Wireless earphone and method for detecting insertion and extraction of the wireless earphone

Abstract

This disclosure provides a wireless earphone and a method for detecting in-ear / out-of-ear sounds. The wireless earphone includes a first earphone and a second earphone. Each earphone includes a detection circuit, a speaker, an in-ear microphone, and a processor. The detection circuit is configured to process capacitance parameters at a first time and a second time to obtain detection parameters. The processor is configured to determine representative detection parameters for each of the first and second times based on the detection parameters, and to obtain the difference between the representative detection parameters for each of the first and second times. When the difference exceeds an in-ear / out-of-ear risk threshold, the processor controls the speaker to play a first audio signal. This method helps reduce the power consumption of the earphone and improves the accuracy of in-ear / out-of-ear detection.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of earphones, and particularly relates to a wireless earphone and a method for detecting ear entry and exit thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] A true wireless earphone is usually automatically turned on or off or plays or pauses music according to the current wearing condition when a user uses it. When the wireless earphone is in the ear, it starts playing music; when the wireless earphone is out of the ear, it pauses music playing. For example, for an active noise reduction earphone, it also needs to perform noise reduction processing when the earphone is normally worn and used, and to turn off the active noise reduction function in a non-use state.

[0003] The existing method is to detect the sensor capacitance to determine whether the earphone is in or out of the ear, but it is easy to miss detection, that is, the earphone is in the ear but is not determined to be in the ear; it is also easy to misjudge, that is, the earphone is not in the ear, but due to the existence of surrounding objects, it is determined to be in the ear. Another method is to play a specific audio signal through the loudspeaker of the earphone, and then determine whether the earphone is worn in the user's ear based on the transfer function of the transmission path from the loudspeaker to the in-ear microphone or the parameters of the audio signal received by the in-ear microphone, so it needs to constantly play, collect and calculate the specific audio signal, which increases the power consumption of the earphone, wastes the valuable resources of the portable device, and also increases the possibility of error detection of ear entry and exit detection. SUMMARY

[0004] In view of the above technical problems in the prior art, the present disclosure is proposed. The present disclosure aims to provide a wireless earphone and a method for detecting ear entry and exit thereof, which can reduce the power consumption of ear entry and exit detection and improve the accuracy of ear entry and exit detection.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a wireless earphone is provided, which includes a first earphone and a second earphone, each of the first earphone and the second earphone including a detection circuit, a speaker, an in-ear microphone, and a processor, wherein the detection circuit includes at least one sensor for detecting capacitance, and is configured to: detect capacitance parameters at a first time and a second time after the first time using the at least one sensor; process the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor to obtain a detection parameter, such that the detection parameter changes with the degree of fit of the at least one sensor with a surrounding object; the processor is configured to: based on the detection parameters at the first time and the second time, respectively determine a representative detection parameter at the first time and the second time, and obtain a difference between the representative detection parameters at the first time and the second time; compare the difference with an in-out ear risk threshold range, and when the difference exceeds the in-out ear risk threshold range, control the speaker to play a first audio signal; in response to the speaker playing the first audio signal, determine at least one of a transfer function of a transmission path from the speaker to the in-ear microphone, a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone, and a correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone, as an in-out ear state representation parameter; based on the in-out ear state representation parameter, judge the in-out ear state of the earphone at the second time, and the state change of the earphone at the second time relative to the first time.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for detecting ear entry and exit of a wireless earphone, the wireless earphone comprising a first earphone and a second earphone, at least a detection circuit, a speaker, an in-ear microphone and a processor are arranged in each of the first earphone and the second earphone, wherein the detection circuit comprises at least one sensor for detecting capacitance, via the detection circuit, the capacitance parameters at a first time and a second time thereafter are detected by using the at least one sensor; the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor are processed to obtain a detection parameter, so that the detection parameter changes with the degree of fit of the at least one sensor with the surrounding object; via the processor: based on the detection parameters at the first time and the second time, the respective representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time are determined respectively, and the difference between the respective representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time is obtained; comparing the difference with an ear entry and exit risk threshold range, when the difference exceeds the ear entry and exit risk threshold range, controlling the speaker to play a first audio signal; in response to the speaker playing the first audio signal, determining at least one of a transfer function of a transmission path from the speaker to the in-ear microphone, a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone, and a correlation parameter between the first audio signal and the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone, as an ear entry and exit state representation parameter; based on the ear entry and exit state representation parameter, judging the ear entry and exit state of the earphone at the second time, and the state change of the earphone at the second time relative to the first time.

[0007] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are that:

[0008] By processing the capacitance parameters to obtain a detection parameter, and based on the detection parameter for ear entry and exit detection, it is beneficial to avoid the interference of other noises on ear entry and exit detection. By obtaining the respective representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time, and obtaining the difference between the respective representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time, based on the comparison of the difference with the ear entry and exit risk threshold range, controlling the speaker to play a first audio signal, it is possible to avoid the wireless earphone from frequently playing the first audio signal, collecting and calculating, thereby reducing the power consumption of the wireless earphone ear entry and exit detection. At the same time, when the difference exceeds the ear entry and exit risk threshold range, the speaker is controlled to play the first audio signal, in response to the speaker playing the first audio signal, at least one of a transfer function of a transmission path from the speaker to the in-ear microphone, a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone, and a correlation parameter between the first audio signal and the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone is determined as an ear entry and exit state representation parameter, which is beneficial to provide the accuracy of wireless ear entry and exit detection.

