Audio Sample Phase Alignment in Artificial Reality Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
In artificial reality systems, aligning audio samples from multiple microphones that are enabled at different times complicates further processing, such as sound source identification and localization, and hinders power-saving modes by causing misalignment of audio processing pipelines.
Innovation Solution
Introducing a delay in starting the audio processing pipeline for the later-enabled microphone or using a synchronization signal to align the processing of audio samples, ensuring that all microphones start their pipelines at the same time, thus synchronizing the data valid signals and aligning the audio samples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If microphones are enabled at different times to support power-saving modes, then power consumption is reduced, but audio sample alignment becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a delay in starting the audio processing pipeline for the later-enabled microphone. This delay is calculated based on the difference in enablement times, ensuring that both microphones' audio samples are aligned in time before processing. The system pre-computes the required delay and applies it to synchronize the pipelines, resolving the alignment issue while maintaining power-saving operation of individual microphones
2Use of energy by moving object
If microphones are enabled at different times, then power-saving modes are supported, but sound source localization accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary time-alignment of audio samples from microphones enabled at different times by introducing a calculated delay to the later-enabled microphone's pipeline. This ensures that when audio samples are processed for sound source localization, they are temporally synchronized, maintaining measurement precision while allowing power-saving modes
3Adaptability or versatility
If audio processing pipelines start at different times, then microphones can operate independently, but processing synchronization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a synchronization mechanism that acts as an intermediary between independently operating microphone pipelines. A delay element is inserted into the later-started pipeline to match the timing of the earlier pipeline, and synchronization signals are used to coordinate the processing stages. This maintains the independence and flexibility of individual microphone operation while achieving processing synchronization
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes techniques that include aligning processing of audio samples collected by multiple audio sensors or microphones. In one example, this disclosure describes a method comprising detecting a transition by the second microphone from a disabled state to an enabled state; after detecting the transition, performing phase alignment between audio samples collected by the first microphone and audio samples collected by the second microphone by introducing a delay in starting processing of the audio samples collected by the second microphone; and processing the phase-aligned audio samples.