Open-ear headphones

Abstract

To provide open-ear headphones to be carried on the ear that provide high-quality sound, are stable on the ear, are comfortable to wear for long periods of time, are unobtrusive, and look stylish.SOLUTION: An open-ear headphone 10 has an acoustic module 12 and a body 14. The acoustic module 12 is located at least in part in a concha of an outer ear of a user, and includes an acoustic transducer, and a sound-emitting opening 100 to emit sound produced by the acoustic transducer. The body 14 is coupled to the acoustic module 12 and includes a first portion 16 that is configured to pass over an outer side of at least one of an anti-helix and a helix and a lobule of the outer ear, and a second portion 18 located behind the outer ear.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority to patent application Ser. No. 17 / 306,208, filed May 3, 2021, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] The present disclosure relates to open-ear headphones.

[0003] Open headphones typically radiate sound close to the ear canal rather than within it. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Aspects and embodiments are directed to open-type headphones having an acoustic module configured to be positioned within the concha cavity of a user's outer ear. The acoustic module includes an acoustic transducer and a sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. A headphone body coupled to the acoustic module has a first portion configured to pass over the outside of the outer ear and a second portion configured to be positioned behind the outer ear. The sound emission opening is configured to be spaced apart from and proximate to the opening of the user's ear canal. In some embodiments, the acoustic module has an outwardly convex lower portion and is configured to seat within the lower concave surface of the concha cavity to support the open-type headphones in their use position without requiring clamping to the ear.

[0005] All embodiments and features mentioned below can be combined in any technically possible manner.

[0006] In one aspect, an open - type headphone includes an acoustic module including an acoustic transducer configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha of the user's outer ear and having a sound - emitting opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer, and a body coupled to the acoustic module and including a first portion configured to pass over at least one of the antihelix and helix on the outside and over the tragus of the outer ear, and a second portion configured to be disposed behind the outer ear.

[0007] Some embodiments include one or any combination of the above and / or the following features. In one embodiment, the sound - emitting opening is configured to be spaced from and proximate to the user's ear canal opening. In one embodiment, the acoustic module is configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha cavity of the outer ear. In one embodiment, the acoustic module includes a lower portion that is convex outward. In one embodiment, the outwardly convex lower portion of the acoustic module is configured to seat on the lower concave surface of the concha cavity adjacent to the antitragus of the user's ear. In one embodiment, at least one of the antihelix, helix, and tragus of the ear is configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the body. In one embodiment, the open - type headphone also includes a pair of microphones within the first portion of the body, and the microphones are disposed on both sides of the first portion such that one microphone is farther from the user's mouth than the second microphone.

[0008] Some embodiments include one or any combination of the above and / or the following features. In one embodiment, the body is substantially in an "L" shape. In one embodiment, the acoustic module and the body as a whole are substantially in a "C" shape. In one embodiment, the center of gravity of the open - type headphone is between the acoustic module and the second portion of the body. In one embodiment, the center of gravity of the open - type headphone is configured to be disposed within the outer ear.

[0009] Some embodiments include one or any combination of the above and / or the following features. In one embodiment, the first sound emission opening of the acoustic module is configured to be disposed within the concha cavity of the user's ear, proximate to the external auditory meatus opening. In one embodiment, the acoustic module further comprises a second sound emission opening configured to be farther from the external auditory meatus opening than the first sound emission opening. In one embodiment, the acoustic transducer generates sound pressure within the front acoustic cavity and the rear acoustic cavity of the acoustic module, the first sound emission opening is fluid-coupled to the front acoustic cavity, and the second sound emission opening is fluid-coupled to the rear acoustic cavity.

[0010] Some embodiments include one or any combination of the above and / or the following features. In one embodiment, the second portion of the body comprises a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for the open-back headphones. In one embodiment, there is a printed circuit board located in the first portion of the body and electrically coupled to the battery. In one embodiment, there is also a flexible circuit element that electrically couples the printed circuit board to the acoustic transducer.

[0011] In another aspect, the open-back headphones include an acoustic module configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha cavity of the user's outer ear and comprising an acoustic transducer and a sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The acoustic module is configured to be disposed within the concha cavity, proximate to the external auditory meatus opening, rather than within the external auditory meatus opening of the user's ear. There is a body comprising a first portion configured to couple to the acoustic module and pass over at least one of the antihelix and helix and over the auricle of the outer ear, and a second portion configured to be disposed behind the outer ear. At least one of the antihelix, helix, and auricle of the ear is configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the body.

