Game Audio Source Separation for Dialogue Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Audio interference in audio-visual entertainment, particularly in video games, can cause confusion and undesirable effects such as nausea due to simultaneous speech and music, and existing solutions like volume ducking detract from the immersion and user experience.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising an event detection unit to identify significant events, a separation unit for real-time source separation of audio elements, and an audio output unit to adjust playback, ensuring key audio features are preserved while reducing clashes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If volume ducking is used to reduce music volume during dialogue, then speech intelligibility is improved, but user immersion deteriorates due to constant volume changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes only the conflicting vocal elements from the music track using source separation technology, while preserving the instrumental portions at their original volume. This selective removal approach improves speech intelligibility during dialogue without causing the constant volume changes that detract from immersion in traditional ducking methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the volume parameter of specific audio sources (vocal tracks) based on detected dialogue presence, rather than applying uniform volume changes to the entire music track. This targeted parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by affecting only the conflicting elements.
2Measurement precision
If source separation is applied to remove conflicting music elements, then speech intelligibility is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an event detection unit as an intermediary component that identifies when dialogue occurs and triggers the source separation process. This mediator manages the complexity by controlling when and how source separation is applied, rather than continuously processing all audio elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical audio mixing approaches with digital source separation technology, using computational methods to separate and manipulate audio tracks. This substitution enables precise control over conflicting elements while maintaining overall system manageability through software-based solutions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system comprising: an event detection unit, configured to detect a significant event associated with a video game environment and to selectively output an indication of a detected event; and a separation unit configured to perform source separation on music in playback in dependence upon the indication from the event detection unit, and an audio output unit configured to output for playback audio derived from the result of source separation by the separation unit.