Ear Band Microphone Positioning for Hearing Aid Feedback Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hearing aids often struggle to provide effective sound amplification in noisy environments and can be uncomfortable due to the positioning of microphones, which can lead to interference and reduced sound quality.

Innovation Solution

A digital hearing device with multiple microphones positioned strategically around an ear band, allowing one to face forward and another to face backward, along with a wireless communicator and controller for mode switching and amplification control, minimizes interference and enhances sound amplification by positioning the microphone behind the auricle.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the microphone is positioned in conventional locations (in front of or inside the ear), then it can capture sound from the front, but it causes howling effects and reduces amplification gain in noisy environments

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound amplification qualityVSAvoidhowling effects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional microphone positioning by placing it at the rear of the earband instead of in front of or inside the ear. This reverse positioning allows the microphone to capture ambient sound from behind the user while avoiding the feedback loop that causes howling effects, thereby improving sound amplification quality in noisy environments

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If multiple microphones are added to improve sound capture from different directions, then hearing performance in noisy environments improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing performance in noisy environmentVSAvoidnumber of microphones

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by positioning microphones at specific locations on the earband (front and rear positions) with distinct functional roles. The rear microphone captures ambient noise while the front microphone captures speech, allowing the system to process different sound sources separately and improve hearing performance without requiring excessive numbers of microphones

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 device provides improved sound amplification and comfort in noisy environments by positioning the microphone behind the auricle, reducing howling effects and maximizing amplification gain, while also offering waterproof and versatile functionality.

Implementation Method 1

The hearing aid receives sound waves with a microphone, converts the sound waves to electrical vibrations

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic to electrical transduction:

Implementation Method 2

expands and coverts the electrical vibrations back to sound waves to be heard by ears using an earphone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical to acoustic transduction:

Data Source

PatentUS11849268B2Digital hearing device with microphone in ear band

Publication Date: 2023.12.19 OLIVE UNION INC

AI summary

Disclosed is a digital hearing device with a microphone in an ear band, the digital hearing device including a body; an ear band configured to extend from one side of the body and to surround at least a portion of auricle of a user; a plurality of microphones provided to the ear band at predetermined intervals; an ear head configured to protrude inward from the body and to fit into an ear of the user; and a speaker provided to the ear head and configured to amplify sound received from the plurality of microphones and to deliver the amplified sound to the user.