Contextual Awareness: What Is It, and How Is It Being Used?

Context-aware devices, such as the embedded smartphone keyboards, have been around for some time, though in a very limited form. By learning regularly used names, locations and phrases, they seem to know your next move, that is, predictive text. Similarly, but at a higher level, the next generation of smart audio devices will combine user-specific data, such as location, preferences and other device sensor data, including audio, to better serve the user.

IFA 2020, in Berlin, Germany, was "the first major global fair for consumer and home electronics" to physically take place since the pandemic. This limited push to promote a trade show again, lead some major consumer electronics companies and brands to converge their announcements in the week from September 1-5, with showcases streamed to the world live from the Berlin exhibition grounds. Some announcements were relevant to the audio industry and included the Qualcomm press conference, which used the opportunity to launch its latest Adaptive ANC platform, an important step towards smart true wireless earbuds.

At CES 2020 CEVA unveiled SenslinQ, its first integrated hardware IP and software platform that aggregates sensor fusion, sound and connectivity technologies to enable contextually aware connected devices. The CEVA SenslinQ integrated hardware IP and software platform collects, processes and links data from multiple sensors to enable intelligent devices to understand their surroundings - a key development for augmented hearing using wireless headphones and earbuds.

SoundChip, a Swiss-based provider or audio processing solutions, unveiled Aurora – an application-specific, low-power, hybrid noise cancelling platform for next-generation True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headsets. According to the company, Aurora delivers up to 35dB of class-leading digitally-programmable feed-forward and feedback (hybrid) noise cancelling, as well as a swathe of software-controlled features, including multi-mode noise cancelling, digitally configurable occlusion control, and situational awareness.