Vibration Transducer Cheek Placement Speech Intelligibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vibration-sensing transducers, such as accelerometers, fail to provide high speech intelligibility in noisy environments due to inadequate sensing of unvoiced sounds and distortion of sound transients when placed on bony or cartilaginous parts of the head, leading to poorly enunciated speech.

Innovation Solution

Placing a vibration-sensing transducer on the fleshy parts of the head, specifically the cheek or under-chin, to sense vibrations from the mouth, which allows for the detection of both voiced and unvoiced sounds, improving speech intelligibility by avoiding bone conduction limitations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the vibration-sensing transducer is placed on bony or cartilaginous parts of the head, then the transducer can sense vibrations, but the speech intelligibility deteriorates due to strong sensing of voiced sounds and weak sensing of unvoiced sounds, resulting in distorted transients and slurred speech

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech intelligibilityVSAvoidunvoiced sounds detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selecting a specific placement location (fleshy part of the cheek) that has different vibration transmission properties compared to bony or cartilaginous parts. The fleshy tissue provides a more uniform transmission medium that preserves both voiced and unvoiced sound characteristics, thereby improving speech intelligibility and preventing information loss about unvoiced sounds.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If the vibration-sensing transducer is placed on bony or cartilaginous parts of the head, then the transducer structure is simple, but the speech quality deteriorates with distorted transients and poorly enunciated speech

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransducer placement structureVSAvoidspeech enunciation quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the placement parameter from bony/cartilaginous surfaces to fleshy tissue surfaces. This parameter change fundamentally alters the vibration transmission characteristics, preserving transient accuracy and speech enunciation quality while maintaining the simplicity of the transducer structure itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If the vibration-sensing transducer is placed on fleshy parts of the head, then speech intelligibility improves by detecting both voiced and unvoiced sounds, but the placement precision becomes more challenging compared to standardized bony landmarks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeech intelligibilityVSAvoidtransducer placement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary component (adhesive mounting structure) that facilitates accurate placement on the fleshy cheek surface. This intermediary element ensures consistent contact between the transducer and the fleshy tissue, making placement more reliable and reproducible despite the lack of rigid bony landmarks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This approach enhances speech intelligibility by accurately sensing vibrations from the mouth, including unvoiced sounds, resulting in clearer and more articulate speech in noisy conditions.

Implementation Method 1

a vibration-sensing transducer (e.g., an accelerometer, vibration-based microphone, shock sensor, gyroscope, vibration microphone or vibration sensor) adapted to be placed on a previously unplaced part of the human head

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration sensing: Vibration

Implementation Method 2

these vibrations are conducted to the surface of the fleshy area of the user's cheek (or Fleshy Under-Chin) through the flesh of the user's cheek (or Fleshy Under-Chin)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBone conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS11146884B2Transducer apparatus for high speech intelligibility in noisy environments

Publication Date: 2021.10.12 AUDIO ZOOM PTE LTD

AI summary

A transducer apparatus to provide high speech-intelligibility in a noisy environment. The transducer apparatus comprises a vibration-sensing transducer adapted to be placed on the non-honey and non-cartilaginous, i.e., fleshy, part of the head of the user—either on the all-flesh part of the cheek or all-flesh under chin. The vibrations sensed are vibrations arising from the user's voice in his mouth and conducted to the surface of the fleshy area of the users cheek or under-chin, and not by bone vibration. The embodiments of the invention include its application into headsets, earsets and helmets; and a switching means; and a means to realize a vibration transducer from an acoustical microphone.