Sound improvement device

Abstract

To provide an acoustic improvement device which is compact, lightweight, and highly portable, can be manufactured at low cost, and by simply attaching it to an existing portable terminal, can resonantly amplify the entire frequency band used in daily conversation, emphasizes the voice component, and outputs a voice that is easy for the hard of hearing to hear, does not require energy supply, and is easy to maintain and manage. [Solution] The device has a main body 17 that is detachably attached to a mobile terminal, and the main body 17 has a connecting tube 20 on one side that is connected to the earpiece of the speaker, multiple audio output ports 21-23, and multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13-15 on one side that have audio input ports 24-26 that are connected to the other side of the connecting tube 20 and each of the multiple audio output ports 21-23 on the other side.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an acoustic improvement device for hearing-impaired people that is attached to a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, people with hearing loss have difficulty hearing high-frequency sounds, which can make it difficult for them to communicate using mobile devices such as smartphones. To address this issue, many products are now available on the market that link hearing aids with mobile devices, allowing people with hearing loss to hear phone calls. However, many of these products use electronic components that consume a lot of power, often resulting in batteries that last less than a day and need to be recharged. This limits the amount of time they can be used, making them inconvenient for users. Furthermore, for elderly people and users who are not familiar with technology, the difficulty of maintaining and connecting the device to a mobile phone and the complicated procedures present a barrier to continued use. Additionally, products using such electronic components are generally expensive, which can be a significant financial burden. In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses an acoustic metamaterial (also called an acoustic metamaterial) that can amplify sound waves by utilizing the Fabry-Perot resonance phenomenon. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-506768 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, devices that amplify sound waves using the Fabry-Perot resonance phenomenon do not use electronic components, so they do not require an energy supply and are easy to maintain. Patent Document 1 also describes that this acoustic metamaterial is applicable to all fields that use sound waves, such as sonic sensors (acoustic sensors), acoustic devices, ultrasonic imaging, and non-destructive testing. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention improving the acoustics of mobile devices for people with hearing impairments, and in particular does not describe the specific configuration and structure for attaching the device to a mobile device for use.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an acoustic improvement device that is compact, lightweight, and highly portable, can be manufactured at low cost, and can resonate and amplify the entire frequency band used in everyday conversation by simply attaching it to an existing mobile terminal, emphasizes the voice components, and outputs voice that is easy for people with hearing impairments to hear, does not require an energy supply, and is easy to maintain and manage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The sound improvement device according to the present invention, which is in accordance with the above-mentioned object, is a sound improvement device attached to a mobile terminal, The portable terminal has a main body that is detachably attached to the portable terminal, and the main body has a communication tube on one side that communicates with the earpiece of the speaker of the portable terminal, a plurality of audio output ports, and a plurality of Fabry-Perot resonance tubes that have an audio input port on one side that communicates with the other side of the communication tube and are connected to each of the plurality of audio output ports on the other side, thereby resonantly amplifying the audio output from the speaker.

[0007] In the acoustic improvement device of the present invention, it is preferable that the main body has upper and lower plates that constitute the multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes, and that the outer thickness of each of the multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes is 4.5 mm or more. Here, the outer thickness of the Fabry-Perot resonance tube is preferably 8 mm or less from the viewpoints of productivity, handling, and portability, and more preferably 6 mm or less in consideration of practicality.

[0008] In the sound improvement device according to the present invention, the main body may include a resonance chamber having a sound absorbing port that communicates with the other side of the communication pipe. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The acoustic improvement device of the present invention can be easily attached to a mobile terminal, reliably directs the sound output from the speaker's earpiece to a Fabry-Perot resonance tube, and efficiently resonates and amplifies not only high-frequency sounds that are difficult for people with hearing loss due to aging, but also the entire frequency range used in everyday conversation, making it possible to adjust the sound so that even people with hearing loss can hear it clearly.It does not require an energy supply or complicated operations, and can be used stably and continuously in everyday life, and is easy to use and of high quality.

