Spatial Audio Menu Navigation for Simultaneous Source Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio menu navigation systems in vehicles lack efficiency, particularly when dealing with multiple audio sources, as users must navigate through sources one at a time, making it cumbersome to select songs from USB drives with numerous compressed audio files.
Innovation Solution
A method that allows users to listen to two separate audio sources simultaneously and navigate menus of either source while doing so, utilizing three-dimensional audio transforms and multi-instance decoders to spatially output audio signals from multiple sources, enabling faster selection and improved navigation across sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users navigate through audio sources one at a time using traditional menu systems, then the system complexity remains manageable, but the navigation efficiency and user experience deteriorate significantly when dealing with multiple audio sources and numerous songs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to audio menu navigation by mapping different audio sources to different spatial locations around the listener. Instead of sequential one-dimensional navigation, users can hear preview clips from multiple sources simultaneously at different spatial positions, enabling parallel comparison and faster selection without overwhelming the system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio navigation experience by separating different audio sources into distinct spatial zones. Each audio source is assigned a specific spatial location, and preview clips are presented in their respective zones. This segmentation allows users to mentally organize and navigate through multiple sources more efficiently, reducing the cognitive load associated with complex multi-source navigation.
2Loss of time
If users traverse songs one at a time on USB flash drives with over one hundred compressed audio files, then the device complexity remains simple, but the time required to select desired songs increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to song selection by enabling overlapping playback of preview clips from different songs and sources. Instead of waiting for one clip to finish before hearing the next, users can hear multiple previews simultaneously at different spatial locations, dramatically reducing the time required to evaluate and select songs from large USB libraries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by automatically generating and playing preview clips from multiple audio sources before the user makes a selection. The system pre-loads and presents representative samples of songs in their spatial zones, allowing users to make informed decisions without manually navigating through entire tracks or lengthy menus.
3Productivity
If the system outputs multiple audio sources simultaneously from the same speakers, then the navigation efficiency improves, but the ability to distinguish between different audio sources deteriorates without spatial separation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning distinct spatial characteristics to each audio source. Instead of uniform output from all speakers, the system directs specific audio sources to specific spatial zones using targeted speaker activation. This creates localized audio qualities that help users distinguish between simultaneously playing sources while maintaining fast navigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetry in the audio output configuration by activating different speaker combinations for different audio sources. Rather than symmetric full-range output for all sources, the system uses asymmetric speaker activation patterns to create distinguishable spatial signatures for each source, enabling simultaneous playback with clear source identification.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of operating an audio system having first and second sources includes outputting a first audio signal from the first source on first and second speakers. In response to a listener input, the first audio signal and a second audio signal from the second source are output simultaneously on the first and second speakers. The first signal is output from each of the first and second speakers such that the first signal is perceived by a listener to originate from a first direction toward the listener. The second signal is output from each of the first and second speakers such that the second signal is perceived by the listener to originate from a second direction toward the listener. The second direction is offset at least ninety degrees from the first direction.