UWB-Guided Smartphone Audio Capture for Distant Subject Recording

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing smartphones struggle with capturing clear audio from distant subjects and multiple subjects, and managing microphone resources efficiently, leading to inconsistent audio volume and difficulty in selective recording.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device utilizing ultra-wide band (UWB) communication to manage audio signals by acquiring audio from nearby subjects through microphones or external devices, adjusting volume levels, and displaying audio signal magnitudes through a user interface, while enabling multi-recording by distributing audio signal processing across multiple threads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single microphone is used for audio capture, then the device structure remains simple, but audio quality deteriorates when subjects are at long distances or surrounded by noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio capture qualityVSAvoidmicrophone system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple microphones into a single audio capture system, merging their inputs to achieve improved audio quality for distant or noisy subjects while maintaining manageable system complexity through integrated processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If multiple microphones are used to capture audio from multiple subjects, then audio quality for multiple subjects improves, but device complexity and resource management become difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-subject audio capture capabilityVSAvoidmicrophone resource management
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio capture function by assigning different microphones to different subjects or audio sources, allowing independent control and processing of each audio stream while maintaining overall system organization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal audio processing framework that can handle multiple microphones and subjects through a single integrated system, making the microphone resources versatile and easily manageable across different recording scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If one application occupies the microphone resource, then that application achieves exclusive audio access, but other applications cannot use the microphone resource due to chipset restrictions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio signal fidelityVSAvoidmicrophone resource sharing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the microphone resource into multiple virtual channels or streams, allowing different applications to access different segments simultaneously, thereby enabling multi-recording functionality while maintaining signal fidelity for each application

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of operation

If audio volume is automatically captured without adjustment, then the capture process is simple, but users cannot identify or adjust the magnitude of input audio signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio capture simplicityVSAvoidaudio signal magnitude information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by displaying the magnitude of captured audio signals to users, providing visual information about audio levels while maintaining automatic capture, thereby preventing information loss without adding manual adjustment complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances user experience by improving audio capture quality, allowing selective tracking of subjects, managing microphone resources effectively, and displaying audio signal levels, thus overcoming distance and noise challenges.

Implementation Method 1

a communication interface configured to communicate with an external device in a ultra-wide band (UWB) manner; acquire ranging information and angle information with respect to the external device based on data received from the external device

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltra-wide band electromagnetic radiation: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP4181493B1Electronic device and control method
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4181493B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4181493B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4181493B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed are an electronic device and a control method. The electronic device comprises a communication interface for communicating with an external apparatus in a UWB manner, a microphone, a camera, a sensor, a display, and a processor, wherein the processor obtains distance information and angle information with respect to the external apparatus, on the basis of data received from the external apparatus, obtains photographing direction information, on the basis of a detected direction of the camera, identifies the external apparatus, on the basis of the acquired photographing direction information, distance information, and angle information, controls the microphone or communication interface to acquire an audio signal, on the basis of a distance from the external apparatus, and controls the display to display a UI indicating the amplitude of the acquired audio signal, together with a displayed image.