[0010] In the acoustic improvement device of the present invention, if the main body has upper and lower plates that constitute multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes, and each of the multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes has an outer thickness of 4.5 mm or more, it can be manufactured at low cost, is compact, lightweight, and highly portable, and the resonance effect of the Fabry-Perot resonance tubes can be optimized.

[0011] In the acoustic improvement device according to the present invention, when the main body is provided with a resonance chamber having a sound absorbing port communicating with the other side of the communicating pipe, noise can be reduced and the sound can be made clearer. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of an acoustic improvement device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the acoustic improvement device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the acoustic improvement device. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. An acoustic improvement device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 5 is attached to a mobile terminal 11 (see Figure 5) such as a smartphone (mobile phone) or a tablet, and is used to output audio that is easy for people with hearing impairments to hear. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the acoustic improvement device 10 includes a plurality of (three in this example) Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13 to 15 that resonate and amplify the sound output from a speaker 12 of a mobile terminal 11.

[0014] 1 to 5, the acoustic improvement device 10 has a main body 17 that is detachably attached to the mobile terminal 11. The main body 17 has a U-shaped groove 18 formed in it that corresponds to the width and thickness of the mobile terminal 11, allowing the mobile terminal 11 to be slidably attached. This allows the main body 17 to also function as a case (cover) that protects the mobile terminal 11. The main body 17 has a communication tube 20 on one side that communicates with the earpiece 19 of the speaker 12, multiple (three in this example) audio output ports 21 to 23, and multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13 to 15, each having audio input ports 24 to 26 on one side that communicate with the other side of the communication tube 20 and connected to each of the multiple audio output ports 21 to 23 on the other side. A rubber packing 27 is attached to the periphery of one side (the inlet side) of the communication tube 20 so as to surround the outer periphery of the earpiece 19 of the speaker 12. This ensures that the sound output from the earpiece 19 is guided reliably to the Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13 to 15 through the connecting tube 20 without any leakage. The rubber packing 27 is preferably made of a material that has a sound leakage prevention effect, such as silicone rubber.

[0015] Here, the main body 17 has an upper plate 28 and a lower plate 29 that constitute the multiple Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13 to 15. The main body 17 also has a resonance chamber 31 that has a sound absorption port 30 that communicates with the other side of the communication tube 20. In this way, by arranging the upper plate 28 and the lower plate 29 opposite each other at a predetermined distance, rectangular parallelepiped (square cross section) Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13-15 and resonance chamber 31 can be easily formed, increasing the freedom of design and enabling efficient resonance and silencing effects to be achieved.

[0016] The acoustic improvement device 10, equipped with multiple Fabry-Perot resonators 13-15, resonates and amplifies the entire frequency range (from low to high frequencies) used in everyday conversation, emphasizing speech components more than usual and outputting speech that is easier for hearing-impaired individuals to hear. In particular, the echo and reverb effects generated by the resonance of the Fabry-Perot resonators 13-15 allow the target sound to be heard for a longer period of time, increasing the time for the user (hearing-impaired individual) to recognize the sound and making it easier to hear. Furthermore, the echo and reverb effects improve the clarity of speech, particularly speech recognition, by reflecting the sound multiple times. Furthermore, the sustained speech signal also makes it easier for hearing-impaired individuals to grasp important speech information. Furthermore, the reverb effect spreads the sound spatially, clarifying the location of the sound source and the sense of distance, thereby enabling the user (hearing-impaired individual) to more easily recognize the direction of the sound and improving their ability to understand the speech. Furthermore, the sound improvement device 10 exerts a sound assisting effect simply by being attached to the mobile terminal 11, and since it does not use any electronic components, it does not require an energy supply and is easy to maintain.