[0009] The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to be limiting of the application as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals can describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes can represent different instances of similar components. The drawings illustrate generally, by way of example, various embodiments in which the application can be practiced as disclosed. The embodiments illustrated are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise steps, construction and arrangement of components and methods disclosed. Such embodiments are exemplary and explanatory only and are not intended to be limiting of the disclosure as claimed.

[0011] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a structural block diagram of a wireless earphone according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0012] Figure 2 FIG. 3 shows a communication signaling diagram between a detection circuit, a processor and a speaker according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0013] Figure 3 FIG. 4(a) shows a flow chart of judging a state of the wireless earphone at a second time based on a parameter of a second audio signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0014] FIG. 4(b) shows a flow chart of judging a state of the wireless earphone at a second time based on a correlation parameter of a first audio signal and a second audio signal according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

[0015]

[0016] Figure 5 FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of a wireless earphone in-ear detection method according to an embodiment of the disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the disclosure, the disclosure will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments. The embodiments of the disclosure will be further described in conjunction with the drawings and specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the disclosure.

[0018] ​The terms "first", "second", and similar terms used in the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish parts. The terms "first earphone" and "second earphone" used in the present disclosure are merely used for distinction, for example, in other embodiments, the "first earphone" can be the "second earphone", and the "second earphone" can be the "first earphone". The terms "include" or "contain" and similar terms mean that the elements before the terms encompass the elements listed after the terms, and do not exclude the possibility of also encompassing other elements. "Up", "down", "left", "right", and the like are merely used to represent relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationships can also change accordingly.

[0019] In the present disclosure, when it is described that a specific device is located between a first component and a second component, there can be an intervening device between the specific device and the first device or the second device, or there can be no intervening device. When it is described that a specific device is connected to another device, the specific device can be directly connected to the other device without an intervening device, or can not be directly connected to the other device with an intervening device. In the present disclosure, the arrows shown in the figures are merely examples of the execution order, and are not limiting, and the technical solutions of the present disclosure are not limited to the execution order described in the embodiments. The steps in the execution order can be combined, can be decomposed, and can be exchanged in order, as long as the logical relationship of the execution content is not affected.

[0020] All terms used in the present disclosure, including technical terms or scientific terms, have the same meanings as understood by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted in a manner consistent with their meanings in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or excessively formalized manner, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Known technologies, methods, and devices for those skilled in the art can not be discussed in detail, but in appropriate cases, the technologies, methods, and devices should be considered as part of the specification.

[0021] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of a wireless earphone according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, wherein the wireless earphone 100 includes a first earphone 101 and a second earphone 102, each of the first earphone 101 and the second earphone 102 includes a detection circuit 103, a speaker 104, an in-ear microphone 105, and a processor 106.

[0022] The speaker 104 can be configured to play audio signals, in particular, can include playing audio signals according to the indication of the processor 106 when the first earphone 101 is in or out of the ear, etc. The in-ear microphone 105 can be generally configured to collect audio signals in the ear and in-ear noise, etc. at a position close to the ear canal on the inside of the earphone, and the audio response signal of the audio signal played by the first earphone 101 when the in or out of ear detection is collected via the in-ear microphone 105, etc. can be sent to the processor 106 for subsequent processing.

[0023] In some embodiments, the processor 106 can be configured to perform various steps of the in or out of ear detection method for wireless earphones according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, and can also be configured to perform calculations and processing associated with other functions of the wireless earphones at the same time, which is not limited herein. The processor 106 described above can be a processing device including one or more general-purpose processing devices, such as a microprocessor, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), etc. More specifically, the processor can be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, a very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, a processor running other instruction sets, or a processor running a combination of instruction sets. The processor can also be one or more special-purpose processing devices, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), a system on a chip (SoC), etc.

[0024] In other embodiments, the first earphone 101 can further include a memory (not shown), for example, for storing or temporarily storing the in or out of ear state of the first earphone 101 at different times, the capacitance parameters of different parts of the first earphone 101 measured by at least one (or a pair of) sensors at different times, and any programs and data required for calculation and judgment of the in or out of ear action and initial in-ear state of the first earphone 101, etc. which are not listed one by one herein. The memory described above can be, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a phase change random access memory (PRAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), other types of random access memory (RAM), a flash disk or other forms of flash memory, a cache, a register, a static memory, etc.

[0025] In some embodiments, the wireless earphone according to the embodiments of the present disclosure can be an active noise reduction earphone, in which case the first earphone 101 can further include components (not shown) related to active noise reduction, and when it is determined that the first earphone 101 has an ear-in action, the above-mentioned components related to active noise reduction are enabled to perform noise reduction processing, or when it is determined that the first earphone 101 has an ear-out action, the operation of the above-mentioned components related to active noise reduction is stopped, and the like, which will not be described herein.

