Portable Speaker Audio Queue Normalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable speakers are not well-suited for social gatherings where multiple users want to seamlessly listen to audio content without disruptions, as they typically pair with a single device, may pause or disconnect when users move away, and can experience variances in audio levels.
Innovation Solution
A full-featured portable speaker with a management module that receives and stores audio files, normalizes audio levels, and automatically obtains content from an Internet service provider based on metadata when the queue is empty, allowing multiple users to contribute content and maintain a consistent listening experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a portable speaker pairs with a single device, then the connection is simple and stable, but it cannot support multiple users listening simultaneously without disruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio content management by introducing a queue system that separates individual track management from multi-user coordination. Each user's contributions are added as discrete items in a queue, allowing multiple users to interact with the speaker independently while maintaining overall system coherence through the centralized queue management mechanism.
2Reliability
If the speaker disconnects when users move away, then the connection remains stable, but the listening experience is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading multiple audio tracks into a queue before users need to listen. This allows the speaker to maintain stable connections without requiring real-time reconnection as users move between tracks, since the entire playlist is already prepared and queued for playback.
3Adaptability or versatility
If audio levels vary between tracks, then different content can be played, but the listening experience is inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback through an audio normalization mechanism that analyzes the loudness of each track in the queue and adjusts playback levels accordingly. This feedback loop ensures that audio levels remain consistent across diverse content types while maintaining the ability to play varied material, as the system automatically compensates for level differences between tracks.
4Productivity
If the queue runs empty, then playback stops, but content continuity cannot be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-populating the queue with multiple audio tracks before playback begins. This ensures that the speaker has a buffer of content ready to play, maintaining service continuity even if users move away or devices are temporarily disconnected, as the pre-loaded queue ensures uninterrupted playback.
Data Source
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AI summary
In one example, a portable speaker is provided. The portable speaker includes a communication interface to receive an audio file from a portable computing device, a machine-readable storage medium to store the audio file, a speaker to output sound corresponding to the audio file, and a management module. The management module is to (i) add the audio file to a queue to be output by the speaker; (ii) analyze the audio file to determine a baseline audio level for the audio file, and utilize the determined baseline audio level to normalize an audio level of another audio file subsequently added to the queue; and (iii) in response to the number of audio files in the queue decreasing below a threshold, analyze metadata from audio files previously or currently in the queue to determine attribute information, and request audio content from an Internet service provider based on the attribute information.