E-Reader Noise Cancellation via Ambient Sound Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ambient noise can be a significant distraction while reading on electronic personal displays, such as eReaders, as they lack effective noise cancellation features, disrupting the user's reading experience.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a microphone to detect ambient noise characteristics and generating noise-cancelling sound waves via speakers, which can be automatically triggered or activated by user input, to create a distraction-free reading environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If electronic personal displays are designed for basic reading functionality, then device simplicity is maintained, but noise cancellation capability is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveambient noise distractionVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts harmful ambient noise into beneficial noise-cancelling sound waves by detecting the ambient noise characteristics and generating inverse sound waves that cancel the noise, transforming the harmful acoustic environment into a useful noise-cancellation mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a microphone as an intermediary component to detect ambient noise characteristics and a speaker as another intermediary to generate noise-cancelling sound waves, mediating between the harmful ambient noise and the user's reading experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If noise cancellation features are added to eReaders, then reading experience is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereading experienceVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the eReader multi-functional by combining traditional reading capabilities with active noise cancellation functionality, allowing the same device to serve both as an eReader and as an active noise-control system

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The noise cancellation system operates automatically by detecting ambient noise and generating cancelling waves without requiring manual user intervention, making the system self-regulating and reducing operational complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

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

This solution effectively minimizes ambient noise distractions, providing a conducive reading environment by generating noise-cancelling sound waves that interfere with and cancel out ambient noise, enhancing the user's reading experience.

Implementation Method 1

generating noise-cancelling sound waves that interfere with and cancel out ambient noise

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDestructive interference: Interference

Data Source

PatentUS9761217B2Reducing ambient noise distraction with an electronic personal display

Publication Date: 2017.09.12 RAKUTEN GROUP INC

AI summary

A method and system for reducing ambient noise distraction with an electronic personal display is disclosed. One example determines when the electronic personal display is in reader mode. In addition, ambient noise around the electronic personal display is also detected. Noise cancelling sound waves are generated at the electronic personal display for reducing ambient noise distraction. The noise cancelling sound waves are then output from at least one speaker coupled with the electronic personal display.