Voice Canceling Headset System for Call Center Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Call center agents face difficulties in hearing customers due to poor noise filtration in headsets, leading to distractions from background voices of colleagues in close proximity.
Innovation Solution
A headset system with a microphone and voice canceling circuit that generates a voice canceling signal to cancel the user's voice, outputting this signal through outer speakers to reduce the audible voice in the environment, thereby minimizing distractions from nearby agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If agents wear headsets with speakers to hear customer voices, then communication capability is improved, but background noise from colleague voices increases causing distractions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the harmful background noise (colleague voices) from the audio environment by using microphones to capture these specific noise sources separately from the desired customer voice, then applies noise cancellation processing to remove only the extracted noise components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces noise cancellation processing as an intermediary between the audio input (microphone signals) and audio output (speaker signals). This intermediary process analyzes the captured audio, identifies noise components, generates anti-noise signals, and combines them to produce the final cleaned audio output for the agent
2Area of stationary object
If multiple agents sit next to each other to conserve space, then space utilization is improved, but voice interference between agents increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful voice interference generated by closely seated agents into a beneficial signal by using the same microphones that capture the interference to feed into noise cancellation algorithms. These algorithms generate anti-phase signals that actively cancel the harmful voices, transforming the problem of close proximity into an opportunity for targeted noise cancellation
3Object-affected harmful factors
If headsets use standard noise filtration, then some background noise is reduced, but voice cancellation effectiveness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where microphones continuously monitor the audio environment, including both the agent's own voice and background noises. This feedback information is fed into noise cancellation processing that dynamically adjusts anti-noise signals in real-time, creating a closed-loop system that adapts to changing acoustic conditions and improves cancellation effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary noise cancellation processing to the audio signal before it reaches the agent's ear. By pre-processing the audio stream to remove noise components and generate anti-noise signals in advance, the system ensures that the agent receives already-cleaned audio, improving the reliability of voice cancellation before the agent even perceives the noise
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 headset system effectively reduces the agent's voice in the environment, improving communication clarity by masking their own voice, thus enhancing the ability to focus on customer interactions without background noise interference.
Implementation Method 1
a microphone including a microphone transducer configured to receive vocal sounds from a user of the headset system and to generate a voice audio signal representing the vocal sounds
Implementation Method 2
the first outer speaker including a first speaker transducer configured to generate and output sounds representing the first voice cancelling signal to cancel the vocal sounds of the user
Implementation Method 3
configured to generate a first voice canceling signal to cancel the voice of the user
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing a headset system including a microphone including a microphone transducer configured to receive vocal sounds from a user of the headset system and to generate a voice audio signal representing the vocal sounds; a first earcup including a first housing, wherein the first housing further includes a voice canceling circuit, an inner speaker, and a first outer speaker; the voice canceling circuit configured to receive the voice audio signal and configured to generate a first voice canceling signal to cancel the voice of the user; and the first outer speaker including a first speaker transducer configured to generate and output sounds representing the first voice cancelling signal to cancel the vocal sounds of the user.