Ear-Wearable Voice Link With Low-Latency Noise Cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio streaming technologies for hearing devices suffer from latency issues and require external devices for controlling communications, limiting effective person-to-person voice communication.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a wireless connection between ear-wearable devices for bidirectional audio streaming, utilizing own-voice detection, echo cancellation, and ambient noise suppression, with latency reduction by prioritizing connections and integrating machine learning for improved speech understanding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional audio streaming is used for hearing devices, then audio content can be transmitted, but latency issues occur and external devices are required for communication control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a direct wireless communication channel between hearing devices as an intermediary solution, bypassing traditional external streaming devices. This direct peer-to-peer connection eliminates the intermediate devices that cause latency, allowing real-time audio transmission while maintaining communication reliability through dedicated wireless protocols optimized for low-latency audio streaming.
2Ease of operation
If external devices are used to control audio streaming, then communication can be managed, but device complexity increases and operation becomes less direct
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing devices are equipped with integrated communication control capabilities, allowing them to autonomously manage audio streaming without requiring external controlling devices. Each hearing device can independently initiate, control, and manage wireless audio transmissions to other hearing devices, eliminating the need for separate streaming devices and simplifying the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing devices are designed with multi-functional capabilities, combining audio processing, wireless communication, and communication control functions within a single device. This universal design allows the hearing device to serve multiple purposes - both as the audio output device and as the communication controller, reducing the number of separate components needed in the system.
3Speed
If direct wireless communication between hearing devices is implemented, then latency is reduced and operation is simplified, but new technical challenges in audio processing and noise cancellation arise
Solution Approach 1:
The audio processing system is divided into distinct functional modules including own-voice detection, echo cancellation, and noise suppression components. Each module handles a specific aspect of audio processing independently, allowing for optimized processing of different audio signals simultaneously. This segmentation enables the system to manage complex audio processing tasks efficiently without overwhelming the processing architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary processing stages for audio signals, including dedicated echo cancellation and noise suppression processing between the wireless transmission and final audio output. These intermediary processing steps act as mediators that refine the audio signal at each stage, managing the complexity of direct wireless communication by breaking down the processing into manageable intermediate steps.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for person-to-person voice communication between ear-wearable devices. A method includes receiving, using a microphone of a first hearing device configured to be worn on or in an ear of the first user, a first acoustic own voice signal from the first user. The method further includes transmitting, from the first hearing device via a wireless connection to a second hearing device configured to be worn on or in an ear of a second user, a first audio packet based on the received first acoustic own voice signal. The method also includes receiving, at the second hearing device via the wireless connection, the first audio packet from the first hearing device, and playing, at the second hearing device using a second receiver, an output signal for the second user based on the first audio packet.