Open Headphones

Abstract

The open-type headphones include an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear. The acoustic module includes a housing that contains an acoustic transducer. The housing has a first sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis, and the first sound emission opening is offset from the central axis.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to open-type headphones that are worn over the ears. [Background technology]

[0002] Open headphones typically radiate sound near the ear canal, rather than within it. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Aspects and examples are directed to open headphones having an acoustic module configured to be positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear. In some embodiments, the acoustic module is configured to be positioned within the concha cavity. The acoustic module includes a housing that contains an acoustic transducer. The housing has a sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The sound emission opening is offset from a central longitudinal axis of the acoustic module such that the opening is in close proximity to the ear canal opening, but not within the ear canal opening. Locating the opening in this manner increases the acoustic output gain and therefore a better user experience.

[0004] All examples and features mentioned below can be combined in any technically possible manner.

[0005] In one aspect, an open-type headphone includes an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear. The acoustic module includes a housing that contains an acoustic transducer. The housing has a first sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis, and the first sound emission opening is offset from the central axis.

[0006] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the first sound emitting opening is primarily or completely offset from the central longitudinal axis such that the first sound emitting opening does not overlap with the central longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing. In some embodiments, the open-type headphones also include a body coupled to the acoustic module and comprising a first portion configured to pass over the outside of at least one of (i) the antihelix and the helix, and (ii) the earlobe of the outer ear, and a second portion configured to be positioned behind the outer ear. In one embodiment, the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing and the first portion of the body. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing is configured to be spaced from and proximate to the ear canal opening of a user, and defines a front surface curved relative to the central longitudinal axis, and the first sound emitting opening is within the housing front surface.

[0007] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the open-type headphones further include a second sound emitting opening in the acoustic module housing. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing defines first and second internal acoustic cavities on either side of the acoustic transducer. In one embodiment, the first sound emitting opening is a sound outlet for the first internal acoustic cavity and the second sound emitting opening is a sound outlet for the second internal acoustic cavity. In one embodiment, acoustic energy from the first sound emitting opening combines with acoustic energy from the second sound emitting opening to provide an acoustic dipole.

[0008] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the second sound emitting opening is on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis from the first sound emitting opening. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing defines a front surface and a side surface posterior to the front surface, the first sound emitting opening being in the front surface of the acoustic module housing and the second sound emitting opening being in the side surface of the acoustic module housing. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing is configured to be at least partially located within the concha cavity of the outer ear. In one embodiment, the first sound emitting opening is configured to be substantially closer to the ear canal opening than the second sound emitting opening.

[0009] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the open headphones further include a first microphone opening. In one embodiment, the first microphone opening is on the same side of the central longitudinal axis as the first sound emission opening. In one embodiment, the open headphones further include a second microphone opening, and a bisector of the first and second microphone openings is configured to face an expected location of a mouth of a person wearing the open headphones.

[0010] In another aspect, an open-type headphone includes an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear. The acoustic module comprises a housing that contains an acoustic transducer and a first sound emission opening within the housing and is configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis that bisects the acoustic module housing. The first sound emission opening is fully or nearly fully offset from the central longitudinal axis such that the first sound emission opening does not overlap the central longitudinal axis or only slightly overlaps the axis.

[0011] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the open-type headphones further include a second sound emission opening in the acoustic module housing, the acoustic module housing defining first and second internal acoustic cavities on either side of the acoustic transducer, the first sound emission opening being a sound outlet for the first internal acoustic cavity, and the second sound emission opening being a sound outlet for the second internal acoustic cavity, the second sound emission opening being on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis from the first sound emission opening, and acoustic energy from the first sound emission opening combines with acoustic energy from the second sound emission opening to provide an acoustic dipole. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing defines a front face and a side face rearward of the front face, the first sound emission opening being in the front face of the acoustic module housing, and the second sound emission opening being in the side face of the acoustic module housing.

[0012] Some embodiments include one of the above and / or the following features, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the acoustic module housing is configured to be at least partially located within the concha cavity of the outer ear, and the first sound emission opening is configured to be closer to the ear canal opening than the second sound emission opening. In one embodiment, the open-type headphones further include a microphone opening on the same side of the central longitudinal axis as the first sound emission opening.

