Earpiece Ambient Sound Field Manipulation for Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of earpieces face challenges in distinguishing important auditory cues from ambient noise, leading to potential dangers and discomfort, as existing solutions either fail to filter out relevant sounds or provide adequate noise reduction.
Innovation Solution
Earpieces equipped with microphones and processors that characterize ambient sounds and modify them based on user-defined parameters, allowing for real-time adjustment of sound levels and filtering to prioritize important sounds over background noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If earpieces provide noise reduction to block ambient noise, then user comfort and entertainment quality are improved, but user safety deteriorates due to inability to hear important auditory cues
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the ambient sound field into multiple frequency bands and identifies distinct sound sources. By analyzing temporal and spectral characteristics, the processor separates important auditory cues (such as human voices, alarms, or vehicle sounds) from background noise, allowing selective amplification or attenuation of specific sound segments while maintaining overall noise reduction
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different processing qualities to different sound sources within the same ambient environment. Important sounds receive enhanced processing (amplification, noise reduction) while less critical background noises receive different treatment. This local differentiation allows the earpiece to provide tailored sound enhancement for safety-critical cues while maintaining comfort for non-critical sounds
2Reliability
If earpieces amplify all ambient sounds to improve safety, then user safety is improved, but user comfort deteriorates due to increased noise levels and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes multiple parameters including gain levels, frequency response, and noise reduction thresholds based on the identified sound source and environmental context. For safety-critical sounds, the system adjusts parameters to amplify and enhance clarity; for non-critical background noises, parameters are adjusted to maintain comfort levels. This selective parameter modification resolves the contradiction between safety and comfort
3Reliability
If earpieces provide comprehensive ambient sound processing to improve safety, then user safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple microphones and processors
Solution Approach 1:
The processor is designed to perform multiple functions using the same hardware components. The same microphones and processing unit that enable noise reduction also perform ambient sound analysis, sound source identification, and safety-critical sound enhancement. This multi-functionality allows comprehensive safety processing without proportionally increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the existing audio processing infrastructure of the earpiece to simultaneously achieve both noise reduction and safety monitoring functions. The processor analyzes ambient sounds and automatically adjusts processing parameters without requiring additional dedicated hardware for safety functions, allowing the device to serve multiple purposes with its current component configuration
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments of the present invention, a method of modifying ambient sound received by an earpiece in accordance with an environmental characterization may have one or more of the following steps: (a) receiving the ambient sound at a microphone operably coupled to the earpiece, (b) determining, via a processor operably coupled to the microphone, the environmental characterization based on the ambient sound, (c) modifying, via the processor, the ambient sound in accordance with a plurality of parameters associated with the environmental characterization to create a modified ambient sound, (d) communicating, via a speaker operably coupled to the earpiece, the modified ambient sound, (e) receiving the ambient sound at the second microphone, (f) determining, via the processor, a location of the ambient sound from a temporal differential and an intensity differential between the reception of the ambient sound at the microphone and the reception of the ambient sound at the second microphone, and (g) determining, via the processor, a location of the ambient sound from a temporal differential and an intensity differential between the reception of the ambient sound at the microphone of the earpiece and the reception of the ambient sound at the second microphone of the second earpiece.