Active Noise Cancellation Earmuffs with External Microphone
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Solution Overview
Problem
Motorcycle riders experience excessive wind noise, leading to potential hearing loss and communication interference, which existing solutions like aerodynamic helmets and earplugs fail to address effectively without muffled important sounds.
Innovation Solution
A noise reduction system combining active noise cancellation technology with an external microphone in earmuffs or headphones, allowing critical sounds like sirens and engine noises to be heard while reducing wind noise, using internal and external microphones to process and output sounds differently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If active noise cancellation technology is used to reduce wind noise, then wind noise reduction is improved, but important sounds like sirens and engine noises are muffled
Solution Approach 1:
The audio processing is segmented into different channels: one channel processes ambient sounds through active noise cancellation to reduce wind noise, while another channel captures important sounds through the external microphone and delivers them without noise cancellation processing. This allows simultaneous wind noise reduction and preservation of important auditory information.
Solution Approach 2:
The external microphone acts as an intermediary device that captures important sounds (sirens, engine noises, horns) from the external environment and feeds them directly to the speaker system bypassing the noise cancellation processing. This intermediary pathway ensures critical sounds are heard clearly while wind noise is reduced for other ambient sounds.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If aerodynamic helmets or earplugs are used to filter wind noise, then wind noise reduction is improved, but important sounds are muffled
Solution Approach 1:
The passive mechanical filtering approach (aerodynamic helmets and earplugs) is replaced with an active electronic system. The system uses microphones to capture sounds, electronic processing to differentiate between wind noise and important sounds, and speakers to deliver processed audio. This substitution allows intelligent discrimination between noise types rather than uniform mechanical filtering.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes audio parameters by applying different processing treatments to different sound sources. Wind noise undergoes aggressive noise cancellation processing while important sounds captured by the external microphone are delivered with minimal processing. The system adjusts audio parameters based on the detected sound characteristics and source.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If uniform noise filtering is applied to all sounds, then wind noise reduction is improved, but communication and environmental awareness are interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The audio processing system dynamically adapts its behavior based on the detected sound characteristics. Rather than applying static uniform filtering, the system continuously processes ambient sounds through noise cancellation while simultaneously capturing and delivering external sounds without cancellation. This dynamic approach maintains communication clarity and environmental awareness while reducing wind noise.
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
Effectively reduces wind noise without muffling important sounds, enhancing rider safety and communication by using active noise cancellation technology in conjunction with an external microphone to selectively preserve critical auditory inputs.
Implementation Method 1
active noise cancellation technology for the reduction of wind and other noises
Implementation Method 2
a third microphone placed external to the helmet or headphones system, the third microphone supplying second sounds
Data Source
AI summary
An earmuffs system for noise reduction including an external microphone used in combination with active noise cancellation technology for the reduction of wind or other noises typically experienced while riding a vehicle such as a motorcycle, snow machine or ATV, the earmuffs system including a first earmuff including a first speaker and a first microphone therein; a second earmuff electrically coupled to the first ear muff, the second ear muff including a second speaker and a second microphone therein; noise cancellation circuitry for receiving first sounds from the first microphone and the second microphone and processing the first sounds by in part canceling the first sounds to form a first sound output that is provided from the first speaker and the second speaker; and a third microphone placed external to the first earmuff and to the second earmuff, the third microphone supplying second sounds for the first speaker and the second speaker to output as a second sound output without the second sounds undergoing noise cancellation processing.