[0017] In this embodiment, three Fabry-Perot resonator tubes 13 to 15 are arranged in parallel, but the length and pattern of each Fabry-Perot resonator tube and the number and arrangement of the Fabry-Perot resonator tubes are not limited to this embodiment and may be selected as appropriate. Furthermore, the shape, size, and arrangement of the communicating tube 20 are not limited to this embodiment and may be selected as appropriate depending on the shape, size, and arrangement of the earpiece 19 of the mobile terminal 11. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the upper plate 28 and the lower plate 29 is 1 mm, the height of the space sandwiched between the upper plate 28 and the lower plate 29 is 2 mm, and the outer thickness of the Fabry-Perot resonance tubes 13 to 15 is 4.5 mm, but the dimensions of each part are not limited to these and can be selected appropriately depending on the material of the upper plate 28 and the lower plate 29. Note that, as the material of the upper plate 28 and the lower plate 29, lightweight and durable synthetic resins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, vinyl chloride resin, ABS resin, polycarbonate, etc. are preferably used, but the material is not limited to these and can be selected appropriately.

[0018] Furthermore, the resonance chamber 31 in this embodiment is configured with a Helmholtz-type silencer (resonance tube) formed by terminating the end of a Fabry-Perot tube, but its shape (length), number, arrangement, etc. are not limited to this embodiment and may be selected as appropriate. When the resonance chamber 31 is configured with multiple resonance tubes, it is also possible to reduce noise in specific frequency bands by adjusting the length of each resonance tube, making it possible to output clear sound that is not disturbed by noise. If necessary, multiple Fabry-Perot resonators 13-15 and resonance chambers 31 can be assigned to specific frequency bands to efficiently resonate and muffle sounds or remove noise, thereby providing each user with an audio environment that is easy to hear. To accommodate age-related hearing loss in the elderly, it is preferable to design the Fabry-Perot resonators 13-15 mainly for the frequency band of 2 kHz to 4 kHz, but this range is not limitative and can be selected as appropriate. Furthermore, the resonance chamber 31 is not an essential component and may be omitted.

[0019] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiment, and also includes other embodiments and modifications that are possible within the scope of the matters described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0020] 10: Acoustic improvement device, 11: Mobile terminal, 12: Speaker, 13-15: Fabry-Perot resonance tube, 17: Main body, 18: Groove, 19: Earpiece, 20: Connecting tube, 21-23: Audio output port, 24-26: Audio input port, 27: Rubber packing, 28: Upper plate, 29: Lower plate, 30: Sound absorption port, 31: Resonance chamber

Claims

1. An acoustic improvement device that is detachably attached to a mobile terminal, An acoustic improvement device characterized in that it has a main body portion that is positioned on the back side of the mobile terminal and has a groove through which the end face side of the mobile terminal on which the speaker of the mobile terminal is provided is inserted when in use, and the main body portion has a connecting tube on one side that is connected to the earpiece of the speaker when attached to the mobile terminal, a plurality of audio output ports, and a plurality of Fabry-Perot resonance tubes that have an audio input port on one side that is connected to the other side of the connecting tube and are connected to each of the plurality of audio output ports on the other side to resonate and amplify the audio output from the speaker, the groove is formed in a U-shape when viewed from the front side of the mobile terminal, and the main body portion is attached to the mobile terminal so as to be slidable in a direction that brings the connecting tube closer to the earpiece.

2. The acoustic improvement device of claim 1, characterized in that the main body has an upper plate and a lower plate that constitute a plurality of the Fabry-Perot resonance tubes, the upper plate being arranged on the rear side of the mobile terminal, and the lower plate being arranged opposite the upper plate across a space in the thickness direction of the mobile terminal, and the outer thickness of each of the plurality of Fabry-Perot resonance tubes, obtained by adding together the thicknesses of the upper plate and the lower plate and the height of the space corresponding to the distance between the upper plate and the lower plate, is 4.5 mm or more.

3. 2. The acoustic improvement device according to claim 1, wherein the main body includes a resonance chamber having a sound absorbing port communicating with the other side of the communication pipe.

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