Air and Bone Conduction Audio Transducer System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio delivery methods, such as headphones and earbuds, obstruct the ear canal and interfere with external sound perception, while bone-conduction methods are limited in delivering high-fidelity stereo sound and are more suitable for speech than music.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus combining air-conduction and body vibration conduction transducers, with a crossover network that separates audio signals into high-frequency and low-frequency bands, delivering acoustic energy through air-conduction transducers and mechanical energy through body vibration conduction transducers simultaneously, allowing for unobstructed hearing and full-spectrum sound delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional air-conduction headphones and earbuds are used to deliver audio signals, then audio delivery is achieved, but the ear canal is obstructed and external sound perception is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines air-conduction transducers and body vibration conduction transducers into a single audio delivery system. The air-conduction transducers deliver high-frequency audio signals through air to the ear canal, while the body vibration conduction transducers deliver low-frequency audio signals through bone conduction to the skull. This merging allows the system to provide full-spectrum audio delivery without completely obstructing the ear canal, as the body vibration transducers handle low frequencies that would otherwise require larger air-conduction drivers that block the ear canal more significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio frequency spectrum into different bands and assigns them to different transducer types. High-frequency components are delivered via air-conduction transducers, while low-frequency components are delivered via body vibration conduction transducers. This segmentation allows each transducer type to operate in its optimal frequency range, achieving high-fidelity audio delivery without the need for large obstructive ear canal occlusion.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If bone-conduction transducers are used to deliver audio signals, then unobstructed hearing is achieved, but high-fidelity stereo sound delivery is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges air-conduction transducers and body vibration conduction transducers to overcome the limitations of bone-conduction alone. While body vibration transducers provide unobstructed hearing, they are supplemented by air-conduction transducers that deliver high-frequency components necessary for high-fidelity stereo sound. The combination allows the system to maintain the advantage of unobstructed hearing while achieving comprehensive audio fidelity across the full frequency spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the audio frequency spectrum and assigns low-frequency components to body vibration transducers (which provide unobstructed hearing) and high-frequency components to air-conduction transducers (which enable high-fidelity stereo sound). This frequency-based segmentation allows each transducer type to contribute its strengths, with body vibration handling bass frequencies and air-conduction handling mid and high frequencies necessary for stereo imaging and detail.
3Device complexity
If a single transducer type is used for audio delivery, then device simplicity is maintained, but full-spectrum sound delivery is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges air-conduction transducers and body vibration conduction transducers into an integrated audio delivery system. This combination enables full-spectrum sound delivery by leveraging the complementary strengths of both transducer types across the frequency spectrum, while maintaining a unified device architecture that processes and delivers audio signals through both pathways simultaneously.
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
Enables unobstructed hearing of external sounds and full-spectrum audio delivery without occluding the ear canal, facilitating user safety and social interaction while providing high-fidelity sound reproduction.
Implementation Method 1
one or more air-conduction transducers configured to convert a first frequency band component of an electrical audio signal into acoustic energy
Implementation Method 2
one or more body vibration conduction transducers configured to convert a second, at least partially different, frequency band component of the electrical audio signal into mechanical energy
Implementation Method 3
The second transducer is a body vibration conduction transducer configured to deliver vibration to a skull of the user
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus including an air-conduction transducer and a bone conduction transducer. The air-conduction transducer is configured to convert a first frequency band component of an electrical audio signal into acoustic energy to be delivered to an ear canal of a user. The bone conduction transducer is configured to convert a second, at least partially different, frequency band component of the electrical audio signal into mechanical energy to be delivered to a skull of the user. The apparatus is configured to deliver both forms of the energies to the user at a substantially same time to provide a combined audio delivery result to the user.