[0012] Some embodiments include one or any combination of the above and / or the following features. In one embodiment, the second part of the body includes a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for open headphones. In one embodiment, the acoustic module includes a lower portion that is convex outward and configured to seat in the lower concave surface of the concha cavity adjacent to the antitragus of the user's ear.

[0013] Various aspects of at least one example will be considered below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not intended to be drawn to scale. These figures are included to provide illustration of various aspects and examples and further understanding, and are incorporated herein and constitute a part of this specification, but are not intended as a definition of the limitations of the present invention. In the figures, the same or almost the same components illustrated in the various figures may be denoted by similar letters or numbers. For clarity, in all the figures, not all components may necessarily be labeled.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Open - type headphones worn on the ear must provide high - quality sound, be stable on the ear, comfortable for long - term wear, unobtrusive, and stylish in appearance. These objectives have been considered mutually exclusive in some respects, so achieving them can be difficult. For example, stability typically leads to clamping on the outer ear, which can be uncomfortable for long - term wear and may not be stylish in appearance. Also, for high - quality sound, sound must be delivered near the outer ear rather than inside the ear canal, which means that the headphone structure needs to be placed on the ear in a way that can be clearly seen by others.

[0016] This open - type headphone can meet all of these objectives. The acoustic transducer or driver is an acoustic module configured to be disposed near the external auditory canal within the concha cavity of the outer ear. The acoustic module has a sound - emitting opening on the side closest to the external auditory canal, leading to higher - quality sound. The acoustic module is shaped to fit into the lower concave surface of the concha cavity. The body section for mounting the acoustic module is shaped to pass over the outside of the antihelix / helix / earlobe of the ear and terminates at a distal portion disposed behind the outer ear. The center of gravity of the open - type headphone is between the acoustic module and the distal portion, and thus is within or near the antihelix, helix, or earlobe, which leads to higher stability on the ear without the need to clamp onto the ear. Therefore, the open - type headphone is comfortable for long - term wearing.

[0017] The embodiments of the headphones described herein are not limited to the details of the configurations and the arrangements of the components described in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The headphones are implementable in other embodiments and can be practiced or executed in various ways. The specific embodiments are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. Specifically, the functions, components, elements, and features discussed in relation to any one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from serving similar roles in any other embodiment.

[0018] The examples disclosed herein can be combined with other examples in any manner consistent with at least one of the principles disclosed herein. Further, references to "an example", "some examples", "an alternate example", "various examples", "one example", etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive, and are intended to indicate that the particular features, structures, or characteristics described may be included in at least one example. The appearance of such terms in this specification does not necessarily indicate that all refer to the same example.

[0019] Also, the expressions and terms used in this specification are for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Any reference in this specification to an example of a device, component, element, act, or function in the singular may also include embodiments including a plurality, and any reference in plural to any example, component, element, operation, or function in this specification may also include embodiments including only the singular form. Thus, reference to the singular or plural forms is not intended to limit the devices, components, actions, or elements of the present disclosure. The use of "including", "comprising", "having", "containing", "involving" in this specification, and variations thereof, means including the items listed below and their equivalents, as well as other items. Reference to "or" can be construed as inclusive such that all terms described with "or" can indicate any one, plural, and all of the terms described.

[0020] The present disclosure features an open - type headphone having an acoustic module comprising an acoustic transducer configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha of the user's outer ear, and a first sound - emitting opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer, and a body coupled to the acoustic module and having a first portion configured to pass over the outside of the outer ear and a second portion configured to be disposed behind the outer ear. The first sound - emitting opening is spaced from the user's ear canal opening and is preferably within the concha cavity and configured to be close to the ear canal opening. In some embodiments, the acoustic module is configured to be disposed within the concha cavity. In a particular embodiment, the acoustic module has a lower portion that is convex outward and configured to seat on the lower concave surface of the concha cavity adjacent to the antitragus and tragus of the user's ear.

[0021] An open - type headphone is configured such that when an acoustic module is disposed within the concha cavity of the ear, the main body passes over at least one of the anti - helix, helix, and tragus of the ear. In one embodiment, the main body has a substantially "L - shaped" configuration, and the acoustic module and the main body as a whole (i.e., the entire open - type headphone) have a substantially "C - shaped" configuration. In one embodiment, the center of gravity of the open - type headphone is between the acoustic module and the second portion of the main body. The center of gravity can be disposed within or near a part of the outer ear between the acoustic module and the second portion of the main body (e.g., the helix or tragus).