[0026] In some embodiments, the detection circuit 103 includes at least one sensor 107 for detecting capacitance, and is configured to detect capacitance parameters at a first time and a second time thereafter using the at least one sensor 107; and process the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor 107 to obtain a detection parameter, so that the detection parameter changes with the degree of fit of the at least one sensor 107 to the surrounding object. Specifically, the sensor 107 for detecting capacitance can be one electrode or one metal sheet, and the sensor 107 can be arranged on the inner shell of the wireless earphone or other places. When the sensor 107 is at least two, the sensors 107 can be arranged at different parts of the earphone respectively. When the sensor 107 fits, approaches or is close to the ear, a larger capacitance value can be detected. Therefore, multiple sensors at different parts of the earphone can be used to detect the fit or approach degree of these different parts of the earphone to the ear. By detecting the capacitance parameter corresponding to the sensor 107 (which can include the connecting wire of the sensor and / or the circuit) through the detection circuit 103, a detection parameter related to the capacitance parameter can be obtained. Different sensors can have different capacitance parameters, and the specific capacitance parameter depends on the specific detection circuit for detecting the capacitance. In some embodiments, for example, the capacitance parameter can be the capacitance value itself or a positive proportion of the capacitance value, or can be the inverse of the capacitance value or a positive proportion of the inverse of the capacitance value, or can be a monotonic function of the capacitance value, and the function value and the capacitance value are in one-to-one correspondence. In order to facilitate consistent expression, in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the capacitance parameter corresponding to the sensor 107 detected by the detection circuit 103 is the capacitance value itself, a measurement value proportional to the capacitance value, or a monotonic increasing function of the capacitance value as a reference, and the detection parameter related to the capacitance parameter meeting the above trend is taken as the detection parameter, that is, the detection parameter is defined to change with the degree of fit of the sensor 107 to the surrounding object, and the better the fit, the larger the detection parameter. When the capacitance parameter related to the capacitance value is the inverse of the capacitance value, a measurement value proportional to the inverse of the capacitance value, or a monotonic decreasing function of the capacitance value, the processed capacitance parameter related to the capacitance parameter can be taken as the detection parameter after corresponding processing such as taking the inverse, taking the opposite number, and the like, which will not be listed one by one.

[0027] Specifically, when the capacitance parameter is the capacitance value or is directly proportional to the capacitance value or increases with the increase of the capacitance value, the increase of the capacitance parameter indicates that the sensor 107 is better fitted with the ear or other object or the distance between the sensor and the ear or other object is less than a predetermined distance value 1. When the capacitance parameter is the inverse of the capacitance value or is directly proportional to the inverse of the capacitance value or decreases with the increase of the capacitance value, the decrease of the capacitance parameter indicates that the sensor is better fitted with the ear or other object or the distance between the sensor and the ear or other object is less than a predetermined distance value 2. In this embodiment, the sensors for detecting the capacitance can be partially from the first earphone 101 and partially from the second earphone 102, or can be only from the first earphone 101 or only from the second earphone 102, which is not limited.

[0028] The processor 106 is configured to determine the representative detection parameter of each of the first time and the second time based on the detection parameters of the first time and the second time, and obtain the difference between the representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time. The difference can be the difference between the representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time. Taking the four sensors for detecting the capacitance parameter as an example, the four detection parameters are obtained by detecting the capacitance value at the first time and processing, and the representative detection parameter of the four detection parameters is determined. Then, the capacitance value at the second time is further detected and another four detection parameters are obtained by processing, and the representative detection parameter of the second time is determined. The difference between the representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time is obtained by using the representative detection parameters of each time, and the difference between the representative detection parameters of the first time and the second time can effectively determine the change of the earphone state, which is beneficial to improve the accuracy of the in-ear detection.

[0029] In this embodiment, the difference is compared with the in-ear risk threshold range, and the loudspeaker 104 is controlled to play the first audio signal when the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold range. The in-ear risk threshold can be set when the wireless earphone is manufactured, and the in-ear risk threshold can be obtained based on statistical values, which is not limited. For example, assuming that the wireless earphone is in the in-ear state at the first time, the capacitance value is large at this time, and if the wireless earphone is out of the ear at the second time, the capacitance value will change greatly and become small. At this time, the difference between the detection parameter of the second time and the detection parameter of the first time is a negative value, such as -1.2, and assuming that the in-ear risk threshold range is -1.0 to 1.0, -1.2 has exceeded the in-ear risk threshold range, and at this time, the loudspeaker 104 is controlled to play the first audio signal. The range of the in-ear risk threshold should be appropriate on one hand, so that the wireless earphone will not play the first audio signal due to the change of the surrounding environment, and on the other hand, the range of the in-ear risk threshold should not be too large, so as to ensure that the change of the detection parameter caused by the earphone out of the ear or into the ear can exceed the in-ear risk threshold range.

[0030] By comparing the difference with the in-ear risk threshold range, only when the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold, the loudspeaker 104 is controlled to play the first audio signal, which avoids the wireless earphone from frequently playing the first wireless audio signal due to the change of the position of the object around the earphone sensor 107 or other changes that cause the change of the capacitance, and effectively reduces the power consumption of the in-ear detection of the wireless earphone.

