Bone-Air Audio Signal Mapping for Clearer Speech Output

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio signal acquisition methods using bone and air conduction microphones face challenges in ensuring intelligibility and noise reduction, with bone conduction signals losing important information and air conduction signals having high noise levels.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing a trained machine learning model to map bone conduction audio signals to equivalent air conduction data, determining a target set of equivalent air conduction data that indicates semantic content, and outputting a target audio signal with improved fidelity and reduced noise levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If bone conduction microphone is used to acquire audio signal, then speech signal can be obtained, but important information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation loss in bone conduction audio signalVSAvoidfidelity of speech representation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines bone conduction audio signals and air conduction audio signals through signal processing to generate a target audio signal. The bone conduction signal provides clear speech information while the air conduction signal supplements frequency components, merging their advantages to reduce information loss and improve fidelity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a machine learning model as an intermediary to map bone conduction data to equivalent air conduction data. This intermediary transforms the limited bone conduction signal into a more complete audio representation by learning the mapping relationship between the two signal types.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If air conduction microphone is used to acquire audio signal, then complete speech information is obtained, but noise level increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of speech informationVSAvoidnoise level in air conduction audio signal
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts useful speech information from the air conduction audio signal while separating it from noise components. By using the machine learning model to identify and extract relevant speech features, the system retains complete speech information while removing harmful noise factors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the noise-affected air conduction signal in a way that converts its harmful noise characteristics into beneficial information. The machine learning model learns to identify speech patterns even in noisy conditions, transforming the noisy air conduction signal into a clean target audio signal that combines the advantages of both sensing methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Device complexity

If only bone conduction audio signal is used, then device complexity is reduced, but audio quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of audio acquisition systemVSAvoidquality of audio output
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the audio system multi-functional by enabling it to process both bone conduction and air conduction signals through a unified machine learning framework. The same system can operate with either signal type or both together, providing audio quality enhancement without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12469514B2Systems and methods for audio signal generation
Publication Date: 2025.11.11 SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO LTD
  • US12469514B2 patent drawing
  • US12469514B2 patent drawing
  • US12469514B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The method for audio signal generation may include obtaining a bone conduction audio signal and an air conduction audio signal. The method may also include obtaining a trained machine learning model that provides a mapping relationship between a set of bone conduction data derived from a specific bone conduction audio signal and one or more sets of equivalent air conduction data derived from a specific equivalent air conduction audio signal. The method may also include determining a target set of equivalent air conduction data corresponding to the bone conduction audio signal using the trained machine learning model based on the bone conduction audio signal and the air conduction audio signal. The method may further include causing an audio signal output device to output a target audio signal representing the speech of the user based on the target set of equivalent air conduction data.