Dual-Microphone Voice Control for Noisy Earpiece Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Earpieces struggle to differentiate between user voice and background noise in high-level sound environments, leading to degraded communication quality due to the capture of ambient sounds like traffic and nearby conversations.
Innovation Solution
The earpiece employs an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) and an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) to capture external and internal sounds, respectively, with a processor analyzing these sounds to detect user voice through correlation, coherence, and spectral analysis, controlling the mixing of sounds based on voice characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the earpiece uses a single microphone to capture sound, then the device structure is simple, but it cannot differentiate between user voice and background noise in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the sound capture function into two separate microphones: an ambient sound microphone (ASM) for capturing external environmental sounds and an ear canal microphone (ECM) for capturing internal sounds near the user's ear. This segmentation allows the system to compare and differentiate between user voice and background noise by analyzing the spatial and acoustic characteristics from both microphones, thereby improving voice differentiation accuracy without requiring a single complex microphone.
2Measurement precision
If the earpiece captures all ambient sounds, then the microphone is sensitive to all voices, but it cannot distinguish the user's voice from other people's voices in proximity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the ear canal microphone (ECM) as an intermediary sensor positioned inside the user's ear canal. This intermediary captures sounds that are acoustically close to the user's ear, including the user's own voice and audio content from the earpiece speaker. By comparing the ECM signal with the ASM signal, the system can identify which ambient sounds correspond to the user's voice and which are from other sources, effectively filtering out background noise interference while maintaining high sensitivity to all voices.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the earpiece uses noise suppression technology, then background noise is reduced, but the earpiece remains sound agnostic and cannot differentiate sound sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors and compares signals from both the ambient sound microphone (ASM) and ear canal microphone (ECM). By analyzing the correlation, coherence, and spectral characteristics between these two signals, the system can identify the user's voice in real-time and adjust the audio mixing accordingly. This feedback loop enables the earpiece to differentiate sound sources adaptively, maintaining noise suppression while gaining the capability to distinguish between user voice and background noise dynamically.
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 communication quality by isolating user voice from background noise, allowing for effective voice monitoring, dictation, and recognition, even in noisy conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The processor can detect a spoken voice generated by a wearer of the earpiece based on an analysis of the ambient sound measured at the ASM and the internal sound measured at the ECM
Implementation Method 2
The VOX can include a level detector for comparing a sound pressure level (SPL) of the ambient sound and the internal sound, a correlation unit for assessing a correlation of the ambient sound and the internal sound for detecting the spoken voice
Implementation Method 3
A voice operated control (VOX) operatively coupled to the processor can control a mixing of the ambient sound and the internal sound for producing a mixed signal
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for processing and voice operated control are provided and mixing ambient and internal signals. The method can include performing a non-difference comparison between a first received sound and a second received sound, determining if speech exists based on the comparison, and transmitting or providing a decision that the speech is present to at least one among the device, a cell phone, a media player, or a portable computing device. Other embodiments are disclosed.