Microphone Array Orientation via Presence Sensor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Voice assistants often misinterpret triggers due to environmental noise and false triggers in environments with multiple audible sources, leading to incorrect responses.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that includes a presence sensor to detect user location using electronic magnetic signals, a processor to orient a microphone array towards the user, and a neural network learning structure to differentiate between valid and false triggers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the microphone array receives audio from all directions equally, then the system can detect any user trigger, but environmental noise and false triggers from multiple audible sources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the microphone array's sensitivity directional rather than uniform. The system dynamically adjusts the pickup pattern to focus on the user's location while suppressing other directions, creating localized audio reception quality that matches the spatial distribution of relevant vs. irrelevant sound sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by continuously adapting the microphone array's orientation and pickup pattern based on real-time user location detection. The system transitions from a static omnidirectional pattern to a dynamic directional pattern that follows the user's movements, allowing the microphone array to maintain optimal trigger detection while rejecting environmental noise from other directions
2Measurement precision
If the microphone array is oriented towards a specific user location, then trigger reception from that user improves, but the system may miss triggers from other users or locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamics to continuously track and reorient towards the active user who is currently speaking or interacting. By dynamically adjusting the microphone array orientation based on real-time user detection, the system maintains high precision for the current user while the underlying presence sensor can still detect multiple users in different locations, enabling seamless transitions between users
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action through the presence sensor that continuously detects and tracks user locations before audio triggers occur. This preliminary spatial mapping allows the system to prepare the microphone array orientation in advance, ensuring that when a user speaks, the array is already optimally positioned to receive their voice while maintaining awareness of other potential users
3Reliability
If the system uses a neural network to learn and differentiate false triggers, then response accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through the neural network learning structure that continuously analyzes audio patterns and user behavior. The system learns from past interactions and trigger patterns, providing feedback to distinguish between genuine user commands and false triggers from environmental sources. This feedback mechanism improves response accuracy by adapting to the specific usage patterns and environmental characteristics of each deployment context
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service through the neural network's ability to autonomously learn and improve trigger differentiation without requiring manual programming or configuration. The learning structure automatically adapts to the specific environment and usage patterns, performing self-optimization that reduces the need for complex manual tuning while improving response accuracy over time
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
Improves trigger reception and response accuracy by directing the microphone array towards the user and learning to recognize false triggers, reducing annoyance from incorrect responses.
Implementation Method 1
a presence sensor that detects a user using electromagnetic signals
Data Source
AI summary
For orienting a microphone array to a user location, a processor detects a user location with a presence sensor that detects a user using electromagnetic signals. In addition, the processor orients a microphone array to the user location.