Audio Signal Processing for Wearable Spatial Audio Positioning

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing spatial audio technologies fail to accurately track the movement of mobile devices relative to wearable devices, leading to a poorer user experience as the sound source position becomes mismatched with the actual device position during rotation.

Innovation Solution

An audio signal processing method that acquires rotation information from both wearable and mobile devices using angle and inertial measurement units, determines relative position information, and processes audio signals based on this information to remap sound sources, ensuring consistent spatial audio effects even during device movement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If spatial audio technology is implemented using only wearable device rotation information, then the system complexity is reduced, but the accuracy of sound source positioning deteriorates because the mobile device position is not tracked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidsound source positioning accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines rotation information from both the wearable device (first rotation information) and the mobile device (second rotation information) to determine relative position information. This merging of data sources resolves the contradiction by maintaining system complexity at an acceptable level while significantly improving sound source positioning accuracy through multi-source information integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces relative position information as an intermediary element that connects the wearable device and mobile device rotation data. This intermediary enables accurate sound source positioning by translating the combined rotation information into meaningful spatial relationships, thereby improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If the sound source position is fixed in space, then the audio processing is simplified, but the user experience deteriorates because the sound source becomes mismatched with the actual device position during rotation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio processing simplicityVSAvoiduser experience quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic sound source positioning by continuously updating the sound source location based on real-time relative position information from both devices' rotation data. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction by maintaining audio processing simplicity through automated calculations while ensuring reliability by keeping the sound source position synchronized with actual device movements during rotation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the rotation information from both wearable and mobile devices continuously feeds into the sound source positioning system. This feedback loop ensures that the sound source position is automatically adjusted to match the actual device positions, maintaining user experience quality without significantly complicating the audio processing through intelligent control algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Measurement precision

If rotation information from both devices is acquired and processed, then the spatial audio accuracy is improved, but the computational load and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespatial audio accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary calculations by establishing the relationship between the first and second rotation information in advance to determine relative position information. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by preparing the spatial transformation data beforehand, enabling fast real-time sound source positioning without excessive processing delays during actual audio playback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical processing with computational methods by using digital signal processing to calculate relative position information from rotation data. This substitution resolves the contradiction by achieving high spatial audio accuracy through efficient algorithms rather than complex hardware processing, thereby minimizing processing time while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12167226B2Audio signal processing method, electronic apparatus, and storage medium

Publication Date: 2024.12.10 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD

AI summary

An audio signal processing method, includes: acquiring first rotation information when a wearable device rotates and second rotation information when a mobile device connected to the wearable device rotates; determining relative position information between the wearable device and the mobile device according to the first rotation information and the second rotation information; and processing an audio signal based on the relative position information to obtain a playing audio played by the wearable device.