Neck-Worn Image Capture With Face-Directed Voice Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wearable cameras struggle with noise interference, making it difficult to accurately recognize voice commands and limiting the photographer's ability to focus on both shooting and experiencing the environment simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing apparatus worn around the neck with multiple microphones and a face direction detection system that uses infrared light to adjust sound directionality based on the user's face orientation, enhancing voice recognition and enabling hands-free operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a wearable camera is used to enable hands-free shooting, then the photographer can experience activities while shooting, but voice command recognition accuracy deteriorates due to noise from body movement and ambient environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions microphones at specific locations on the wearable device (near the user's mouth) and implements directionality control to enhance sound pickup from the front direction while suppressing noise from other directions. This local optimization of sound pickup quality resolves the contradiction by maintaining hands-free operation while improving voice recognition accuracy through spatial selective listening.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual button operation with voice command recognition. By implementing automated voice-based control, the system eliminates the need for mechanical button pressing, enabling hands-free operation while using signal processing techniques to ensure accurate voice command recognition despite the noisy wearable environment.
2Adaptability or versatility
If directionality is determined based on terminal motion, then sound pickup directionality can be adjusted, but accurate voice detection fails when terminal motion does not reflect actual face direction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an infrared face direction detection unit as an intermediary to accurately determine the user's face direction. This separate detection mechanism independently measures face orientation without relying on terminal motion, providing accurate directional information for voice detection even when the terminal moves independently of the user's head position.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the direction detection function from the terminal motion sensing by implementing an independent infrared face direction detection unit. This segmentation allows the system to accurately track face direction through optical detection rather than inferring it from terminal movement, resolving the mismatch between terminal motion and actual face orientation.
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
Improves sound pickup quality and voice command recognition, allowing users to capture images while engaging in activities like playing with children or participating in sports without missing the experience.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared light emitting unit configured to emit infrared light toward a face
Implementation Method 2
an infrared light receiving unit configured to receive the infrared light reflected by the face
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing apparatus that can be worn by a user as a result of being hung around a neck of the user includes an image capturing circuit, a first microphone that obtains an environmental sound, at least two second microphones that are intended to obtain a voice of the user and are arranged at a first distance from each other, a detection unit configured to detect a direction of a face of the user; and a sound processing unit that, with use of sound signals from the at least two second microphones, generates a directional sound signal that has directionality corresponding to the direction of the face of the user detected by the detection unit.