Multi-Zone Audio Mapping with Priority-Based Conflict Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multi-zone audio systems often require users to repeatedly remap or reconnect audio inputs due to conflicts, complicating the user experience and preventing customization of audio input mappings.
Innovation Solution
A multi-zone audio system that allows multiple audio inputs to be mapped and connected to multiple audio zones simultaneously, using a controller to determine individual audio inputs based on a priority policy, ensuring that mappings are preserved and conflicts are resolved through policies like first-come-first-serve (FCFS) or last-come-first-serve (LCFS).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple audio inputs are mapped to multiple audio zones simultaneously, then audio input management becomes customizable and seamless, but conflicts arise as to which audio input is outputted to which audio output devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of audio input mapping from exclusive (one input per zone) to inclusive (multiple inputs per zone), allowing simultaneous mapping of multiple audio inputs to multiple audio zones. This enables customization and seamless management while the priority policy resolves conflicts by assigning different priority levels to different audio inputs based on zone preferences.
2Reliability
If a priority policy is used to determine individual audio inputs for each audio zone, then conflicts are resolved, but the system requires complex algorithms to manage mapping relationships
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing each audio zone to have its own preferred audio input type or source, rather than enforcing a global mapping rule. Each zone can independently specify its priority preferences, enabling the system to resolve conflicts locally at the zone level while maintaining overall system reliability.
3Ease of operation
If users can preserve audio input mappings across sessions, then user experience is improved, but the system must maintain and retrieve mapping data
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates and stores copies of audio input mapping relationships in a database or storage medium. These mapping data copies preserve the user-defined mappings between audio inputs and audio zones, allowing the system to retrieve and restore the same mapping configurations across different sessions without requiring users to remap inputs repeatedly.
Data Source
AI summary
A system may include a controller coupled to a user interface. A user may provide user commands specifying mapping relationships between one or more audio inputs and one or more audio zones via the user interface. The controller may be configured to determine individual audio inputs to be outputted to individual audio zones based on a priority policy. The system may further include audio streaming applications coupled to the controller. The controller may launch the audio streaming applications to the user interface for interaction with the user. The audio streaming applications may provide audio streams to be outputted at the individual audio zones. The system may further include a streaming interface coupled to the controller and the audio streaming applications and configured to receive the audio streams. The streaming interface may be further configured to transmit the audio streams to output devices of the individual audio zones.