Audio Output Control via Dynamic Session Queue Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for controlling audio output across multiple devices in an environment face challenges in seamlessly synchronizing or altering audio playback through voice commands, leading to latency and inefficiencies when adding, moving, or ceasing audio sessions.
Innovation Solution
The described system uses a remote processing system to interpret user utterances and manage audio sessions across devices, allowing for synchronized audio output or changes without creating new group identifiers, by associating and dissociating devices from audio-session queues, and designating one device as a hub to control others.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If new group identifiers are created when adding or moving devices between audio sessions, then device management flexibility is improved, but system latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a master audio session that can dynamically associate multiple devices without requiring new group identifier creation. When devices are added or moved between audio sessions, the master session absorbs these changes without triggering time-consuming identifier regeneration, thus reducing latency while maintaining management flexibility
Solution Approach 2:
The master audio session acts as an intermediary layer between individual audio sessions and the system's device management infrastructure. This intermediary absorbs the complexity of device association and dissociation, allowing devices to be added or moved without creating new group identifiers, thereby reducing system latency while preserving flexibility
2Productivity
If multiple devices output audio simultaneously in synchronized fashion, then audio coverage and immersion are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple audio sessions are merged into a single master audio session that coordinates device output. This consolidation allows multiple devices to output audio simultaneously while centralized control logic manages synchronization, achieving improved audio coverage without proportionally increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The master audio session provides universal control over multiple devices, performing the functions of multiple individual audio sessions simultaneously. This multi-functionality allows coordinated audio output across devices without requiring separate complex control systems for each device
3Ease of operation
If voice commands are used to control audio sessions, then ease of operation is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-processes and queues voice commands as they are received, preparing them for execution without immediate processing delays. This allows the system to maintain ease of voice-based operation while reducing perceived processing time through background preparation of command execution
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for audio output control are disclosed. Audio may be output via a speaker of a communal device associated with a first portion of an environment. A user may provide a user utterance indicating an intent to add another device in a second portion of the environment to the audio-output session, and/or an intent to move the audio-output session from the first device to the second device, and/or an intent to remove a device from an audio-output session. Based on this determined intent, audio-session queues may be associated and dissociated from devices and device states may be altered to effectuate the intent of the user utterance.