Wearable sound device and method related to ventilation and acoustic adjustment

Abstract

The invention provides a wearable sound device and method related to ventilation and acoustic adjustment. The wearable sound device comprises a sound outlet, a side opening, an air pulse generating device and an exchanger. The air pulse generating device is used for generating audible sound by generating a plurality of air pulses and generating a first air flow flowing through a first air path, and the first air path passes through an exchanger between the environment and the sound outlet. A second airflow flows through a second air path, and the second air path passes through the exchanger between the sound outlet and the side opening. The first air path is isolated from the second air path.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wearable sound device, a ventilation method and an acoustic adjustment method thereof, and in particular to a wearable sound device, a ventilation method and an acoustic adjustment method thereof that can avoid condensation. Background Art

[0002] Unless otherwise indicated, the practices described below are not prior art within the scope of the present invention, and the contents of this paragraph should not be included in the prior art.

[0003] In most earbuds currently available on the market (e.g., headphones with dynamic drivers (DD), balanced armature (BA) drivers, planar drivers, air motion transformer (AMT) drivers, or other existing moving membrane speakers), the air inside the listener's ear canal is isolated from the surrounding environment. This isolation is also maintained when the diaphragm of these speakers moves to produce sound.

[0004] Unlike existing earphones, the pump-like behavior of MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) earbuds exchanges air between the listener's ear canal and the surrounding environment, disrupting the isolation between the ear canal and the environment. While this is generally not a significant issue in mild weather, it can be inconvenient in the harsh depths of winter.

[0005] At sub-zero temperatures, when ear canal air (e.g., 37°C, 80-95% relative humidity) encounters low ambient air (e.g., -10°C), condensation may form inside the MEMS earbuds, similar to frost on a car windshield near freezing. If the MEMS earbuds are used in the dead of winter or left in cold weather for several hours, condensation can freeze water droplets or mist near the narrow gap (e.g., 0.8-2.5 μm) between the petal pairs of the MEMS earbuds, restricting the movement of the diaphragm and potentially causing device failure.

[0006] Therefore, how to avoid condensation is an important issue in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the present invention mainly provides a wearable sound device, a ventilation method and an acoustic adjustment method thereof to improve the deficiencies of the prior art.

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention provides a wearable sound device, comprising a sound outlet and a side opening; an air pulse generating device for generating audible sound by generating multiple air pulses; and an exchanger; wherein the air pulse generating device generates a first air flow flowing through a first air path, the first air path passing through the exchanger located between the environment and the sound outlet; wherein a second air flow flows through a second air path, the second air path passing through the exchanger located between the sound outlet and the side opening; wherein the first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other.

[0009] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a ventilation method for a wearable sound device, comprising directing a first air flow through a first air path, the first air path passing through an exchanger located between the environment and a sound outlet of the wearable sound device; and directing a second air flow through a second air path, the second air path passing through the exchanger located between the sound outlet and a side opening of the wearable sound device; wherein the wearable sound device includes the sound outlet, the side opening, an air pulse generating device, and the exchanger; wherein the first air flow is generated by the air pulse generating device; and wherein the first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other.

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention further provides an acoustic adjustment method for a wearable sound device, comprising directing a first airflow through a first air path via an exchanger; and directing a second airflow through a second air path via the exchanger; wherein the wearable sound device includes the exchanger; and wherein the first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 and Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a wearable audio device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a front view of a cross section of an exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 Side view of the cross section shown.

