Headset Self-Voice Occlusion Mitigation via Frequency Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Headsets with occluding earpieces cause the wearer to perceive their own voice as unnatural due to the self-voice occlusion effect, leading to impaired communication.
Innovation Solution
A feed-forward system with a self-voice occlusion effect compensator is implemented in headsets to actively attenuate low-frequency sound pressure and amplify high-frequency sound pressure, using a block diagram with defined transfer functions to process audio signals and mitigate the occlusion effect.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If ear occluders are used to block external noise, then noise isolation is improved, but the wearer's voice perception becomes unnatural due to over-emphasized lower frequencies and under-emphasized higher frequencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the microphone to capture the wearer's voice and processes it through a filter that emphasizes high frequencies and de-emphasizes low frequencies. This inverted frequency response compensates for the occlusion effect, converting the harmful frequency distortion into a beneficial correction that restores natural voice perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the frequency parameters of the wearer's voice signal by applying a filter with specific frequency response characteristics. The filter modifies the spectral distribution of the voice signal to counteract the occlusion effect's frequency distortion, thereby restoring natural sound perception.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If ear cups or ear buds occlude the ears to provide noise reduction, then noise cancellation is improved, but communication effectiveness deteriorates due to unnatural voice perception
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the harmful occlusion effect into a beneficial correction by capturing the wearer's voice with the microphone and processing it through a frequency-compensating filter. This restores natural voice perception and maintains communication effectiveness despite the occluding ear cups.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone and signal processing system act as an intermediary between the wearer's voice and their own perception. The captured voice signal is processed and delivered back to the wearer through the ear cups, mediating the voice perception experience to compensate for the occlusion effect.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If passive noise reduction is implemented in headsets, then noise isolation is improved, but self-voice naturalness deteriorates due to the occlusion effect
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful occlusion effect caused by passive noise reduction into a beneficial correction. The microphone captures the wearer's voice and the filter processes it to emphasize high frequencies and de-emphasize low frequencies, thereby compensating for the occlusion effect and restoring natural voice perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the frequency parameters of the voice signal by applying a compensating filter. This filter modifies the spectral characteristics of the voice signal to counteract the frequency distortion introduced by the occluding ear cups, restoring natural sound perception.
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 effectively reduces the self-voice occlusion effect, allowing the wearer to hear their voice naturally with minimal delay, as demonstrated by experimental measurements showing improved sound pressure ratios and occlusion effect mitigation.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of earphones with transducers for outputting audio signals
Implementation Method 2
a microphone for detecting near-end speech uttered by a wearer of the headset
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A device includes an ear occlude, an output transducer that is acoustically coupled to an ear canal of a wearer of the device, a voice microphone configured to generate a first electrical signal that is proportional to a voice-generated sound pressure at the microphone, and signal processing circuitry, electrically coupled to the output transducer and the microphone, including a compensator configured to generate, from the first electrical signal, a second electrical signal, and output the second electrical signal to the output transducer, wherein the compensator is tuned to cause GoE, a ratio of a sound pressure within the ear canal to a voice-generated sound pressure at a mouth reference point when the ear is occluded and electronically-aided to be approximately equal to Gu, a ratio of the sound pressure within the ear canal to the voice-generated sound pressure at the mouth reference point when the ear is unoccluded.