Microphone modules and hearable devices

Abstract

The present application relates to a microphone module and a wearable device. The microphone module includes: a seal having a cavity formed therein and a microphone sound guide hole connecting the cavity with the external environment; a microphone body located in the cavity of the seal and provided with a microphone hole; and a damping member located in the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole. The damping member is provided in the module and is located on the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole of the seal and the microphone hole of the microphone body. By adopting the design of the damping member and the microphone sound guide hole, the direct impact of wind noise on the diaphragm of the microphone body can be reduced when there is external airflow interference, thereby improving the reliability of use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of voice interaction devices, and in particular to a microphone module and a wearable device. Background Art

[0002] Currently, all hearable products, whether active noise-cancelling headphones, headsets for calls, or assistive hearing aids, rely on microphones to pick up voice or external noise for signal processing. The microphone itself, as a device for picking up sound, works by converting the sound signal transmitted through the sound inlet into an electrical signal through capacitance change or piezoelectric conversion. However, some users use their devices outdoors or while on the move, rather than indoors. Therefore, they are often disturbed by external airflow. This is because the airflow generated by wind can pass through the product structure, deforming the microphone's diaphragm and causing nonlinear deformation. This in turn causes the microphone to amplify this interfering sound, forming wind noise, which is then amplified by the speaker or transmitted to the recipient.

[0003] Traditional hearables are assembled by placing a silicone sleeve around the microphone to isolate it from the housing, achieving a certain degree of vibration dampening and airtightness. However, these hearables fail to mitigate the effects of wind on the microphone's characteristics, resulting in reduced reliability when exposed to external airflow interference. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on this, it is necessary to provide a microphone module and hearing-worn device that can improve the reliability of use when there is external airflow interference to address the above problems.

[0005] A microphone module, comprising:

[0006] A sealing member, wherein a cavity is formed inside the sealing member and a microphone sound guide hole is opened on the sealing member to connect the cavity with the external environment;

[0007] a microphone body, located in the cavity of the sealing member, and provided with a microphone hole;

[0008] A damping member is located in the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole.

[0009] In one embodiment, the damping element is a single-layer or multi-layer damping layer, and the damping layer is a damping layer with an interwoven mesh structure.

[0010] In one embodiment, the damping element is a multi-layer damping layer, and the damping layers are arranged in a staggered manner with a sparse density; or

[0011] The damping member is a multi-layer damping layer, and a cavity pipe is formed by hollowing out a part of the damping layer between each damping layer.

[0012] In one embodiment, the inner wall of the sealing member is provided with a curved conductive structure, and the curved conductive structure connects the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole to form the sound conduction path.

[0013] In one embodiment, the sealing member is a plastic member or a metal shell.

[0014] In one embodiment, the sealing member is a metal shell, and the metal shell includes a first shell and a second shell matching the first shell.

[0015] In one embodiment, a buffer member is further included, and the buffer member is located in an area outside the sound conduction path in the cavity of the sealing member.

[0016] In one embodiment, the microphone module further includes a base, which is located in the cavity of the sealing member and is used to fix the microphone body.

[0017] In one embodiment, the microphone body is a silicon microphone or an ECM microphone.

[0018] A wearable device includes the above-mentioned microphone module.

[0019] The above-mentioned microphone module and hearable device are provided with a damping member in the module, and the damping member is located on the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole of the seal and the microphone hole of the microphone body. By adopting the design of the damping member and the microphone sound guide hole, the direct impact of wind noise on the diaphragm of the microphone body can be reduced when there is external airflow interference, thereby improving the reliability of use. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in one embodiment;

[0021] Figure 2 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in one embodiment;

[0022] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a microphone module in one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 4 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0024] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a microphone module in yet another embodiment;

[0026] Figure 7is a cross-sectional view of a microphone module in yet another embodiment;

[0027] Figure 8 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0028] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a microphone module in yet another embodiment;

[0029] Figure 10 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0030] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0031] Figure 12 is a structural diagram of a microphone module in another embodiment;

[0032] Figure 13 Schematic diagram showing a noise comparison between a conventional microphone module and the microphone module of the present application in one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 14 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram comparing the frequency responses of a conventional microphone module and the microphone module of the present application in an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of this application more clear, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain this application and are not intended to limit this application.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application.

