Microphone Array Venting for Wind Noise Suppression in Hearing Aids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wind noise poses a significant challenge for ear-wearable electronic hearing devices, as conventional wind screens are unsuitable due to size, aesthetics, or clogging issues, and existing digital filtering and noise cancellation techniques are ineffective in suppressing low-frequency wind noise.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a microphone array with a particular microphone featuring a unique acoustic-to-mechanical characteristic, such as a larger barometric relief vent or high-pass mechanical filter, to enhance wind noise suppression by mismatching sensitivity with other microphones, allowing the array to switch modes based on wind detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional wind screens are used to protect microphones, then wind noise suppression is improved, but the device becomes too big, aesthetically unpleasant, or easily clogged/broken
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the wind noise suppression function from the physical wind screen structure and implements it through acoustic port design and electronic signal processing. The acoustic port is designed with specific dimensions and configurations to naturally filter wind noise, and digital signal processing algorithms further suppress wind noise components, eliminating the need for bulky physical wind screens while maintaining wind noise suppression effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical wind screen system with an acoustic-port-based mechanical filter system combined with digital signal processing. Instead of using fuzzy wind screens that physically block wind, the invention uses precisely engineered acoustic ports with specific dimensions that mechanically filter low-frequency wind noise, combined with electronic algorithms that detect and suppress wind noise components in the audio signal.
2Productivity
If digital filtering and noise cancellation techniques are used, then processing capability is improved, but low-frequency wind noise suppression remains ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the acoustic port with specific mechanical characteristics that pre-filter wind noise before it reaches the microphone. The acoustic port dimensions and configuration are optimized to attenuate low-frequency wind noise components at the source, preventing them from being captured by the microphone in the first place, rather than attempting to cancel them digitally after capture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the acoustic port (dimensions, shape, configuration) to create a mechanical high-pass filter effect that naturally attenuates low-frequency wind noise. By optimizing the acoustic port parameters, the system achieves inherent wind noise suppression at the acoustic level before digital processing, complementing the digital signal processing capabilities.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If acoustic port design is optimized for wind noise suppression, then wind noise suppression is improved, but higher frequency signal transmission may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the acoustic port parameters (dimensions, shape, configuration) to create a high-pass filter characteristic that attenuates low-frequency wind noise while maintaining transmission of higher frequency signals. By carefully selecting the acoustic port dimensions, the mechanical filter allows frequencies above a certain cutoff point to pass through with minimal attenuation, thus suppressing wind noise while preserving speech and audio quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses multiple microphones with different acoustic port configurations to capture the same acoustic scene from slightly different perspectives. This redundant measurement approach allows the system to compare signals and identify wind noise components that affect all microphones differently, enabling effective wind noise suppression while preserving the original audio signal characteristics through signal processing algorithms.
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 effectively suppresses wind noise by isolating low-frequency interference, preserving higher frequency signals, and maintaining audibility in windy conditions without distorting desired audio signals.
Implementation Method 1
A microphone array comprises a plurality of microphones disposed in or on the housing and operatively coupled to the audio processing circuitry. The microphone array comprises a particular microphone comprising a mechanical feature that causes the particular microphone to exhibit an acoustic-to-mechanical characteristic that differs from that of other microphones of the microphone array
Data Source
AI summary
An ear-wearable electronic hearing device comprises a housing configured to be worn on, in or about an ear of a wearer, a power source disposed in the housing, and audio processing circuity disposed in the housing and operably coupled to an acoustic transducer. A microphone array comprises a plurality of microphones disposed in or on the housing and operatively coupled to the audio processing circuitry. The microphone array comprises a particular microphone comprising a mechanical feature that causes the particular microphone to exhibit an acoustic-to-mechanical characteristic that differs from that of other microphones of the microphone array, wherein the different acoustic-to-mechanical characteristic provides for increased wind noise suppression by the particular microphone relative to that achievable by the other microphones.