Helmet Microphone Array for Wind Noise Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional Bluetooth helmet headset communicators face challenges in extreme wind and environmental noise, particularly in fast-speed activities, due to susceptibility of directional microphones and discomfort issues with bone conduction microphones, which affect communication quality and durability.

Innovation Solution

A wearable array using a combination of bone conduction and air conduction microphones, integrated with a signal processor, to effectively suppress wind and environmental noise, ensuring consistent contact and reducing interference, while maintaining speech quality and durability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If a boom microphone with thick wind filter is used, then wind noise is reduced, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewind noiseVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the microphone system into multiple independent components: a bone conduction microphone for capturing voice, an air conduction microphone for capturing ambient sound, and separate wind filters positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies the overall system compared to a single boom microphone structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a wind filter as an intermediary element positioned between the air conduction microphone and the external environment. This filter acts as a mediator that selectively blocks wind noise while allowing voice sounds to pass through to the bone conduction microphone, effectively reducing wind noise without requiring complex boom microphone structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If bone conduction microphone is used, then environmental noise is reduced, but contact quality affects signal reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenvironmental noiseVSAvoidsignal reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the bone conduction microphone and air conduction microphone into a single integrated system. The bone conduction microphone captures voice signals through skull vibration, while the air conduction microphone captures ambient sounds. By combining both systems, the patent ensures reliable signal acquisition through multiple pathways, compensating for potential contact issues with the bone conduction microphone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Volume of moving object

If small array of microphones is used, then device size is reduced, but wind noise susceptibility increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice sizeVSAvoidwind noise

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by positioning wind filters at specific locations around the air conduction microphone, creating localized protective zones that block wind noise from reaching the microphone elements. This allows the use of a compact microphone array while maintaining effectiveness against wind noise through strategically placed filtration rather than requiring larger overall device dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 solution enables clear and reliable communication in extremely windy and noisy conditions, such as biking or skydiving, by combining vibration and tonal signal data to produce noise-reduced vocal communication, enhancing speech intelligibility and reducing wind noise effectively.

Implementation Method 1

Bone conduction microphones can be used to help solve both the environmental noise and wind noise issues

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBone conduction:

Implementation Method 2

an air conduction microphone integral with, or attachable to, the protective headgear at a second position away from the first position of the bone conduction microphone by at least a defined distance, wherein the air conduction microphone obtains tonal signal data representative of a tonal signal, received by the air conduction microphone via air

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAir conduction:

Implementation Method 3

a signal processor that processes the vibration signal data and the tonal signal data, to produce combined data representative of the vocal communication that substantially reduces or eliminates at least one of a first noise associated with the vibration signal data or a second noise associated with the tonal signal data

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSignal processing:

Data Source

PatentUS11778371B2Helmet for communication in extreme wind and environmental noise

Publication Date: 2023.10.03 FAUNUS IP HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

An apparatus including a multi-sensor array having a bone conduction microphone, air conduction microphone, signal processor, and speakers; a signal processor that processes vibration signal data and tonal signal data to produce combined data representative of the vocal communication to substantially reduce or eliminate noise; and a method of applying a signals optimized combination algorithm to optimize the output by intelligently combining the outputs from the two different types of sensors for both working in a noisy environment and quiet environment.