[0036] It should be noted that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or connected to the other element through an intermediate element. In the following embodiments, "connection" should be understood as "electrical connection", "communication connection", etc., if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc. can transmit electrical signals or data to each other.

[0037] As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" may also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "include," "comprising," "having," and the like specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the terms used in this specification include any and all combinations of the relevant listed items.

[0038] Wind itself is a turbulent flow. Microphones pick up sound by converting the vibrations of their diaphragms into electrical signals based on the pressure fluctuations generated by external sound waves at different frequencies. Wind can enter the microphone structure directly through the holes, causing the diaphragm to deform, leading to wind noise. This wind noise creates an unstable pressure field, directly causing the diaphragm to deform. Instead of a stable pressure wave, it is converted into a nonlinear electrical signal, which is then transmitted through headphones or a player, resulting in what we perceive as wind noise. Existing noise-canceling headphones primarily rely on the in-ear noise-canceling microphone being assembled on the production line. If the microphone assembly itself is not airtight or if gaps are introduced in the structure, significant variations in the microphone's performance can occur. Since the microphone itself must both receive noise and process voice signals, and is often used outdoors, wind noise is a significant factor affecting product performance.

[0039] Based on this, this application proposes a new wind noise reduction microphone module structural design, which can reduce the impact of wind on microphone characteristics through physical mechanisms in different scenarios or products. On the one hand, it can simplify the structural design of the product, and on the other hand, it can also improve production yield and test control.

[0040] In one embodiment, Figure 1 As shown, a microphone module is provided, comprising a sealing member 100, a microphone body 200, and a damping member 300. The sealing member 100 has a cavity formed therein and is provided with a microphone sound guide hole connecting the cavity with the external environment. The microphone body 200 is located within the cavity of the sealing member 100 and is provided with a microphone hole. The damping member 300 is located in the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole. The damping member 300 can be located within the cavity of the sealing member 100 or between the microphone sound guide hole of the sealing member 100 and the external waterproof member, as long as it is located in the sound conduction path.

[0041] The seal 100 can be made of plastic or stamped metal. The sealing design of the seal 100 ensures that sound is only transmitted through the microphone sound guide hole and is transmitted along the sound conduction path through the damping member 300 to the microphone hole of the microphone body 200. The microphone body 200 is not limited to a single type and can be a silicon microphone or an ECM (Electret Capacitance Microphone). The microphone body 200 includes a microphone sensor, a microphone ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a circuit board. The circuit board is specifically a PCB (Printed Circuit Board), which can be a rigid PCB or a flexible PCB. Microphones are available in two types: top-out and bottom-out. Depending on the microphone's sound output method, the location of the microphone hole on the microphone body 200 will also vary. A microphone sound guide hole can be provided on the side wall of the seal 100 near the microphone hole, and a damping member 300 can be provided in the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole.

[0042] Specifically, by improving the internal structure of the seal 100, a non-linear sound conduction path can be created between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole, further suppressing wind noise. There are various methods for forming a non-linear sound conduction path. In one embodiment, the inner wall of the seal 100 is provided with a curved conductive structure that connects the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole to form a sound conduction path. It is understood that the specific structure of the curved conductive structure is not exclusive; any structure capable of forming a non-linear sound conduction path is acceptable.