[0014] Figure 5 2 is a volume velocity diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 6 Three AC airflow modes according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0016] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of a driving signal generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0018] 10,20: Wearable sound device

[0019] 101: Shell

[0020] 103: Carrier board

[0021] 105: Length

[0022] 106: Orifice

[0023] 107,108: Air path

[0024] 11: Sound outlet

[0025] 117: Environment

[0026] 118: ear canal

[0027] 12,22,APG5: Gas Pulse Generator

[0028] 13: Side opening

[0029] 14,24:Switch

[0030] 141-144: Opening

[0031] 145,146,F a1 ~F e3 ,V a1 ~V e2 :aisle

[0032] 15,102: Chamber

[0033] 16: Isolation

[0034] 1nF, 10μF, Caux1, Caux2: capacitors

[0035] 219:Earplugs

[0036] 22kΩ, 40Ω: resistor

[0037] 301~304: Cross section

[0038] 54nF: equivalent capacitance

[0039] 0.8μH: Inductor

[0040] A: Amplifier

[0041] A-A',B-B': side

[0042] C-C': Intersection

[0043] S1_amp,S1n_sm,S1p_sm,S2_amp,S2n_sm,S2p_sm,SM_ER, switch

[0044] SM,SV1,SV2 VOP,VON,V cc ,V BIAS :Voltage DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Air pulse generating (APG) devices (e.g., the APG device disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 18 / 321,759) have demonstrated superior performance compared to existing sound transducers in measurements using an occluded earphone simulator (e.g., IEC 711) across a wide frequency range (e.g., 20 Hz to 20 kHz), sound pressure level (SPL) (up to 143 dB under IEC 711 or 120 dB at 20 Hz for vented earphones), and total harmonic distortion (THD) (less than 0.25% at SPLs greater than 105 dB from 20 Hz to 1 kHz). This superior performance is expected to facilitate the adoption of APG-based consumer products, such as earphones.

[0046] However, APG devices are likely to be affected by condensation. For example, APG devices may include flaps or gaps. Because the air inside the listener's ear canal has a high absolute humidity and relatively high temperature, when the air inside the listener's ear canal mixes with the cooler air outside the ear canal (for example, in the cold winter), moisture accumulated in the gaps or attached to the flaps may further freeze into ice. This condensation or condensation may impair the function of the APG device, but this can be addressed by proper ventilation, heat dissipation, heat redistribution, or humidity reduction.

[0047] For example, the present invention proposes Figure 1 A wearable audio device 10 is shown. The wearable audio device 10 includes an APG device 12 and a switch 14.

[0048] The APG device 12 may be the APG device taught in US application Ser. No. 18 / 321,759 and is used to generate a plurality of air pulses or air flow pulses to generate sound.

[0049] The exchanger 14 can have a structure similar to that of a heat / air exchanger. For example, two sets of conduits / channels are established within the heat exchanger, and two fluid flows (e.g., air or liquid flows) flow in opposite directions within the heat / air exchanger. Note that in a heat / air exchanger, the two fluid flows exchange energy or heat with each other, but the two fluid flows are isolated from each other.

[0050] The exchanger 14 helps to avoid condensation or prolong the life of the device. For example, the exchanger 14 can reduce the temperature of the air in the listener's ear canal 118, increase the temperature of the air from the outside, or minimize the temperature difference between different locations in the wearable sound device 10.

[0051] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the exchanger 14 may include a conduit / guide / channel 145 connected between or to openings 141 and 143 to guide a (first) airflow. Opening 143 is located near or adjacent to the AA' side of the exchanger 14 and faces / connects to the sound outlet 11 of the wearable audio device 10. Opening 141 is located near or adjacent to the BB' side of the exchanger 14 and faces / connects to the (front) chamber 15. The sound outlet 11 may face the ear canal 118. The APG device 12 may generate a (first) airflow through an air pathway 107 formed between the ambient air 117 and the sound outlet 11.

[0052] like Figure 1 As shown, the exchanger 14 may include a duct / guide / channel 146 that is connected between or to the openings 142 and 144 to guide the (second) airflow. The opening 144 is located near or next to the A-A' side and faces / is connected to the sound outlet 11. The opening 142 is located near or next to the BB' side. Although the BB' side faces the front chamber 15, the opening 142 or the duct 146 is not physically connected to the front chamber 15. Instead, the opening 142 is physically isolated from the front chamber 15 by the isolation member 16 and is physically connected to the side opening 13, so that the ear canal 118 is directly connected to the environment 117. An air path 108 is formed between the sound outlet 11 and the side opening 13, and the (second) airflow can flow through the air path 108 without being connected to the front chamber 15. In other words, the isolation member 16 isolates the air path 108 from the front chamber 15.