[0031] In response to the loudspeaker 104 playing the first audio signal, at least one of the transfer function of the transmission path from the loudspeaker 104 to the in-ear microphone 105, the parameter of the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone 105, and the related parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone 105 is determined as the in-ear state representation parameter. However, this is only an example and not a limitation, and other forms of selection of the reference parameter can also be used. Specifically, the transfer function of the transmission path from the loudspeaker 104 to the in-ear microphone 105 represents the effect of the loudspeaker, the ear canal reflection, and the in-ear microphone 105 on the audio signal. Based on the in-ear state representation parameter, the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time is determined, and the change of the state of the earphone at the second time relative to the first time, which greatly improves the accuracy of the in-ear detection while reducing the power consumption of the in-ear detection of the wireless earphone.

[0032] In the specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 The detection circuit 201 detects the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time using the sensor 107, processes the capacitance parameters to obtain the detection parameters (step 204), and then the processor 202 obtains the difference between the detection parameters at the first time and the second time (step 205), and determines whether the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold range (step 206). If the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold range, the loudspeaker 203 is controlled to play the first audio signal (step 207). If the difference does not exceed the in-ear risk threshold range, the processor 202 can record and save the data (step 208). Based on this embodiment, the power consumption of the in-ear detection of the wireless earphone is reduced, and the accuracy of the in-ear detection is improved.

[0033] In some embodiments, the at least one sensor 107 comprises N sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and the representative detection parameter of each of the first time and the second time is at least one of the sum of the N detection parameters of each of the first time and the second time, the sum of the absolute values of the N detection parameters of each of the first time and the second time, and the detection parameter with the largest amplitude of the N detection parameters of each of the first time and the second time, N being at least 2. The N sensors can be located in the same earphone or in different earphones. The method of determining the representative detection parameter comprises directly obtaining the sum of the N detection parameters of each time, i.e. directly adding the N detection parameters obtained, as the representative detection parameter. Alternatively, the N detection parameters are taken as absolute values and then added, and the sum is taken as the representative detection parameter. Alternatively, the detection parameter with the largest amplitude of the N detection parameters is directly selected as the representative detection parameter.

[0034] In some embodiments, the at least one sensor 107 comprises M pairs of sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and one sensor of each pair is closer to the inner shell of the earphone than the other sensor, so that the capacitance parameters of the two sensors of each pair have a significant difference, thereby obtaining an effective capacitance parameter.

[0035] For example, each pair of sensors comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor is closer to the inner shell of the earphone than the second sensor and can have a larger area, so that when the earphone is inserted into the ear or is close to the ear or is close to other objects, the first sensor is closer to the earphone, and thus the capacitance parameter of the first sensor has a larger change than when the earphone is in the air (i.e. surrounded by no close objects). The second sensor is farther away from the inner shell of the earphone and / or has a smaller area, so that when the earphone is inserted into the ear or is close to the ear or is close to other objects, the capacitance parameter of the second sensor has a relatively small or very small or almost no change compared to the first sensor. Therefore, when the capacitance parameter is proportional to the measured value of the capacitance value or a monotonic increasing function of the capacitance value, the difference between the capacitance parameter of the first sensor and the capacitance parameter of the second sensor can be taken as the capacitance parameter of the pair of sensors at each time. When the capacitance parameter is the inverse of the capacitance value, proportional to the measured value of the inverse of the capacitance value, or a monotonic decreasing function of the capacitance value, the difference between the capacitance parameter of the second sensor and the capacitance parameter of the first sensor can be taken as the capacitance parameter of the pair of sensors at each time. The obtained capacitance parameter is processed to obtain a detection parameter for representing the closeness of the earphone to other objects.

[0036] The representative detection parameter of each of the first time and the second time is at least one of a sum of differences, a sum of absolute values of differences, and a maximum absolute value of differences of the M pairs of detection parameters of each of the first time and the second time. For example, assuming that there are three pairs of sensors, D1 pair, D2 pair and D3 pair, wherein the D1 pair of sensors obtains A1 and A2 detection parameters, the D2 pair of sensors obtains B1 and B2 detection parameters, and the D3 pair of sensors obtains C1 and C2 detection parameters. When determining the representative detection parameter of each of the three pairs of sensors at the respective time, the differences of the three pairs of detection parameters can be directly added, i.e. (A2-A1)+(B2-B1)+(C2-C1), to serve as the representative detection parameter at the respective time. Alternatively, the sum of absolute values of the differences of the three pairs of sensors is taken as the representative detection parameter at the respective time, i.e. |(A2-A1)|+|(B2-B1)|+|(C2-C1)|. Alternatively, the maximum value of |A2|-|A1|, |B2|-|B1| and |C2|-|C1| is selected as the representative detection parameter. By using pairs of sensors to detect the capacitance parameter of the earphone, the change in capacitance caused by the surrounding environment or other substances of the earphone sensor can be offset, thereby improving the accuracy of the in-ear detection of the wireless earphone.

