Mixed Rendering Audio System for Personalized Speech Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio systems fail to provide personalized audio experiences for multiple users in a listening environment, leading to reduced dialog intelligibility and lack of customization.
Innovation Solution
An audio system utilizing a far-field speaker and a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers to output distinct portions of an audio signal in synchrony, enhancing speech content and frequency range for individual user experiences while maintaining social engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional out-loud audio systems provide the same audio content to all users, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but user personalization and dialog intelligibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The audio system is segmented into far-field speakers for general audio output and near-field speakers for personalized audio enhancement. This segmentation allows different parts of the system to serve different functions: far-field speakers provide ambient audio while near-field speakers deliver personalized content, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and user personalization
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality by providing different audio experiences to different users based on their location and preferences. Near-field speakers deliver personalized audio content to specific users while far-field speakers provide general audio output, enabling each user to receive customized audio without complicating the overall system operation
2Area of stationary object
If far-field speakers output audio signal, then coverage area is increased and social engagement is maintained, but dialog intelligibility and audio clarity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges far-field speaker output with near-field speaker output to achieve both wide coverage and high audio clarity. Far-field speakers provide broad area coverage while near-field speakers supplement with enhanced audio details, combining the advantages of both approaches to resolve the contradiction between coverage area and audio clarity
3Adaptability or versatility
If near-field speakers provide personalized audio content, then dialog intelligibility and user experience are improved, but device complexity and synchronization requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an intermediary synchronization mechanism where the far-field speaker serves as the master clock and the near-field speakers synchronize to it. This intermediary approach manages the complexity of coordinating multiple speakers by establishing a clear hierarchical relationship, reducing synchronization complexity while maintaining personalized audio delivery
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations include audio systems and methods for mixed rendering to enhance audio output. Certain implementations include an audio system having: at least one far-field speaker configured to output a first portion of an audio signal; and a pair of non-occluding near-field speakers configured to output a second portion of the audio signal in synchrony with the output of the first portion of the audio signal, where the second portion of the audio signal increases intelligibility of the speech content within the audio signal.