[0053] By utilizing conduits / channels 145 and 146 with high thermal conductivity (e.g., higher than the thermal conductivity of air), the exchanger 14 can reduce temperature differences. Specifically, heat is transferred between the first and second airflows, which can flow in opposite directions. In other words, cool air from the environment 117 can enter the wearable audio device 10 and flow through air paths 107 / 108, while warm, moist air from the ear canal 118 can flow through air paths 108 / 107. Through heat transfer, the temperature of the air in conduit / channel 145 can gradually increase from the BB' side to the AA' side, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the air from the ear canal 118 and the air from the environment 117. Similarly, the air in conduit / channel 146 can gradually cool from the AA' side to the BB' side, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the air from the environment 117 and the air from the ear canal 118. In other words, heat transfer between conduits / channels 145 and 146 may minimize temperature differences, thereby reducing the likelihood / risk of condensation.

[0054] Note that heat exchanger 14 transfers heat from warm air to cool air without direct contact between the warm and cool air because the two airflows are physically isolated. In other words, air particles within duct / channel 145 do not mix or come into contact with air particles within duct / channel 146. Conversely, air paths 107 and 108 are isolated from each other. On the other hand, airflow entering ear canal 118 (e.g., through air path 107) mixes with the air already present in ear canal 118. Due to the (increased) pressure within ear canal 118, the mixed air in ear canal 118 is expelled from ear canal 118 (e.g., through air path 108).

[0055] To prevent condensation from forming within the APG device 12, the temperature mixing point should be as far away from the APG device 12 as possible. For example, the length of the sound tube can be used to construct the conduits / channels 145 and 146 of the exchanger 14. Alternatively, the exchanger 14 can be located at the tip of the sound tube or near the earbud (e.g., 219) of the wearable audio device 10, with the earbud being the furthest away from the APG device 12. This configuration prevents the cool air surrounding the APG device 12 from immediately mixing with the warm air from the ear canal 118, thereby minimizing condensation within the APG device 12.

[0056] To further reduce (the likelihood of) condensation, the absolute humidity of the air in the ear canal 118 should be lowered. For example, air from the environment 117 has a lower absolute humidity and can absorb more moisture from the air in the ear canal 118. Furthermore, with accompanying ventilation, when the APG device 12 produces sound or music, airflow pulses are generated that can push moist air out of the ear canal 118. With active ventilation, the APG device 12 can generate airflow pulses to dry the ear canal 118 without producing sound. This drying effect helps prevent condensation from forming.

[0057] For example, Figure 2 A wearable sound device 20 is shown, and the device 10 can be implemented using the device 20. The APG device 22 of the wearable sound device 20 can induce air movement, resulting in air flow in the exchanger 24 of the wearable sound device 20.

[0058] Adjunct / natural ventilation

[0059] During the sound generating operation, the APG device 22 can push air into the ear canal 118 or draw air out of the ear canal 118, thereby providing incidental / natural ventilation, which can be considered a by-product of the sound generating operation. Figure 5 As shown in the volume velocity graph, if the APG device 22 generates a 6 kHz tone with 32 pulses in one cycle, each pulse within the 6 kHz cycle generates a net negative (or positive) air volume movement. These pulse-by-pulse net air volume movements push air from the front chamber 15 through the air path 107 toward the ear canal 118, or pull air from the ear canal 118 back into the front chamber 15 through the air path 107. Accordingly, the pressure within the ear canal 118 may increase (or decrease) proportionally, and the listener / user may perceive an audible sound. Thus, the sound generation operation not only minimizes the temperature difference between the air in the environment 117 and the air in the ear canal 118, but also reduces the absolute humidity of the air in the ear canal 118.