[0037] In some embodiments, the difference is compared with an in-ear risk threshold range, and when the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold range, the loudspeaker 107 is controlled to play a first audio signal, which is beneficial to avoid the wireless earphone being frequently triggered for in-ear detection. Specifically, the processor 106 is configured to determine that the state of the earphone at the first time is an in-ear state, and then determine that the difference between the representative detection parameter at the first time and the representative detection parameter at the second time is greater than a first in-ear risk threshold. At this time, the loudspeaker 104 plays a first audio signal to reduce the missed detection and reduce power consumption.

[0038] If the detection parameter of the sensor is greater than a certain threshold, the playing and detection of the audio are triggered all the time or periodically, so that the audio is often triggered, which greatly increases the power consumption, and the repeated triggering and detection also increases the possibility of false detection. If the playing and detection of the audio are triggered only when the detection parameter obtained by the sensor for the first time is greater than a certain threshold, it is easy to miss the detection of the earphone. For example, when the sensor detects that the detection parameter is greater than a certain threshold, but the earphone is not normally inserted into the ear, only the object position near the earphone sensor changes or the earphone sensor is close to or close to the earphone, at this time, the audio detection result is that the earphone is not inserted into the ear. When the earphone is normally inserted into the ear, the detection parameter detected by the sensor is further increased, but since the playing and detection of the audio are triggered only when the detection parameter detected by the sensor for the first time is greater than a certain threshold, the playing and detection of the audio are not triggered subsequently, so that the earphone insertion detection is missed. However, the embodiment can avoid the above problems, reduce the missed detection and improve the accuracy of the in-out ear detection by controlling the loudspeaker 107 to play the first audio signal when the difference exceeds the in-out ear risk threshold range.

[0039] As shown in Figure 3 , first, it is judged whether the state of the earphone at the first time is an in-ear state (step 301), when the state of the earphone at the first time is judged to be in the in-ear state, it is further judged whether the difference between the detection parameter at the first time and the detection parameter at the second time is greater than the first in-out ear risk threshold (step 302), wherein the difference can be the difference between the detection parameter at the first time and the detection parameter at the second time. If yes, the loudspeaker 104 is controlled to play the first audio signal (step 303). When the state of the earphone at the first time is judged to be in the in-ear state, if the earphone is out of the ear at the second time, the difference between the detection parameter of the earphone at the second time and the detection parameter of the earphone at the first time is a negative value, if the difference between the detection parameter at the first time and the detection parameter at the second time is greater than the first in-out ear risk threshold, the first audio signal is played by the loudspeaker 104. Wherein when the earphone is in the in-ear state, the earphone sensor is close to the ear, and the detection parameter is large, and when the earphone is in the out-ear state, the sensor is far away from the earphone, and the detection parameter is often small. When the difference between the detection parameter at the first time and the detection parameter at the second time is greater than the first in-out ear risk threshold, the first audio signal is triggered to be played, which can reduce the power consumption on the one hand, and reduce the false detection of the audio signal on the other hand. If no, the task of playing the first audio is not performed (step 304).

[0040] When the processor 106 judges that the earphone is in the out-ear state at the first time, it judges whether the difference between the representative detection parameter at the second time and the representative detection parameter at the first time is greater than the second in-ear risk threshold (step 305). If yes, the speaker 104 plays the first audio signal (step 306). When the earphone is judged to be in the out-ear state at the first time, if the earphone is in the ear at the second time, the difference between the representative detection parameter at the second time and the representative detection parameter at the first time is a positive value, and the difference between the representative detection parameter at the second time and the representative detection parameter at the first time is greater than the second in-ear risk threshold, the speaker 104 plays the first audio signal.

[0041] When the earphone peripheral environment changes little, the periphery refers to the position near the earphone sensor part, such as 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, that is, there is no change in the position of the object in the periphery of the earphone sensor 107 part, the detection parameter detected by the sensor 107 fluctuates little and cannot exceed the in-ear risk threshold range, therefore, the speaker 104 does not play the first audio signal, and the audio detection is not performed, which reduces the system power consumption. Playing the audio signal and detection often increases the power consumption by 0.5 ma, 1 ma, 2 ma, 4 ma. In the embodiment, the second in-ear risk threshold is set to be appropriate, on the one hand, so as not to trigger the speaker 104 to play the first audio signal due to the slight change of the peripheral environment, and on the other hand, cannot be too large, when the earphone is in the ear at the second time, the change of the detection parameter caused by the earphone sensor 107 close to the ear can make the difference between the representative detection parameter at the second time and the representative detection parameter at the first time greater than the second in-ear risk threshold. If not, the speaker 104 does not perform the task of playing the first audio signal (step 307).

[0042] When the earphone handle is held and the earphone moves in the air, since there is no change in the position of the object relative to the earphone sensor 107 part near the earphone sensor 107 part, such as 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 2 cm, it often belongs to the case that the earphone peripheral environment changes little.

