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This study analyzes the bandwidth and spatial characteristics of bone-conducted speech vibrations in earbuds to enhance the capture of the wearer's own voice (OV) in noisy environments. The findings reveal that OV-induced vibrations exhibit a low-pass characteristic with a steep roll-off of -93 dB per decade above 400 Hz, indicating the need for low-noise sensors to effectively capture these vibrations. Additionally, the research shows that the earbuds primarily vibrate in and out of the ear canal entrance, allowing for effective capture of low-frequency vibrations using a single-axis sensor with minimal attenuation.
OV capture in noisy environments can be significantly improved by leveraging the unique low-pass characteristics of bone-conducted vibrations in earbuds.
Clear capture of the wearer's own voice (OV) is essential when using earbuds for mobile communication. However, OV capture remains challenging in noisy environments. Bone-conducted (BC) speech, which can be sensed as vibrations of the earbud housing, can be used to improve OV capture. However, neither bandwidth nor spatial characteristics of OV-induced earbud vibrations have been analyzed in detail, despite both characteristics being relevant, e.g., for sensor choice and placement. This study investigates both characteristics, based on measurements with two earbud models. Spectrally, results indicate that OV-induced earbud vibrations exhibit a low-pass characteristic, with a steep roll-off of -93 dB per decade above 400 Hz. Thus, sensors with comparatively low noise floors are required to sense the vibrations above \SI{1}{\kilo\hertz}. Spatially, results indicate that the earbuds mainly vibrate in and out of the ear canal entrance, with high consistency between subjects and fits. Simulations confirm that this enables capture of the high-power vibrations below 400 Hz by a single-axis sensor with less than 1.5 dB mean attenuation.
