Name-Sensitive Listening Device Voice Trigger Audio Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional listening devices, such as headphones, isolate users from their surroundings, making it difficult to hear and communicate with others while listening to audio, as they often require pausing or removing the device to interact.
Innovation Solution
A method that detects a voice trigger, such as the user's name, to pause or attenuate the audio stream and reproduce ambient sound, allowing the user to hear and communicate without removing the device, while optionally enhancing specific voices and disabling noise-cancellation to improve interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If noise-isolation and noise-cancellation functions are used, then audio quality is improved, but ability to hear ambient sound deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the noise-isolation and noise-cancellation functions based on detected voice triggers. When a voice matching the user's name is detected, the system temporarily reduces or disables these functions to allow ambient sound through. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the isolation level adaptive rather than static, allowing both high audio quality during playback and ambient awareness during communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors ambient audio for voice triggers and uses this feedback to control the noise-isolation and noise-cancellation functions. The feedback loop detects when someone is trying to get the user's attention and automatically adjusts the audio processing accordingly, resolving the contradiction between maintaining audio quality and enabling ambient awareness.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If headphones are used continuously, then audio experience is maintained, but ability to communicate with others deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects voice triggers and manages the audio playback state without requiring manual user intervention. When a voice trigger is detected, the system automatically pauses or reduces audio output and enables ambient sound, allowing the user to communicate naturally while wearing the headphones. This self-service approach eliminates the need for manual pausing or removal of headphones, resolving the contradiction between continuous audio experience and ease of communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of voice triggers in the ambient audio stream and prepares to adjust audio playback before communication is needed. By continuously monitoring for voice patterns matching the user's name, the system is ready to immediately adjust audio levels and enable ambient awareness, maintaining seamless communication capability while preserving the audio experience.
3Loss of information
If manual pausing is required to communicate, then communication clarity is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects when communication is needed through voice trigger recognition and autonomously manages audio playback pausing and ambient sound enabling. This eliminates the need for manual pausing operations while ensuring communication clarity is maintained, resolving the contradiction between communication clarity and user convenience by making the system self-managing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from ambient audio detection to automatically control audio playback state. When a voice trigger is detected, the system responds by pausing audio and enabling ambient sound, ensuring clear communication without requiring manual user action. This feedback-driven automation resolves the contradiction by making the system responsive to communication needs without adding operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for providing audio enhancement to a user of a listening device. The technique includes reproducing a first audio stream, such as an audio stream associated with a media player. The technique further includes detecting a voice trigger. The voice trigger may be associated with a name of a user of the listening device. The technique further includes pausing or attenuating the first audio stream and reproducing a second audio stream associated with ambient sound in response to detecting the voice trigger.