DSSS Audio Playback Orchestration for Automatic Acoustic Mapping
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio systems struggle with efficient and user-friendly calibration and mapping of smart audio devices in dynamic acoustic environments, requiring manual intervention or dedicated procedures that hinder widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signals injected into audio playback to enable acoustic devices to communicate and estimate acoustic scene metrics, such as audibility and location, without requiring manual calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual calibration procedures are used for audio devices, then measurement precision can be achieved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic calibration by having audio devices autonomously transmit DSSS signals and process received signals to estimate acoustic scene metrics without requiring manual user intervention. The devices self-configure based on the acoustic environment by processing the transmitted and received DSSS signals to determine spatial relationships and adjust playback parameters automatically.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calibration actions by transmitting DSSS signals before actual audio playback to establish acoustic scene metrics. These preliminary measurements of spatial relationships and acoustic properties enable subsequent audio playback to be automatically optimized without requiring manual calibration at the time of use.
2Measurement precision
If dedicated calibration procedures are implemented, then acoustic scene metrics can be accurately estimated, but device complexity increases due to additional calibration steps
Solution Approach 1:
The DSSS signal transmission serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a calibration signal for estimating acoustic scene metrics, provides spatial location information, enables audibility assessment, and facilitates device identification. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate dedicated calibration procedures, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The DSSS signal acts as an intermediary carrier that embeds calibration information within the audio playback signal itself. Rather than requiring separate calibration equipment or procedures, the system uses the audio signals already being played back as the medium for extracting acoustic scene metrics, thereby simplifying the overall calibration process.
3Ease of operation
If acoustic devices communicate through injected signals, then ease of operation improves by enabling automatic coordination, but device complexity increases due to signal processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical calibration procedures with acoustic signal-based communication. Instead of physically adjusting devices or using manual input methods, the audio devices automatically exchange DSSS signals through the acoustic environment, allowing the system to infer spatial relationships and coordinate playback automatically through signal processing rather than mechanical adjustment.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Some methods may involve receiving a first content stream that includes first audio signals, rendering the first audio signals to produce first audio playback signals, generating first direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signals, generating first modified audio playback signals by inserting the first DSSS signals into the first audio playback signals, and causing a loudspeaker system to play back the first modified audio playback signals, to generate first audio device playback sound. The method(s) may involve receiving microphone signals corresponding to at least the first audio device playback sound and to second through Nth audio device playback sound corresponding to second through Nth modified audio playback signals (including second through Nth DSSS signals) played back by second through Nth audio devices, extracting second through Nth DSSS signals from the microphone signals and estimating at least one acoustic scene metric based, at least partly, on the second through Nth DSSS signals.