Multi-Zone Vehicle Communications With Dynamic Audio Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems in vehicles or similar spaces struggle to seamlessly integrate and manage multiple zones for communications sessions, particularly when participating in calls or data exchanges between devices within and outside the space.
Innovation Solution
A computing component within the vehicle or space dynamically manages multiple zones by associating devices with zone identifiers, enabling communication sessions across zones through audio processing and data management, allowing for the addition or removal of zones and control of permissions, and mixing audio streams for coherent communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple zones are integrated into a single communication system, then communication versatility is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the communication space into multiple independent zones, each with its own communication endpoints and control parameters. This segmentation allows each zone to be managed separately while maintaining overall system versatility, resolving the contradiction by organizing complexity into manageable segments rather than a monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to communication management by defining zones based on physical location within the vehicle. This dimensional approach allows the system to handle multiple communication sessions simultaneously in different spatial regions, increasing versatility without proportionally increasing overall system complexity through structured spatial organization.
2Adaptability or versatility
If zones are dynamically added or removed from communication sessions, then communication adaptability is improved, but control management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic zone management where zones can be added to or removed from communication sessions in real-time based on vehicle occupancy and user needs. This dynamic capability improves communication adaptability while the automated zone management algorithms prevent control complexity from becoming unmanageable by providing structured procedures for zone addition and removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors zone status, occupancy, and communication session states to dynamically adjust zone participation. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adaptation to changing conditions without requiring complex manual control, as the system self-regulates based on real-time information about zone availability and communication requirements.
3Reliability
If audio streams from multiple zones are mixed, then communication coherence is improved, but audio processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges audio streams from multiple zones into a unified communication experience by combining audio inputs and distributing audio outputs across appropriate zones. This merging improves communication coherence by ensuring all participants hear each other clearly, while the structured audio mixing architecture manages processing complexity through organized signal flow and zone-based routing.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for communications in a multi-zone space are described. In an example, a system stores data indicating devices in zones of a space and data indicating zones that are associated with a communications session. A display in a zone presents graphical user interface indicating the zones associated with the communications session. Incoming audio data can be mixed with audio data detected from another participating zone and a speaker in the zone can output this audio data. Audio data detected from the participating zone can also be mixed and sent to a remote device that is an endpoint of the communications session.