Earpiece Selective Ambient Sound Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Earpieces typically block all ambient sounds, but users may want to hear specific sounds from their environment while filtering out others, necessitating a system to selectively allow certain ambient sounds while suppressing the rest.
Innovation Solution
An earpiece with a processor, microphone, and speaker that modifies ambient sounds based on user preferences and trigger conditions, allowing filtered or warning sounds to be reproduced, and includes a gestural interface and inertial sensor for control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the earpiece blocks all ambient sounds, then noise isolation is improved, but the user cannot hear specific environmental sounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments ambient sounds into different frequency ranges and selectively processes them. The system divides the audio spectrum into multiple bands, allowing certain frequencies to pass through while blocking others, thereby achieving both noise isolation and ambient sound perception simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different parts of the audio spectrum. Specific frequency ranges are enhanced or preserved while others are suppressed, creating localized quality variations that allow important ambient sounds to be heard while blocking unwanted noise.
2Loss of information
If the earpiece reproduces all ambient sounds, then audio transparency is improved, but unwanted noises are not filtered out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts specific desired ambient sounds from the overall ambient noise spectrum. By identifying and isolating particular frequency ranges or sound patterns, the system reproduces only the useful ambient sounds while leaving unwanted noises blocked.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters such as frequency response, gain, and filtering characteristics to selectively reproduce ambient sounds. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system enhances desired sounds while suppressing unwanted noise, achieving both audio transparency and noise filtering.
3Speed
If the earpiece provides real-time sound modification, then responsiveness is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing of ambient sounds by pre-configuring filter parameters, frequency bands, and processing algorithms. This preparation work is done in advance, allowing the system to quickly apply pre-determined processing rules in real-time without excessive computational complexity during actual operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An earpiece includes an earpiece housing sized and shaped to block an external auditory canal of a user, at least one microphone positioned to sense ambient sound, a speaker, and a processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to each of the at least one microphone and the speaker, wherein the processor is configured to modify the ambient sound based on user preferences to produce modified ambient sound in a first mode of operation and to produce a second sound in response to a trigger condition. The second sound may be an unmodified version of the ambient sound. The second sound may be a modified version of the ambient sound which suppresses at least a portion of the ambient sound. The second sound may be a warning sound.