Earphone Occlusion Effect Reduction via Bone Conduction Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
The occlusion effect in earphones, which causes users to perceive their own voice as dull and unnatural due to bone conduction and vibration-induced noise, remains unresolved.
Innovation Solution
An earphone system that detects user speech and motion states using microphones and sensors, processing sound signals with feedforward and feedback filters to suppress occlusion effects and play comfort noise or downlink audio to mask unwanted sounds, thereby enhancing sound transmission and reducing discomfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If an eartip is used to physically isolate ambient noise, then noise isolation is improved, but occlusion effect increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful occlusion effect into a beneficial feature by using the same bone conduction mechanism that causes the problem to create a compensatory sound signal. The system detects bone conduction vibrations and generates anti-phase sounds through the speaker to cancel out the occlusion effect, thereby maintaining noise isolation while eliminating the unwanted effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where bone conduction sensors detect vibrations caused by the user's speech and movements, and this information is used to generate compensatory sound signals. The system continuously monitors the occlusion effect through bone conduction detection and adjusts the compensatory sound in real-time to maintain natural hearing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the external auditory canal is blocked by an earphone, then noise isolation is improved, but bone conduction hearing threshold decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the decreased bone conduction hearing threshold caused by canal blockage into a beneficial sensing mechanism. By using bone conduction sensors to detect the vibrations that occur when the canal is blocked, the system generates compensatory sounds that restore natural hearing perception, turning the harmful threshold change into a useful detection and correction mechanism.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the auditory canal is in a closed state, then noise isolation is improved, but sound reflection increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses bone conduction sensors to detect sound reflections occurring in the closed auditory canal environment. The detected reflection patterns are fed back to the signal processing system, which generates compensatory sound signals to cancel out the reflected sounds, thereby maintaining noise isolation while eliminating uncomfortable sound reflections.
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
Significantly reduces or eliminates the occlusion effect, allowing users to hear their own voice more naturally and comfortably without distortion, improving overall user experience.
Implementation Method 1
The occlusion effect is a phenomenon in which a bone conduction hearing threshold decreases after an external auditory canal orifice is blocked by an earphone. Skull vibration transferred to an external auditory canal causes relative movement of air in the external auditory canal
Implementation Method 2
processing sound signals with feedforward and feedback filters to suppress occlusion effects and play comfort noise or downlink audio to mask unwanted sounds
Data Source
AI summary
This application discloses a method for reducing an occlusion effect of an earphone, and a related apparatus. The method is applied to an earphone having at least one microphone and a speaker. The method includes: detecting an occurrence of at least one of the following events: a user speaks and the user is in motion; and triggering at least one of the following operations in response to the at least one event: processing the user's sound signal based on the at least one microphone to suppress an occlusion effect of the earphone, and playing an audio by using the speaker, to mask a sound signal in the user's auditory canal. Embodiments of this application can reduce or even eliminate the earphone occlusion effect, to improve user experience.