Wireless Audio Device Spatial Sound Steering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless devices face challenges in producing a surround sound effect due to the unknown position, location, and distance of external loudspeakers relative to the user, which hinders the delivery of a customized three-dimensional immersive sound experience.
Innovation Solution
A wireless device uses nearby microphones and loudspeakers to estimate the location of the user and external loudspeakers, steering audio signals to create a surround sound effect by combining internal and external audio transducers for optimal sound reproduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If external loudspeakers are used to produce surround sound effect, then the sound experience is improved, but the position and location of external loudspeakers relative to the user is unknown
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses microphones to capture audio signals from external loudspeakers and processes these signals to determine the location and distance of the loudspeakers relative to the user. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adaptively adjust audio signal shaping based on the detected spatial information, resolving the contradiction by gaining position information that was previously unknown
Solution Approach 2:
The wireless device leverages its own microphones and processing capabilities to automatically detect and locate external loudspeakers without requiring external assistance or manual input. The device serves itself by using its built-in sensors to gather spatial information and autonomously adjusts the audio output to create the surround sound effect
2Adaptability or versatility
If the wireless device uses nearby microphones and loudspeakers to estimate user location, then the sound experience is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wireless device uses its microphones for multiple purposes: capturing audio from external loudspeakers for location estimation, and capturing user speech for audio processing. By making the microphones multi-functional, the system achieves complex spatial audio capabilities without adding dedicated sensors, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses audio signals as an intermediary to indirectly determine the location of external loudspeakers and the user. Instead of requiring direct position data or complex sensor arrays, the patent employs acoustic wave propagation and signal processing as a mediator to infer spatial relationships, simplifying the system architecture while achieving three-dimensional sound customization
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
This approach enables the wireless device to provide a customized three-dimensional immersive sound experience by accurately determining the user's location and positioning audio signals for enhanced sound capture and delivery, improving the surround sound effect.
Implementation Method 1
detecting sound with two or more spatially separated, directional or spatially separated directional, microphones to produce two or more output signals
Implementation Method 2
estimating the direction of arrival based on differences between the relationships
Data Source
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AI summary
A wireless device is provided that makes use of other nearby audio transducer devices to generate a surround sound effect for a targeted user. To do this, the wireless device first ascertains whether there are any nearby external microphones and/or loudspeaker devices. An internal microphone for the wireless device and any other nearby external microphones may be used to ascertain a location of the desired/targeted user as well as the nearby loudspeaker devices. This information is then used to generate a surround sound effect for the desired/targeted user by having the wireless device steer audio signals to its internal loudspeakers and/or the nearby external loudspeaker devices.