[0043] In some embodiments, the first audio signal is an infrasound signal, and / or a prompt tone that has been set in the wireless earphone to indicate the working state of the earphone. The first audio signal can be a low frequency audio signal, i.e. an infrasound signal, whose frequency is out of the audible range of human ears, i.e. lower than 20 Hz. Because the user cannot perceive the infrasound signal, the disturbance to the normal use of the earphone can be reduced. The frequency of the infrasound is low, and in order to effectively detect the entry into the ear, it often takes 1 second or several seconds to play the infrasound and detect. In other embodiments, the first audio signal can also be a prompt tone that is allowed to occur in the normal use of the wireless earphone, such as a prompt tone for prompting the opening of the earphone, a prompt tone for prompting the detection result of the position of the earphone relative to the ear, a prompt tone for prompting the connection of wireless communication, etc., or any other prompt tone that has been set in the function of the wireless earphone, and combinations thereof. Correspondingly, the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone can be an infrasound signal (lower than 20 Hz) or various prompt tones.

[0044] In some embodiments, the parameter of the second audio signal includes any one or a combination of a time domain distribution parameter, a frequency domain distribution parameter, a time domain distribution parameter variation, a frequency domain distribution parameter variation, an energy in the time domain and / or the frequency domain, an energy variation in the time domain and / or the frequency domain of the second audio signal; or a parameter of a preset audio signal that is similar to the second audio signal in at least one of the time domain distribution parameter, the frequency domain distribution parameter, the energy in the time domain and / or the frequency domain, and the similarity exceeds a similarity threshold value; wherein the energy in the time domain and / or the frequency domain is normalized energy relative to a reference energy, the reference energy is obtained by detecting the first audio signal, and in the case that the first audio signal is an infrasound signal, the energy in the time domain and / or the frequency domain is obtained by detecting an audio signal filtered by a filter whose passband range includes the frequency domain of the infrasound signal from the infrasound signal collected by the microphone. The normalized energy relative to the reference energy can measure and compare the energy distribution of the audio signal at different time domain / frequency domain points on a unified scale, thereby avoiding the interference caused by the different amplitudes of the played infrasound signal.

[0045] For example, a segment of the prompt tone can be selected before, after or even in the middle of the prompt tone, in which the component of the prompt tone is extremely small or even zero, to obtain the signal energy thereof as the reference energy. Then, the reference energy can be subtracted from the signal energy of the prompt tone or standardized relative to the reference energy in other ways to achieve calibration. Using the calibrated signal energy to select the current filtering parameter of the filter can further reduce the influence of noise. Further, since the noise varies greatly in the time domain waveform and has uncertainty in the distribution of the frequency domain component, the noise energy is obtained and calibrated accordingly, which has better robustness and better calibration effect. In some embodiments, the reference energy can include the noise energy, but is not limited thereto, and can also include the drifting baseline energy.

[0046] In some embodiments, the correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal include any one or a combination of a time-domain correlation parameter, a frequency-domain correlation parameter, a variation of the time-domain correlation parameter, a variation of the frequency-domain correlation parameter, an energy and / or amplitude of the time-domain or frequency-domain correlation parameter, and a variation of the energy and / or amplitude of the time-domain or frequency-domain correlation parameter.

[0047] Specifically, the time-domain distribution parameter can be a sequence of signal amplitudes in the time domain, and the similarity is determined by the amplitude difference at the corresponding time, for example, by the sum of the amplitude difference (absolute value of the difference or square of the difference, etc.) at the corresponding time in the time domain. The smaller the sum is, the higher the similarity is considered to be. In some embodiments, the time-domain waveform of the signal can also be calibrated (for example, subtracted or divided) based on the reference waveform (for example, the waveform without the prompt tone component or with few prompt tone components) to eliminate the interference of the reference waveform on the similarity.

[0048] In some embodiments, the frequency-domain distribution parameter can be a set of components at each frequency point, and the similarity is determined by the difference of the components at the corresponding frequency point. For example, the similarity can be determined by the sum of the difference (absolute value of the difference or square of the difference, etc.) of the components at the corresponding frequency point in the frequency domain, and the smaller the sum is, the higher the similarity is considered to be. In some embodiments, a weight can also be applied to each difference in the summation process to emphasize the difference at the frequency point of interest.

[0049] In some embodiments, the energy in the time domain and / or the frequency domain can be extracted based on the complete prompt tone or at least one small segment (for example, one or several segments) thereof (in the time domain or in the frequency domain). For example, the prompt tone obtained by the in-ear microphone can select one or several segments with larger amplitudes in the prompt tone, or select one or several segments with better signal-to-noise ratio in the prompt tone, which is conducive to reducing the influence and interference of noise.

[0050] FIG. 4(a) shows a flowchart for determining the state of the wireless earphone at the second time based on the parameters of the second audio signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0051] In some embodiments, based on the parameter of the second audio signal, determining the in-ear or out-ear state of the earphone at the second time, the processor 106 is configured to, when the parameter of the second audio signal is greater than a first threshold, as shown in step 401, determine that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear. As shown in step 402, when the parameter of the second audio signal is less than a second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear. Wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold. As shown in step 403, when the parameter of the second audio signal is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time. When the earphone is in-ear, the detection parameter is larger, and when the earphone is out-ear, the detection parameter is smaller, therefore, the first threshold is set to be greater than the second threshold, when the parameter of the second audio signal is greater than the first threshold, the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear, it can be determined that the earphone has an in-ear action relative to the first time. However, if the parameter of the second audio signal obtained is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it cannot be determined whether the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear or in-ear, which means that the earphone does not have a significant in-ear or out-ear action change, at this time, the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time. For example, at the first time, the earphone is in the out-ear state, but the second audio signal parameter obtained is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it cannot be determined that the state of the earphone at the second time, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is still out-ear, no change, no in-ear or out-ear action, thereby improving the accuracy of in-ear or out-ear detection, and avoiding false detection.