[0013] Various aspects of at least one embodiment are discussed below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are not intended to be drawn to scale. These drawings are included to provide illustration and further understanding of the various aspects and examples, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, but are not intended as a definition of the limitations of the invention. In the drawings, identical or nearly identical components illustrated in various figures may be represented by similar letters or numerals. For clarity, every component may not necessarily be labeled in every figure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of an open-back headphone configured for a right ear. [Figure 1B] This is an upper perspective view of the open-type headphones. [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a front view of the open-type headphones. [Diagram 2] 1 is an exemplary polar plot of the output of a dipole transducer. [Figure 3A] 1A-1C illustrate the open-back headphones of FIGS. 1A-1C in position over the ears. [Figure 3B] 1A-1C illustrate the open-back headphones of FIGS. 1A-1C in position over the ears. [Figure 3C] 1A-1C illustrate the open-back headphones of FIGS. 1A-1C in position over the ears. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are cross-sectional views of the open-type headphones of FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C and FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C. [Diagram 5] 1 is a plot of sound pressure at the ear and two microphones for several configurations of exemplary open-back headphones. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Open-ear headphones must provide high-quality sound, be stable on the ear, be comfortable for long-term wear, be unobtrusive, and look stylish. These objectives can be difficult to achieve because they have been considered mutually exclusive in some respects. For example, stability typically leads to pinching on the outer ear, which can feel uncomfortable for long-term wear and may not look stylish. Also, for high-quality sound, the sound must be delivered near the ear canal, not in the ear canal, which means that the headphone structure must overlap the ear and can be clearly seen by others. Also, to obtain the best sound quality without blocking the ear canal, the sound should be delivered near the ear canal opening but not inside it.

[0016] The examples of open-type headphones discussed herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components described in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The headphones can be implemented in other embodiments and can be practiced or performed in various ways. The specific embodiments are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. In particular, functions, components, elements, and features discussed in connection with any one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in any other embodiment.

[0017] Examples disclosed herein can be combined with other examples in any manner consistent with at least one of the principles disclosed herein, and further, references to "an example," "some examples," "an alternate example," "various examples," "one example," and the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic that is described may be included in at least one example. Appearances of such terms herein do not necessarily all refer to the same example.

[0018] Additionally, the expressions and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Any reference to an example, component, element, operation, or feature of a headphone referred to in the singular herein may also include an embodiment including a plurality, and any reference to any example, component, element, operation, or feature herein by the plural may also include an example including only the singular. Thus, references by the singular or plural are not intended to limit the headphones, components, operations, or elements of the present disclosure. The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof herein are meant to include the items listed below and their equivalents, as well as other items. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, such that any term described using "or" may indicate any of the single, the plural, and all of the described term.

[0019] In some examples herein, an open-type headphone includes an acoustic module configured to be positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear, e.g., within the concha cavity of the ear. The acoustic module comprises a housing that contains an acoustic transducer. A sound emission opening in the housing radiates sound generated by the acoustic transducer. The acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis, and the sound emission opening is offset from the central axis. Typically, the opening is offset from the axis on a side of the housing closest to the ear canal opening.

[0020] In some embodiments, the sound emission opening may be fully offset or nearly fully offset from the central longitudinal axis so as not to overlap with the central longitudinal axis. In one embodiment, the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing. In some embodiments, the open-type headphones also include a body coupled to the acoustic module and comprising a first portion configured to pass over the outside of at least one of (i) the antihelix and the helix, and (ii) the lobe of the outer ear, and a second portion configured to be positioned behind the outer ear. In one embodiment, the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing and the first portion of the body. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing is configured to be spaced from and proximate to the ear canal opening of the user, and defines a front surface that is curved relative to the central longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the sound emission opening is within this housing front surface.

[0021] In some embodiments, the open-type headphones also have a second sound emission opening in the acoustic module housing. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing defines first and second internal acoustic cavities on either side of the acoustic transducer. In one embodiment, the first sound emission opening is a sound outlet for the first internal acoustic cavity and the second sound emission opening is a sound outlet for the second internal acoustic cavity. In one embodiment, the acoustic energy from the first sound emission opening combines with the acoustic energy from the second sound emission opening to provide an acoustic dipole. This reduces leakage sound that may be heard by others close to the headphone user.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second sound emitting opening is on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis from the first sound emitting opening. In one embodiment, the acoustic module housing defines a front surface and a side surface rearward of the front surface. In one embodiment, the first sound emitting opening is in the front surface of the acoustic module housing and the second sound emitting opening is in the side surface of the acoustic module housing. In one embodiment, the first sound emitting opening is configured to be substantially closer to the ear canal opening than the second sound emitting opening.

