Skin-Attachable Vibration Sensor for Noise-Resistant Voice Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current voice recognition technologies face challenges in distinguishing human voices from external noise and wind, and existing wearable microphones suffer from non-uniform sensitivity and skin compression issues, leading to poor performance and aesthetic concerns.
Innovation Solution
A skin-attachable ultrathin film vibration sensor with a crosslinked polymer material and patterned diaphragm structure, designed to detect neck skin vibrations, providing high and uniform sensitivity over the voice frequency range of 80 to 3400 Hz, and an adhesive layer for comfortable fit and aesthetic appearance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional microphones are used to recognize human voices, then voice detection is possible, but external noise and wind are also detected making it difficult to distinguish human voices separately
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces neck skin as an intermediary medium to transmit voice vibrations directly to the sensor, bypassing the air medium that carries external noise. The sensor detects vibrations through the neck skin rather than through air, effectively filtering out external noise and wind interference while maintaining accurate voice detection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the voice vibration signal from the complex acoustic environment by using neck skin contact to isolate the direct vibration source from the vocal cords, separating it from external noise and wind that would otherwise be detected by conventional air-based microphones
2Measurement precision
If conventional vocal cord microphones use piezoelectric materials, then skin vibrations can be converted to voltage signals, but sensitivity is not uniform across voice frequency ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional piezoelectric materials to a polymer material with specific mechanical properties that provide more uniform sensitivity across the voice frequency range (80-3400 Hz). This material substitution resolves the non-uniform sensitivity issue while maintaining reliable voice recognition accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies a patterned diaphragm structure with varying local properties to optimize the sensor's frequency response. The patterned structure creates different local vibration characteristics that collectively achieve uniform sensitivity across the entire voice frequency range, addressing the limitation of conventional uniform-material sensors
3Measurement precision
If wearable sensors are attached to the neck using elastic strips or chokers, then intimate contact with skin is achieved, but skin compression occurs causing distortion in voice measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible polymer-based sensor structure that can conform to the neck skin surface without requiring tight compression. The thin film design allows intimate skin contact for accurate vibration detection while minimizing compression effects that would distort voice measurements, eliminating the need for elastic strips or chokers
4Manufacturing precision
If sensors are made from silicon wafers, then manufacturing precision is high, but the sensors are hard, fragile, and difficult to apply to curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from rigid silicon wafers to flexible polymer materials, enabling the sensor to conform to curved skin surfaces while maintaining manufacturing precision through established polymer fabrication techniques. This material substitution resolves both the fragility and conformability issues of silicon-based sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs composite polymer structures combining different polymer layers with complementary properties to achieve both structural integrity and flexibility. This composite approach allows the sensor to maintain manufacturing precision while adapting to curved skin surfaces, overcoming the limitations of single-material silicon wafer sensors
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 sensor effectively recognizes human voices with high sensitivity and accuracy, unaffected by external noise or wind, and maintains uniform sensitivity across the voice frequency range, ensuring comfortable fit and minimal signal distortion.
Implementation Method 1
Most conventional vocal cord microphones (laryngophone, throat microphone, etc.) developed to solve this problem convert skin vibrations into voltage signals by using piezoelectric materials
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed is a vibration sensor including: a substrate; a first electrode positioned on the substrate; a support positioned on the first electrode and including a cylindrical hollow hole; and a diaphragm including a thin film positioned on the support and a second electrode positioned on the thin film. According to the present disclosure, it is possible to manufacture a skin-attachable vibration sensor that is attached to a user's neck to detect vibration acceleration in user's neck skin, thus exhibiting a uniform and high sensitivity to a user's voice over the frequency range of the human voice. In addition, the sensor sensitively detects a user's voice through neck skin vibrations rather than through air, thus being free from the influence of external noise or wind, and can recognize the user's voice even in a situation where a user's mouth is covered.