Mobile Speaker Robot for Adaptive Surround Sound Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current smart speakers lack the ability to augment media presentation and gaming experiences by providing surround sound components, as they are limited in connectivity, mobility, and awareness of media sources, failing to enhance viewing or gaming experiences beyond basic audio capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A personal robot equipped with speakers and locomotion capabilities that establishes connections with media devices, maps the environment, identifies viewer positions, and delivers additional surround sound components by moving to optimal locations to provide enriched audio experiences, mimicking virtual sound sources in real-world environments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a smart speaker is used for basic audio playback, then audio content delivery is achieved, but the ability to provide surround sound components for media presentation and gaming is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The robot system is designed to perform multiple functions: it acts as a mobile speaker for general audio playback, a surround sound provider for media presentation, and a spatial audio companion for gaming. The robot can connect to different devices (TV, gaming console, media player) and adapt its behavior based on the detected activity, thus achieving universal audio enhancement across different scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot introduces dynamic mobility to the audio system. Unlike fixed smart speakers, the robot can move to different positions in the room, adjust its orientation, and change its spatial relationship with the user and sound sources. This dynamic positioning enables the robot to provide directional surround sound components and create immersive audio experiences that adapt to changing viewing or gaming scenarios.
2Device complexity
If a fixed smart speaker is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but mobility and awareness of media sources are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The robot transforms the static smart speaker into a dynamic mobile platform. The locomotion capabilities allow the robot to navigate the environment, position itself optimally for sound delivery, and adapt to different room layouts. This mobility is complemented by environmental awareness through sensors that detect media sources, users, and spatial characteristics, creating a system that is both adaptable and intelligent.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot employs sensors and processing capabilities to autonomously detect and identify media sources, determine optimal positioning, and adjust its behavior without requiring manual configuration. The system self-adapts to the environment by recognizing TV screens, gaming consoles, and user positions, thereby providing contextual audio enhancement automatically.
3Reliability
If additional sensors and locomotion capabilities are added to provide surround sound, then audio immersion is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot integrates multiple functions into a single platform: locomotion for positioning, sensors for environmental awareness, speakers for audio output, and processing for spatial audio computation. This multi-functional design avoids the need for separate dedicated devices and achieves surround sound capability through coordinated operation of integrated components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical surround sound systems (multiple fixed speakers positioned around the room) with a single mobile robot that uses software-based spatial audio processing and strategic positioning to create similar immersive effects. The robot uses digital signal processing and acoustic modeling to simulate surround sound rather than requiring physical speaker arrays.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided for providing one or more sound component to a viewer within a media presentation space by a robot having one or more speakers. A method includes an operation for establishing a connection to a media device that is presenting media content to the viewer, and an operation for capturing input from a plurality of sensors for obtaining a map of the media presentation space. The method additionally provides for identifying a position of the viewer and a speaker configuration in the media presentation space. The method allows the robot to move to a location based on the map of the media presentation space, the position of the viewer and the speaker configuration. Moreover, the method provides an operation for receiving one or more sound components for presentation to the user.