Personalized Headphone EQ Based on Ear Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio processing technologies fail to accurately control sound delivery to an individual's ear drum due to variations in ear geometry, leading to unwanted pinna effects when using headworn speaker devices, resulting in an unnatural audio experience.
Innovation Solution
Generating a customized equalization filter profile based on the user's ear geometry and the headworn device's model to determine the frequency response or transfer function of the sound path, which is then applied to the audio signal to compensate for or add pinna cues, thereby improving sound control and naturalness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a generic compensation EQ profile is used to compensate for pinna effects, then the audio processing is simple and applicable to all users, but the compensation is inaccurate due to large variations between individual ear geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scanning of the user's ear geometry using a depth scanner or camera before audio playback. This pre-captured geometric data is stored and used to generate a customized EQ profile in advance, allowing accurate pinna effect compensation without requiring complex real-time processing during actual audio playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the EQ parameters based on the individually scanned ear geometry parameters. By measuring specific geometric parameters of the user's pinna and ear canal, the system generates customized frequency response curves that are tailored to that specific user's anatomy, thereby achieving accurate compensation for their unique pinna effects.
2Ease of operation
If audio is delivered through in-ear speaker devices without pinna cues, then the audio delivery is direct and simple, but the audio sounds unnatural because it lacks pinna cues
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses an equalization filter profile as an intermediary to add pinna cues to the audio signal. The filter acts as a mediator between the direct audio output from the in-ear speaker and the user's perception, spectrally shaping the audio to include the characteristic pinna effects that make sound appear natural, without requiring physical pinna interaction.
3Loss of information
If audio contains pinna cues and is delivered through headworn speaker devices, then the audio has spatial information, but a double-pinna effect occurs because additional pinna cues are added
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by using the customized EQ filter to remove or attenuate the frequency components that correspond to the pinna cues that will be added by the headworn device. This pre-compensation approach counteracts the upcoming double-pinna effect, allowing spatial audio information to be preserved while preventing the harmful double-pinna artifact from occurring.
Data Source
AI summary
Audio processing for a headworn device can include obtaining ear geometry of a user. A frequency response or transfer function can be determined, based on the ear geometry of the user and a model of the headworn device, where the frequency response or transfer function characterizes an effect of a path between a speaker of the headworn device and an ear canal entrance of the user on sound. An equalization filter profile can be generated based on the based on the frequency response or transfer function. The equalization filter profile can be applied to an audio signal, and the audio signal can be used to drive the speaker of the headworn device.