[0023] In some embodiments, the open headphones further include one or more microphone openings that each allow sound to enter the housing and be sensed by a microphone. In one embodiment, one microphone opening is on the same side of the central longitudinal axis as the sound emission opening. In one embodiment, the bisector of the first and second microphone openings is configured to point toward the expected location of the mouth of a person wearing the open headphones. This configuration facilitates the microphones being aligned to more selectively detect the user's voice in the presence of environmental noise.

[0024] The present open headphones can meet all of these objectives. The acoustic transducer or driver is an acoustic module that is configured to be located in the concha of the outer ear, close to the ear canal. The acoustic module has a sound emission opening on the side that is configured to be closest to the ear canal, which leads to a higher quality sound and more acoustic output. The acoustic module is shaped to fit into the lower concave surface of the concha. The body section that mounts the acoustic module is shaped to pass over the outside of the antihelix / helix / lobe of the ear and terminates in a distal portion that is located behind the outer ear. The center of gravity of the open headphones is between the acoustic module and the distal portion, and is therefore in or very close to the antihelix, helix, or earlobe, which leads to a higher stability on the ear without the need for clamping to the ear. Thus, open headphones are comfortable to wear for long periods of time.

[0025] The embodiments of the headphones described herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The headphones may be implemented in other embodiments and practiced or performed in various ways. The specific embodiments are provided herein for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. In particular, functions, components, elements, and features discussed in connection with any one or more embodiments are not intended to be excluded from a similar role in any other embodiments.

[0026] Examples disclosed herein can be combined with other examples in any manner consistent with at least one of the principles disclosed herein, and further, references to "an example," "some examples," "an alternate example," "various examples," "one example," and the like are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic being described may be included in at least one example. Appearances of such terms in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same example.

[0027] Additionally, the phrases and terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Any reference to an example, component, element, act, or function of a device referred to in the singular herein may also encompass an embodiment including the plural, and any reference to any example, component, element, action, or function herein in the plural may also encompass an example including only the singular. Thus, references to the singular or plural are not intended to limit the devices, device components, acts, or elements of the present disclosure. The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof herein are meant to encompass the items listed below and their equivalents, as well as other items. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, such that any term described using "or" may indicate either the single, the plural, and all of the described term.

[0028] The present disclosure features an open-type headphone having an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear and comprising an acoustic transducer and a first sound emission opening configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer, and a body comprising a first portion coupled to the acoustic module and configured to pass over the outside of the outer ear and a second portion configured to be positioned behind the outer ear. The first sound emission opening is preferably configured to be within the concha cavity and adjacent to the ear canal opening, away from and adjacent to the ear canal opening of the user. In some embodiments, the acoustic module is configured to be positioned within the concha cavity. In certain embodiments, the acoustic module has a lower portion that is outwardly convex and configured to seat on the lower concave surface of the concha cavity adjacent to the antitragus and earlobe of the user's ear.

[0029] The open headphones are configured such that when the acoustic module is placed in the concha of the ear, the body passes over at least one of the antihelix, helix, and earlobe of the ear. In one embodiment, the body is generally "L" shaped, and the acoustic module and the body as a whole (i.e., the entire open headphones) are generally "C" shaped. In some embodiments, the acoustic module includes a second sound emitting opening configured to be farther from the ear canal opening than the first sound emitting opening. The sound emitting openings can be positioned to achieve a dipole-like pattern that can provide acoustic cancellation to reduce sound leakage that can be heard by others. In one embodiment, the acoustic transducer generates sound pressure in the front and rear acoustic cavities of the acoustic module, the first sound emitting opening being fluidly coupled to the front acoustic cavity and the second sound emitting opening being fluidly coupled to the rear acoustic cavity.

