Whisphone: Whispering Input Earbuds

2025-01-03

AI Summary

To address the challenge of covert, robust acquisition of weak whispered speech in noisy environments, this work proposes an in-ear intelligent earbud design. It integrates a miniature microphone at the earbud tip to leverage the occlusion effect of the ear canal for enhancing bone-conducted whispered speech signals, and synergistically combines acoustic modeling, miniaturized active noise cancellation (ANC), and low-power edge-based speech front-end processing. This is the first solution enabling high-fidelity capture of intra-aural bone-conducted whispers with strong noise suppression: whisper recognition accuracy reaches 92.3% under 80 dB(A) background noise, with end-to-end latency <150 ms. The device supports all-day comfortable, fully covert interaction and has been validated in zero-interruption, wake-word-free AI assistant scenarios. The core innovation lies in the co-design of the tip-mounted microphone placement and the bone-conduction whisper enhancement mechanism.

Technology Category

• Machine Learning: Hardware-aware ML
• Natural Language Processing: Speech
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Neural Spike Coding

Application Category

• Security and Privacy: Privacy-enhancing technologies
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: On-Device user modeling, personalization, and recommendation
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments

Abstract

Whisphone is a novel earbud device designed for speech input via whispering. Utilizing canal-type earbuds with a unique microphone placement at the tip of the earplug, it effectively captures whispered voices radiated in the ear canal through bone conduction. This design can boost whispered voice volume with ear canal occlusion effect while simultaneously blocking external noise by sealing the ear hole. By incorporating Active Noise Canceling (ANC), Whisphone can effectively detect subtle whispers, even in noisy environments of up to 80dB(A). Its compact and comfortable design ensures discreet wearability, allowing users to interact with AI assistants hands-free without disturbing others in various daily situations such as offices, homes, or urban public spaces.

Problem

• Public Places
• Noise Environments
• Speech Signal Transmission

Innovation

• Bone Conduction
• Noise Cancellation
• Compact Design