Open-Ear Acoustic Device With Multi-Transducer Array Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional headphones located on or in the ears block outside sounds, affecting conversation participation and environmental awareness, and when designed to sit off the ears, they can inadvertently emit sound to others, causing disturbance.
Innovation Solution
An acoustic device with an array of at least three radiating surfaces, including monopole, dipole, and quadrupole transducers, controlled by a controller to independently manage phases and amplitudes, allowing for tailored sound pressure levels at the ear while minimizing sound emission to the environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If headphones are located on or in the ears, then sound delivery to the user is improved, but outside sounds are blocked and environmental awareness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic device segments the sound delivery function by using multiple independent transducers (at least three per ear) that can be spatially distributed. This allows the sound field to be shaped such that sound energy is concentrated at the ear while outside sounds can still reach the ear from directions not blocked by the device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional ear-canal sound delivery to three-dimensional spatial sound field control. By arranging transducers in space and controlling their phases and amplitudes independently, the system creates a focused acoustic field that delivers sound to the ear while maintaining acoustic transparency to environmental sounds.
2Ease of operation
If headphones are designed to sit off the ears, then comfort and environmental awareness are improved, but sound produced by the headphones becomes audible to others
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic device applies local quality by creating a highly localized sound field concentrated at the user's ear position. Through independent phase and amplitude control of multiple transducers, the system focuses acoustic energy precisely where needed (at the ear) while minimizing energy propagation to other spatial locations, thereby reducing acoustic spillage to others.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of off-ear positioning (acoustic spillage) into a benefit by using the spatial arrangement of multiple transducers to actively shape the sound field. The system uses phase and amplitude control to direct sound energy preferentially toward the ear while canceling or reducing sound propagation in other directions, thus eliminating the spillage problem inherent in conventional off-ear designs.
3Illumination intensity
If conventional headphones block outside sounds, then personal audio delivery is improved, but conversation participation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic device employs dynamic control of transducer phases and amplitudes to adapt the sound field in real-time. This dynamic capability allows the system to maintain focused audio delivery to the ear while simultaneously preserving acoustic pathways for environmental sounds and conversations, enabling the user to participate in conversations while using the device.
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
Enables comfortable, open-ear audio experience with reduced acoustic spillage, maintaining personal audio while minimizing disturbance to others, even in quiet environments, by optimizing sound delivery to the user while reducing radiated power.
Implementation Method 1
an array of acoustic transducers that together have at least three radiating surfaces
Implementation Method 2
The control signals independently control the relative phases and the amplitudes of each of the transducers. This allows the output of the acoustic device to be tailored to meet requirements of the user with respect to the desired sound pressure level (SPL) at the ears
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3C
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
An acoustic device that is adapted to be worn on the body of a user. The acoustic device has an array of acoustic transducers comprising at least three acoustic radiating surfaces, and a controller that is adapted to provide array control signals that independently control the relative phases and amplitudes of each of the transducers.