Inverse Audio Track Synchronization for Selective Sound Canceling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio systems fail to effectively cancel specific audio components, such as unwanted voices or commentary, leading to interference between multiple audio sources, especially in environments with extended reality headsets and ambient speakers.
Innovation Solution
Pre-generated inverse audio tracks are encoded and synchronized with original audio content to cancel specific audio components by phase inversion, allowing selective silencing or replacement of unwanted audio through headphones or secondary speakers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If active noise canceling is used to silence ambient audio, then unwanted audio is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to real-time processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-generates inverse audio tracks during content encoding, before distribution. This eliminates the need for complex real-time processing at the client device, as the cancelation audio is already prepared and simply needs to be synchronized and played back alongside the original content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the original audio track with inverted phase (180 degrees out of phase). This inverse audio copy is encoded separately and distributed with the original content, allowing the client to play both tracks simultaneously for cancelation without modifying the original audio processing pipeline.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple audio tracks are encoded and delivered within video or audio streams, then selective audio cancelation is enabled, but the data transmission volume increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the audio cancelation function from the main audio stream by creating a separate inverse audio track. This allows the cancelation audio to be independently encoded, transmitted, and controlled, enabling selective activation without requiring the entire audio stream to be reprocessed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by inverting the phase of the audio signal (180 degrees) while maintaining the same frequency content and duration. This transformation creates an effective cancelation signal without increasing the fundamental parameters of the audio data, such as sample rate or bit depth.
3Measurement precision
If pre-generated inverse audio tracks are used for cancelation, then audio cancelation precision is improved, but synchronization requirements become more stringent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates synchronization metadata and timing information within the encoded audio streams. The system uses these feedback mechanisms to automatically align the inverse audio track with the original content, compensating for any drift and maintaining precise synchronization throughout playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent pre-calculates and embeds synchronization timing information during the encoding phase. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the audio streams are played back, they are already synchronized to the correct timing, reducing the burden on real-time playback synchronization.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If inverse audio is played back to cancel ambient sound, then noise cancelation is achieved, but the desired audio components may also be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different inverse audio tracks for different audio components within the same content. Users can selectively enable cancelation for specific tracks (e.g., commentary track only) while leaving other tracks (e.g., game audio, music) unaffected, allowing precise control over which audio components are canceled.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio content into multiple independent tracks (e.g., commentary, music, sound effects) and generates separate inverse tracks for each segment. This segmentation allows the system to target specific unwanted audio components without affecting other desired audio elements.
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
Enables precise cancellation of unwanted audio components while allowing other audio to remain audible, enhancing user experience by reducing interference and enabling personalized audio environments.
Implementation Method 1
a derived inverse audio track which is 180 degrees out of phase (inverted) with respect to the 'heard' audio may be played back
Implementation Method 2
when combined with the ambient ('heard') sound causes the 'heard' sound to be 'canceled' out
Data Source
AI summary
System and method are provided for pre-generated inverse audio canceling. A system may identify source audio content that a first device is playing, retrieve pre-generated inverse audio content associated with the identified audio content, modify at least a portion of the retrieved inverse audio content, and cause the modified inverse audio content to be played in synchronization with the identified source audio content to attenuate at least a portion of the source audio content that is playing.