[0043] In other embodiments, instead of adjusting the sound conduction path, the relationship between the inlet and outlet duct paths of the microphone module and the microphone hole can be adjusted to suppress wind noise. For example, multiple microphone sound guide holes can be designed on the seal 100. When there is external airflow, the generated wind will be introduced through some of the microphone sound guide holes (serving as air inlets) and discharged through other microphone sound guide holes (serving as air outlets), forming an air inlet and outlet duct path. The microphone hole can be designed as an opening around this duct path, but not directly facing the air inlet or outlet duct. This allows the sound waves entering from the microphone sound guide hole to be transmitted to the microphone hole through the damping member 300, while the wind entering from the air inlet hole is discharged from the air outlet hole.

[0044] The damping member 300 can be designed as a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure. In one embodiment, the damping member 300 is a single-layer or multi-layer damping layer, and the damping layer is a damping layer of an interwoven mesh structure. The damping layer can be made of a composite material, such as a mesh structure with acoustic channels formed by interweaving uniform polyester monofilaments. The opening area and mesh thickness of the damping layer can also be set according to actual needs. Specifically, in this embodiment, the damping member 300 is a multi-layer damping layer, and the layers of damping layers are staggered in density. The damping layer is attached between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole, that is, on the sound conduction path. The layers of damping layers are staggered in density, and there are cavities between the damping layers. The density of the two adjacent damping layers is different. The frequency response characteristics are adjusted by different damping coefficients, so that the formation of wind noise is suppressed by the change of the cavity. In addition, in another embodiment, the damping element may be designed as a multi-layer damping layer, and a cavity duct may be formed by hollowing out part of the damping layer between each damping layer, which can also effectively eliminate wind noise.

[0045] The above-mentioned microphone module is provided with a damping member 300 in the module, and the damping member 300 is located on the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole of the seal 100 and the microphone hole of the microphone body 200. By adopting the design of the damping member 300 and the microphone sound guide hole, the direct impact of wind noise on the diaphragm of the microphone body 200 can be reduced when there is external airflow interference, thereby improving the reliability of use.

[0046] In one embodiment, Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the sealing member 100 is a rubber member 110. The purpose of the rubber member is multiple. The rubber member 110 can be embedded in the microphone body 200 to provide airtightness and sound isolation functions. Specifically, in this embodiment, the rubber member 110 itself is provided with a microphone sound guide hole 102 for introducing external sound. By designing the thickness or structure of the rubber member 110, it is ensured that sound can only enter the microphone hole of the microphone body 200 through the damping member 300 from the specially designed microphone sound guide hole 102, and will not leak in from other places of the microphone module. The design of the damping member 300 plus the microphone sound guide hole 102 has two main purposes: one is to reduce the direct impact of wind noise on the diaphragm of the microphone, and the other is to adjust the frequency response characteristics of the microphone, and to perform calculations in conjunction with the algorithm of the wearable device to reduce noise by optimizing the signal.

[0047] In another embodiment, Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the seal 100 comprises a metal housing 120. The metal housing 120 can be made of iron or other metal materials. It is understood that the seal 100 employing the metal housing 120 has the same function as the seal 110 employing the plastic housing 110, differing only in the manufacturing process. The plastic housing 110 can be produced using a mold, while the metal housing 120 can be produced using a stamping process. The damping element 300 and the microphone sound guide hole operate under the same principles.

[0048] Furthermore, in one embodiment, Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the sealing member 100 is a metal housing 120, which includes a first housing 122 and a second housing 124 that matches the first housing 122. Specifically, taking the second housing 124 as the lower cover and the first housing 122 as the upper cover as an example, the microphone body 200 and the damping member 300 can be installed in the second housing 124 before the first housing 122 and the second housing 124 are sealed. In this embodiment, the metal housing 120 can be designed as a combination of an upper cover and a lower cover to facilitate assembly, depending on product requirements.

[0049] In one embodiment, the microphone module further includes a buffer located within the cavity of the seal 100, outside the sound conduction path. The buffer can be a silicone sleeve or other cushioning material. Specifically, the buffer can be placed on the PCB of the microphone body 200 or in other areas outside the sound conduction path to reduce vibration and improve airtightness.

