Wireless Microphone Automixing With Distributed Gating Decisions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conferencing and presentation environments face challenges with multiple wireless microphones due to latency, channel allocation, noise mitigation, and bandwidth requirements, necessitating improved distributed processing and gating decision-making systems.

Innovation Solution

A system with distributed processing among wireless microphone units and a central access point, where units make preliminary gating decisions and transmit access requests based on audio signal thresholds, and the central access point determines a winning unit for channel grant, optimizing channel usage and reducing latency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple wireless microphones are used to capture sound from various audio sources, then the coverage and versatility of the audio system is improved, but the complexity of channel allocation and gating decision making increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio source coverageVSAvoidchannel allocation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gating decision process is segmented into two stages: preliminary gating decisions made by individual wireless microphone units based on local audio analysis, and final channel allocation decisions made by the central access point. This segmentation distributes the complexity of managing multiple microphones across the system rather than concentrating it at the central point.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Wireless microphone units autonomously perform preliminary gating decisions by analyzing their own audio signals against threshold criteria. Each microphone unit independently determines whether its captured audio meets the minimum threshold for transmission, eliminating the need for constant central control and reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the central access point performs all gating decision making, then the control and coordination is simplified, but the processing load and latency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecentral control simplicityVSAvoidprocessing latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The gating decision process is segmented into preliminary decisions at the microphone unit level and final decisions at the central access point level. This segmentation reduces the processing burden on the central point, allowing for faster overall system response while maintaining coordinated control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Wireless microphone units perform preliminary gating decisions locally before transmitting audio data to the central access point. By making these preliminary actions at the source, the system reduces the amount of data that needs central processing, thereby decreasing latency while maintaining operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If audio data from all microphones is transmitted to the central access point, then the mixing quality is improved, but the bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaudio mixing qualityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and transmits only the audio data from microphones that have made preliminary gating decisions to indicate they meet the minimum threshold criteria. This extraction approach reduces the total volume of audio data that needs to be transmitted to the central access point, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining mixing quality for active audio sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of transmitting audio data from all microphones continuously, the system implements partial transmission by only sending data from microphones that exceed the minimum threshold. This partial action approach optimizes bandwidth usage by transmitting only the necessary audio data for active speech detection while maintaining sufficient mixing quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12525083B2Distributed algorithm for automixing speech over wireless networks

Publication Date: 2026.01.13 SHURE ACQUISITION HLDG INC

AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed for operating a wireless audio network including a plurality of wireless microphone units (e.g., wireless delegate units) and a central access point having a mixer. The wireless microphone units may perform voice detection and level sensing, and make a preliminary gating decision. The central access point may make a final gating decision, determine the granting of wireless communications channels, and generate a final mixed audio output signal.