Virtual Microphone Bubbles for Room Audio and Remote Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio conference and unified client collaboration systems struggle to provide clear, high-quality audio in large spaces, where participants are distant from the facilitator, and require complex and costly microphone systems for full room pickup.
Innovation Solution
A system that simultaneously provides in-room amplification and remote communication during collaboration sessions using arrays of microphones and speakers, an audio processor, and a computer, which captures and amplifies audio signals for in-room amplification while sending them to remote participants over the Internet.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If discrete microphones are placed throughout the room to provide full room pickup, then full room acoustic pickup is achieved, but hardware costs and installation complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the room into multiple zones, each with its own microphone and audio processing unit. This allows distributed audio capture without requiring a single complex centralized system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining full room coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a multi-functional audio system that simultaneously provides full room pickup, presenter amplification, and remote communication capabilities through a unified platform, eliminating the need for separate discrete microphone systems for each function.
2Device complexity
If a beamformer microphone array is used for full room pickup, then discrete microphone deployment is reduced, but acoustic feedback issues arise when used with PA systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary audio processing system that acts as a buffer between the beamformer microphone array and the PA system. This intermediary layer processes and manages audio signals to prevent direct feedback loops while maintaining full room pickup functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control mechanisms that actively monitor and suppress acoustic feedback signals. The system detects feedback loops and applies corrective processing to eliminate the harmful feedback while preserving the desired full room audio capture.
3Reliability
If speaker volume is increased to provide sufficient voice amplification, then facilitator voice is heard better, but acoustic feedback overloads the audio system
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic volume control that automatically adjusts speaker output levels in real-time based on ambient noise conditions and detected feedback signals. This allows the system to provide sufficient voice amplification while dynamically preventing feedback overload by reducing volume when feedback is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-processing audio signals to identify and suppress potential feedback paths before they can overload the system. The audio processing unit proactively manages speaker output to prevent feedback conditions from developing.
4Measurement precision
If discrete microphones are positioned close to participants for optimal pickup, then audio quality improves, but participants must be closely positioned to microphones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio capture function across multiple distributed microphones and processing units throughout the room. This segmentation allows each microphone to serve a specific zone while the aggregate system provides comprehensive coverage, eliminating the need for participants to position themselves near specific microphones.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual microphone positions through signal processing that replicate the effect of having microphones at multiple locations. This allows the system to maintain high audio pickup quality while participants remain in natural positions, as the virtual microphone array synthesizes optimal pickup points.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated audio microphone system simultaneously provides in-room amplification and remote communication during a collaboration session with one or more local participants in a shared space and one or more remote participants. The integrated audio microphone system includes at least one microphone array and speaker system located in the shared space, at least one microphone system for amplification located in the shared space, an audio processor connected to the microphone system and the microphone array and speaker system, and a computer connected to the audio processor. The audio processor is configured to generate a plurality of virtual microphone bubbles and to amplify received audio signals from the microphone system for in-room audio amplification. The amplified audio signals are output to speakers of the microphone array and speaker system. Audio signals from the microphone system and the arrays of microphones are output to the computer to send the audio signals to one or more remote participants.