Embedded Smart Hub for Low-Latency Audio Visual Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic devices lack the capability to effectively synchronize audio playback with dynamic visual feedback, such as smart lighting, to create immersive experiences with low latency and adapt to various audio content, including music and audiobooks.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes an embedded smart hub component allowing direct communication between an audio processor and smart lighting devices, using low-level hardware abstraction layers to control LED lights and smart home devices, dividing audio data into frequency bands to control brightness and color based on energy levels and beats per minute, and employing keyword detection for real-time special effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an external hub is used to control smart lighting devices, then device compatibility and control capability are improved, but system latency increases and synchronization with audio playback deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the smart hub functionality from an external device and embeds it directly into the audio processing device. This eliminates the need for external hub communication and reduces system latency while maintaining device compatibility through the embedded hub's ability to communicate directly with smart lighting devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded smart hub acts as an intermediary component within the audio processing device, enabling direct control of smart lighting devices without requiring external hub mediation. This intermediate component resolves the contradiction by providing both compatibility (through standardized protocols) and low latency (through direct control).
2Ease of operation
If audio data is processed through multiple layers and external devices, then control capability is improved, but latency increases and real-time synchronization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the audio processing functions and smart hub control functions into a single integrated device. This consolidation eliminates multiple communication layers and external device interactions, reducing latency while maintaining comprehensive control capability through the unified system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio processing device is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as an audio processor and a smart home control hub. This universal device performs multiple functions (audio processing, keyword detection, special effects generation, and smart device control) within a single system, eliminating the need for separate external devices and reducing overall system latency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If keyword detection and special effects are added to enhance audio content adaptation, then adaptability to various audio content is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary keyword detection and analysis on the audio content before generating special effects. This advance processing allows the system to adapt to different audio content types (music, audiobooks, podcasts) by identifying keywords and pre-determining appropriate visual effects, reducing real-time processing complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio processing device autonomously performs keyword detection, content analysis, and special effects generation without requiring external intervention. This self-service capability enables the system to automatically adapt to various audio content types, managing its own complexity through integrated artificial intelligence and machine learning components.
Data Source
AI summary
A system configured to use keywords to augment audio playback with visual effects and/or other effects to provide an immersive audio experience. For example, a device can detect a keyword and control a color and intensity of external lights to provide visual feedback. In addition to visual effects, the device can trigger additional effects using smart plugs or other smart devices. In a listening enhancement mode in which the device outputs audio content, the device performs keyword detection by monitoring playback audio data for preconfigured keywords. In a storytelling mode in which a user reads a book out loud, the device may perform keyword detection by monitoring microphone audio data for the preconfigured keywords. Controlling the visual effects in response to keyword detection is enabled by a new pipeline that sends information back from a wakeword engine to an audio processor.