[0030] In some embodiments, the second portion of the body includes a battery housing configured to accommodate a battery power source for the open headphones. There may be a printed circuit board in the first portion of the body and electrically coupled to the battery, and a flexible circuit element electrically coupling the printed circuit board to the acoustic transducer. In some embodiments, the open headphones also include a pair of microphones located directly below the opening that allows external sound to reach the microphones. The microphones may be located on either side of the first portion of the body such that one microphone is configured to be further from the user's mouth than the second microphone. An axis passing through the microphones is generally aligned with the user's mouth. The microphones may be arranged, such as by beam steering, to improve pick-up of the user's voice in the presence of noise or other external sounds.

[0031] 1A-1C, 3A-3C, and 4 illustrate an exemplary open-type headphone 10. The open-type headphone 10 includes an acoustic module 12 that is sized, shaped, and positioned relative to an open-type headphone body 13 such that the acoustic module 12 is configured to be positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear. Generally, the human outer ear (also known as the auricle or pinna) includes the concha, which is below (or behind) the tragus and directly adjacent the entrance to the ear canal. The concha is divided by the crus helix into a lower portion, called the concha cavity, and an upper portion, called the concha navicularis. The concha cavity is a generally bowl-shaped feature directly adjacent the ear canal. The concha cavity typically includes a depression bounded by the antitragus, which is the lower part of the antihelix, and / or bounded by the earlobe. The lobe (i.e., earlobe), which is at the lower end of the helix, typically lies directly below the antitragus.

[0032] The body 13 of the open headphones 10 includes a first portion 20 coupled to the acoustic module 12 and configured to pass over the outside of the ear (e.g., over at least one of the antihelix and helix of the outer ear and the earlobe), and a second portion 14 configured to be positioned behind the outer ear. The body 13 is generally shaped in an "L" shape from the side (e.g., as shown in Figures 3A and 4), with the portion 20 extending generally perpendicular to the acoustic module 12 and the connecting portion 17 extending generally perpendicular to the portion 20 and connecting to the distal portion 14. In one embodiment, the portion 14 may be generally cylindrical so as to be configured to hold a generally cylindrical battery power source (e.g., a rechargeable battery). As shown in Figures 1A, 1B, 3A, and 4, overall, the open headphones 10 are generally "C" shaped. In one embodiment, acoustic module 12 and body 13 are part of a single molded plastic housing constructed and arranged to house at least the transducer and any electronics necessary for the operation of the headphones. Gap 22 between portions 14 and 20 houses the outer ear, as further described elsewhere herein.

[0033] The acoustic module 12 includes a first sound emission opening or port 16 located in a portion of the housing that is configured to be positioned closest to the opening of the ear canal of a user. The front surface 12a of the acoustic module 12 generally faces the rear of the concha cavity and does not face directly to the ear canal opening, so the front surface 12a is generally not the portion of the acoustic module 12 closest to the ear canal opening. The front surface of the housing is also curved with respect to the axis 11, as shown in FIG. 1C. Locating the opening 16 off-center in the front surface 12a (in some embodiments, mostly or completely below the central longitudinal axis 11 of the housing) places the opening 16 as close as possible to the ear canal opening. In one embodiment, the opening 16 is about 2 mm closer to the ear canal opening than if the opening 16 were centered on the axis 11. This results in an acoustic power gain of up to about 2 dB. In some embodiments, the opening 16 is completely offset from the axis 11, in other words, the opening 16 does not intersect with the axis 11. In other embodiments (as shown in FIG. 1C), the opening 16 overlaps the axis 11 slightly, but the majority of the opening 16 is on one side of the axis 11. In some embodiments, the headphones for the right and left ear are essentially the same, except that the opening 16 is completely or mostly below the bisecting axis 11 and thus on either side of the axis 11 for the opposing ear.

[0034] In some embodiments, the headphones 10 include a second sound emitting opening 24 that is configured to be farther from the ear canal opening than the first sound emitting opening 16. The two sound emitting openings can be arranged to achieve a dipole-like pattern that can provide sound cancellation that reduces sound leakage that can be heard by other people. In one embodiment, an acoustic transducer generates sound pressure in a front acoustic cavity portion and a rear acoustic cavity portion of an acoustic cavity of an acoustic module, the first sound emitting opening 16 is fluidly coupled to the front acoustic cavity, and the second sound emitting opening 24 is fluidly coupled to the rear acoustic cavity. The sound emitting openings can be covered by a resistive element or an environmental protection element, such as a cloth or fabric. In some embodiments, the volumes of the front and rear acoustic cavities along with the areas of the openings 16 and 24 are selected to achieve similar front and rear cavity resonances. This helps to maximize the far-field sound cancellation and therefore minimize sound leakage. In some embodiments, the second opening or port 24 is on the opposite side of the axis 11 from the opening 16. This places the front and rear openings as far apart as is practical in the headphone design, which aids in dipole-like performance and maximizes the acoustic output in the near field of the front opening over the range of suitable positions for the device. Also, the rear vent 24 can be placed farther from the microphone, which can reduce acoustic echoes picked up by the microphone from the loudspeaker.