[0022] In some embodiments, the acoustic module includes a second sound - emitting opening configured to be farther from the external auditory meatus opening than the first sound - emitting opening. The sound - emitting openings can be arranged to achieve a dipole - like pattern that provides acoustic cancellation to reduce sound leakage audible to others. In one embodiment, the acoustic transducer generates sound pressure within the front acoustic cavity and the rear acoustic cavity of the acoustic module, the first sound - emitting opening is fluid - coupled to the front acoustic cavity, and the second sound - emitting opening is fluid - coupled to the rear acoustic cavity.

[0023] In some embodiments, the second portion of the main body includes a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for the open - type headphone. There may be a printed circuit board in the first portion of the main body and electrically coupled to the battery, and a flexible circuit element that electrically couples the printed circuit board to the acoustic transducer. In some embodiments, the open - type headphone also includes a pair of microphones within the first portion of the main body. These microphones can be arranged on both sides of the first portion of the main body such that one microphone is farther from the user's mouth than the second microphone. The microphones can be arranged by beam steering or the like to improve the extraction of the user's voice in the presence of noise or other external sounds.

[0024] Figs. 1A-1I illustrate an exemplary open-back headphone 10. The open-back headphone 10 includes an acoustic module 12 sized, shaped, and positioned relative to an open-back headphone body 14 such that the acoustic module 12 is disposed within the concha of the user's outer ear. Generally, the human outer ear (also known as the auricle or pinna) includes a concha that is directly adjacent to the entrance to the ear canal and is below (or behind) the tragus. The concha is divided by the crus of the helix into a lower portion called the concha cavity and an upper portion called the cymba conchae. The concha cavity is a generally bowl-shaped feature that is directly adjacent to the ear canal. The concha cavity typically includes a depression bounded by the antitragus, which is the lower part of the antihelix, and / or the lobule. The lobule (i.e., earlobe) at the lower end of the helix is typically directly below the antitragus.

[0025] The body 14 of the open-back headphone 10 includes a first portion 16 coupled to the acoustic module 12 and configured to pass over the outside of the ear (e.g., at least one of the antihelix and helix of the outer ear as well as the lobule), and a second portion 18 configured to be disposed behind the outer ear. The body 14 is generally "L-shaped" when viewed from the side (as shown in FIG. 2), with the portion 16 extending at a generally right angle to the acoustic module 12, the connecting portion 17 extending at a generally right angle to the portion 16, and leading to the distal portion 18. In one embodiment, the portion 18 can be generally cylindrical and configured to hold a generally cylindrical battery power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery). As shown in FIG. 2, overall, the open-back headphone 10 is generally "C-shaped". In one embodiment, the acoustic module 12 and the body 14 are part of a one-piece molded plastic housing configured and arranged to include a transducer, a battery, and any electronics necessary for operation of the headphone.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates how the open - back headphones of FIGS. 1A - 1I interface with the outer ear. As shown in FIG. 2, the acoustic module 12 seats within the concha cavity 51 of the outer ear 50. As described in more detail elsewhere in this specification, there is a first sound - emitting opening 100 that radiates sound generated by the acoustic transducer of the acoustic module 12. The sound - emitting opening 100 is spaced from and proximate to the user's external auditory meatus opening (not shown). In this embodiment, the acoustic module 12 has a lower portion 13 that is convex outwardly and is configured to seat within the lower concave surface 52 of the concha cavity 51. Thus, the weight of the open - back headphones is suspended, hanging from the concha cavity, which holds the open - back headphones above the ear without the need to clamp the open - back headphones to the ear. To add compliance to the lower portion 13 so that it seats on the non - flat surface of the concave surface 52, all or part of the lower portion 13 may have a cushion or other compliant or compressible member (not shown), or the lower portion 13 can be made of a compliant material such as foam. Compliance can be incorporated if it is desirable to lightly clamp the open - back headphones to the ear. For example, at least, portion 17 can flex relative to portion 16 and thus can be made of an elastomer or include a hinge element so as to change the location of portion 18 and change the thickness of the gap between portion 16 and portion 17 that encompasses the ear portion 54. A suitable compliant elastomer can have a hardness of 80 durometer Shore A.

