Audio Touchscreen Triangulation via Multi-Microphone Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio touchscreens face challenges in accurately determining the location of sound sources using a single microphone, which limits their functionality and versatility, especially in dynamic environments where multiple microphones are needed to triangulate sound events effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes a set of microphones to receive and process sonic signals, synchronizing their clocks and determining the location of sound events through triangulation, allowing for precise user input generation across multiple microphone-including devices in an ad hoc network, enabling flexible placement and movement of devices within an audio touchscreen system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single microphone is used in audio touchscreen, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of sound source location deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The audio touchscreen system divides the sound detection function across multiple microphones distributed on different devices. Each microphone captures acoustic signals from its local position, and the system segments the triangulation calculation into individual time-of-arrival measurements from each microphone, ultimately combining these segmented measurements to determine the complete sound source location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines data from multiple independent microphones on different devices to achieve accurate sound source localization. The system merges the time-of-arrival measurements from each microphone with their respective location data, combining these merged datasets through triangulation algorithms to produce the final sound source position with high precision.
2Measurement precision
If multiple microphones on different devices are used for triangulation, then sound source location accuracy is improved, but device complexity and synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes each microphone-including device universally capable of participating in the audio touchscreen system. Each device is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing acoustic signals, timestamping them with its local clock, transmitting data wirelessly, and serving as a node in the ad hoc network. This multi-functionality allows any standard device with a microphone to contribute to the triangulation process.
Solution Approach 2:
Each microphone-including device independently performs clock synchronization using its own local clock and the received sonic signals. The devices self-organize into an ad hoc network without requiring centralized infrastructure, with each device autonomously determining its role and contributing data to the collective triangulation process. The system serves itself through decentralized autonomous operation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If devices are allowed to move freely in ad hoc network, then adaptability of audio touchscreen is improved, but measurement precision of sound source location deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary clock synchronization between all microphone-including devices before the actual sound detection and triangulation process. Each device exchanges timing information and adjusts its local clock to maintain synchronization, preparing the system in advance for accurate time-of-arrival measurements. This preliminary synchronization action ensures that even as devices move, their timing references remain aligned.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors and adjusts clock synchronization based on feedback from received sonic signals. Each device uses the timing information from received signals to detect drift in its local clock and makes real-time adjustments to maintain synchronization. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to device movement while preserving measurement precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables accurate and flexible user input detection on various surfaces by triangulating sound sources across multiple microphones, enhancing the functionality and usability of audio touchscreens in diverse settings, such as conference rooms or large surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
user input signals are generated by sound-to-signal transducers (herein called 'microphones') in response to a physical tap or sound-producing physical interaction (herein sometimes called a 'sonic event') against a surface
Implementation Method 2
triangulating, by the set of processor(s), to determine a location of a source of the sonic event based, at least in part, on the plurality of sonic signals and the microphone location data
Data Source
AI summary
An audio touchscreen system receives microphone location data respectively corresponding to a plurality of microphones. Sonic signals corresponding to a sonic event respectively transduced by each microphone is triangulated, to determine the location of the origin of the sonic event upon the audio touchscreen, based on the sonic signals and the microphone location data. User input data is generated based on the location of the sonic event as determined by the triangulation.