Networked Array Microphone Automixing with Distributed Gating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automixer systems face challenges with processing resources and signal routing complexity when handling large numbers of microphones or array lobes, and traditional AEC techniques are computationally intensive and less effective on mixed signals.
Innovation Solution
A network of array microphones generates submix audio signals and reduced bandwidth metrics, with a common gating control signal, and an aggregator unit processes these signals to produce a final mix, reducing processing resources and signal routing complexity while enhancing signal-to-noise ratio and intelligibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple automixer units are linked together to support larger numbers of audio signals, then the system can handle more microphones, but processing resources and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the automixing functionality into distributed processing units, where each microphone array has its own processing unit that performs local beamforming and automixing operations. This segmentation allows the system to scale to many microphones without requiring a single centralized processing unit, thereby maintaining processing efficiency while increasing capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a networked architecture where processing occurs across multiple spatial dimensions rather than through a single hierarchical level. By enabling peer-to-peer communication and coordination between distributed processing units, the system achieves scalable capacity without linearly increasing central processing requirements.
2Reliability
If traditional AEC techniques are applied to each microphone signal, then echo cancellation can be performed, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs beamforming as a preliminary action before applying acoustic echo cancellation. By first forming directional beams that isolate speech sources from background noise and echo, the subsequent AEC processing operates on cleaner, more focused signals, reducing the computational complexity required for effective echo cancellation.
3Ease of operation
If a centralized automixer unit processes all microphone signals, then gating decisions can be made, but processing resources and routing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The automixing function is segmented and distributed to individual processing units associated with each microphone array. Each processing unit independently makes gating decisions for its local microphones based on voice activity detection, eliminating the need for complex centralized signal routing while maintaining automated gating capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Each distributed processing unit autonomously performs voice activity detection and gating decisions for its local microphone array without requiring centralized control. This self-service approach simplifies the overall system architecture by eliminating complex routing requirements while preserving automated mixing functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for networked audio automixing using array microphones and an aggregator unit that participate in making a common gating decision to determine which channels to gate on and off. Through the use of such a network of array microphones having the capability to generate submix audio signals and reduced bandwidth metrics, as well as AEC processing capability, array microphone lobe selection can be enhanced while maximizing signal-to-noise ratio, increasing intelligibility, and increasing user satisfaction.