Ear Canal Accelerometer for Bone Conduction Accessibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current assistive technologies face challenges in noisy environments and are not well-suited for individuals with severe physical and motor impairments, as they rely on verbal commands and physical button inputs, which can be unreliable and inaccessible.
Innovation Solution
An assistive apparatus using accelerometer-based accessibility features, including a headset with an accelerometer that detects hums and head tilts to generate input signals, allowing users to control a graphical user interface through non-verbal commands, providing a more robust and accessible control method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice recognition features using microphone signals are used for accessibility control, then users can control the electronic device with verbal commands, but ambient noises may interfere with the intended verbal commands causing the accessibility controls to misbehave
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the acoustic/microphone-based voice recognition system with an accelerometer-based mechanical sensing system. The accelerometer detects vibrations from head movements and bone conduction sounds, converting mechanical vibrations into control signals. This substitution eliminates the interference from ambient acoustic noises that plague microphone-based systems, as the accelerometer senses only the mechanical vibrations from the user's intentional head movements.
2Ease of operation
If physical buttons are used for accessibility control, then users can navigate through onscreen items using unspoken commands, but paralyzed individuals may be unable to actuate the physical button to input a command
Solution Approach 1:
The accelerometer-based system serves multiple functions that accommodate different user needs. It can detect various types of inputs including intentional head movements, bone conduction sounds, and patterns of movement, making it universally applicable to users with different types of impairments. The system adapts to different input methods without requiring separate hardware for each user type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of input detection from requiring manual button actuation to detecting passive head movements and vibrations. By monitoring acceleration patterns, frequency spectra, and temporal characteristics of head movements, the system translates subtle physiological movements into actionable commands, expanding accessibility to users who cannot perform manual operations.
3Reliability
If traditional accessibility controls are used, then basic functionality can be provided, but the controls are not robust to ambient acoustic noises and may not be usable by individuals with severe impairment of physical and motor skills
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the acoustic/microphone-based voice recognition system with an accelerometer-based mechanical sensing system. The accelerometer detects vibrations from head movements and bone conduction sounds, converting mechanical vibrations into control signals. This substitution eliminates the interference from ambient acoustic noises that plague microphone-based systems, as the accelerometer senses only the mechanical vibrations from the user's intentional head movements.
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 enables reliable operation in noisy environments and accommodates users with severe impairments by converting hums and head movements into actionable input commands, enhancing accessibility and usability for individuals who cannot use traditional voice recognition or physical button inputs.
Implementation Method 1
Each hum includes a wordless tone transmitted via bone conduction from vocal cords of the user to the earphone in the ear canal
Implementation Method 2
The assistive apparatus may include a processor configured to receive the one or more input signals generated by the accelerometer, and execute the accessibility module to map the one or more input signals to the accessibility switch output
Data Source
AI summary
An assistive apparatus, and a method of providing an accessibility switch output by the assistive apparatus, is described. The assistive apparatus may include an accelerometer to be worn in an ear canal of a user, and a display having a graphical user interface. The accelerometer may generate an input signal representing an input command made by the user, and more particularly, the generated input command may represent one or more hums transmitted from vocal cords of the user to the accelerometer in the ear canal via bone conduction. The assistive apparatus may provide an accessibility switch output in response to the input signals representing the input command. For example, the accessibility switch output may cause a selection of a user interface element of the graphical user interface. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.