[0060] However, the accompanying / natural ventilation is not always perfect. For example, when the sound generation operation is suspended, condensation may occur. In addition, the effectiveness of the accompanying / natural ventilation brought about by the sound generation operation depends on the spectral content of the generated sound and the corner frequency (of the acoustic adjustment of the tube / channel 146) f cThis is because the air path 108 acts like a low-pass filtered version of the air path 107. Specifically, similar to the cavity, the ear canal 118 can accumulate and smooth high-frequency pressure changes, thereby producing a low-pass filtering effect. When the rate of this rising (or falling) pressure is slow enough (for example, below the corner frequency f c The APG device 22 generates an airflow along the air passage 108 in the opposite direction to the airflow in the air passage 107. Therefore, when the APG device 22 generates only sounds with frequencies significantly higher than the corner frequency fc, the effect of incidental / natural ventilation brought about by the sound generation operation is weak. However, when the APG device 22 generates sounds in the low-frequency range, the effect of incidental / natural ventilation brought about by the sound generation operation is strong.

[0061] Active ventilation

[0062] The present invention thus introduces active ventilation. The (incidental or byproduct) airflow of incidental ventilation may correspond to an audible frequency (e.g., 20 Hz), while the (active) airflow of active ventilation may correspond to an inaudible frequency (e.g., 6 Hz). However, the airflow of incidental or active ventilation may be different from or independent of the natural convection airflow caused by temperature differences. Accordingly, the control signal used to drive the APG device 22 may be modified so that, in addition to generating (incidental) airflow caused by an audible sound signal to provide incidental ventilation, the APG device 22 also generates (active) airflow not caused by an audible sound signal to provide active ventilation.

[0063] About AC airflow for active ventilation

[0064] In one embodiment of active ventilation, the APG device of the present invention generates airflow pulses with a time-varying (or alternating current (AC)) envelope, and the spectral components of the airflow pulse envelope are below a minimum audible frequency (e.g., 16 Hz). For example, Figure 6 Three AC airflow patterns are shown: a solid line represents a single-tone AC airflow pattern (e.g., 9 Hz), a double-dotted line represents a two-tone AC airflow pattern (e.g., 9 Hz and 4.5 Hz), and a dashed line represents a three-tone AC airflow pattern (e.g., 9 Hz, 4.5 Hz, and 2.25 Hz). A two-tone (or three-tone) AC airflow pattern exhibits one (or two) amplitude swings between a pair of larger amplitude swings. The AC airflow pattern herein may refer to the AC envelope of the airflow pulses generated by the present invention. These smaller amplitude swings enhance heat transfer between the air within air paths 107 and 108, thereby reducing the temperature difference between the air as it exits ducts / channels 145 or 146.

[0065] To generate AC airflow or airflow pulses with an AC envelope, the digital (audio) data used for sound generation operations needs to be modified before being converted into an analog signal by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for the controller / driver of the APG device 22 to generate the control signal used to drive the APG device 22. This (digital) approach has the lowest overhead, is easier to manage, and offers greater flexibility by allowing new features to be added via over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates. This facilitates parameter adjustments or the addition of new features, thereby continuously improving the end-user experience throughout the product lifecycle.

[0066] Alternatively, to generate AC airflow or airflow pulses with an AC envelope, an AC signal source can be embedded within the controller / driver of the APG device 22 to generate a control signal for driving the APG device 22, wherein the AC (source) signal corresponds to the AC envelope. This (analog) approach may be more practical during product development because it requires less effort on the part of the System-on-a-Chip (SoC) firmware developer.

[0067] About direct flow in active ventilation

[0068] In another embodiment of active ventilation, the APG device of the present invention generates airflow pulses with a time-invariant (or direct current (DC)) envelope that flow in a fixed direction. This direct current airflow or airflow pulses with a DC envelope can be combined with an (accompanying) airflow used to generate audible sound and can flow along the air path 107 from the environment 117 through the exchanger 14 to the ear canal 118. In other words, in addition to the air pulses or airflow pulses corresponding to audible sound, the APG device can also generate airflow pulses with a DC envelope to provide active ventilation. The direct current airflow can also create a corresponding pressure in the ear canal 118, which can trigger an airflow along the air path 108 from the ear canal 118 through the exchanger 14 to the sound outlet 11. This direct current airflow also helps to reduce condensation.

