Automatic ANR Switching for Headphone Conversation Awareness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ANR headphones require manual user intervention to adjust noise cancellation levels, which hinders optimal user interaction and experience, especially when speaking with others while wearing them.
Innovation Solution
A wearable audio output device with automatic ANR control that detects user intent to speak with others by analyzing speech signals, using VAD and speaker identification, and adjusts noise cancellation levels accordingly to enhance interaction without removing the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If active noise reduction is enabled to block external noise, then noise blocking performance is improved, but user awareness of surrounding environment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of noise reduction levels based on detected speech events. When speech is detected, the system automatically reduces the noise reduction level to allow external sounds through, enabling the user to hear their partner speak. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction by adapting the noise blocking function to contextual needs rather than maintaining a static high-level block.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from speech detection algorithms to automatically adjust noise reduction settings. By monitoring for speech patterns and responding accordingly, the system creates a closed-loop control that balances noise blocking with environmental awareness, allowing the user to be notified when their partner is speaking without manual intervention.
2Adaptability or versatility
If noise reduction level is reduced to hear external speech, then environmental awareness is improved, but noise blocking performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic speech detection and responds by temporarily adjusting noise reduction levels during detected speech events. This periodic monitoring and conditional adjustment allows the system to maintain high noise blocking most of the time while periodically opening up to allow speech through, resolving the contradiction through time-based segmentation of the two opposing states.
3Ease of operation
If automatic speech detection is implemented, then user interaction is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service through automatic speech detection and autonomous adjustment of noise reduction levels. The device monitors its own operational context and makes appropriate adjustments without requiring user input or manual controls, thereby improving ease of operation while the complexity is contained within the automated detection algorithms.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A method performed by a wearable audio output device worn by a user is provided for controlling external noise attenuated by wearable audio output device. A speech is detected from a user wearing the wearable audio output device, wherein the audio output device has active noise reduction turned on. It is determined, based on the detecting, that the user desires to speak to a subject in the vicinity of the user. In response to the determining, a level of noise reduction is reduced to enable the user to hear sounds external to the audio output device. It is determined that the user desires to speak to the subject by detecting at least one condition of a plurality of conditions.