Co-Located Meeting Audio Routing to Prevent Feedback Loops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems face issues with audio feedback when multiple devices are co-located, leading to incomplete meeting records and inefficient use of computing resources due to muted microphones, and existing solutions either fail to mitigate feedback effectively or result in incomplete recordings.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing beacon signals with different protocols based on microphone and speaker states to determine co-location, enabling co-location mode where all co-located devices contribute audio content while preventing feedback, and ensuring accurate meeting records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If microphones are muted for co-located devices to prevent audio feedback, then audio feedback is reduced, but meeting records become incomplete and important participant input is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments audio handling by creating separate audio pipelines: one for local co-located devices (preventing feedback loops) and one for remote participants (capturing all participant audio for complete meeting records). This allows microphones to remain active while preventing harmful feedback through selective audio routing.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary that receives audio from all participants including co-located devices, processes it to prevent feedback, and distributes it appropriately. The server mediates between the need for complete meeting records and the need to prevent audio feedback by controlling audio distribution to co-located devices.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If microphones are muted for co-located devices to prevent audio feedback, then audio feedback is reduced, but computing resources must be used inefficiently to compensate for missed information
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments audio processing tasks by having the server handle complete meeting record generation from all participants while local devices handle only their own audio capture. This eliminates the need for redundant computing resources to compensate for muted microphones, as the server already has complete audio data.
3Device complexity
If a single beacon signal protocol is used for all devices joining meetings, then system complexity is reduced, but the time required for devices to join meetings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects between two beacon signal protocols based on the audio state (muted or active) of the joining device. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to use the more efficient two-beacon protocol when possible, reducing join time while maintaining manageable complexity through context-dependent protocol selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the beacon signal protocol parameters (number of beacons, encoding format) based on the audio state of the joining device. When audio is muted, a simpler single-beacon protocol is used; when audio is active, a more efficient two-beacon protocol with optimized timing is used, reducing join time while keeping overall system complexity acceptable.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed techniques provide enhanced techniques for reducing audio feedback during communication sessions. A system utilizes beacon signals to determine if two or more client devices are co-located. The system uses two different beacon signals communicated from two different devices if one of the devices joins a meeting with an active microphone. However, the system only utilizes one beacon signal from the joining device if the joining device has a muted microphone and speaker. Once two or more client devices are determined to be co-located, the system invokes a co-location mode that activates the microphones of each co-located client devices to allow each device to contribute audio content to a meeting for use in transcripts, recordings, meeting summaries, and verbal commands, while also preventing the co-located devices from sharing audio signals between one another.