In-Ear Device Data Processing and Storage Architecture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable devices are inadequate for capturing and processing certain types of data, such as ambient sounds and accurate biometric data, due to their location on extremities rather than at the ear.
Innovation Solution
An in-ear device equipped with processing units, microphones, and sensors that capture, process, and publish data, including ambient sounds and biometric data, by generating in-ear data objects and storing or transmitting them to external systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If wearable devices are placed on extremities (wrists, ankles), then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but measurement precision of ambient sounds and biometric data deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the wearable device from traditional extremity placement (2D surface wear) to three-dimensional insertion within the ear canal, utilizing the unique acoustic and biometric measurement capabilities of the ear's internal environment. This dimensional change enables superior sound capture and biometric data collection while maintaining manufacturability through modular in-ear device design.
2Loss of information
If data is stored locally in the in-ear device, then loss of information is reduced and reliability is improved, but device complexity and storage capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a segmented data storage architecture where processed in-ear data objects are distributed across multiple storage locations including local storage in the ear device, cloud-based storage systems, and associated computing devices. This segmentation reduces the storage burden on the small in-ear device while maintaining data integrity and reducing information loss through redundant storage across the distributed system.
3Loss of information
If more data is captured and stored, then loss of information is reduced, but use of energy and storage capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary processing actions to audio and biometric data immediately upon capture, converting raw data into structured in-ear data objects with extracted features, tags, and metadata before storage. This preliminary structuring enables efficient compression, reduces the volume of data requiring long-term storage, and allows selective retention of only the most valuable information, thereby reducing energy consumption for storage and retrieval operations while minimizing information loss.
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments of the disclosure, a method is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a processing device of an in-ear device, an audio signal from one or more microphones of the in-ear device. The method further includes extracting, by the processing device, one or more features of the audio signal and generating, by the processing device, an in-ear data object based on the one or more features. The method also includes publishing, by the processing device, the in-ear data object to an external system via a network.