[0069] To generate a DC airflow or airflow pulses with a DC envelope, a DC offset voltage may be added to / superimposed on the audio signal to generate a control signal for driving the APG device 22. The DC offset voltage causes the APG device 22 to generate airflow pulses with a DC envelope or a DC airflow, where the DC offset voltage corresponds to the DC envelope. The direction of the DC airflow (e.g., from the APG device 22 along the air path 107 to the ear canal 118) is determined by the sign of the DC offset voltage.

[0070] To generate the DC offset voltage, a digital offset is added to the digital (audio) data before the digital-to-analog converter (DAC) converts the data for sound generation. For example, for 16-bit-per-sample audio, a digital offset of 16 (0.05%, -66dB / FS) to 1024 (3.1%, -30dB / FS) can be added to each digital (audio) data before it is fed into the DAC. Even at its maximum value (e.g., 1024), the digital offset does not significantly reduce the dynamic range.

[0071] Alternatively, in order to generate a DC-like offset voltage, the driving signal generator may be adjusted (for example, the driving signal generator of U.S. application No. 18 / 665,525). Figure 7 As shown, the first switch selectively switches (at voltage V BIAS The first branch (biased) is connected to the output terminal of the driving signal generator, and the second switch selectively connects (including a capacitor (eg 10 μF) and a voltage V BIAS +V OFFSET The two switches are connected to the two branches alternately so that the first branch is connected to the output terminal in the first half of each pulse and the second branch is connected to the output terminal in the second half of each pulse. The switches S1n_sm, S1p_sm, S2n_sm or S2p_sm can be logically executed. Capacitors 1nF, 10μF, Caux1, Caux2, equivalent capacitance 54nF, resistors 22kΩ, 40Ω, inductor 0.8μH, switches S1_amp, S1n_sm, S1p_sm, S2_amp, S2n_sm, S2p_sm, SM_ER, APG device APG5 or voltage SM, SV1, SV2 VOP, VON, V cc 、V BIAS For details, please refer to US application No. 18 / 665,525. This solution is competitive when a power amplifier is added after the DAC to enhance the low-impedance load driving capability and a DC-decoupling capacitor(s) is inserted after the power amplifier.

[0072] structure

[0073] exist Figure 2The exchanger 24 can be constructed by utilizing the internal volume of the sound tube and converting the internal volume into a conduit set. The conduit set includes a conduit (e.g., 145) connecting the ear canal 118 to the front chamber 15 and another conduit (e.g., 146) connecting the ear canal 118 to the side opening 13. In the present invention, the terms "conduit" and "channel" are used interchangeably within the exchanger.

[0074] However, the exchanger may include more conduits / channels and arranged in various ways. For example, Figure 3 and Figure 4 301 to 304 are front and side views of cross sections of an exchanger according to an embodiment of the present invention, each of which can be used to implement the exchanger 14.

[0075] Section 301 shows two conduits F a1 and V a1 (As an example, one conduit is used for 145 and another conduit is used for 146). Figure 3 (a) can show a cross section 301 taken along the AA' side, and Figure 3 (b) can show a cross section 301 taken along the BB' side. Figure 4 As shown in (a), the catheter F a1 and V a1 Can be twisted 225° over its length between the A-A' side and the BB' side of the exchanger (or roughly the length of the sound pipe). a1 Its equivalent length can be increased, thereby increasing the acoustic impedance or improving the heat transfer efficiency.

[0076] More generally, like most heat exchangers, the first and second tubes / channels are interlaced or interwoven with each other to increase the contact area therebetween and improve the heat transfer efficiency.

[0077] Section 302 shows five conduits F c1 and V c1 ~V c4 .exist Figure 3 (c) and Figure 4 (b) Catheter V c1 ~V c4 Catheter F c1 This configuration fully utilizes the conduit V c1 ~V c4 All available surface area facilitates heat transfer.