[0050] Furthermore, in one embodiment, Figure 8 and Figure 9 As shown, the microphone module also includes a waterproof member 400, which is disposed in the microphone sound guide hole of the sealing member 100. Specifically, the waterproof member 400 can also be a damping layer and is disposed in the microphone sound guide hole of the first housing 122. By disposing the waterproof member 400 in the microphone sound guide hole of the sealing member 100, the waterproof performance of the microphone module can be improved. It is understood that when the damping member 300 is also disposed in the microphone sound guide hole of the sealing member 100, a multi-layer damping layer structure can be used to simultaneously achieve the functions of suppressing wind noise and waterproofing.

[0051] In one embodiment, a base is also included. The base is located within the cavity of the seal 100 and is used to secure the microphone body 200. Specifically, the base can be formed using a microstructure and installed within the seal 100 to support the PCB of the microphone body 200, absorb vibration, and reduce interference caused by user movement. Furthermore, the base can also be designed with multiple holes or a long strip arrangement to further suppress wind noise.

[0052] In one embodiment, Figure 10As shown, the curved conductive structure on the inner wall of the seal 100 includes a groove that connects to the microphone sound guide hole 102, and there are multiple microphone sound guide holes 102. The projection of the microphone hole 202 of the microphone body 200 on the groove is located between the multiple microphone sound guide holes 102. The multiple microphone sound guide holes 102 can be designed by dividing the multiple microphone sound guide holes 102 into two groups, and the projection of the microphone hole 202 on the groove is located in the area between the two groups of microphone sound guide holes 102. Multiple damping layers (not shown in the figure) are provided in the groove. After the sound transmitted from the microphone sound guide hole 102 enters the groove, it propagates through the multiple damping layers and is finally received by the microphone hole 202 on the microphone body 200. It can be understood that in other embodiments, the inner wall of the seal 100 may not be provided with a groove. For example, the portion of the seal 100 where the microphone sound guide hole 102 is opened is designed with uniform thickness, and then the microphone hole 202 of the microphone body 200 is projected on the inner wall of the seal 100 between multiple microphone sound guide holes 102, and multiple damping layers are provided in the cavity portion between the inner wall of the seal 100 and the microphone body 200. Similarly, the sound transmitted from the microphone sound guide hole 102 can be transmitted through the multiple damping layers and finally received by the microphone hole 202 on the microphone body 200.

[0053] In another embodiment, if Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the curved conductive structure on the inner wall of the seal 100 includes a groove and a plurality of arc-shaped structures 140 arranged along the same circle in the groove. Taking the case where there are two arc-shaped structures 140 as an example, the gap between the two arc-shaped structures 140 connects the groove portion inside the circle and the groove portion outside the circle. The groove portion outside the circle is connected to the microphone sound guide hole 102. The projection of the microphone hole 202 of the microphone body 200 on the groove is located in the groove portion inside the circle, specifically coinciding with the center position of the circle. Multiple damping layers (not shown in the figure) can be provided in the groove portions inside and outside the circle. The sound transmitted from the microphone sound guide hole 102 passes through the groove portion outside the circle through the multiple damping layers, enters the groove portion inside the circle from the gap between the arc-shaped structures 104, and then passes through the multiple damping layers to be received by the microphone hole 202 on the microphone body 200. It is understandable that in other embodiments, multiple strip structures can also be used to separate the groove on the inner wall of the seal 100 into two areas, so that the sound transmitted from the microphone sound guide hole 102 can go around from one area to the other area and then reach the microphone hole 202 on the microphone body 200.

[0054] In one embodiment, a wearable device is provided, comprising the aforementioned microphone module. The wearable device may be headphones, glasses with microphones, a watch with microphones, or other wearable devices with microphone functionality. In a microphone module, one or more microphone bodies may be designed to coexist on the module, with the microphone bodies mounted on a circuit substrate. The microphone hole may be connected through a hole in the circuit substrate, leading to the lower sound-emitting microphone, or directly contacting the microphone cover, leading to the upper sound-emitting microphone.

