Earset Assembly Feedback Cancellation via Acoustic Coupling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hands-free headsets are cumbersome and prone to improper microphone positioning, leading to poor speech detection and high levels of environmental noise and feedback, which can be distracting and disrupt conversations.
Innovation Solution
An earset assembly with a housing containing a microphone and speaker, where the microphone detects air pressure changes within the ear to accurately capture speech and the speaker is acoustically coupled to the microphone to minimize feedback and ambient noise, using dual input ports to cancel unwanted sounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional headsets are used to enable hands-free conversation, then hands-free operation is achieved, but the device becomes cumbersome and requires manual adjustment to maintain proper microphone positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible arm mechanism that allows the microphone to dynamically adjust its position relative to the user's mouth. This dynamic positioning capability enables the microphone to maintain optimal orientation for speech detection while accommodating user movement and different speaking positions, eliminating the need for manual adjustment during conversation.
Solution Approach 2:
The headset is divided into separate functional modules: a headband portion for positioning, a flexible arm for microphone placement, and an earpiece for audio output. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, with the flexible arm specifically designed to position the microphone optimally without constraining the user's head or ear movement.
2Measurement precision
If the microphone is positioned close to the user's mouth for accurate speech detection, then speech detection accuracy improves, but environmental noise and feedback from the speaker increase
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible arm acts as an intermediary element that spatially separates the microphone from the speaker while maintaining acoustic coupling for feedback cancellation. This intermediate structure allows the microphone to be positioned optimally for speech detection without being directly adjacent to the speaker, thereby reducing feedback while preserving detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback cancellation by acoustically coupling the speaker output back to the microphone input through the flexible arm. This feedback path allows the system to detect and compensate for speaker feedback, effectively reducing unwanted feedback noise while maintaining the benefits of close microphone positioning for speech detection.
3Reliability
If electrical circuitry is added to suppress feedback and environmental noise, then audio quality improves, but the device requires additional power sources and becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electrical noise suppression circuitry with a mechanical/acoustic solution using the flexible arm structure. The flexible arm physically positions the microphone to optimize speech detection while its acoustic coupling enables feedback cancellation through mechanical means, eliminating the need for additional power sources and complex electronic filtering systems.
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 earset assembly allows for hands-free, private conversations with reduced noise interference, enabling users to speak softly and engage in other activities while talking, with improved speech detection and reduced need for manual adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
the microphone detects air pressure changes within the ear to accurately capture speech
Implementation Method 2
the speaker is acoustically coupled to the microphone to minimize feedback and ambient noise
Implementation Method 3
using dual input ports to cancel unwanted sounds
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an earset assembly that has a housing having a microphone port and a speaker port. A microphone is enclosed by the housing and has first and second input ports. The first input port is acoustically coupled to the microphone port to detect air pressure changes of the ear of a user. A speaker is enclosed by the housing and has an output port acoustically coupled to the speaker port to broadcast sounds to the user. The output port is acoustically coupled to the second input port of the microphone so that the microphone cancels at least a portion of feedback from the sounds broadcast by the speaker and detected at the first input port of the microphone.