Active Noise Reducing Device Automated Trigger Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active noise reducing devices often reduce desirable ambient sounds from the external environment, leading to missed alerts, announcements, or other important sounds that users may want to receive.
Innovation Solution
An active noise reducing device equipped with sensors, such as microphones, LIDAR, or cameras, that can identify predetermined triggers in the environment and automatically switch to a mode allowing hear-through of ambient sounds by providing alerts through haptic or audio signals, enabling users to receive important external sounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If active noise reduction mode is activated to block unwanted ambient sounds, then noise reduction performance is improved, but important external sounds such as alerts and announcements are missed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio processing into two parallel paths: active noise reduction processing for general ambient sounds, and separate trigger detection processing for important external sounds. This allows the system to simultaneously achieve noise reduction while preserving and detecting important sounds through dedicated detection circuits and algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary trigger detection mechanism that operates between the external environment and the user's perception. The detection circuit acts as an intermediary that specifically identifies important sounds (alerts, announcements) and triggers appropriate responses, bridging the gap between noise reduction and information preservation.
2Loss of information
If sensors and processing circuits are added to detect triggers and provide alerts, then ability to receive important external sounds is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the active noise reducing device to perform both its primary noise reduction function and secondary trigger detection/alert functions through integrated circuits and processors. The same hardware platform supports multiple operations, reducing the need for entirely separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the trigger detection circuits, processing logic, and alert generation functions into the existing active noise reduction device architecture. Rather than adding completely separate systems, the detection and alert components are combined with the noise reduction processing, sharing common hardware resources and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for automatically alerting, via an active noise reducing device having a sensor, a user to a predetermined or learned trigger in an external environment includes the steps of: (i) receiving, via the sensor while the active noise reducing device is in a first noise reduction mode, sensor data from the external environment; (ii) identifying, from the sensor data, the predetermined or learned trigger in the external environment; and (iii) automatically providing an alert to the user, in response to detection of the trigger, indicating the predetermined or learned trigger in the external environment, wherein the alert comprises entering a second operating mode of the active noise reducing device, the second operating mode characterized by providing hear-through of ambient sound in the external environment to the user.