[0078] On the other hand, if we compare Figure 3 (a) and (c), a catheter (i.e., V a1 ) can be divided into several smaller tubes (such as Vc1 ~V c4 ), which can increase the acoustic impedance of the acoustic impedance. c1 ~V c4 It can extend from the sound outlet 11 to the side opening (such as 13), and the conduit F of the cross section 302 c1 It can extend from the front chamber 15 to the sound outlet 11. By designing the conduit V c1 ~V c4 Geometry, adjustable guide tube V c1 ~V c4 The acoustic impedance of the acoustic reactance is used to resonate with the acoustic capacity of the ear or the acoustic capacity of its wearable audio device (such as 10) at 2 to 3 kHz, thereby increasing the sound pressure level.

[0079] For example, Figure 3 As shown in (c), each catheter V c1 ~V c4 All have a circular cross-section. However, of all geometric shapes, a circle generally has the shortest circumference, so catheters can have irregular shapes.

[0080] For example, Figure 3 (d) Catheter F d1 It has a rectangular or square cross section. In addition, the conduit F of cross section 303 d1 ~F d5 and V d1 ~V d4 It can have different geometric shapes, which helps to adjust the quality factor (Q factor) of the resonance. Figure 3 (d) and Figure 4 (c) shows a catheter V with a nearly quadrilateral-like cross section. d4 The conduit F may have a maximum size and a nearly triangular cross section. d2 Can have a minimum size.

[0081] Or, in Figure 3 (e) and Figure 4 (d) The conduit F of section 304 e1 ~F e3 and V e1 ~V e2 It has a narrow bar-like shape and a high boundary-to-area ratio. e1 and F e2 More than 85% of the available boundary near the duct is used for heat transfer. e1) the smaller the diameter or width, the higher the acoustic impedance can be.

[0082] Figure 3 The cross sections 301 to 304 shown have circular profiles, but are not limited thereto. For example, the cross section may have an irregular profile that matches the housing shape of the wearable sound device (e.g., 10 or 20). Similarly, the cross section taken along the line CC' may have a trapezoidal profile that tapers from the BB' side to the AA' side, rather than a circular profile. Figure 4 Rectangular outlines 301-304 are shown.

[0083] exist Figure 1 、 Figure 2 or Figure 4 , the AA' side is parallel to the BB' side, but is not limited thereto. For example, the AA' side may be in a different direction or non-parallel to the BB' side.

[0084] In the Figure 1 or Figure 2 , a front chamber (e.g., 15) and a rear chamber (e.g., 102) can be acoustically defined relative to its APG device (e.g., 12). For example, the membrane structure of the APG device or the carrier plate (e.g., 103) on which the APG device is arranged can divide the internal space of its wearable sound device (e.g., 10 or 20) into a front chamber and a rear chamber. The front chamber can acoustically connect one side of the membrane structure of the APG device to the exchanger or sound outlet (e.g., 11). Therefore, the sound generated by the APG device can be transmitted from the front chamber to the sound outlet and then into the listener's ear canal (e.g., 118). On the other hand, the rear chamber is acoustically coupled to the other side of the membrane structure and can be connected to the surrounding environment through its orifice (e.g., 106). Generally speaking, users rarely notice significant changes in the air pressure of the rear chamber.

[0085] Orifices (e.g., 106) or side openings (e.g., 13) can function as super vents. By leveraging an exchanger (e.g., 14 or 24) and a primary air path (e.g., 107), the secondary air path (e.g., 108) not only provides occlusion relief and acoustic tuning, but also adds features such as keeping the listener's ear canal (e.g., 118) dry or minimizing temperature differences. Thus, the side openings or orifices can be considered enhanced vents.

