequency bands rather than uniformly across the entire spectrum. This localized amplification maintains the overall sound balance by preserving the relative levels of different frequency components. The audio guidance becomes audible in critical frequency ranges without creating an unnatural or unbalanced sound profile that would disrupt the overall listening experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes amplitude parameters based on the detected presence and characteristics of audio guidance signals. When audio guidance is detected in specific frequency bands, the amplitude of those bands is adjusted to ensure audibility. These parameter changes are applied adaptively and selectively, allowing the system to maintain overall sound balance while ensuring the priority signal is audible when and where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A mixing apparatus comprises a weighting circuit configured to, within a particular control target band, perform weighting amplitude spectra of a priority audio signal and a non-priority audio signal taking frequency masking and time masking into account, an amplitude changer configured to relatively amplify an amplitude spectrum of the priority audio signal within the control target band based on the amplitude spectrum to which the weighting has been applied, a phase changer configured to make a phase spectrum of the non-priority audio signal approach a phase spectrum of the priority audio signal, within the control target band, based on the amplitude spectrum to which the weighting has been applied, and a mixer configured to mix the priority audio signal and the non-priority audio signal after the amplitude spectrum and the phase spectrum are changed.