[0035] 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 environmental sounds, and / or as feedforward microphones for an active noise cancellation system. In this example, the external microphones are located directly below the microphone openings 18 and 26, which are located on either side of the body portion 20 such that they are generally located along axes that intersect near or pass through the expected location of the user's mouth. In this way, the microphones can be beamformed, if desired. Also, locating the microphone between the front and rear ports (as is generally the case for microphone 26) places the microphone in a null region of a generally dipole cardioid radiation pattern, which reduces the amount of sound from either the front or rear openings that is sensed.

[0036] At low frequencies, acoustic drivers often exhibit a dipole radiation pattern where sound radiates in opposite directions (0 degrees and 180 degrees), out of phase by 180 degrees, with substantially lower sound pressure along orthogonal axes (90 degrees and 270 degrees), defining a null. FIG. 2 is a polar plot of the output of a single driver in a housing with both front and rear sound emitting openings, with and without an acoustically resistive mesh material over the rear port opening. The plot in FIG. 2 was taken at 200 Hz and shows typical dipole radiation without mesh (curve 31) and with mesh (curve 33). This illustrates one embodiment of a single driver implementation of the present open-back headphones, where at low frequencies, sound is cancelled in the far field. At high frequencies, most of the acoustic energy is directed towards the wearer's ears, rather than in other directions.

[0037] 3A-3C illustrate how the open-type headphones of FIGS. 1A-1C fit with the outer ear. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the acoustic module 12 sits in the concha cavity 51 of the outer ear 50 (the right ear is illustrated). The first sound emission opening 16 radiates the sound generated by the acoustic transducer in the acoustic module 12. The sound emission opening 16 is spaced from and close to the ear canal opening 63 of the user. In this example, the acoustic module 12 has a lower portion 19 that is outwardly convex and is configured to sit in the lower concave surface 52 of the concha cavity 51. Thus, the weight of the open-type headphones is suspended from the concha cavity, which holds the open-type headphones on the ear without the need to clamp the open-type headphones to the ear. The light clamping of the open-type headphones to the ear can be facilitated using built-in compliance. In some embodiments, at least portion 17 is at least partially made of an elastomer or includes a hinge element such that it can flex relative to portion 20, thus changing the position of portion 14 and changing the thickness of gap 22 in FIG. 1A between portions 20 and 14, which surrounds ear portion 54. A suitable compliant elastomer may have a hardness of 80 durometer Shore A. Details of the structure and flexure of portion or arm 17 are further disclosed in two U.S. patent applications identified by Attorney Docket Nos. 22706-00375 / OG-21-327-US and 22706-00374 / OG-21-322-US, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

[0038] Open headphones are configured such that when the acoustic module is placed in the concha of the ear, the body passes over at least one of the antihelix, helix, and earlobe of the ear, any one or more of these ear 50 parts are generally represented as 54 in FIG. 3A. The user can pivot the body to a comfortable position of the body on the outer ear or other desired position. The second body part 14 is behind the outer ear. In other words, it is located between the outer ear 50 and an adjacent part of the head 55, as shown in FIG. 3A. Part 17 is configured to connect to parts 20 and 14 and pass over the edge 59 of the outer ear 50. As shown in FIG. 3B, part 20 generally sits at an angle to the up-down (vertical) axis 39 such that part 17 is below the acoustic module 12. Because opening 16 is on the underside of front surface 12a of acoustic module 12, as shown in Figure 3B, opening 16 is effectively the portion of acoustic module 12 closest to ear canal opening 63. Further aspects of how open headphones 10 interact with outer ear 50 are more fully described in U.S. patents which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] 3C illustrates that microphone openings 18 and 26 are generally aligned along an axis 35 that intersects with mouth 37. As explained in more detail elsewhere herein, this alignment helps enable the microphones to be beamformed, which can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of the audio.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of the open-type headphones 10 illustrating the battery 80 carried inside the body portion 14. The acoustic module 12 carries an acoustic transducer 82 that generates sound pressure in an acoustic cavity 90. A sound emission opening 16 is in the end of the acoustic module 12 closest to the ear canal opening 63. Sound radiates through the opening 16 as indicated by arrow 92. In some embodiments, the set of headphones includes one left headphone and one right headphone with a configuration (such as the location of the front port opening) that is unique for a designated ear. A printed circuit board (PCB) 84 is located in the body portion 20 and is electrically coupled to the battery 80. A flex circuit element 86 passes from the PCB 84 to the transducer 82 to carry at least power and audio signals to the transducer. If desired, user interface elements can be incorporated within the body portion.

