Loudspeaker Array Audio Beamforming for Personalized Listening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio playback systems are inconvenient for multiple human users as they often require individual headphones or earpieces to adjust sound levels, failing to accommodate varying personal preferences and requirements within a shared environment.
Innovation Solution
A data processing device and method that detects individual reproduction modes for each user, generating reproducible data with adjustable sound levels, directionality, and intensity using a loudspeaker array and digital signal processing, allowing multiple users to simultaneously experience media content with personalized sound settings without the need for headphones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional audio playback systems are used with shared speakers, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but individual sound level adjustment for multiple users cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The audio signal is segmented into multiple independent sound beams, each directed toward a specific user position. The processing unit divides the input audio signal into first output signal and second output signal corresponding to different users, enabling individual sound level control without physical segmentation of the speaker system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from traditional omnidirectional sound distribution to spatially selective sound projection by introducing directional control as a new dimension. The processing unit projects sound beams in different directions corresponding to different user positions, adding spatial dimensionality to the audio output.
2Ease of operation
If headphones or earpieces are used for each user, then individual sound level adjustment is achieved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shared speaker system performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides omnidirectional audio coverage for all users while also delivering individualized sound beams to specific positions. The processing unit enables the single speaker system to serve both collective and individual listening needs without requiring separate devices for each user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of the audio experience by generating separate output signals for different users based on their positions. The processing unit produces first output signal and second output signal as copies of the input audio signal, each tailored to a specific user's location and preferences.
3Ease of operation
If sound is directed to specific users using loudspeaker array, then individual sound level adjustment is achieved, but crosstalk between users increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different acoustic characteristics to different spatial locations. The processing unit directs sound beams with specific intensity and directionality toward particular user positions, creating localized audio zones where each user receives optimized sound quality while minimizing interference from other directions.
Data Source
AI summary
A device (100) for processing data, the device (100) comprising a detection unit (110) adapted for detecting individual reproduction modes indicative of a manner of reproducing the data separately for each of a plurality of human users, and a processing unit (120) adapted for processing the data to thereby generate reproducible data separately for each of the plurality of human users in accordance with the detected individual reproduction modes.