Audio Endpoint Mute State Detection via Voice Activity and Energy Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-user conferences, participants often face issues with acoustic echo and difficulties in determining if their microphone or speaker is muted, leading to interruptions and disruptions in communication sessions.
Innovation Solution
The system employs near-end speech detection and energy level analysis of far-end voice signals to notify users about the mute state of their audio devices, using a voice activity detector to determine microphone mute status and an energy detection component to assess speaker mute status, thereby enhancing user experience by preventing unnecessary interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the microphone or speaker is muted to solve acoustic echo, then echo is reduced, but users cannot determine the mute state leading to communication interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring audio signals and providing real-time visual indicators to users about the mute state. The voice activity detector monitors microphone input and the energy level detector monitors speaker output, feeding this information back to the user interface which displays appropriate icons and notifications to inform users of the current audio device states.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary components including the voice activity detector, energy level detector, and user interface elements that mediate between the audio devices and users. These intermediaries translate complex audio states into simple visual indicators, allowing users to understand mute states without directly monitoring audio signals.
2Reliability
If users manually check mute status to avoid echo, then communication quality improves, but user burden and interruptions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically detecting and monitoring the mute states of audio devices without requiring user intervention. The voice activity detector and energy level detector continuously monitor audio signals and automatically update the user interface, allowing the system to manage its own audio state information and notify users when relevant changes occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback about audio device states through visual indicators, eliminating the need for users to manually check mute status. The feedback mechanism maintains communication quality by ensuring users are always informed of the current audio state without requiring active monitoring or manual verification.
3Loss of information
If visual indicators are always displayed, then users are constantly informed of device states, but interface complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by displaying visual indicators selectively rather than continuously. Indicators are shown only when relevant information needs to be communicated to users, such as when mute state changes occur or when audio activity is detected. This approach provides sufficient information without creating unnecessary visual clutter or interface complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The user interface implements local quality by providing specific visual indicators only in the contexts where they are most useful. Different visual cues are applied to different audio devices (microphone vs. speaker) and different states (muted vs. active), allowing users to quickly understand device states without a uniform complex interface for all scenarios.
Data Source
AI summary
Architecture that uses near-end speech detection and far-end energy level detection to notify a user when a local microphone and/or speaker that the user is using, are muted. A voice activity detector is employed to detect the presence of near-end speech, sense the existing mute state of the near-end microphone, and then notify the user when the current microphone is muted. Separately or in combination therewith, received far-end voice signals are detected, the associated energy level computed, the existing mute state of the near-end audio speaker is sensed, and the user notified when the speaker is muted and/or at a reduced volume setting. These determinations enhance the user experience when the architecture is employed for communications sessions where participants connect via different communications modalities by automatically notifying the user of the audio device state, without attempting to contribute only to find that a microphone or speaker was muted.