Hearing Device Sound Receiving Arrangement Tragus Bypass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing devices suffer from poor directivity in beamforming, especially due to individual pinna designs and tragus interference, leading to increased noise floors and costs associated with custom manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A hearing device design featuring a sound receiving arrangement with two microphones positioned in front of and behind the tragus, allowing for improved beamforming directivity, with optional third microphone and rotatable components to bypass tragus interference and enhance directivity index.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If microphones are placed behind the Concha of the ear, then the hearing device can be positioned in the ear canal, but the concha represents an acoustical obstacle for frequencies above 1-2 kHz and reduces directivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions microphones in the horizontal plane (left-right direction) rather than vertically behind the concha. The first microphone is positioned in front of the tragus and the second microphone is positioned behind the tragus, utilizing the horizontal dimension to bypass the acoustical obstacle of the concha while maintaining proper ear canal positioning.
2Device complexity
If two microphones are placed close to each other, then the hearing device structure is simplified, but the noise floor at low frequencies increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing microphones close together vertically, the patent separates them horizontally across the tragus. The first microphone is in front of the tragus and the second is behind it, creating sufficient horizontal spacing that reduces the noise floor while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.
3Manufacturing precision
If hearing devices are customized for individual pinna designs, then directivity is improved, but laborious ear impression taking, preform elaboration, and complex manufacturing result in increased costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal hearing device design with a standardized housing and microphone arrangement that works for different pinna designs. The horizontal microphone positioning across the tragus provides good directivity for most users without requiring custom ear impressions or complex manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves adaptability through software-based beamforming algorithms that can adjust to individual user characteristics without changing the physical hardware configuration. The system can optimize performance for different pinna designs while maintaining the same standardized microphone positioning.
4Manufacturing precision
If microphones are positioned to achieve optimal beamforming directivity, then directivity index is improved, but the design becomes highly dependent on individual pinna design
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions microphones in the horizontal plane across the tragus rather than vertically behind the concha. This horizontal arrangement bypasses the pinna obstacle and provides consistent directivity performance across different pinna designs, reducing dependency on individual anatomical variations.
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 design achieves significantly higher directivity index, reduces noise floors, and allows for 'one-fits-all' product designs, minimizing sensitivity to individual ear geometry and microphone tilt, while avoiding own voice pick-up and enabling adjustable directivity.
Implementation Method 1
a sound receiving arrangement in form of an arm which in the context of this invention is also referred to as the outer arm... said sound receiving arrangement comprises a case formed with at least two openings adapted to allow sound entrance from the environment to the at least two microphones
Implementation Method 2
A significant acoustical impact can be above 1 kHz due to a super-positioning of the natural pinna-effect
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing device including a housing, at least two microphones, and a sound receiving arrangement coupled to the housing such to span across the tragus of the user's ear in a direction from the rear of the user's head to the front of the user's head. The sound receiving arrangement includes a case formed with at least two openings adapted to allow sound entrance from the environment to the at least two microphones, respectively, wherein the openings are formed in portions of the sound receiving arrangement such that one of the at least two openings is located in front of the tragus and one is located rear the tragus.