Unified Microphone Array for Multi-Function Audio Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automotive sound processing systems require multiple microphones and processing components for telephony, speech recognition, and active noise reduction, which are expensive and of compromised quality due to cost and design constraints.
Innovation Solution
A unified microphone processing system that uses a set of microphones arranged in a geometrical pattern to provide concurrent input for telephony, speech recognition, and active noise control, with processing circuitry that includes signal amplifiers, A/D converters, and a control processor for beamforming and signal enhancement, reducing the need for separate wiring and components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate microphones and processing components are used for telephony, speech recognition, and active noise reduction, then each function can be optimized independently, but the system cost increases and overall quality is compromised due to design constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified microphone array that serves multiple functions simultaneously - telephony, speech recognition, and active noise reduction - rather than using separate dedicated microphones for each function. The same physical microphones and processing circuitry are configured through software to perform different audio processing tasks, achieving multi-functionality from a single hardware platform.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple separate audio processing functions into a single integrated system. The microphone array, signal processing circuitry, and control software are merged into one unified platform that can dynamically allocate resources across different applications, reducing the total number of components while maintaining or improving audio quality through coordinated processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate microphones are used for different functions, then each function has dedicated hardware, but the system cost increases and wiring complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified microphone array is designed to be universally applicable across multiple audio processing functions. The same physical infrastructure - microphones, pre-amplifiers, and processing circuitry - can be dynamically configured through software to serve telephony, speech recognition, noise reduction, or other audio applications, providing functional flexibility without requiring separate dedicated hardware for each function.
3Reliability
If separate processing components are used for each audio function, then each function can be independently optimized, but the overall system quality is compromised due to cost and design constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple audio processing functions into a single integrated processing platform, reducing the total component count and associated costs. By sharing common infrastructure - microphone array, pre-amplification stage, ADCs, and processing circuitry - across multiple functions, the system achieves economies of scale while maintaining high audio quality through sophisticated software-based signal processing and beamforming techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A unified microphone pre-processing system includes a plurality of microphones arranged within a vehicle passenger compartment, a processing circuit or system configured to receive signals from one or more of the plurality of microphones, and the processing circuit configured to enhance the received signals for use by at least two of a telephony processing application, an automatic speech recognition processing application, and a noise cancellation processing application. The method includes receiving signals from one or more of a plurality of microphones arranged within a vehicle passenger compartment, and enhancing the received signals for use by at least two of a telephony processing application, an automatic speech recognition processing application, and a noise cancellation processing application. A computer readable medium containing executable instructions to cause a processor to perform a method in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is also described.