Foldable Hearing Aid Earphones with Infrared Howling Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mobile hearing aids face challenges in preventing howling when earphones are opened or closed, requiring inconvenient power management and affecting user experience.
Innovation Solution
Integration of foldable earphones with howling prevention circuits and human body infrared sensors on headwear, such as hats or sun visors, to detect infrared radiation and automatically mute or provide hearing aid sounds based on earphone position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional hearing aids are mounted on headwear with fixed earphones, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the user convenience is reduced and howling cannot be prevented when earphones are opened
Solution Approach 1:
The earphones are designed to be foldable rather than fixed, allowing them to dynamically change position between covering and open states. This dynamic structure enables the earphones to adapt to different user needs while maintaining a compact form when not in use, thereby improving user convenience without permanently increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Infrared sensors detect whether the earphones are covering the ears and provide feedback to the control module. Based on this feedback, the system automatically adjusts the audio output state, enabling automatic howling prevention and improving user convenience through automated control rather than manual intervention
2Reliability
If power is continuously supplied to prevent howling, then howling is prevented, but energy consumption increases and requires inconvenient power management
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous power supply, the system uses periodic sensing with infrared sensors that detect earphone position and trigger power supply only when needed. The control module switches power on when earphones are open (to prevent howling) and off when covered, creating a periodic action pattern that maintains reliability while reducing energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the infrared sensors and control module to automatically manage power supply based on real-time detection of earphone position. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual power management by users while maintaining reliable howling prevention, as the system autonomously adjusts power consumption based on actual operational needs
3Extent of automation
If sensors are added to detect infrared radiation for automatic control, then user convenience is improved through automation, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical control (users manually adjusting or removing earphones) with an automated sensing system using infrared sensors. These sensors detect the thermal radiation from the user's ears to determine earphone coverage status, substituting mechanical user actions with an automated optical/thermal detection system that increases automation while adding only necessary sensing components
Solution Approach 2:
The infrared sensors serve multiple functions: detecting earphone coverage status, triggering automatic power supply control, and enabling howling prevention. This multi-functionality approach maximizes the utility of the added sensors, justifying the increased device complexity by providing comprehensive automated control from a single sensing mechanism
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
Enhances user convenience by automatically managing sound output based on earphone position, preventing howling and improving the usability of mobile hearing aids on headwear.
Implementation Method 1
sensors provided on the surfaces of the earphones facingly covering the wearer's ears to detect the infrared radiation emitted from the human body
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a mobile hearing aid having foldable earphones and howling prevention circuits mounted on headwear, including: a support member disposed on the inner periphery of the headwear and made of plastic or metal; and sensors provided on the surfaces of the earphones facingly covering a wearer's ears to detect the infrared radiation emitted from the human body, wherein hearing aid sounds are provided to the wearer when the earphones are covered on his or her ears and muted when the earphones are open from his or her ears, thereby preventing the occurrence of howling from the earphones open from his or her ears.