Colocated Earphone/Microphone for Active Noise Reduction

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标是设计，制造和测试用于入耳式主动降噪（ANR）系统的配置耳机/麦克风。我们的创新是基于硅微机械薄膜，它既是麦克风的传感元件，同时也是耳机的驱动表面。通过搭配耳机和麦克风，我们的设备消除了ANR传感器和执行器之间的声学相位延迟，从而使反馈算法在更高频率下具有更高的增益，而不是使用单独的设备。目前的听力保护设计在耳朵处提供大约30分贝的衰减。在许多工业噪音环境（可能超过130分贝）中，这种保护水平不足以使长时间暴露在噪音环境中，同时将耳旁声级保持在规定的安全范围内。为了保持目前的NIOSH和OSHA噪声暴露标准，需要新技术来保护个人免受长期暴露于可能导致暂时或永久性听力阈值变化的有害噪声水平。在第一阶段的项目中，我们将通过制造和测试原型设备来证明我们创新的可行性。在第二阶段，我们将优化设计，制造器件，并在入耳式ANR系统中测试原型。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to design, fabricate, and test colocated earphones/microphones for use in in-ear active noise reduction (ANR) systems. Our innovation is based on a silicon micromachined membrane that serves as both the sensing element for a microphone and simultaneously the actuation surface for the earphone. By colocating the earphone and microphone, our device eliminates the acoustic phase delay between the ANR sensor and actuator, thereby enabling feedback algorithms with higher gain at higher frequency than is possible using separate devices. Current hearing protection designs provide approximately 30 dB of attenuation at the ear. This level of protection is not sufficient to allow long exposures in many industrial noise environments (which may exceed 130 dB) while maintaining the at-the-ear sound levels within prescribed safety limits. In order to keep within current NIOSH and OSHA noise exposure standards, new technologies are needed that will protect individuals from long-term exposure to harmful noise levels that could potentially result in temporary or permanent hearing threshold shifts. During the Phase I project, we will demonstrate the feasibility of our innovation by fabricating and testing prototypical devices. During Phase II, we will optimize the design, fabricate devices, and test the prototypes in in-ear ANR systems.