Acoustic Tap Detection for True Wireless Headsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
True wireless headsets face challenges with capacitive touch controls due to the need for large metal pads under thin plastic shields, which are difficult to manufacture and result in reduced sensitivity and reliability, limiting control schemes to single strokes and requiring prolonged finger contact.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a microphone acoustically coupled to the headset to detect the acoustic signature of a tap, using a tap detector and filter to process sound signals, allowing for accurate and efficient tap detection with short contact and enabling complex control sequences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large metal pad is used for capacitive touch detection, then the sensitivity and reliability of detection improve, but the manufacturing difficulty increases due to the thin plastic shield constraint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/capacitive touch detection system with an acoustic detection system. Instead of using metal pads that sense capacitance changes, the invention uses a microphone to detect acoustic signals (taps) on the headset housing. This substitution eliminates the manufacturing constraints of metal pads under thin plastic shields while maintaining reliable detection capability.
2Ease of operation
If capacitive touch detection is used, then control capability is provided, but the user must maintain prolonged finger contact which complicates control schemes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic tapping actions as the control mechanism. Instead of requiring prolonged continuous contact, the system detects short, periodic taps on the headset housing. Each tap is a brief acoustic event that triggers a control command, allowing users to perform complex control sequences by sending multiple quick taps in succession rather than maintaining continuous contact.
3Volume of moving object
If capacitive touch detection with small metal pads is used, then device size is reduced, but the sensitivity and reliability of detection decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the metal pad-based capacitive detection system with an acoustic detection system using a microphone. This substitution allows the detection functionality to be integrated into the existing headset structure without requiring separate metal pads, thereby maintaining compact device size while achieving reliable and sensitive detection through acoustic signal processing.
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 solution provides accurate and reliable tap detection with reduced power consumption, enabling fast sequences of taps and eliminating the need for bulky metal pads, thus enhancing user control over true wireless headsets.
Implementation Method 1
A microphone, which is acoustically coupled to a housing of the true wireless headset, detects the sound generated when the user taps on the true wireless headset
Data Source
AI summary
A true wireless headset that may include a housing, a microphone that is mechanically coupled to the housing, wherein the microphone is configured to detect sound and output detection signals indicative of the sound, a tap detector that is configured to receive a first representation of the detection signals, and to process the first representation of the detection signals to determine whether a user tapped on the housing; and at least one additional circuitry that is configured to respond to a determination that the user tapped on the housing.