Headrest Audio System Adaptive Ear Position Calibration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio systems for vehicle seat headrests struggle to maintain optimal sound quality as users often position their heads differently than the intended calibration position, leading to sub-optimal active noise reduction.

Innovation Solution

An audio processing method that uses image acquisition and processing to determine the spatial position of a user's ears in a three-dimensional spatial reference frame, allowing for adaptive calibration of audio processing operations such as active noise reduction, spatialization, and equalization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If active noise reduction is optimized for a centered position of the user, then noise reduction effectiveness is improved for that specific position, but performance deteriorates when the user is not positioned as intended

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise reduction effectivenessVSAvoidperformance across different user positions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The audio system dynamically adapts the active noise reduction parameters based on the detected head position of the user. Instead of using fixed calibration for a centered position, the system continuously adjusts filter coefficients and noise cancellation parameters according to the real-time spatial location of the user's ears, ensuring optimal performance regardless of head position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes acoustic parameters (transfer functions, filter coefficients, delay times) based on the detected head position. By measuring the position of the user's ears and selecting or adjusting corresponding acoustic parameters from a set of pre-calibrated values, the system maintains effective noise reduction across different positions without requiring physical repositioning of loudspeakers or microphones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If audio processing operations are calibrated for a specific intended position, then sound quality is improved for that position, but quality deteriorates for other positions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound qualityVSAvoidsound quality across positions

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses feedback from image processing to detect the user's head position and continuously adjusts audio processing parameters accordingly. The detected position information feeds back to the audio processing module, which then selects or modifies transfer functions and spatialization parameters to optimize sound quality for the actual user position rather than the intended calibration position.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary calibration for multiple possible head positions and stores corresponding audio processing parameters. When the user's position is detected, the system quickly selects the pre-prepared parameters matching the detected position, avoiding the need for real-time complex calculations and enabling immediate optimization of sound quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If the audio system uses fixed loudspeaker positioning in the headrest, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different user positions is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveloudspeaker configurationVSAvoidaccommodation of user position variations

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces mechanical adjustments (moving loudspeakers or microphones to different positions) with electronic adaptation through image processing and digital signal processing. Instead of physically reconfiguring the audio hardware, the system uses cameras to detect head position and electronically adjusts transfer functions and audio parameters to compensate for position variations, maintaining fixed hardware while achieving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS12317060B2Audio method and system for a seat headrest

Publication Date: 2025.05.27 FAURECIA CLARION ELECTRONICS EUROPE

AI summary

An audio processing method for an audio system for a seat headrest, the audio system having at least two loudspeakers positioned on either side of the headrest and an audio processing module designed to apply at least one audio processing operation. The method includes the steps of: acquiring images of the head of a user of the audio system using an image acquisition device; processing the acquired images in order to determine, within a predetermined three-dimensional spatial reference frame, a spatial position of each ear of the user; and, on the basis of said determined spatial positions of the ears of the user and based on calibration information previously recorded in connection with an audio processing operation, determining calibration information for adapting the audio processing operation to the determined spatial positions of the ears of the user. Also included is an associated audio system for a seat headrest.