[0086] The configuration of the side opening (e.g., 13) is carefully designed. For example, the side opening may be adjacent to the front chamber (e.g., 15). Alternatively, the side opening or a conduit connected to the side opening (e.g., 146) may be isolated from the front chamber. Alternatively, the side opening may be located between the sound outlet (e.g., 11) and the orifice (e.g., 106). Alternatively, the side opening may be oriented in a different direction or perpendicular to the sound outlet or orifice. Alternatively, the projection of the side opening onto the APG device (e.g., 12) may not overlap with the projection of the sound outlet (or orifice) onto the APG device.

[0087] Similarly, the configuration of the exchanger (e.g., 14 or 24) is carefully designed. For example, the exchanger is located near the front chamber (e.g., 15), but not in the front chamber. Alternatively, the exchanger can be located in the front chamber or the back chamber.

[0088] Furthermore, the ducts / channels (e.g., 145 / 146) within the exchanger are carefully designed to meet certain frequency response requirements, such as boosting the SPL in the 2kHz to 3kHz range. The ducts / channels (e.g., 145 / 146) within the exchanger can be designed to a) alleviate the feeling of enclosure while simultaneously providing the resistance required to achieve the target SPL for f<65Hz; or b) resonate to boost the SPL between 2kHz and 3kHz. In other words, the ducts / channels (e.g., 145 / 146) within the exchanger can be precisely designed for acoustic tuning.

[0089] The wearable sound device (e.g., 10 or 20) may also include an air filter that fills the corresponding orifice (e.g., 106). The housing (e.g., 101) of the wearable sound device surrounds the APG device or exchanger and may define an orifice or sound outlet. The orifice is located between the rear chamber and the environment (e.g., 117), and the sound outlet is located between the front chamber and the ear canal. Due to the narrow gap between the petal pairs of the APG device, the APG device is easily damaged by dust or particles. The air filter in the orifice is used to prevent such contaminants from entering the rear chamber.

[0090] The wearable audio device (e.g., 10 or 20) may further include an earplug sleeve (e.g., 219) surrounding the sound outlet (e.g., 11) of the housing (e.g., 101). The earplug sleeve is located at the end of the wearable audio device and may be made of rubber, foam, or silicone.

[0091] The wearable audio device (e.g., 10 or 20) can be an in-ear device, earbuds, true wireless stereo (TWS), headphones, or a hearing aid. The aperture (e.g., 106) or side opening (e.g., 13) can be a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device or a vent device used to form a dynamic or static vent. The APG device (e.g., 12 or 22) can be or include any type of electroacoustic transducer (e.g., a MEMS device), any type of speaker, or a combination thereof.

[0092] For details or alternative embodiments of wearable sound devices, APG devices or mouthpiece devices, reference may be made to U.S. patent application Nos. 17 / 842,810, 17 / 344,980, 17 / 344,983, 17 / 720,333, 18 / 172,346, 18 / 303,599, 18 / 366,637, 18 / 530,235, 18 / 321,759, 18 / 321,753, 18 / 321,757, 18 / 321,752, 18 / 624,105 or U.S. provisional patent application No. 63 / 320,703, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety and made a part of this specification.

[0093] For example, as described in U.S. Application No. 18 / 624,105, an APG device can generate (asymmetric) gas pulses that form a continuous unidirectional net gas flow. The direction of the net gas flow can be related to the DC offset voltage of the drive signal or the phase between the drive signal and another drive signal.

[0094] In summary, the wearable audio device of the present invention provides heat transfer functionality to prevent device failure caused by condensation in inclement weather conditions. As described above, the present invention includes an exchanger for heat transfer and incorporates side openings to facilitate airflow. Furthermore, the exchanger can be designed based on acoustic or fluid dynamic considerations.

[0095] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made according to the claims of the present invention should fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A wearable audio device comprising: A sound outlet and an opening on one side; an air pulse generating device for generating audible sound by generating a plurality of air pulses; as well as a switch; The air pulse generating device generates a first air flow flowing through a first air path, and the first air path passes through the exchanger located between the environment and the sound outlet; wherein a second air flow flows through a second air path, and the second air path passes through the exchanger located between the sound outlet and the side opening; The first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other.

2. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein The second air flow is isolated from the first air flow or a first chamber located between the air pulse generating device and the exchanger.

3. The wearable audio device of claim 1 , further comprising: An air filter is used to prevent dirt from entering the wearable audio device.

4. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein A control signal for driving the gas pulse generating device or a driver for the gas pulse generating device includes a DC offset voltage or an AC signal superimposed on an audible audio signal.

5. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The exchanger includes a first opening, a second opening, a third opening and a fourth opening; The first opening and the second opening are located on a first side of the exchanger facing a first chamber, the first chamber being located between the exchanger and the air pulse generating device of the wearable audio device, and the third opening and the fourth opening are located on a second side of the exchanger facing the sound outlet of the wearable audio device. wherein the first side is opposite to the second side; wherein the first airflow generated by the air pulse generating device flows through the first opening and the third opening via the first air path; The second airflow flows through the second opening, the fourth opening and the side opening via the second air path.

6. The wearable audio device according to claim 5, wherein: The switch includes: a first channel connected to the first opening and the third opening; and A second channel is connected to the second opening and the fourth opening.

7. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The first air path and the second air path are intertwined or staggered with each other.

8. The wearable audio device of claim 1 , further comprising: An isolation member is used to isolate the second air path from a first chamber, wherein the first chamber is located between the air pulse generating device and the exchanger.

9. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The air pulse generating device generates an air flow pulse with an AC envelope, wherein the frequency of the AC envelope is lower than a minimum audible frequency.

10. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The air pulse generating device generates an air flow pulse with a DC envelope, and the DC envelope corresponds to a DC offset voltage.

11. The wearable audio device according to claim 1, wherein: The switch includes: a first channel for guiding the first airflow; and A second channel is used to guide the second airflow.

12. The wearable audio device according to claim 11, wherein: The first channel and the second channel within the exchanger are designed for acoustic tuning.

13. The wearable audio device according to claim 11, wherein: The first channel and the second channel in the exchanger are designed to alleviate the feeling of being closed in order to achieve a specific sound pressure level in a specific frequency spectrum.

14. The wearable audio device according to claim 11, wherein: The first channel and the second channel in the exchanger are designed to form resonance to enhance a specific sound pressure level of a specific frequency spectrum.

15. The wearable audio device according to claim 11, wherein The first channel or the second channel has a circular cross section, a nearly quadrilateral cross section, or a nearly triangular cross section.

16. The wearable audio device according to claim 11, wherein: The first airflow and the second airflow flow in opposite directions.

17. A ventilation method for a wearable sound device, comprising: directing a first air flow through a first air path, the first air path passing through an exchanger located between the environment and a sound outlet of the wearable audio device; as well as directing a second air flow through a second air path, the second air path passing through the exchanger between the sound outlet and a side opening of the wearable audio device; The wearable sound device includes the sound outlet, the side opening, a gas pulse generating device and the switch; Wherein, the first airflow is generated by the air pulse generating device; The first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other.

18. The ventilation method of claim 17, further comprising: directing the first air flow through the first air path, the first air path passing through the exchanger between the environment and a third opening; as well as directing a second air flow through a second air path, the second air path passing through the exchanger between a fourth opening and the side opening; The exchanger includes a first opening, a second opening, the third opening, and the fourth opening; The first opening and the second opening are located on a first side of the exchanger facing a first chamber, and the third opening and the fourth opening are located on a second side of the exchanger facing the sound outlet.

19. An acoustic adjustment method for a wearable sound device, comprising: directing a first air flow through an exchanger and flowing through a first air path; as well as directing a second air flow through the exchanger and flowing through a second air path; wherein the wearable audio device includes the switch; The first air path and the second air path are isolated from each other.

20. The acoustic adjustment method according to claim 19, wherein: The exchanger includes a first channel for guiding the first airflow and a second channel for guiding the second airflow; The first channel and the second channel in the converter are designed to form resonance to enhance a specific sound pressure level of a specific spectrum.

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