[0027] The open - type headphones are configured such that when the acoustic module is disposed within the concha cavity of the ear, the main body passes over at least one of the antitragus, helix, and tragus of the ear. In FIG. 2, any one or more of these portions of the ear 50 are generally represented by 54. The user can pivot the main body to a comfortable position of the main body on the outer ear or other desired position. For a more complete description of the manner in which the outer ear and the main body portion 16 overlap the outer ear, see FIG. 3A. The second main body portion 18 is behind the outer ear. In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the second main body portion 18 is disposed between the outer ear 50 and the adjacent portion of the head 55. The portion 17 is configured to connect to the portions 16 and 18 and pass over the edge 59 of the outer ear 50.

[0028] FIGS. 3A and 3B are a side view and a rear perspective view, respectively, of the open - type headphones 10 in place on the outer ear 50. The manner in which the open - type headphones 10 interact with the outer ear 50 can be better understood with reference to a portion of the outer ear 50 illustrated in FIG. 3A. The outer ear 50 includes a helix 56, an antitragus 57, a tragus 64, an earlobe 62, and a concha 60 that includes a concha cavity 51 in which the anti - concha 58 forms the lower boundary of the concha cavity 51. Depending on the anatomical structure of the user's outer ear and the user's preference for the fit of the open - type headphones, the main body portion 16 can be configured to pass over one or more of the helix 56, antitragus 57, tragus 64, and anti - lobe 58. The main body portion 17 passes over the outer edge 59 of the ear at one or more locations among the helix 56, antitragus 57, and tragus 64.

[0029] In some embodiments, the open-back headphones 10 carry one or more external microphones. The external microphones can be used to sense the user's voice and / or to sense ambient sound and / or as feed-forward microphones for an active noise cancellation system, and these and other functions of the external microphones of the headphones are known in the art and will not be further described herein. In this embodiment, the external microphones 71 and 72 are generally disposed on both sides of the body portion 16 so as to be located along an axis 73 that intersects or passes through the predicted location of the user's mouth. In this way, the microphones can, if desired, beam-form. Beam-forming is also known in the art and will not be further described herein.

[0030] Figure 4 is a rear view of the open-back headphones 10 in place on the outer ear 50, illustrating its center of gravity 70. The center of gravity is between the acoustic module 12 (partially visible in this figure) and the body portion 18. In some embodiments, the center of gravity is in the outer ear, for example in the helix 56.

[0031] FIG. 5 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the open-type headphones 10, illustrating the battery 80 carried inside the main body portion 18. The acoustic module 12 carries an acoustic transducer 82 that generates sound pressure within the acoustic cavity 90. The sound emission opening 100 is at the end of the acoustic module 12 closest to the external auditory meatus opening 63. Sound is radiated through the opening 100 as indicated by the arrow 92. The open-type headphones 10 can be worn on either the left or right ear depending on the location of the opening 100 and the specific configuration and symmetry of the acoustic module 12. Alternatively, a set of headphones can include one left headphone and one right headphone having a configuration that is specific to the designated ear. The printed circuit board (PCB) 84 is disposed within the main body portion 16 and is electrically coupled to the battery 80. The flexible circuit element 86 communicates from the PCB 84 to the transducer 82 and conveys at least power and audio signals to the transducer. Optionally, user interface elements can be incorporated within the main body portion. For example, a force touch element (e.g., a front-to-back or top-to-bottom compression) can be converted by a controller (not shown) to achieve a type of user interface element known in the art. In some embodiments, a strain gauge is used as the force touch sensing element. In one embodiment, the strain gauge is mounted on the inner surface of the headphones 10. FIG. 5 illustrates two possible locations where a strain gauge 88 is placed on the acoustic module 12 and a strain gauge 89 is placed on the main body portion 16.

[0032] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an acoustic module 12 having a transducer 82. In some embodiments, the acoustic module includes a second sound emission opening 102 configured to be farther from the ear canal opening than the first sound emission opening 100. The sound emission openings can be arranged to achieve a dipole pattern that can provide acoustic cancellation to reduce sound leakage audible to others. In one embodiment, the acoustic transducer generates sound pressure within a front acoustic cavity portion 96 and a rear acoustic cavity portion 98 of an acoustic cavity 90 of the acoustic module, the first sound emission opening 100 is fluidly coupled to the front acoustic cavity 96, and the second sound emission opening 102 is fluidly coupled to the rear acoustic cavity 98. As is known in the art, the sound emission openings can be covered by a resistive element or an environmental protection element such as a fabric or a textile.

