In-Ear Hearing Protector Windscreen and Limiter for Wind Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional electronic earplugs are ineffective in reducing wind noise, which interferes with ambient sound reception and can discourage users from wearing them in windy environments, and existing windscreens often have undesirable appearances and interfere with other devices.

Innovation Solution

An in-the-ear electronic hearing protector with integrated windscreen and high-level limiter circuitry, where the windscreen is positioned at a cut-out portion of the housing, deep within the ear canal, and the limiter reduces high-level sustained sounds like wind noise and reverberation, maintaining a continuous outer profile and minimizing signal distortion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a thin film protective layer is used on the microphone inlet, then the microphone is protected from debris, but wind noise reduction is ineffective

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemicrophone protectionVSAvoidwind noise

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a perforated windscreen that appears to be a thin film or shell structure with numerous small holes. This windscreen is positioned over the microphone inlet and acoustic inlet, allowing sound waves to pass through while blocking wind noise and debris. The thin film structure maintains a sleek appearance and does not protrude from the earplug housing, resolving the contradiction between protection and wind noise reduction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Object-affected harmful factors

If an external windscreen is attached to the housing, then wind noise is reduced, but the appearance becomes undesirable and interferes with other devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewind noiseVSAvoidouter profile

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The windscreen is merged with the earplug housing structure itself rather than being a separate attached component. The windscreen is integrated into the housing at the first end, forming a unified structure that does not protrude from the outer profile. This merging approach reduces wind noise while maintaining a sleek appearance and compatibility with other devices like tactical headsets.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The windscreen is nested within the housing structure, positioned at the first end of the housing. The acoustic inlet is positioned within the housing and behind the windscreen. This nested arrangement allows the windscreen to provide wind noise reduction without adding external protrusions, maintaining the desired outer profile while protecting the microphone and acoustic inlet.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Measurement precision

If the microphone inlet is positioned at the housing inlet, then sound reception is direct, but wind noise directly impacts the microphone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesound receptionVSAvoidwind noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The windscreen serves as an intermediary element positioned between the external environment and the microphone inlet. It allows sound waves to pass through while blocking wind noise and debris from directly impacting the microphone. The acoustic inlet is also positioned behind the windscreen, creating a protected pathway for sound while maintaining acoustic sensitivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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 integrated windscreen and high-level limiter circuitry effectively reduce wind noise by 5 to 30 dB, improving sound clarity and user comfort in windy conditions without disrupting desired sounds, and maintaining a sleek design that does not interfere with other devices.

Implementation Method 1

The windscreen is positioned at a cut-out portion of the housing... operable to reduce wind noise

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhysical barrier blocking: Filter (physical)

Implementation Method 2

high-level limiter circuitry... the limiter reduces high-level sustained sounds like wind noise and reverberation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic signal processing: Filter (electronic)

Data Source

PatentUS11095965B2System and method for reducing wind noise in an electronic hearing protector

Publication Date: 2021.08.17 ETYMOTIC RESEARCH INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for reducing wind noise in an electronic hearing protector are provided. The electronic hearing protector includes a housing and a windscreen. The housing includes a cut-out portion having at least one acoustic inlet. The windscreen covers the cut-out portion and includes an outer surface. An acoustic path within the cut-out portion from an effective center of the acoustic inlet(s) to the windscreen is at least 100 degrees. A minimum distance from the effective center of the acoustic inlet(s) to the outer surface of the windscreen is at least 2.5 millimeters. In various embodiments, the electronic hearing protector may include a high-level limiter disposed in the housing. The high-level limiter selectively attenuates a frequency below a voice range more than a frequency in the voice range of a microphone input signal to provide a signal output with noise reduction at frequencies outside of the voice range.