Combination Sensor Detects Ambient Impairments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable computing devices face challenges in integrating multiple sensors due to space constraints and environmental conditions that impair microphone performance, such as wind, handling, and occlusion, leading to signal degradation and clipping.
Innovation Solution
A combination sensor that integrates a microphone transducer and a barometric transducer within a single device, with a processor to detect ambient impairments and mitigate their effects by modifying output signals based on pressure-sensitive region responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If multiple separate sensors (microphone transducer and barometric transducer) are integrated into a single combination sensor, then device space is reduced and integration is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a microphone transducer and a barometric transducer into a single combination sensor device, integrating multiple sensing functions into one physical unit to reduce overall device volume and improve spatial efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The combination sensor performs multiple functions simultaneously - both acoustic sensing and barometric pressure sensing - allowing a single device to replace what would traditionally require separate components, thereby reducing integration complexity despite the added functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If the microphone transducer operates in various environmental conditions (wind, rain, handling), then adaptability is improved, but signal quality deteriorates due to ambient impairments
Solution Approach 1:
The barometric transducer provides feedback about ambient pressure conditions to the processor, which uses this information to detect and mitigate acoustic impairments such as wind noise, handling effects, and port occlusions, thereby maintaining signal quality across varying environmental conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The barometric transducer acts as an intermediary sensor that indirectly measures environmental conditions affecting the microphone, allowing the system to detect impairments without the microphone directly暴露在 adverse conditions, thus preserving signal reliability while maintaining environmental adaptability
3Measurement precision
If the barometric transducer is used to detect ambient impairments, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional signal processing
Solution Approach 1:
The combination sensor system is self-servicing in that the barometric transducer automatically provides pressure data that the processor uses to detect and characterize acoustic impairments, enabling the system to self-diagnose environmental conditions without external intervention or additional complex processing hardware
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
The solution effectively detects and mitigates ambient impairments, improving audio signal quality by distinguishing between different pressure conditions and adjusting the output accordingly, reducing the need for multiple devices and enhancing performance in various environments.
Implementation Method 1
a microphone transducer having an acoustically sensitive region to convert incident acoustic energy to a corresponding output signal
Implementation Method 2
a barometric transducer having a pressure-sensitive region to convert an ambient pressure to a corresponding output signal
Data Source
AI summary
An audio appliance includes a microphone transducer having an acoustically sensitive region to convert incident acoustic energy to a corresponding output signal and a barometric transducer having a pressure-responsive region to convert an ambient pressure to a corresponding output signal. The audio appliance also has an acoustic housing defining a chamber to fluidly couple the microphone transducer with the barometric transducer, together with a processor and a memory containing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the audio appliance to determine a presence or an absence of an ambient impairment to the microphone transducer based at least in part on the output signal from the barometric transducer. Responsive to a determined presence of an ambient impairment to the microphone transducer, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the audio appliance to mitigate effects of the ambient impairment.