Spatial Audio Mixing for Teleoperator Event Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Teleoperators of autonomous vehicle fleets face challenges in accurately localizing events in real-time due to the inability to combine and process audio data from multiple sensors effectively, leading to delayed or inaccurate decision-making during remote operations.
Innovation Solution
An audio data processing system that combines multiple audio channels from various sensors into a reduced number of channels for output via speakers, providing a spatialized, immersive sound experience, allowing teleoperators to perceive events as if they were present in the vehicle's environment, even when other sensors are inoperable or occluded.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple audio channels from various sensors are combined and processed into a reduced number of channels, then the teleoperator's ability to localize events and perceive the environment immersively is improved, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple audio channels from various sensors (microphones, audio processors) into a reduced number of output channels. This merging process integrates spatial audio data to create an immersive sound field that enables accurate event localization, directly resolving the contradiction by achieving high measurement precision through systematic combination of multiple input sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms two-dimensional audio channel data into a three-dimensional immersive sound field experienced by the teleoperator. By creating spatial audio representations that simulate real-world acoustic environments, the system enhances event localization accuracy by adding spatial dimensionality to the audio processing, allowing operators to perceive direction and distance of events.
2Productivity
If audio data is processed in real-time to provide immersive feedback, then the teleoperator's decision-making speed is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of audio data by combining multiple channels into reduced output channels before transmission to the teleoperator. This pre-processing approach prepares the immersive audio feedback in advance, reducing the computational burden during critical decision-making moments and enabling faster response times without sacrificing processing quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts essential spatial audio information from multiple sensor channels and consolidates it into a reduced set of output channels. By taking out only the critical spatial characteristics needed for event localization and immersive perception, the system achieves real-time processing capability while maintaining high decision-making speed, avoiding unnecessary computational overhead.
3Device complexity
If individual audio channels are listened to separately, then the processing complexity is reduced, but the ability to localize events accurately is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual audio channels into integrated spatial audio outputs that preserve directional and positional information. By combining channels rather than processing them separately, the system maintains event localization accuracy while presenting the information in a unified immersive format that the teleoperator can interpret intuitively without managing multiple separate audio streams.
Data Source
AI summary
Immersive experiences for users are described herein. In an example, audio data from a plurality of audio sensors associated with a vehicle can be received by an audio data processing system. The audio data processing system can combine individual captured audio channels (e.g., from the plurality of audio sensors) into two or more audio channels for output via two or more speakers proximate a user. A first audio channel of the two or more audio channels can be output via a first speaker and second audio channel of the two or more audio channels to be output via a second speaker, wherein output of the first audio channel and the second audio channel causes a resulting sound corresponding to at least a portion of a sound scene associated with the vehicle. In an example, a user computing device operable by the user can receive an input from the user.