Bone Conduction Haptics Device for Private Audio and Environmental Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing consumer electronics devices that produce audio content often isolate users from their environment, either by blocking external sounds with headphones or disturbing others with external speakers, and also fail to effectively notify users of visual notifications without distracting them from their surroundings.
Innovation Solution
A system that integrates a first set of transducers for audio output and a second set of ultrasonic transducers forming an array to generate haptic sensations, which can be worn on the neck, shoulder, or attached to clothing, allowing for directed audio and haptic feedback without isolating the user from their environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If headphones are used to deliver audio directly to the user's ears, then high-fidelity audio experience is improved, but the user is isolated from environmental sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses bone conduction as an intermediary mechanism to transmit audio vibrations through the skull to the inner ear, bypassing the need for ear canal occlusion. This allows audio delivery without blocking external sounds, resolving the contradiction between audio fidelity and environmental awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the traditional acoustic mechanical system (sound waves through air to eardrum) with a mechanical vibration system (bone conduction through skull). This substitution enables audio transmission while maintaining openness of the ear canal to environmental sounds.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If external speakers are used to produce surround sound, then environmental isolation is improved, but sound disturbs persons around the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the audio transmission function from external speakers and relocates it to a personal bone conduction device. This extraction allows the user to receive audio privately through bone conduction while external speakers are no longer needed, eliminating disturbance to others.
3Loss of information
If visual notifications are displayed on the display, then notification delivery is improved, but the user must visually focus on the display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses haptic feedback as an intermediary to convey notification information through tactile sensations. This allows users to perceive notifications through touch rather than visual attention, enabling awareness without requiring focus on the display.
4Loss of information
If haptic feedback is provided through contact with the user's body, then notification delivery is improved, but the haptic device must be in direct contact with the user
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bone conduction audio delivery system with the haptic feedback system into a single integrated device. This combination allows both functions to be achieved through the same contact interface with the user's body, reducing overall system complexity.
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
Enables private audio delivery directly to the user's ears, reducing environmental disturbance, while providing haptic sensations that can indicate notifications or virtual object locations without distracting the user from their environment.
Implementation Method 1
the second set of transducers form an ultrasonic transducer array that is configured to generate ultrasonic waves that travel towards a particular body part of the user such that when the ultrasonic wave interacts with the user's skin, the user feels a haptic sensation
Implementation Method 2
configure the first set of transducers to deliver the audio output to the first location
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2H
AI summary
One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for delivering audio output and generates haptic sensations on or proximate to objects in an environment via which a user can perceive haptic sensations. The device includes transducer arrays that operate in various modalities, including generating audio output, generating haptic output, and sensing objects in the environment. When generating audio output, the transducer arrays produce ultrasonic waves that demodulate to produce audio output. When generating haptic output, the transducer arrays output directional haptic output to various locations to the environment using constructive and/or destructive interference. When sensing objects in the environment, the transducer arrays generate pings and detect ping echoes reflected off of objects in the environment.