Stereo Pair Audio Device Channel Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio systems can only play the same content in monaural when two audio devices with single speaker units are used together for synchronous play, as they lack the capability to output stereo signals.

Innovation Solution

The audio system allows two audio devices to be set as a stereo pair, with one device outputting the right-channel audio signal and the other the left-channel signal, enabling stereo playback by activating an internal access point and using wireless LAN communication to synchronize the audio signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If two audio devices with single speaker units are used for synchronous play, then the audio system can achieve synchronized playback across multiple devices, but the audio output is limited to monaural and cannot achieve stereo playback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestereo playback capabilityVSAvoidsystem configuration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The audio system divides the stereo signal into separate left and right channel signals, assigning each channel to a different audio device. This segmentation allows monaural devices to collectively reproduce stereo content by distributing different audio channels to different devices, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple device architecture and achieving stereo playback capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple monaural audio devices into a stereo pair group, merging their output capabilities to achieve stereo playback. By synchronizing the playback of separated audio channels across multiple devices and spatially positioning them appropriately, the system merges the functional capabilities of individual monaural devices to create a stereo audio experience.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Productivity

If audio devices are configured for synchronous play in a group, then multiple devices can play the same content simultaneously, but all devices in the group output the same audio signal resulting in monaural playback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronized playback efficiencyVSAvoidaudio output format
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by assigning different audio channel signals to different audio devices within the synchronous play group. Instead of uniformly distributing the same audio signal to all devices, the system provides differentiated audio content (left channel to one device, right channel to another) while maintaining synchronized playback timing, thus achieving both synchronization efficiency and stereo output format.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3306958B1Audio system, audio device, and audio device setting method
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 YAMAHA CORP
  • EP3306958B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3306958B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3306958B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Provided is an audio system, including: at least two audio devices capable of holding communication among one another; and a stereo pair setting unit configured to set a stereo pair in which one of two audio devices included among the at least two audio devices serves as a parent device, and another of the two audio devices serves as a child device, in which: the parent device is configured to play, with a delay, a first-channel audio signal included in a first audio signal, and to transmit to the child device a second audio signal including at least a second-channel audio signal, which is included in the first audio signal; and the child device is configured to receive the second audio signal from the parent device to play the second-channel audio signal.