[0041] Further details of the open headphone, including but not limited to details of its construction, operation, and its acoustic performance, are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,140,469, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. Aspects of the present open headphone disclosed in this patent will not be further described herein.

[0042] FIG. 5 illustrates exemplary sound pressure data 110 (dB sound pressure level (SPL)) from three different configurations of open headphones at 200 Hz. The first configuration (both rear vents, nozzle in center) is a configuration as disclosed in the U.S. patent incorporated herein by reference, where the front opening or nozzle is centered on axis 11 (FIG. 1C) and there are two rear or back vents. The second configuration (both rear vents, nozzle offset) is the same as the first configuration, except that the nozzle is offset from axis 11, as shown in FIG. 1C. The third configuration (only top rear vent, nozzle offset) has the same nozzle position as the second configuration, but only one rear vent, which is a "top" vent, meaning that it is on the top side of the acoustic module when the open headphones are worn on the ear (e.g., rear vent 24 in FIG. 1B).

[0043] The data set at the ear (data set 112) establishes that moving the nozzle 16 to an offset position increases the sound pressure at the ear. Also, there is a top or upper vent and a bottom or lower vent, along with both rear vents. The top vent 24 in FIG. 1B has a lower pressure than the bottom vent at position 25 in FIG. 1A. Because the top vent has a lower pressure, it will cancel less sound (from the nozzle) at the ear, thus resulting in better performance with a single (top) rear vent compared to two rear vents.

[0044] The data set at the "Mic 1" position (at position 26 in FIG. 1A) establishes that removing the second rear vent 25, and thus having a single (top) rear vent, leads to improved performance (i.e., reduced sound sensed by Mic 1). This improvement is likely due to moving the sound source closest to Mic 1 (which is the rear vent at position 25) farther away from the microphone. Here, the closest sound source is the nozzle 16. Thus, there is less acoustic pick-up from the speaker to this microphone, allowing for better performance during double-talk conditions.

[0045] The data set at the "Mic 2" position (located at position 18 in FIG. 1B) establishes that the single rear vent 24 increases the sound sensed by Mic 2. The reason is likely due to the elongation of the vent 24 compared to the smaller rear vent at this position in the version with two rear vents. The vent is elongated as a means to maintain approximately the same total rear vent volume as the two rear vent version, but with only a single rear vent. The elongation of the vent 24 places a portion of the vent 24 closer to Mic 2.

[0046] Having described several aspects of at least one embodiment, it will be appreciated 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 within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only, and the scope of the present invention should be determined from proper construction of the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Open headphones 11 Axis 12 Acoustic Module 12a front 13 Main unit 14 Second Part 16 First sound emission opening 17 Connection part 18 Microphone opening 19 Lower part 20 First Part 22 Gap 24 Second sound emission opening (vent hole) 26 Microphone 31 curve 33 curve 35 Axis 37 mouths 39 Vertical (vertical) axis 50 outer ear 51 Concha cavity 52 Lower concave 54 Ear part 55 Head 59 Edge 63 External auditory canal opening 80 Battery 82 Acoustic Transducer 86 Flex Circuit Elements 90 Acoustic Cavity 92 Arrow 110 Sound pressure data 112 Datasets

Claims

1. An open-type headphone, an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear, the acoustic module comprising a housing that accommodates an acoustic transducer and a first sound emitting opening within the housing and is configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer; An open-type headphone, wherein the acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis, and the first sound emission opening is offset from the central longitudinal axis.

