Bone-Conduction Pickup Transducer with Yielding Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing voice communication and speech recognition systems rely on acoustic microphones, which struggle to effectively capture speech in noisy environments and may not fully utilize bone-conducted vibrations for improved speech intelligibility.
Innovation Solution
A bone-conduction pickup transducer with a soft or yielding material housing and embedded accelerometer that senses vibrations through the ear or cheek, providing an output signal for digital audio processing functions like voice activity detection and noise suppression, while minimizing ambient noise and vibrations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an acoustic microphone is used to capture speech, then the system can detect airborne sound waves, but the speech intelligibility deteriorates in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines bone-conduction vibration sensing with acoustic microphone detection by integrating both a vibration sensing transducer (accelerometer) and a band-limited acoustic microphone into a single in-ear device. This merging allows the system to simultaneously capture bone-conducted low-frequency vibrations and airborne high-frequency sounds, thereby improving speech intelligibility while reducing the impact of ambient noise through complementary signal acquisition paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bone conduction as an intermediary transmission path between the voice source and the sensor. Instead of relying solely on airborne sound waves that are susceptible to ambient noise, the vibration sensing transducer acts as an intermediary by detecting vibrations transmitted through the bone (jaw or skull), providing a noise-resistant channel for speech signal acquisition.
2Measurement precision
If a vibration sensing transducer is mounted firmly to the housing, then bone conduction sensing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible membrane or soft yielding material as an intermediary layer between the vibration sensing transducer and the bone contact surface. This flexible interface allows the accelerometer to sense bone-conducted vibrations effectively while accommodating variations in user anatomy and positioning, thereby improving sensing accuracy without requiring complex rigid mounting structures or precise mechanical adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical coupling parameter by using a soft yielding material instead of rigid mounting. This material parameter change allows the transducer to adapt to different contact conditions and maintain effective vibration transmission across varying user anatomies, improving sensing accuracy while simplifying the overall device structure and reducing sensitivity to positioning errors.
3Strength
If the housing is made rigid for structural stability, then the device durability improves, but the bone conduction vibration transmission is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a flexible membrane or soft yielding material layer between the rigid housing and the bone contact surface. This flexible interface decouples the rigid housing structure from the vibration transmission path, allowing the housing to maintain its structural strength and durability while the flexible material ensures effective transmission of bone-conducted vibrations to the sensing transducer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a composite structure combining rigid housing material with flexible soft yielding material. This composite approach allows the housing to simultaneously achieve structural strength for durability and effective vibration transmission, as the flexible material layer acts as a vibration-conductive interface that bridges the rigid housing and the bone contact surface without compromising either requirement.
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
Enhances speech recognition and noise suppression by effectively capturing bone-conducted vibrations, improving speech intelligibility and reducing background noise in voice communication systems.
Implementation Method 1
sensing bone conduction vibrations that have been transmitted through the user's ear or cheek and into the yielding material
Data Source
AI summary
A personal audio device has a bone conduction pickup transducer, having a housing of which a rigid outer wall has an opening formed therein. A volume of yielding material fills the opening in the rigid outer wall. An electronic vibration sensing element is embedded in the volume of yielding material. The housing is shaped, and the opening is located, so that the volume of yielding material comes into contact with an ear or cheek of a user who is using the personal audio device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.