Spatial Audio Rendering for Parallel Call and Media Playback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques for differentiating between multiple audio signals played simultaneously on mobile devices, such as call audio and multimedia content, often reduce sound quality by modifying amplitude, frequency, and phase, failing to adapt to varying audio signal characteristics and resulting in muffled or distorted audio.
Innovation Solution
The use of spatial audio rendering techniques that dynamically modify audio signal parameters to position audio streams in a 3D audio virtual space, allowing for separate perception of audio signals by shifting their perceived location, thereby maintaining sound quality and allowing seamless transition between audio sources during calls.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional techniques lower the volume or distort one of the audio signals to differentiate between multiple audio signals, then the differentiation between audio signals is improved, but the sound quality of the rendered audio signal is significantly reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spatial audio rendering to create a three-dimensional virtual space where different audio signals can be positioned at different locations. Instead of differentiating audio signals through amplitude or frequency modification in the traditional audio domain, the system uses spatial positioning in a 3D virtual space, allowing listeners to distinguish between multiple audio sources based on their perceived location rather than through distortion or volume reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different spatial rendering parameters to different audio streams individually. Each audio signal is processed with specific spatial characteristics (position, distance, direction) that are tailored to its source type, allowing each audio signal to maintain its original quality while being differentiated through its unique spatial characteristics in the virtual space.
2Loss of information
If conventional techniques modify amplitude, frequency, and phase to differentiate audio signals, then the differentiation between audio signals is improved, but the audio signals become muffled or distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from modifying audio signals in the traditional amplitude-frequency-phase domain to positioning them in a spatial domain. By creating a 3D virtual space and assigning spatial coordinates to different audio sources, the system achieves differentiation without altering the fundamental characteristics of the audio signals themselves, thus maintaining their fidelity and avoiding muffling or distortion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter space used for audio differentiation. Instead of modifying amplitude, frequency, or phase parameters of the audio signals, the system uses spatial parameters (position, direction, distance) as the primary differentiation mechanism. This parameter transformation allows audio signals to be distinguished while preserving their original acoustic properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If spatial audio rendering is used to position audio streams in a 3D virtual space, then the sound quality is maintained and audio signals are clearly differentiated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical audio environment through a 3D virtual space model. Instead of requiring complex physical speaker arrangements or multiple audio outputs, the system renders spatial audio effects through software processing that simulates three-dimensional sound positioning. This virtual copying approach achieves high-quality spatial differentiation using standard speaker configurations, reducing the need for complex hardware modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
Dynamic audio rendering can be achieved by modifying the amplitude, phase, and frequency of audio signal components by varying degrees based on characteristics of the audio signal. A rendered audio signal can be produced by scaling the amplitude of an audio signal component by an amount that is dynamically selected according to the audio signal characteristics. A rendered audio signal can also be produced by adjusting/shifting a phase and/or frequency of an audio signal component by an amount that is dynamically selected according to the audio signal characteristics. The audio signal characteristics may correspond to any metric or quality associated with the audio signal, such as an energy ratio of the audio signal in the time domain, a bit-depth, or sampling rate.