Bone Conduction Headphones with Air Conduction Speakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio delivery mechanisms, such as bone conduction (BC) and air conduction (AC), face limitations in various environments and applications, including sound quality, noise cancellation, and user authentication, due to their inherent limitations in frequency range and noise susceptibility.
Innovation Solution
The use of multiple speakers at multiple locations on headphones, combining BC and AC audio delivery mechanisms, with adjustable speaker configurations and noise cancellation techniques, along with additional features like solar charging and safety LEDs, to optimize sound experience, user authentication, and haptic feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If only bone conduction speakers are used, then audio can be delivered in certain frequency ranges, but sound fidelity is limited due to the narrow frequency range
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines bone conduction speakers and air conduction speakers into a single headphone device. The bone conduction speakers handle lower frequency ranges while air conduction speakers handle higher frequency ranges, merging the strengths of both delivery mechanisms to achieve full-spectrum audio fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio frequency spectrum is segmented into different ranges handled by different speaker types. Bone conduction speakers are assigned to convey audio in a first frequency range, while air conduction speakers convey audio in a second frequency range, with each speaker type optimized for its specific frequency segment.
2Reliability
If only air conduction speakers are used, then high frequency audio can be delivered, but noise cancellation is insufficient due to environmental noise susceptibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges bone conduction and air conduction speaker systems to leverage the noise isolation properties of bone conduction while maintaining the environmental awareness capabilities of air conduction, achieving superior noise cancellation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
Bone conduction speakers act as an intermediary mechanism that bypasses the ear canal, delivering audio directly through the skull bones to the inner ear, thereby isolating the audio signal from environmental noise that would otherwise interfere with air conduction.
3Reliability
If multiple speakers at multiple locations are used, then sound fidelity and noise cancellation are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the headphone device with multi-functional speakers that can operate in different modes. The same bone conduction and air conduction speaker components serve multiple functions including audio delivery, noise cancellation, and environmental adaptability, reducing overall system complexity despite multiple speaker locations.
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
This approach enhances sound fidelity, noise cancellation, and user experience by leveraging the strengths of both BC and AC audio, while improving battery life and safety through adaptive speaker balancing and innovative features like solar charging and LED illumination.
Implementation Method 1
Bone conduction (BC) audio delivers sound to a user's ears via vibration of a transducer that couples the vibration via bone conduction near the user's ears to the inner ear bones
Implementation Method 2
Air conduction (AC) audio, on the other hand, provides sound waves (via movement or vibration of air) to the user's ear canal
Data Source
AI summary
Audio headphones configured to be worn on a user's head and having a plurality of speakers proximate to or in one or both of the user's ears. The audio headphones include at least one bone conduction speaker configured to be placed adjacently proximate one of the user's ears. The at least one bone conduction speaker is further configured to convey audio in a first frequency range to bones adjacent to the one of the user's ears. The audio headphones further include a least one air conduction speaker configured to be placed in the one of the user's ears. The at least one air conduction speaker is further configured to convey audio in a second frequency range to the one of the user's ears.