Headset Self-Voice Feedback With Parallel Analog-Digital Paths
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Communications headsets in high noise environments suffer from ambient noise interference and the 'occlusion effect,' which distorts the wearer's self-voice feedback, making it unintelligible and unnatural due to latency in digital signal processing.
Innovation Solution
A communications system with parallel digital and analog signal processing paths, using microphone mixing and gain adjustment parameters to optimize voice components while minimizing noise, and applying equalization and filtering to provide natural-sounding self-voice feedback with low latency and no echo.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital signal processing is used to provide self-voice feedback, then the feedback can be precisely controlled with adjustable parameters, but latency increases and psychoacoustic effects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the signal processing into two separate paths: a digital signal processing path for precise parameter control and an analog signal processing path for low-latency feedback generation. The digital path handles parameter determination (microphone mixing ratios, gain adjustments) while the analog path executes the actual feedback signal generation, thus segmenting precision control from time-critical processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary analog signal processing path that receives control parameters from the digital path and translates them into real-time feedback signals. This analog intermediary acts as a bridge, allowing the digital system to maintain precision control while the analog system provides the low-latency response needed to avoid psychoacoustic effects.
2Reliability
If multiple microphones are used to capture near-end speech, then signal-to-noise ratio improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines signals from multiple microphones (first and second microphones) using determined mixing parameters to create a combined near-end signal. By merging the microphone inputs with optimized mixing ratios, the system achieves improved signal-to-noise ratio while managing complexity through parameter-based control rather than complex hardware architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses determined parameter values (microphone mixing parameters) to dynamically control how multiple microphone signals are combined. This parameter-based approach allows flexible optimization of signal-to-noise ratio without requiring complex fixed hardware structures, as the mixing ratios can be adjusted based on acoustic conditions.
3Reliability
If gain adjustment is applied to compensate for environmental noise, then self-voice feedback quality improves, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic gain adjustment where the gain parameter is determined based on measured environmental noise levels and signal-to-noise ratio. The gain value dynamically adapts to changing acoustic conditions, allowing the system to maintain high feedback quality in varying noise environments while keeping the processing architecture relatively simple through parameter adaptation rather than structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for providing self-voice feedback in a communications headset include processing signals carrying near-end speech in parallel digital and analog signal processing paths to produce a combined gain-adjusted near-end signal carrying the near-end speech for output to transducers of the communications device.