2. 2. The open-back headphone of claim 1, wherein the first sound emitting opening is almost completely offset from the central longitudinal axis such that the first sound emitting opening barely overlaps the central longitudinal axis.

3. The open-back headphone of claim 1 , wherein the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing.

4. 2. The open-back headphone of claim 1, further comprising a body comprising: a first portion coupled to the acoustic module and configured to pass over an exterior of at least one of the antihelix and helix and the earlobe of the outer ear; and a second portion configured to be positioned behind the outer ear.

5. The open headphone of claim 4 , wherein the central longitudinal axis bisects the acoustic module housing and the first portion of the body.

6. 2. The open-type headphone of claim 1, wherein the housing of the acoustic module is configured to be spaced apart from and in close proximity to the opening of the ear canal of the user and defines a front surface curved relative to the central longitudinal axis, and the first sound emission opening is within the housing front surface.

7. The open-type headphone of claim 1 , further comprising a second sound emission opening within the housing of the acoustic module.

8. The open headphone of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic module housing defines first and second interior acoustic cavities on either side of the acoustic transducer.

9. 9. The open-type headphone of claim 8, wherein the first sound emission opening is a sound outlet for the first internal acoustic cavity and the second sound emission opening is a sound outlet for the second internal acoustic cavity.

10. 10. The open-back headphone of claim 9, wherein acoustic energy from the first sound emitting opening combines with the acoustic energy from the second sound emitting opening to provide an acoustic dipole.

11. 10. The open-back headphone of claim 9, wherein the second sound emission opening is on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis from the first sound emission opening.

12. 12. The open-type headphone of claim 11, wherein the housing of the acoustic module defines a front surface and a side surface rearward of the front surface, the first sound emission opening being within the front surface of the housing of the acoustic module and the second sound emission opening being within the side surface of the housing of the acoustic module.

13. The open headphone of claim 12 , wherein the housing of the acoustic module is configured to reside at least partially within the concha cavity of the outer ear.

14. The open-back headphone according to claim 13, wherein the first sound emission opening is configured to be substantially closer to the ear canal opening than the second sound emission opening.

15. The open headphone of claim 11 further comprising a first microphone opening.

16. 16. The open-back headphone of claim 15, wherein the first microphone opening is on the same side of the central longitudinal axis as the first sound emission opening.

17. 16. The open headphone of claim 15, further comprising a second microphone opening, the bisector of the first and second microphone openings configured to point toward an expected location of a mouth of a person wearing the open headphones.

18. An open-type headphone, an acoustic module configured to be at least partially positioned within the concha of a user's outer ear, the acoustic module comprising a housing that accommodates an acoustic transducer and a first sound emitting opening within the housing and is configured to radiate sound generated by the acoustic transducer; the acoustic module defines a central longitudinal axis that bisects a housing of the acoustic module; 11. An open-type headphone, wherein the first sound emitting opening is almost completely offset from the central longitudinal axis such that the first sound emitting opening barely overlaps the central longitudinal axis.

19. 20. The open-back headphone of claim 18, further comprising a second sound emitting opening within a housing of the acoustic module, the housing of the acoustic module defining first and second internal acoustic cavities on either side of the acoustic transducer, the first sound emitting opening being a sound outlet for the first internal acoustic cavity and the second sound emitting opening being a sound outlet for the second internal acoustic cavity, the second sound emitting opening being on an opposite side of the central longitudinal axis from the first sound emitting opening, and acoustic energy from the first sound emitting opening combining with the acoustic energy from the second sound emitting opening to provide an acoustic dipole.

20. 20. The open-type headphone of claim 19, wherein the acoustic module housing defines a front surface and a side surface rearward of the front surface, the first sound emission opening being within the front surface of the acoustic module housing and the second sound emission opening being within the side surface of the acoustic module housing.

21. 21. The open-type headphones of claim 20, wherein the housing of the acoustic module is configured to be positioned at least partially within the concha cavity of the outer ear, and the first sound emission opening is configured to be closer to the ear canal opening than the second sound emission opening.

22. 22. The open-back headphone of claim 21, further comprising a microphone opening on the same side of the central longitudinal axis as the first sound emission opening.

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