Headphone Speaker System With Inner-Ear And Over-The-Ear Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional headphones fail to effectively recreate a true surround sound experience due to the uniform distance of speakers from the ear canal and eardrum, limiting user immersion and audio perception.
Innovation Solution
A headphone speaker system incorporating inner-ear and over-the-ear speakers, with surround sound processors that separate audio channels to be received and outputted by inner-ear speakers positioned within the ear canal and over-the-ear speakers positioned outside, simulating a more natural and immersive audio environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If speakers are positioned at uniform distance from ear canal and eardrum, then device structure is simple, but surround sound effect is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the speaker system into two distinct segments: inner-ear speakers positioned within the ear canal and over-the-ear speakers positioned outside the ear canal. This segmentation allows each speaker type to be optimized for its specific location, with inner-ear speakers handling front audio channels and over-the-ear speakers handling surround sound channels, thereby achieving true surround sound effect while maintaining manageable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different functions to speakers based on their specific positions. Inner-ear speakers are configured to receive front audio channels and are positioned at least partially within the ear canal, while over-the-ear speakers are configured to receive surround sound channels and are positioned outside the ear canal. This localized functional differentiation creates authentic spatial audio perception
2Reliability
If all speakers are positioned outside ear canal, then device structure is simple, but audio immersion is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested configuration where inner-ear speakers are positioned within the ear canal while over-the-ear speakers are positioned outside the ear canal. This nested arrangement allows the system to leverage both intra-canal and extra-canal acoustic properties, creating deeper audio immersion by engaging multiple ear regions simultaneously with different audio channels
3Reliability
If speakers are positioned to achieve true surround sound, then audio perception is enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio system into distinct functional groups: inner-ear speakers for front channels and over-the-ear speakers for surround channels. This segmentation simplifies the overall configuration by clearly defining the role of each speaker type, making the complex multi-channel system more manageable while maintaining enhanced audio perception
Solution Approach 2:
By assigning specific audio channels to specific speaker positions (front channels to inner-ear speakers, surround channels to over-the-ear speakers), the patent creates localized audio zones that collectively deliver authentic surround sound perception without requiring complex cross-channel routing
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 system achieves a true surround sound effect by positioning speakers to recreate the natural distance and sound separation of real-world environments, enhancing user immersion and audio perception by making sounds in front louder than those surrounding, mimicking real-world auditory experiences.
Implementation Method 1
inner-ear and over-the-ear speakers for receiving audio channels by the inner-ear and over-the-ear speakers and outputting audio sounds (generated based on the audio channels) via the inner-ear and over-the-ear speakers
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A headphone speaker system includes over-the-ear speakers (left and right) and inner-ear speakers (left and right). The left over-the-ear speaker and the right over-the-ear speaker are configured to receive a left surround audio channel of an audio signal and a right surround audio channel of the audio signal, respectively, from a surround sound processor, and are configured to be positioned outside a left ear canal of a user and outside a right ear canal of the user, respectively. The left inner-ear speaker and the right inner-ear speaker are configured to receive a left front audio channel of the audio signal and a right front audio channel of the audio signal, respectively, from the surround sound processor, and are configured to be positioned at least partially within the left ear canal of the user and at least partially within the right ear canal of the user, respectively.