Wearable Audio Positioning via Light Beacon Angle Sensors

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current audio systems fail to accurately determine the position and orientation of wearable audio devices relative to a source device, limiting their ability to provide spatialized audio with precise virtual audio source placement.

Innovation Solution

The use of light beacons, such as infrared beacons, to measure angles of incidence, allowing wearable audio devices to determine their absolute position and orientation, which are then used to calculate head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for processing audio signals and rendering spatialized audio.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If light beacons and angle sensors are used to determine position and orientation, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveposition and orientation determination accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces light beacons as intermediary objects that emit light signals, and angle sensors as intermediary detection devices. These intermediaries enable indirect measurement of position and orientation by measuring angles of incidence, transforming a complex direct measurement problem into a simpler angular measurement problem that can be solved through geometric calculations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If absolute position and orientation are determined using light beacons, then spatial audio rendering accuracy is improved, but loss of information increases due to additional measurement requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespatial audio rendering accuracyVSAvoidinformation loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical or inertial measurement systems with an optical measurement system using light beacons and angle sensors. This substitution eliminates the need for complex inertial measurement units (IMUs) and their associated drift problems, providing more accurate and stable position and orientation data for spatial audio rendering without requiring continuous calibration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

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

Enables the generation of virtual audio sources by accurately determining the wearable device's position and orientation relative to the source device, providing physically or psychoacoustically accurate spatial audio rendering.

Implementation Method 1

a light angle sensor that is configured to measure respective angles of incidence of a pair of light beams emitted by respective light beacons associated with a source device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAngle of incidence measurement: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS20240345207A1Methods and systems for determining position and orientation of a device using light beacons

Publication Date: 2024.10.17 BOSE CORP

AI summary

A wearable audio device includes a light angle sensor that is configured to measure respective angles of incidence of a pair of light beams emitted by respective light beacons associated with a source device. The wearable audio device is configured to use the measured angles of incidence for spatial audio rendering.