[0052] FIG. 4(b) shows a flowchart for determining the state of the wireless earphone at the second time based on the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] In some embodiments, the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time is determined based on the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal. The processor 106 is configured to determine that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is greater than a third threshold value (as shown in step 404). As shown in step 405, when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is less than a fourth threshold value, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear. The third threshold value is greater than the fourth threshold value. As shown in step 406, when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is between the third threshold value and the fourth threshold value, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time. The determination method of this embodiment is similar to the method of determining the state of the wireless earphone at the second time based on the parameter of the second audio signal in the above-mentioned embodiments, which will not be described here.

[0054] Figure 5 A flowchart of a wireless earphone in-ear detection method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0055] In some embodiments, a wireless earphone in-ear detection method is provided, which includes a first earphone 101 and a second earphone 102. At least a detection circuit 103, a speaker 104, an in-ear microphone 105, and a processor 106 are provided in each of the first earphone 101 and the second earphone 102. As shown in step S501, the detection circuit 103 includes at least one sensor 107 for detecting capacitance. Via the detection circuit 103, the capacitance parameter at a first time and a second time thereafter is detected by using the at least one sensor 107. The capacitance parameter at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor is processed to obtain a detection parameter, so that the detection parameter changes with the degree of fit of the at least one sensor 107 with the surrounding object.

[0056] As shown in step S502, via the processor 106, the representative detection parameter of the first time and the second time is respectively determined based on the detection parameter of the first time and the second time, and the difference between the representative detection parameter of the first time and the second time is obtained.

[0057] As shown in step S503, the difference is compared with an in-ear risk threshold value range. When the difference exceeds the in-ear risk threshold value range, the speaker 106 is controlled to play a first audio signal.

[0058] As shown in step S504, in response to the speaker 104 playing the first audio signal, at least one of a transfer function of a transmission path from the speaker 104 to the in-ear microphone 105, a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone 105, and a correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone 105 is determined as an in-ear state representation parameter.

[0059] As shown in step S505, based on the in-ear state representation parameter, the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time is determined, and the state change of the earphone at the second time relative to the state at the first time, so as to improve the accuracy of in-ear detection and reduce the power consumption of wireless earphone in-ear detection.

[0060] In some embodiments, the at least one sensor 107 includes N sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and the representative detection parameter of the first time and the second time is at least one of the sum of the N detection parameters of the first time and the second time, the sum of the absolute values of the N detection parameters of the first time and the second time, and the detection parameter with the largest amplitude, N being at least 2.

[0061] In some embodiments, the at least one sensor 107 includes M pairs of sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and one sensor in each pair of sensors is closer to the inner shell of the earphone than the other sensor, and the representative detection parameter of the first time and the second time is at least one of the sum of the differences between the M pairs of detection parameters of the first time and the second time, the sum of the absolute values of the differences between the M pairs of detection parameters of the first time and the second time, and the difference with the largest absolute value.

[0062] In some embodiments, based on the parameter of the second audio signal, the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time is determined, and the specific method includes: when the parameter of the second audio signal is greater than a first threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the parameter of the second audio signal is less than a second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-of-ear; the first threshold is greater than the second threshold; when the parameter of the second audio signal is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

[0063] In some embodiments, determining the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time based on the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal comprises: when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is greater than a third threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is less than a fourth threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear; the third threshold is greater than the fourth threshold; when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is between the third threshold and the fourth threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

[0064] Various modifications and changes can be made to the methods, apparatuses, and systems of the present disclosure. Other embodiments will be apparent from consideration of the specification and practice of the systems and methods disclosed herein. Each of the various claims that can be presented is intended to be independently implemented, and all combinations of the dependent claims with each other and the dependent claims with the independent claims are also intended to be embodiments of the present disclosure, and are so considered by this disclosure.

[0065] Examples are intended merely to be illustrative and not limiting. The true scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A wireless earphone, the wireless earphone comprising a first earphone and a second earphone, characterized in that, Each of the first earphone and the second earphone comprises a detection circuit, a speaker, an in-ear microphone and a processor, wherein The detection circuit comprises at least one sensor for detecting capacitance, and is configured to: detect capacitance parameters at a first time and a second time after the first time by using the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor comprises M pairs of sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and one sensor in each pair of sensors is closer to the inner shell of the earphone than the other sensor; and process the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor to obtain a detection parameter, so that the detection parameter changes with the degree of fit of the at least one sensor to a surrounding object; The processor is configured to: determine a representative detection parameter of the first time and a representative detection parameter of the second time respectively based on the detection parameters of the first time and the second time, and obtain a difference between the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time, wherein the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time are at least one of a sum of differences, a sum of absolute values of differences, and a largest absolute value of differences between M pairs of detection parameters of the first time and the second time respectively; when it is determined that the state of the earphone at the first time is an in-ear state, the difference between the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time is greater than a first in-ear risk threshold, and at this time, a first audio signal is played by the speaker; when it is determined that the state of the earphone at the first time is an out-ear state, the difference between the representative detection parameter of the second time and the representative detection parameter of the first time is greater than a second in-ear risk threshold, and at this time, the first audio signal is played by the speaker; in response to the speaker playing the first audio signal, a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone is determined; when the parameter of the second audio signal is greater than a first threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the parameter of the second audio signal is less than a second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear; the first threshold is greater than the second threshold; when the parameter of the second audio signal is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