[0055] like Figure 13 The figure shows a noise comparison diagram between an existing microphone module and the microphone module of the present application. The horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents noise level. Curve X1 shows the noise level generated by wind noise in the existing microphone module, while curve Y1 shows the noise level generated by wind noise in the microphone module of the present application. It can be seen that within the frequency range of 100Hz-10kHz, the average noise level is reduced by approximately 20-25dB.

[0056] like Figure 14 The figure shows a frequency response comparison diagram of an existing microphone module and a microphone module of the present application, with the horizontal axis representing frequency and the vertical axis representing frequency response. Curve X2 shows the frequency response characteristics of the existing microphone module. The high frequency resonates after 5kHz, which may cause distortion and pitch shift in voice reception. Curve Y2 shows the frequency response characteristics of the microphone module of the present application. It can be seen that the design of the present application can maintain a flat frequency response characteristic.

[0057] The above-mentioned hearable device is provided with a damping member in the microphone module, and the damping member is located on the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole of the seal and the microphone hole of the microphone body. By adopting the design of the damping member and the microphone sound guide hole, the direct impact of wind noise on the diaphragm of the microphone can be reduced when there is external airflow interference, thereby improving the reliability of use.

[0058] The technical features of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined arbitrarily. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-mentioned embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0059] The above-described embodiments merely represent several implementation methods of the present application. While the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that a person skilled in the art could make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit of the present application, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present application. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present patent application shall be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A microphone module, characterized in that: include: A sealing member, wherein a cavity is formed inside the sealing member and a microphone sound guide hole is opened on the sealing member to connect the cavity with the external environment; a microphone body, located in the cavity of the sealing member, and provided with a microphone hole; a damping member located in the sound conduction path between the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole; The inner wall of the sealing member is provided with a curved conductive structure, and the curved conductive structure connects the microphone sound guide hole and the microphone hole to form the curved sound conduction path; The damping member is located in the curved conductive structure, and the damping member is a single-layer or multi-layer damping layer, and the damping layer is a damping layer of an interwoven mesh structure to form the sound conduction path; The curved conductive structure includes a groove and a plurality of arc-shaped structures arranged along the same circle in the groove, the gaps between the arc-shaped structures connect the inner-circle groove portion and the outer-circle groove portion, the outer-circle groove portion is connected to the microphone sound guide hole, the center position of the inner-circle groove portion coincides with the projection of the microphone hole in the groove, and the inner-circle groove portion and the outer-circle groove portion are provided with multiple layers of the damping layer; Alternatively, the curved conductive structure includes a groove and a plurality of strip structures, and the strip structures separate the groove into two areas, and the sound transmitted from the microphone sound guide hole goes around from one area to the other area and then reaches the microphone hole.

2. The microphone module according to claim 1, wherein: The damping element is a multi-layer damping layer, and the damping layers are arranged in a staggered manner with sparse and dense arrangements; or The damping member is a multi-layer damping layer, and a cavity pipe is formed by hollowing out a part of the damping layer between each damping layer.

3. The microphone module according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing component is a plastic component or a metal shell.

4. The microphone module according to claim 1, wherein: The sealing member is a metal shell, and the metal shell includes a first shell and a second shell matching the first shell.

5. The microphone module according to claim 1, wherein: A buffer component is also included, and the buffer component is located in an area outside the sound conduction path in the cavity of the sealing component.

6. The microphone module according to claim 1, wherein: It also includes a base, which is located in the cavity of the sealing component and is used to fix the microphone body.

7. The microphone module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The microphone body is a silicon microphone or an ECM microphone.

8. A wearable device, characterized in that: A microphone module comprising any one of claims 1-7.

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