Self-Adaptive Surround Sound via Camera-Based User Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multimedia devices, such as smart televisions, face challenges in creating a self-adaptive surround sound effect due to limitations in existing technologies like Dipole stereo extension and beamforming, which require manual calibration, additional hardware, and restrict user positioning for optimal sound experience.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing object recognition and focusing control technologies to capture and calculate room and user positions, determining sound beam paths, and adjusting loudspeaker array filters to create a self-adaptive surround sound experience without manual calibration or additional hardware, allowing for flexible user positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beamforming technology is used to create surround sound in the hall, then abundant surround sound effect can be created in the entire hall, but manual calibration is needed before the loudspeaker array is used, thus the process is tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects user position and room characteristics using a camera, and self-calibrates the beamforming parameters without requiring manual intervention. The processing chip calculates optimal sound beam directions based on captured images, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring user calibration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical calibration process with an automated optical detection system. Instead of physically adjusting speakers based on manual measurement, the system uses camera-based image processing to automatically determine room geometry and user position, then computationally generates the appropriate beamforming configuration
2Reliability
If beamforming technology is used to create surround sound in the hall, then abundant surround sound effect can be created in the entire hall, but additional calibration device is needed, such as measurement microphone, etc
Solution Approach 1:
The camera serves multiple functions: it captures user position information, determines room geometry, and provides data for beamforming calculation. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for dedicated calibration devices like measurement microphones, as the same imaging device performs multiple measurement tasks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the calibration function with the existing camera and processing chip already present in the multimedia device. Instead of adding separate calibration hardware, the system combines room detection, user positioning, and sound beam control into a unified software-based calibration process using existing components
3Reliability
If beamforming technology is used to create surround sound in the hall, then abundant surround sound effect can be created in the entire hall, but the listening position of users is limited to a narrower scope
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts beamforming parameters based on real-time detection of user position. As the user moves to different locations in the room, the camera continuously tracks their position and the processing chip recalculates optimal sound beam directions, allowing the surround sound effect to adapt to various listening positions rather than being fixed to a single calibration point
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and a system for achieving a self-adaptive surround sound. The method comprises: recognizing specific positions of a room and a user in the room by using an object recognition technology, capturing focusing images of recognized objects by controlling a camera using a focusing control technology, and recording corresponding focusing parameters (S110); calculating position information of the room relative to the camera and position information of the user relative to the camera according to the images and the parameters (S120); calculating sound beams that can achieve the surround sound at the position of the user in said room according to aforesaid calculated position information of the room and the user (S130); obtaining parameters of a filter group according to the calculated sound beams, and adjusting the filter group of a loudspeaker array according to the parameters (S140); and playing an audio signal via the loudspeaker array after the audio signal is filtered by the filter group that has been adjusted according to the parameters to form surround sound at the position of the user in the room (S150).