Headset Acoustic Sensor Pairs for Binaural Audio Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional binaural audio capture systems for artificial reality struggle to replicate the interaural cues of human hearing, leading to discrepancies in audio playback when using multiple microphones positioned differently from a user's ears, especially in smaller form factor devices.
Innovation Solution
A system with pairs of acoustic sensors symmetrically positioned on a headset frame, aligned perpendicular to each other, and an audio controller that applies filters to minimize differences in interaural cues by matching the directional transfer function of the user's ears with the directivity patterns of the sensors, generating modified audio that simulates the audio captured by the user's ears.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple microphones are positioned throughout the local area to capture binaural audio, then the audio capture accuracy is improved, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses pairs of acoustic sensors positioned on the headset frame to capture audio, then applies filters to generate modified audio that replicates the interaural cues that would be captured by microphones positioned at the user's ears. This copying approach allows binaural audio capture without physically placing multiple microphones throughout the local area, thereby maintaining audio accuracy while reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces filters as an intermediary component that processes the raw audio captured by the acoustic sensors. These filters modify the captured audio to compensate for the positional differences between the sensors on the headset frame and the user's ears, thereby achieving accurate binaural audio reproduction without requiring complex multi-microphone configurations
2Volume of moving object
If acoustic sensors are positioned on the headset frame, then the device size is reduced, but the interaural cues differ from those captured by the user's ears
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies filters that modify the audio parameters (frequency response, phase, amplitude) captured by the acoustic sensors on the headset frame. By changing these parameters, the system compensates for the positional differences between the sensors and the user's ears, thereby maintaining small device size while improving interaural cue accuracy to match what would be captured by ear-positioned microphones
3Device complexity
If conventional binaural audio capture is used with sensors in different locations, then the system complexity is reduced, but the audio playback realism deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores filter coefficients that are specifically designed to compensate for the known positional differences between the acoustic sensors on the headset frame and the user's ears. When audio is captured, these pre-determined filters are applied to immediately correct the interaural cues, thereby achieving realistic audio playback without requiring complex real-time processing or calibration procedures
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces discrepancies in audio playback, making the recorded audio sound as if it were captured by the user's ears, enhancing the realism of binaural audio in artificial reality systems without increasing the device's size or complexity.
Implementation Method 1
one or more pairs of acoustic sensors positioned on a frame... each acoustic sensor configured to capture audio
Implementation Method 2
obtain a filter associated with a selected pair of acoustic sensors... generates modified audio by applying the filter to the audio captured by each acoustic sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A headset includes multiple pairs of acoustic sensors for capturing audio of a local area surrounding the headset. Each pair of acoustic sensors includes an acoustic sensor on a side of the headset and an additional acoustic sensor on an opposite side of the headset. One pair of acoustic sensors is positioned closer to the ears of a user than other pairs of acoustic sensors. The headset determines a filter for each pair of acoustic sensors that modifies audio captured by the acoustic sensors of a pair. Application of the filter causes audio captured by the pair of acoustic sensors to have sound similar to audio captured at the user's ears. In some embodiments, audio from multiple pairs of acoustic sensors is filtered by corresponding filters then combined.