Dynamic Audio Mixing Stack for Conference Noise Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio conferencing systems face challenges in seamlessly integrating new participants and minimizing annoying switching behavior in background noise during audio signal mixing, often due to reliance on quantitative measures like energy content and priority ranking.
Innovation Solution
The method involves arranging audio channels in a mixing stack based on dynamic activity, where active channels are prioritized and included in the mixed output signal, regardless of initial ranking, and inactive channels are managed to avoid unnecessary switching by being pushed below the threshold only when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If audio channels are ranked based on energy content or priority, then the mixing quality is improved, but new participants cannot easily join the conference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic mixing stack where channel positions are not fixed but continuously adjusted based on activity status. When a new participant joins, their channel is dynamically inserted at the top of the stack, ensuring immediate inclusion in the mix regardless of initial energy content or priority ranking. This dynamic repositioning resolves the contradiction by making the system adaptable to new participants while maintaining quality through active channel prioritization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares the mixing stack in advance by maintaining a structured hierarchy of channels. When a new participant joins, the system has pre-established positions and mechanisms to immediately accommodate them at the top of the stack. This preliminary structuring allows seamless integration without disrupting the overall mixing quality, as the system is already configured to handle dynamic channel additions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If inactive channels are frequently replaced based on energy criteria, then the mixing adapts to current conditions, but annoying switching behavior occurs in background noise
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of frequently replacing inactive channels based on energy criteria (the conventional approach), the patent inverts the logic by maintaining inactive channels in the stack until they become active. This reversal of the selection logic prevents unnecessary switching behavior while still allowing the mix to adapt when channels actually become active, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and harmful switching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous inclusion of channels in the mixing stack without unnecessary interruptions or replacements during inactive periods. By maintaining the stack composition stable during inactive states and only making changes when channels become active, the system provides continuous, smooth audio output without annoying switching behavior, while still adapting to real conditions when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for mixing audio signals. The invention is based on the idea to base selection of what audio channels to mix on the dynamic behavior of the audio channels in terms of whether they are active or not, rather than basing the selection on quantative measures of the audio channels. According to the invention, a set of audio channels are arranged in a mixing stack and a mixed audio signal is produced from the topmost channels above a predetermined threshold level in the stack. Whenever a channel becomes active, it is placed at the top of the stack.