Wireless Headphone Clock Synchronization for 3D Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless headphones lack the ability to synchronize audio signals collected by primary and secondary headphones, leading to gain and phase differences that hinder the generation of high-quality 3D audio representations, and existing systems are inefficient in data transmission between the headphones.
Innovation Solution
The wireless audio system synchronizes audio signals by generating synchronizing signals based on local clocks and adjusts gain and phase using test audio, allowing for efficient data transmission through direct memory access and time-division arrangements, enabling the generation of high-quality 3D audio representations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wireless headphones use independent local clocks for audio signal collection, then each headphone can operate independently without wires, but the audio signals from primary and secondary headphones become unsynchronized with gain and phase differences
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the primary headphone transmits its clock timing information to the secondary headphone via wireless communication. The secondary headphone uses this feedback to adjust its local clock and synchronize its audio signal collection timing with the primary headphone, thereby eliminating gain and phase differences while maintaining wireless independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces clock timing information as an intermediary element that mediates between the independent local clocks of the primary and secondary headphones. This intermediary carries synchronization data that allows both headphones to coordinate their audio signal collection without physical wire connections.
2Ease of operation
If audio data is transmitted between headphones through traditional communication protocols, then wireless communication is established, but data transmission overhead and processing delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential synchronization information (clock timing data) from the full audio data stream and transmits only this critical subset between headphones. This extraction approach reduces data transmission volume and processing overhead while maintaining the necessary synchronization functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary synchronization by having the primary headphone transmit clock timing information to the secondary headphone before audio signal collection begins. This preliminary action ensures that both headphones are synchronized from the start, avoiding the need for continuous real-time data exchange during audio recording.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating a 3D audio representation of an audio by a first wireless headphone: collecting a first audio signal; generating a first counting signal; generating a first synchronizing signal based on the first counting signal; and retrieving a portion of the first audio signal. The method includes, by a second wireless headphone: receiving a wireless signal from the first wireless headphone, indicating a first local clock of the first wireless headphone; synchronizing a second local clock of the second wireless headphone with the first local clock; collecting a second audio signal; generating a second synchronizing signal based on the second local clock; and retrieving a portion of the second audio signal. The method further includes generating, by a user equipment, the 3D audio representation of the audio based on the first and the second audio signals and the first and the second synchronizing signals.