Speaker Output Control Based on Device Distance for Howling Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices face challenges in preventing howling during calls, particularly in group call environments, where howling prediction signals are removed through filters, leading to distorted sounds for irrelevant listeners due to the inability to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant sources of howling.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device that determines the distance to external devices based on signal strength or correlation, controlling speaker output power to prevent howling by reducing volume or muting when devices are in close proximity, thereby avoiding distortion for distant listeners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a band-stop filter is used to remove howling signals in specific frequency bands, then howling is prevented, but the speaker's voice may be distorted or removed along with the howling signal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between relevant and irrelevant howling sources based on device distance. Instead of uniformly filtering all howling signals, the system selectively applies howling prevention only to distant devices that are irrelevant to the current call, while preserving the full audio quality for close devices that are relevant speakers. This resolves the contradiction by making the filtering action localized to specific spatial contexts.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If howling prediction signals are removed through filters in group call environments, then howling is prevented, but distant listeners hear distorted sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements local quality by applying different audio processing treatments to different participants based on their distance from the speaker. Distant listeners who are not relevant to the call have their howling signals filtered, while close listeners who are relevant speakers maintain full audio fidelity. This resolves the contradiction by making the audio processing quality dependent on the local spatial context of each participant.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the group call participants into two categories: relevant devices (close proximity) and irrelevant devices (distant proximity). By segmenting the user base and applying different processing strategies to each segment, the system prevents howling for irrelevant distant listeners while preserving natural audio for relevant close listeners, thus resolving the contradiction between howling prevention and audio quality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If adaptive filters are used to detect and remove howling signals, then howling is reduced, but the speaker's voice is also removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by determining device distance and relevant status before the call audio is processed. By pre-identifying which devices are relevant speakers and which are irrelevant distant listeners, the system can proactively apply appropriate processing (no filtering for relevant devices, howling filtering for irrelevant devices) before the audio processing occurs. This prevents the contradiction from arising in the first place by establishing the correct processing strategy in advance.
Data Source
AI summary
The present document relates to a method and an electronic device for adjusting an output level of a speaker on the basis of a distance from an external electronic device, and the electronic device may comprise: a speaker; a first communication circuit; a second communication circuit; a processor; and a memory electrically connected to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: receive a signal, broadcast by an external electronic device, through the first communication circuit; determine a distance from the external electronic device at least on the basis of the received signal; and adjust, at a designated level, an output level of the speaker for outputting an audio signal received from the external electronic device by using the second communication circuit, at least on the basis of the distance determined to belong to a designated range. In addition, various embodiments are possible.