Personal Sound Amplifier with Integrated Bluetooth Radio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional personal sound amplifiers lack integrated Bluetooth™ radios due to battery power consumption, output sound interference, and space constraints, requiring a separate pendant unit for Bluetooth™ functionality, which limits transmission range and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A personal sound amplifier with an embedded low-power Bluetooth™ radio, incorporating a short-range RF transmitter and receiver circuit, allowing wireless communication between the device and external electronic devices without the need for a separate pendant unit, enabling both ambient sound amplification and wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a Bluetooth radio is integrated into the PSA device, then wireless communication capability is improved, but battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The Bluetooth radio operates in periodic mode, activating only when wireless communication is needed and remaining in low-power sleep mode otherwise. This allows the device to maintain Bluetooth capability while minimizing average power consumption through intermittent operation rather than continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of the Bluetooth radio by changing power consumption parameters - switching between high-power transmission mode and low-power sleep mode based on communication needs, thereby optimizing the trade-off between wireless capability and energy usage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a Bluetooth radio is integrated into the PSA device, then wireless communication capability is improved, but output sound interference occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses separate microphones for different functions: one microphone captures ambient sound for the hearing aid function, while another microphone captures user speech for Bluetooth transmission. This spatial and functional segmentation prevents interference between the audio amplification circuit and Bluetooth radio operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A noise cancellation circuit acts as an intermediary between the two microphones, processing and separating the audio signals to eliminate interference. The circuit identifies and removes unwanted noise components, allowing clean audio output for both hearing aid amplification and wireless communication.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a Bluetooth radio is integrated into the PSA device, then wireless communication capability is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the Bluetooth radio circuitry with the existing PSA circuit board, merging two previously separate functions into a single integrated device. This consolidation eliminates the need for a separate pendant unit and reduces overall device volume while maintaining both hearing aid and wireless communication capabilities.
4Volume of moving object
If a separate pendant unit is used for Bluetooth functionality, then the PSA device size is maintained, but transmission range is limited and convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the Bluetooth radio directly into the PSA device housing, the patent eliminates the need for a separate pendant unit. This merging provides users with improved convenience as they no longer need to wear and coordinate multiple devices, while the antenna placement within the PSA housing enables adequate transmission range for typical use scenarios.
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 provides a compact, convenient personal sound amplifier with integrated Bluetooth™ functionality, overcoming the limitations of conventional designs by enabling wireless communication and ambient sound amplification without a separate pendant unit, with improved transmission range and user convenience.
Implementation Method 1
An antenna connected to the output of the RF transmitter and receiver circuit is used to transmit signals from the personal sound amplifier to the external electronic device, and to receive signals transmitted by the external electronic device to the personal sound amplifier
Implementation Method 2
The ambient sound amplification circuit effectively amplifies the sounds detected by the first microphone, and provides an output signal corresponding to the amplified ambient sounds to the speaker or transducer, which amplified sounds may be heard by the user
Data Source
AI summary
A personal sound amplifier device in the form of a hearing aid worn by a user not only amplifies sounds but also communicates wirelessly with an external electronic device, such as a cellular telephone. The personal sound amplifier device includes a first microphone, an amplification circuit electrically connected to the first microphone, and a speaker electrically connected to the amplification circuit for amplifying ambient sound detected by the first microphone. A second microphone is situated away from the first microphone. A radio frequency (RF) transmitter and receiver circuit is electrically connected to the second microphone and to the speaker. An antenna is connected to the RF transmitter and receiver circuit. The user's voice is detected by the second microphone and transmitted by the RF transmitter and receiver circuit, through the antenna, to an external electronic device. Signals from the external electronic device are received by the antenna and processed by the RF transmitter and receiver circuit, and are emitted as sound through the speaker for the user to hear.