Wireless Mouthguard with Bone Conduction Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mouthguards cannot transmit sound to the user, making it difficult for athletes to communicate with coaches or instructors in real-time, especially in noisy environments, and they lack situational awareness due to isolation from ambient noise.
Innovation Solution
A mouthguard with integrated speakers and a controller that receives and processes audio signals from remote sources via wireless communication protocols, allowing for audio transmission through bone conduction, with customizable speaker placement and power options for enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional audible speaker arrangements are used for communication, then communication between coach and participant is enabled, but audio clarity deteriorates due to crowd noise and infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the communication device with the protective mouthguard that the athlete is already wearing, merging multiple functions (protection and communication) into a single device. This eliminates the need for separate external infrastructure and reduces device complexity while improving communication clarity through direct bone conduction to the athlete.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the athlete's teeth and jawbone as an intermediary medium for sound transmission. Instead of using external speakers that compete with crowd noise, the system transmits audio signals through the bone structure directly to the inner ear, bypassing the need for complex external audio infrastructure and improving signal clarity.
2Loss of information
If conventional headphones or earphones are used, then audio transmission to user is achieved, but situational awareness deteriorates due to isolation from ambient noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing audio transmission specifically through the bone conduction path to the inner ear, while leaving the external ear canal open and unobstructed. This allows ambient sounds to enter naturally while audio signals are transmitted locally through the jawbone, simultaneously achieving audio transmission and maintaining situational awareness.
3Loss of information
If external bone conduction devices are used, then audio transmission without isolation from ambient noise is achieved, but device complexity increases due to additional apparatus requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bone conduction audio device with the protective mouthguard that athletes already wear for safety. By integrating these two functions into a single device, the system eliminates the need for separate external bone conduction apparatus, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining audio transmission capability and situational awareness.
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 real-time communication and situational awareness by transmitting audio signals directly to the user's teeth, improving communication clarity and safety during sporting activities without the need for external devices.
Implementation Method 1
The speakers may be located in a bottom surface of the mouthguard, such that the audio signal from each speaker is conducted into the bottom surface of the teeth contacting each respective speaker
Data Source
AI summary
A mouthguard configured to receive wireless audio signals and transmit these audio signals to a user via bone conduction may include one or more wireless antenna, a controller, a power storage device, an external power and/or data port, and one or more bone conduction speakers. The mouthguard is inserted in the user's mouth to protect against dental injuries as well as to enable communication between the user and a remote audio source. The inner surface of the mouthguard contacts the user's teeth for transmitting audio content to the user and audio content is transmitted to the wireless antenna of the mouthguard.