Location-Based Spatial Audio Filtering for Natural AR Sound
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality (AR) systems fail to enhance the perceived naturalness of auditory experiences by accurately replicating the spatial acoustic properties of the user's environment, leading to a disjointed audio experience.
Innovation Solution
The use of spatial impulse responses (SIR) to process audio signals, determining the user's location (indoors or outdoors) and applying appropriate acoustic filters to match the physical environment, ensuring consistent spatial audio properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spatial acoustic filtering is applied to match environment, then perceived naturalness is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores spatial impulse responses for different environments (indoor, outdoor, enclosed spaces) before actual use. When the user enters an environment, the system quickly selects and applies the pre-prepared filter rather than calculating it in real-time, thus enhancing perceived naturalness while minimizing processing complexity during operation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes acoustic parameters (reverb time, echo characteristics, frequency response) based on detected environment type. By adjusting these parameters to match typical indoor or outdoor acoustic properties, the system enhances realism without requiring complex real-time acoustic modeling of each unique space
2Measurement precision
If location-based audio processing is implemented, then spatial accuracy is improved, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single GPS receiver to serve multiple functions: determining both the user's geographic location and inferring the environment type (indoor/outdoor). By making the location detection system multi-functional, the patent achieves spatial accuracy for audio processing without requiring separate complex measurement systems
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses GPS coordinates as an intermediary to indirectly determine acoustic environment properties. Rather than directly measuring acoustic characteristics, the patent uses location data as a mediator to select appropriate spatial impulse responses from pre-stored environmental profiles, simplifying the measurement process while maintaining spatial accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
A system is described that includes a display configured to visually display a mixed visual signal and audio signal, which includes a camera, a first microphone, a second microphone, two speakers, memory, a processor, that displays a mixed visual signal and the speakers emit a mixed audio signal.