Singing Pitch Aid Device with Acoustic Echo Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals who struggle to sing on pitch due to difficulty in perceiving sound frequencies often lack effective tools to improve their singing skills, as existing solutions do not provide real-time, unfiltered auditory feedback to match their voice with a reference tone.
Innovation Solution
A device with a cup-like cavity and a smooth inner wall that captures and echoes sound back to one ear, combined with a microphone and communication unit for wireless connection to a distant device, allowing real-time vocal pitch analysis and feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a device captures and echoes sound back through a smooth inner wall cavity, then real-time unfiltered auditory feedback is provided, but the device structure becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the sound capture function, echo reflection function, and pitch analysis function into a single integrated device. The cup-like cavity structure serves multiple purposes: capturing sound from the mouth, reflecting it off the smooth inner wall to create echo, and directing it to the ear. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The smooth inner wall of the cup-like cavity acts as an intermediary element that facilitates the echo effect. Rather than using complex electronic amplification or processing, the patent uses the physical property of sound reflection from the smooth surface to provide the feedback mechanism. This intermediary structure enables the core function while maintaining simplicity in the feedback generation process.
2Measurement precision
If pitch analysis and wireless communication components are added, then real-time pitch feedback capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical pitch analysis systems with electronic and software-based solutions. Instead of using mechanical frequency analyzers or complex acoustic resonance methods, the invention uses a microphone to capture sound and a distant device with processing instructions to analyze pitch. This substitution of mechanical systems with electronic/software systems reduces physical complexity while maintaining or improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The distant device serves multiple functions: it receives wireless audio data, processes the pitch information, displays results on its screen, and provides feedback to the user. By making the distant device universal and multi-functional, the patent avoids the need for dedicated specialized components within the main device, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining pitch analysis capability.
3Reliability
If the smooth inner wall reflects sound to produce echo, then auditory feedback is enhanced, but sound loss occurs during reflection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the distal end of the second chamber in proximity to the user's mouth before sound production occurs. This preliminary positioning ensures that the sound is captured at the source with minimal energy loss before it can disperse. The cup-like cavity is pre-configured to efficiently channel the sound waves toward the smooth inner wall for reflection, maximizing the energy utilization of the produced sound.
Solution Approach 2:
The cup-like cavity features an asymmetric design with a wide opening facing the mouth and a gradually narrowing interior leading to the ear chamber. This asymmetric shape is optimized to capture sound energy efficiently from the mouth direction and guide it toward the reflection surface. The asymmetric geometry helps concentrate sound energy rather than allowing it to disperse uniformly, thereby reducing energy loss during the reflection process.
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 users to practice singing on pitch by providing real-time unfiltered auditory feedback, allowing them to match their voice with a reference tone, thereby improving their singing abilities through proper training.
Implementation Method 1
the distal end of the second chamber is positioned in proximity to user's mouth with the periphery edge pressed against user's face, such that a sound produced by the user is captured and travels into the second and first chamber and is reflected back from the smooth inner wall producing echo within the cavity
Implementation Method 2
reflected back from the smooth inner wall producing echo within the cavity
Data Source
AI summary
Examples of an aiding device for singers are described. The aiding device comprises a body that has a periphery edge, a top wall and a smooth inner wall. The top wall curves away from the periphery edge thus forming a cup-like cavity which is shaped to define a first chamber and a second chamber that are interconnected together. The first chamber is shaped and sized to fit over an earlobe of a singer while the second chamber has a distal end that is designed and configured to be positioned in proximity to a user's mouth. When in use the first chamber encloses one of user's ears and the distal end of the second chamber is positioned in proximity to user's mouth with the periphery edge pressed against user's face such that a sound produced by the user is captured and travels into the second and first chamber and is reflected back from the smooth inner wall producing echo within the cavity. Thus, the unfiltered sound coming out from the singer's mouth is provided to one of the singer's ear in real time and hear the original sound or key in the other ear so that the singer can match his/her pitch to the original sound.