Audio Transfer Function Modeling for Low-Latency Noise Cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing online voice communication systems face issues with environmental sounds being picked up by microphones, leading to distracting noise and reduced audio quality due to the use of push-to-talk functions or software-based noise suppression techniques that introduce latency and processing burdens.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for a controller with integrated noise cancellation, using detection of user inputs to generate responses that mitigate audio effects by applying processing to captured audio or emitting counter signals to reduce unwanted noise, leveraging knowledge of audio propagation properties within the controller.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If software-based noise suppression techniques are used to isolate user's voice, then environmental noise is reduced, but processing burden increases and latency is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the acoustic environment by capturing audio during calibration phases and generating transfer functions that model the relationship between microphone positions and acoustic characteristics. This preliminary action stores the acoustic profile data for rapid retrieval during actual voice communication, avoiding the need for complex real-time noise suppression processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates acoustic models (transfer functions) that copy and represent the complex acoustic environment in a simplified mathematical form. These transfer functions capture the essential characteristics of noise propagation and can be applied efficiently to filter environmental sounds without requiring heavy computational resources during actual communication.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If push-to-talk functions are used to reduce transmission time, then environmental noise capture is reduced, but user convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes environmental noise components from the captured audio signal using the pre-generated transfer functions. By separating the noise component from the user's voice through acoustic modeling, the system allows continuous microphone operation without push-to-talk constraints while still delivering clean audio to the receiver.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex noise suppression processing is applied to captured audio, then audio quality is improved, but latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs noise suppression processing in advance by generating transfer functions during calibration phases. These pre-computed acoustic models enable rapid application of noise filtering during actual communication without requiring complex real-time processing, thus maintaining high audio quality while minimizing latency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for generating a transfer function indicating audio transmission characteristics of an input device associated with a processing device, the system comprising a parameter determining unit configured to determine one or more parameters of the input device, wherein the parameters include a location of a microphone associated with the input device and a location of one or more respective input and/or output elements associated with the input device, an audio characteristic determining unit configured to determine one or more characteristics of audio transmission between respective input and/or output elements and the microphone, wherein the characteristics include one or more of an attenuation, resonance, and/or change in frequency profile of audio associated with the respective input and/or output element, and a transfer function generating unit configured to generate a transfer function in dependence upon the determined audio characteristics.