2. The wireless earpiece of claim 1, wherein, The at least one sensor comprises N sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time are at least one of a sum, a sum of absolute values, and a largest absolute value of N detection parameters of the first time and the second time respectively, and N is at least 2.

3. The wireless earpiece of claim 1, wherein, The first audio signal is a subsonic wave signal, and / or a prompt sound for prompting the working state of the earphone has been set in the wireless earphone.

4. The wireless earpiece of claim 1, wherein, The parameter of the second audio signal comprises: any one of a time domain distribution parameter, a frequency domain distribution parameter, a time domain distribution parameter variation, a frequency domain distribution parameter variation, an energy in time domain and / or frequency domain, an energy variation in time domain and / or frequency domain of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof; or a parameter of a preset audio signal that is similar to the second audio signal in at least one aspect of a time domain distribution parameter, a frequency domain distribution parameter, an energy in time domain and / or frequency domain, and a similarity of the preset audio signal to the second audio signal exceeds a similarity threshold; wherein the energy in time domain and / or frequency domain is normalized energy relative to a reference energy, the reference energy is obtained by detecting the first audio signal, and in a case that the first audio signal is an infrasound signal, the energy in time domain and / or frequency domain is obtained by detecting an audio signal filtered by a filter having a passband range including a frequency domain of the infrasound signal from the infrasound signal collected by a microphone.

5. The wireless earpiece of claim 1, wherein, The correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal include any one of a time domain correlation parameter, a frequency domain correlation parameter, a time domain correlation parameter variation, a frequency domain correlation parameter variation, an energy and / or amplitude of a time domain or frequency domain correlation parameter, an energy and / or amplitude variation of a time domain or frequency domain correlation parameter, or a combination thereof.

6. The wireless earpiece of claim 1, wherein, The processor is further configured to determine the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time based on the correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, and specifically includes: when the correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal are greater than a third threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal are less than a fourth threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear; the third threshold is greater than the fourth threshold; when the correlation parameters of the first audio signal and the second audio signal are between the third threshold and the fourth threshold, determining that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

7. A method for detecting insertion and removal of a wireless earphone, the wireless earphone comprising a first earphone and a second earphone, the method comprising: In each of the first earphone and the second earphone, at least a detection circuit, a loudspeaker, an in-ear microphone, and a processor are provided, wherein the detection circuit includes at least one sensor for detecting capacitance, via the detection circuit, the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time thereafter are detected by the at least one sensor, the at least one sensor includes M pairs of sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and one sensor in each pair of sensors is closer to the inner shell of the earphone than the other sensor; the capacitance parameters at the first time and the second time detected by the at least one sensor are processed to obtain detection parameters, so that the detection parameters change with the fit degree of the at least one sensor to the surrounding object; via the processor: determining a representative detection parameter of the first time and a representative detection parameter of the second time based on the detection parameters of the first time and the second time respectively, and obtaining a difference between the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time, wherein the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time are at least one of a sum of differences, a sum of absolute values of differences, and a largest absolute value of differences between M pairs of detection parameters of the first time and the second time respectively; when it is determined that the state of the earphone at the first time is the in-ear state, and the difference between the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time is greater than a first in-ear risk threshold, the first audio signal is played by the loudspeaker; when it is determined that the state of the earphone at the first time is the out-ear state, and the difference between the representative detection parameter of the second time and the representative detection parameter of the first time is greater than a second in-ear risk threshold, the first audio signal is played by the loudspeaker; in response to the loudspeaker playing the first audio signal, determining a parameter of a second audio signal collected by the in-ear microphone; when the parameter of the second audio signal is greater than a first threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the parameter of the second audio signal is less than a second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear; the first threshold is greater than the second threshold; when the parameter of the second audio signal is between the first threshold and the second threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, The at least one sensor includes N sensors arranged at different parts of the earphone, and the representative detection parameter of the first time and the representative detection parameter of the second time are at least one of a sum, a sum of absolute values, and a largest absolute value of N detection parameters of the first time and the second time respectively, and N is at least 2.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: determining the in-ear state of the earphone at the second time based on a correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal, specifically including: when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is greater than a third threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is in-ear; when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is less than a fourth threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time is out-ear; the third threshold is greater than the fourth threshold; when the correlation parameter of the first audio signal and the second audio signal is between the third threshold and the fourth threshold, it is determined that the state of the earphone at the second time remains unchanged from the state at the first time.

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