Identical Earcup Microphone Array for Automatic Left-Right Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current headphones require distinct left and right earcups to accurately capture and transmit audio, leading to issues with environmental noise interference during voice communications, as they are not designed to adapt to different ear placements efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A system with identical earcups, each equipped with multiple microphones, uses an earcup detector to determine the correct earcup placement and adjust microphone signals for beamforming and noise suppression, allowing for automatic right-left ear detection and improved voice communication quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If distinct left and right earcups are used to accurately capture audio, then audio capture accuracy is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by positioning microphones at different locations within identical earcups. The first microphone is positioned at a first location and the second microphone at a second location, creating asymmetric signal capture patterns that enable the system to distinguish between left and right ear placement without requiring different earcup designs. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving accurate audio capture and ear identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements universality by designing identical earcups that can be worn on either the left or right ear. The same earcup design with multiple microphones at different positions serves multiple functions: audio capture, environmental noise filtering, and automatic ear detection. This eliminates the need for separate left and right earcup designs, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining audio capture accuracy.
2Reliability
If multiple microphones are used for beamforming and noise suppression, then voice communication quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the audio capture function across multiple microphones positioned at different locations within each earcup. The first microphone and second microphone are strategically positioned to capture different acoustic signals, allowing the system to segment environmental noise from voice signals through beamforming and noise suppression algorithms, thereby improving communication quality without requiring a single complex microphone.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through an earcup detector that receives signals from multiple microphones, determines which earcup is worn on the user's right ear, and generates a right-left signal. This feedback mechanism enables automatic adaptation of the audio processing system to the user's actual ear placement, ensuring optimal voice capture and noise suppression while maintaining manageable device complexity through intelligent signal processing.
3Ease of manufacture
If identical earcups are used for both left and right ears, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but the ability to accurately identify ear placement is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning multiple microphones at specific locations within identical earcups during manufacturing. The first microphone is placed at a first location and the second microphone at a second location, creating a built-in identification system that enables automatic ear detection. This preliminary configuration allows the earcup detector to determine correct ear placement based on signal patterns, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while enabling accurate placement detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical approach of using physically different left and right earcups with an electronic signal processing approach. Identical earcups with strategically positioned microphones use acoustic signal patterns and algorithmic processing to identify ear placement. The earcup detector analyzes microphone signals to generate a right-left signal, substituting mechanical differentiation with electronic intelligence while maintaining manufacturing ease.
Data Source
AI summary
System for automatic right-left ear detection for headphone comprising: first earcup and second earcup that are identical. Each of first and second earcups includes: first microphone located on perimeter of each earcup, when first earcup is worn on user's right ear first microphone of first earcup is at location farthest from user's mouth when headphone is worn in normal wear position; second microphone located on perimeter of each earcup, when first earcup is worn on user's right ear, second microphone of first earcup is at location closer than first microphone of first earcup to user's mouth; third microphone located inside each earcup facing user's ear cavity, fourth microphone located at perimeter and bottom center portion of each earcup and facing exterior of each earcup, and fifth microphone located on perimeter of each earcup above and to left of second microphone when looking at outside housing of each earcup.