Ear-wearable ANC Using Vibration Sensor to Reduce Artifacts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ear-wearable devices face challenges in effectively canceling noise due to body-induced and receiver-induced vibrations, which can lead to audible noise artifacts and reduced ANC performance.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a structural vibration sensor to detect body-induced and receiver-induced vibrations, and a sound processor that calculates an active noise cancellation (ANC) signal, subtracts the vibration signal from the ANC signal, and reproduces the modified ANC signal into the ear canal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ANC processing is used without vibration compensation, then the system complexity remains low, but the ANC performance deteriorates due to vibration-induced noise artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
A vibration sensor is introduced as an intermediary component to detect body-induced and receiver-induced vibrations. The sensor signal serves as a mediator that informs the ANC processing about vibration conditions, enabling the system to adaptively compensate for vibration effects without fundamentally redesigning the entire ANC architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The ANC system transitions from a static configuration to a dynamic one by incorporating adaptive filtering that adjusts its parameters based on detected vibration signals. The filter coefficients are continuously updated in response to vibration conditions, allowing the system to optimize ANC performance under varying vibration states.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vibration compensation is added to ANC processing, then the noise artifact reduction improves, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful vibration effects are extracted and isolated from the overall noise signal through dedicated vibration sensing. By separating the vibration component detection from the general noise cancellation process, the system can target-specifically address vibration-induced artifacts without needing to redesign the entire noise cancellation algorithm.
Solution Approach 2:
A feedback loop is established where vibration sensor outputs are continuously fed into the ANC processing chain. The system monitors vibration levels in real-time and adjusts the ANC signal accordingly, creating a closed-loop control mechanism that automatically compensates for vibration effects as they occur.
3Reliability
If the vibration sensor signal is directly integrated into ANC, then the vibration mitigation effectiveness improves, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Vibration signals are detected and processed in advance before being integrated into the main ANC signal path. The system performs preliminary vibration analysis and prepares compensation signals proactively, allowing the main ANC processing to incorporate pre-processed vibration data rather than handling raw vibration signals in real-time.
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
This approach enhances the ANC performance by mitigating the effects of vibrations, reducing noise artifacts, and maintaining effective sound cancellation across various frequencies.
Implementation Method 1
a structural vibration sensor structurally coupled to detect at least one of body-induced vibrations and receiver-induced vibrations and produce a sensed vibration signal in response
Implementation Method 2
a receiver that reproduces sound into an ear canal
Implementation Method 3
an inward-facing microphone determining sound pressure resulting from: the sound reproduced by the receiver into the ear canal; and acoustical noise leaking into the ear canal
Data Source
AI summary
An ear-wearable device includes a receiver that produces sound into an ear canal and an inward-facing microphone determining sound pressure resulting from: the sound reproduced by the receiver into the ear canal; and acoustical noise leaking into the ear canal. A structural vibration sensor is coupled to detect at least one of body-induced vibrations and receiver-induced vibrations and produce a sensed vibration signal in response. A sound processor of the ear-wearable device is operable to determine an error signal from the inward-facing microphone and determine an active noise cancellation (ANC) signal based on the error signal. The vibration signal is used to reduce the impacts of vibrations on ANC processing within the ear-wearable device.