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kdboyce
Robert, thanks for the good additional information on this subject.
robfol
Hi all, we have a total solution to situation Awareness on Smartphones. ...
ST works with startup on 'permanent' in-ear audio
Peter Clarke
5/22/2012 11:53 AM EDT
LONDON – Chip company STMicroelectronics NV has announced that it is working with startup Soundchip SA on an in-ear audio accessory that allows the wearer to switch between multiple audio sources – such as music, phone calls and real-world ambient sound or conversation – using voice commands or gesture recognition.
ST has been working with Soundchip (Lausanne, Switzerland) for about one year. Soundchip has particular expertise in audio algorithms and is the originator of the High Definition Personal Audio (HDPA) reference.
The Soundchip smart audio accessory is worn like a pair of in-ear monitors but they are designed to be worn at all times with modes that support music, telephony and direct conversation without requiring any adjustment to the in-ear apparatus. This has the benefit of protecting the wearer against unwanted background noise which the system can filter out. Effectively it is a hearing aid for people who are not yet hearing impaired.
Soundchip give the example of being able to initiate a phone call in a rock concert and allowing the wearer to converse naturally with the earphones in place.
The accessory is intended to physically seal the ear and to switch between voice, music or ambient sounds, by pressing a button, by making a pre-defined gesture or by speaking a voice command. The equipment will use ST MEMS sensors, including silicon membrane microphones, for a variety of tasks ST said.
The ability to link the hearing aid to a smartphone or tablet computer, means that apps can be used to process and mix sound sources to deliver additional features such as augmented reality.
"We believe that the smart audio accessory represents a game changing solution that offers the users of smartphones, tablet computers and gaming devices a level of sound experience only dreamed of until now," said Mark Donaldson, Soundchip CEO, in a statement issued by ST.
Related links and articles:
www.soundchip.ch
News articles:
Audio components integrate into a printed circuit board
ST teams with Swiss startup on audio ICs
MEMS microphone smoothes the way to natural voice control
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kdboyce
5/23/2012 1:34 AM EDT
In 2007 I was part of a group called the "Ear Pods" which was really a special study group of the annual Project Bar-B-Q meeting which is The Premier Interactive Audio Think Tank. Project Bar-B-Q brings together people from many facets of the audio business and they brainstorm the future and put out reports, as well as actively work to achieve their visions.
Look at the past reports to get a good idea of the span of topics covered. http://www.projectbarbq.com/bbqtopic.htm
Anyway, the "iHear the Future" report of 2007 ( subtitled - The Binaural Headset as Audio Contact Lenses and Our Inevitable Mixed-In Lifestyle of Personal Audio Networks)
can be found here:
http://www.projectbarbq.com/bbq07/bbq07r5.htm
It is worth a good read in light of the information in this story. I would be greatly interested in other comments from the EETime community about this subject, especially on (a) the public safety concerns, (b)intellectual property issues, and (c) physical and mental health concerns of a “perpetually connected” lifestyle and the products themselves.
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prabhakar_deosthali
5/23/2012 1:53 AM EDT
To me this is a dangerous trend. If the person forgets to switch back to the ambient sound say after his phone conversation, he is like a deaf person, totally cut off from the sounds around him and prone to accidents.
Today morning only while doing my morning jog, a guy with his earphones on bumped head on onto me - totally unaware of what was happening around him.
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kdboyce
5/23/2012 2:14 AM EDT
The local environmental awareness issue was recognized as a major impediment and was one for which no clear solution was apparent. Since hearing is an individual thing, no "one size fits all" solution to situational awareness is likely to come about. Users of such systems should treat it similar to texting while driving - when out and about, pay attention and keep you eyes as well as ears open and not distracted.
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kinnar
5/23/2012 7:20 AM EDT
There are so many unexplored features attached with this device.
1. This can be designed like as if a spectacles for Ears for wearing as a fashion instrument.
2. Like Glasses a part of ambient sound can be made listen to the person wearing it.
3. Selectable graphical eq for local ear equalization can be done.
4. Noise Canceling Headphone.
5. Proximity Sensor can be the best option for gesture recognition and source changing/selection.
the much more...
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kdboyce
5/23/2012 1:15 PM EDT
Further to the concerns of environmental awareness, have a look at this URL:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1415303287/airbudz?ref=category
AIRbudz is one approach being developed.
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robfol
5/27/2012 5:37 AM EDT
Hi all, we have a total solution to situation Awareness on Smartphones. Awareness!® The Headphone App. Check out www.essency.co.uk. As well as apps, we can supply DSP code for embedding into active products. Cheers Robert
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kdboyce
5/27/2012 8:47 PM EDT
Robert, thanks for the good additional information on this subject.
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Dave.Dykstra
5/23/2012 2:21 PM EDT
Quite interesting. I wonder what will be the attempts to legislatively control this in view of the apparent inability to control talking and texting while driving. We have serious issues now with such relatively simple things, but many people seem to be severely challenged to simply walk and talk at the same time. What will it take to get this under control? Perhaps we should start with some serious education efforts in early elementary school....
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selinz
5/23/2012 5:05 PM EDT
It certainly seems likely that they will be able to run in an "auto-sense" mode where it will switch. Most of the time, the noise that you want to block out is "white" noise, rather than impulse noise. Thus, safety should be less of an issue.
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goafrit
5/23/2012 11:32 PM EDT
Interesting. This could have a lot of applications in many areas if they can get it to be robust. What the key question is this: is this a big market?
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jrMA
5/24/2012 9:18 AM EDT
I can't imagine anyone has any trustworthy hard data on the table about market opportunity; think of it as an exploratory phase similar to what Google is doing with their googles: augmenting real time activity.
In addition to the regulatory and public safety concerns (which I think are profound, but perhaps not insurmountable), there are some fascinating pure engineering problems here if you consider truly wireless in-ear devices that are mesh network connected. Battery/power is just the first one that comes to mind
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elizabethsimon
5/24/2012 1:30 PM EDT
The immediate market opportunity that comes to mind is high-end hearing aids. I would love to have something like this where I could listen to music without having to carry around bulky headphones...
The selection of "hands-free" headsets for cell phone users with hearing aides is very limited also and something like this would solve the problem...
Of course, the battery/power consumption needs to be on the same order as what's currently on the market for hearing aids or users won't buy it.
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wilber_xbox
5/26/2012 2:27 PM EDT
This piece of technology is surely worth for those who want bit more than that is currently available. I would think this device as a mix and all-in-one device of currently available audio devices. The problems i have are related to safety, adaptability and price. I remember reading a story about the safety concern of using iPod and such devices related to deaf. As far are the adaptability goes, i hardly can use earphones or bluetooth devices for more than 3-4 hours in a day as i feel so unrelaxed.
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chanj
5/27/2012 4:53 AM EDT
As far as I know, wearing headphones or earbuds on both ears while driving is illegal in both UK and HK. I have seen multiple times people in US are wearing earbuds while driving. I feel it is a very dangerous thing to do. On the road, I don't just use my eyes. I listen as well.
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