[0033] Although some aspects of at least one embodiment have been described, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such changes, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only, and the scope of the invention should be determined from the proper construction of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 10 Open - type headphones 12 Acoustic module 13 Lower part 14 Open - type headphone body 16 First part 17 Body part 18 Second part 50 Ear 51 Concha cavity 52 Concave surface 54 Ear part 55 Head 56 Helix 57 Anti - helix 58 Antitragus 59 Edge 60 Concha 62 Tragus 63 External auditory meatus opening 64 Auricle 70 Center of gravity 71 External microphone 72 External microphone 73 Axis 80 Battery 82 Acoustic transducer 82 Transducer 84 Printed circuit board 86 Flexible circuit element 88 Gauge 89 Gauge 90 Acoustic cavity 92 Arrow 96 Front acoustic cavity part 98 Rear acoustic cavity part 100 First sound emission opening 102 Second sound emission opening A Durometer Shore

Claims

1. An open - type headphone, comprising: an acoustic module configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha of the user's outer ear, the acoustic module comprising an acoustic transducer and a first sound - emitting opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer; a main body coupled to the acoustic module, the main body comprising a first portion configured to pass over the auricle of the outer ear on at least one of the antihelix and helix, and a second portion configured to be disposed behind the outer ear; The open - type headphone comprising the above.

2. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein the first sound - emitting opening is configured to be spaced from and close to the opening of the user's external auditory canal.

3. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic module is configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha cavity of the outer ear.

4. The open - type headphone according to claim 3, wherein the acoustic module comprises a downwardly convex portion facing outward.

5. The open - type headphone according to claim 4, wherein the downwardly convex portion of the acoustic module facing outward is configured to seat on the lower concave surface of the concha cavity adjacent to the antitragus of the user's outer ear.

6. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the antihelix, helix, and auricle of the outer ear is configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the main body.

7. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein the main body is substantially in an "L" shape.

8. The open - type headphone according to claim 7, wherein the acoustic module and the main body are substantially in a "C" shape as a whole.

9. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein the center of gravity of the open - type headphone is between the acoustic module and the second portion of the main body.

10. The open - type headphone according to claim 9, wherein the center of gravity of the open - type headphone is configured to be disposed within the outer ear.

11. The open - type headphone according to claim 1, wherein the first sound - emitting opening of the acoustic module is configured to be disposed within the concha cavity of the user's ear, close to the opening of the external auditory canal.

12. The open - type headphones according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic module further comprises a second sound - emitting opening configured to be located farther from the external auditory meatus opening than the first sound - emitting opening.

13. The open - type headphones according to claim 12, wherein the acoustic transducer generates sound pressure within a front acoustic cavity and a rear acoustic cavity of the acoustic module, the first sound - emitting opening is fluid - coupled to the front acoustic cavity, and the second sound - emitting opening is fluid - coupled to the rear acoustic cavity.

14. The open - type headphones according to claim 1, wherein the second portion of the body comprises a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for the open - type headphones.

15. The open - type headphones according to claim 14, further comprising a printed circuit board within the first portion of the body, the printed circuit board being electrically coupled to the battery power source.

16. The open - type headphones according to claim 15, further comprising a flexible circuit element that electrically couples the printed circuit board to the acoustic transducer.

17. The open - type headphones according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of microphones within the first portion of the body, the microphones being arranged on both sides of the first portion, such that one microphone is configured to be farther from the user's mouth than the second microphone.

18. An open - type headphone, comprising: an acoustic module configured to be at least partially disposed within the concha cavity of the user's outer ear, the acoustic module comprising an acoustic transducer and a first sound - emitting opening, the first sound - emitting opening being configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer, and being configured to be disposed adjacent to the external auditory meatus opening within the concha cavity rather than within the external auditory meatus opening of the user's ear; and A main body coupled to the audio module, the main body comprising a first portion configured to pass over the auricle of the outer ear at least on the outside of the antihelix and the helix, and a second portion configured to be disposed behind the outer ear, and at least one of the antihelix, the helix, and the auricle of the ear being configured to be disposed between the first portion and the second portion of the main body, the main body; An open-type headphone comprising the same.

19. The open-type headphone according to claim 18, wherein the second portion of the main body includes a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for the open-type headphone.

20. The open-type headphone according to claim 19, wherein the audio module includes a lower portion that is convex outward and configured to seat on a lower concave surface of the concha adjacent to the antitragus of the user's ear.

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