Adaptive Transparency Gain for Hearing Loss in Earbuds
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Consumer electronic devices such as headphones and mobile phone handsets face challenges in providing an optimal listening experience due to varying ambient sound environments and the occlusion effect, which affects the user's ability to hear ambient sounds and speech clearly.
Innovation Solution
An audio system with an ambient sound enhancement function that uses a digital processor to adjust the transparency gain and anti-noise levels based on the user's hearing profile and ambient sound conditions, combining ambient sound enhancement with acoustic noise cancellation to adapt to changing environments and improve speech intelligibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If transparency gain is increased to enhance ambient sound for users with hearing loss, then ambient sound enhancement is improved, but distortion and discomfort occur in loud environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transparency gain based on the detected ambient sound level. When the ambient sound is loud, the transparency gain is reduced to prevent distortion and discomfort. When the ambient sound is quiet, the transparency gain is increased to enhance ambient sound for users with hearing loss. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the gain adaptive rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the transparency gain parameter according to the ambient sound level detected by the microphone. The processor monitors the ambient sound level and adjusts the transparency gain parameter accordingly, reducing it in loud environments and increasing it in quiet environments. This parameter change strategy resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to optimize ambient sound enhancement while avoiding distortion in different listening conditions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic noise cancellation is activated to reduce ambient noise, then noise cancellation is improved, but speech intelligibility deteriorates in loud environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the acoustic noise cancellation level based on the detected ambient sound level. When speech is detected in a loud environment, the noise cancellation level is reduced to improve speech intelligibility. When no speech is detected, the noise cancellation level is increased to reduce ambient noise. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the noise cancellation adaptive to the acoustic scene.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the microphone to detect ambient sound levels and speech presence. The processor continuously monitors the acoustic environment and adjusts the noise cancellation level based on this feedback. When speech is detected, the system reduces noise cancellation to preserve speech intelligibility. This feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to respond to actual acoustic conditions rather than using a fixed noise cancellation level.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If transparency gain is reduced to prevent distortion in loud environments, then distortion is reduced, but ambient sound enhancement capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transparency gain based on the detected ambient sound level. When the ambient sound is loud, the transparency gain is reduced to prevent distortion. When the ambient sound is quiet, the transparency gain is increased to enhance ambient sound for users with hearing loss. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the gain adaptive rather than fixed, allowing the system to optimize for distortion reduction in loud environments while maintaining enhancement capability in quiet environments.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the system adapts to frequent donning and removal of the device, then user experience is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when the device is donned or removed based on microphone input and ambient sound level changes, and automatically adjusts the transparency gain and noise cancellation levels accordingly. The processor monitors acoustic conditions and adapts the audio processing parameters without user intervention. This self-service approach resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to adapt to frequent device donning and removal through automatic detection and adjustment, avoiding the need for complex manual controls or additional sensors.
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
The system automatically adjusts sound levels and noise cancellation to maintain a comfortable listening experience by reducing distortion and enhancing speech clarity in loud environments, while adapting to different ambient conditions and user preferences.
Implementation Method 1
an against-the-ear audio device having one or more speakers converts a digitally processed version of an input audio signal into sound
Implementation Method 2
the input audio signal contains ambient or environmental sound pick up from one or more microphones in the device
Implementation Method 3
If the against-the-ear device can produce anti-noise for acoustic noise cancellation (ANC), then in that case the processor could raise a level of the produced anti-noise
Data Source
AI summary
An audio system has an ambient sound enhancement function, in which an against-the-ear audio device having a speaker converts a digitally processed version of an input audio signal into sound. The audio system also has an acoustic noise cancellation (ANC) function that may be combined in various ways with the sound enhancement function, and that may be responsive to voice activity detection. Other aspects are also described and claimed.