Acoustic headrest with adjustable surface

Abstract

A system and method are provided for providing audio through or near a headrest. The headrest includes an adjustable surface positioned in proximity to an occupant's head in use, with acoustic openings configured to emit acoustic energy from an acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the occupant's ears. The position of the adjustable surface provides some indication of the position of the occupant's ears, and various audio signal (driver signal) characteristics can be adjusted based on the position of the adjustable surface.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 130,211, entitled "ACOUSTIC HEADREST WITH ADJUSTABLE SURFACE," filed December 23, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] Various seating systems, such as those in automobiles, amusement rides, trains, and the like, may include audio system components, such as speakers, within or adjacent to the headrest portion of the seat to provide audio functionality to the seat occupant. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] The systems and methods disclosed herein relate to a headrest(s) configured to house at least one acoustic transducer. The headrest includes a surface configured to adjoin a user's or passenger's head and to inhibit or inhibit movement of the user's head, for example, during sudden acceleration. The surface is further configured to be adjustable, e.g., movable, in at least one dimension, and preferably two dimensions, such as forward / backward and up / down, relative to a typical seating position or configuration.

[0004] A system and method are provided for providing audio through or near a headrest. The headrest includes an adjustable surface positioned in use adjacent to an occupant's head, with acoustic openings configured to emit acoustic energy from an acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the occupant's ears. The position of the adjustable surface provides some indication of the position of the occupant's ears, and various audio signal (driver signal) characteristics can be adjusted based on the position of the adjustable surface.

[0005] According to at least one aspect, the headrest includes an adjustable surface positioned adjacent to an occupant's head in use and an acoustic opening configured to emit acoustic energy from an acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the occupant's ears.

[0006] In various examples, the processor may be configured to adjust the driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on the position of the adjustable surface. The processor may be located elsewhere and coupled to the headrest.

[0007] Some examples include a sensor configured to detect the position of the adjustable surface.

[0008] In certain examples, the processor is configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for an occlusion area between the acoustic opening and the ear, the occlusion area varying with the position of the adjustable surface.

[0009] According to various examples, the adjustable surface may be adjustable in a horizontal dimension, a vertical dimension, or both.

[0010] Various examples may include an acoustic conduit that adjusts the shape of the acoustic channel in relation to movement of the adjustable surface, and the processor may be configured to adjust the driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on the position of the adjustable surface to at least partially compensate for changes in acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

[0011] Some examples include acoustic transducers.

[0012] According to another aspect, an audio system is provided that includes a headrest having an adjustable surface positioned in use to be adjacent to an occupant's head, an acoustic opening configured to emit acoustic energy from an acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the occupant's ears, and a processor configured to adjust a driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on the position of the adjustable surface.

[0013] Various examples include a sensor configured to detect the position of the adjustable surface.

[0014] In certain examples, the processor is configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for an occlusion area between the acoustic opening and the ear, the occlusion area varying with the position of the adjustable surface.

[0015] According to some examples, the adjustable surface is adjustable in a horizontal dimension, a vertical dimension, or both.

[0016] A particular example may include an acoustic conduit that adjusts the shape of the acoustic channel in relation to movement of the adjustable surface, in which case the processor may be configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for changes in the acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

[0017] According to yet another aspect, a method for controlling an audio output of an audio headrest having an adjustable surface is provided, the method including detecting a position of the adjustable surface of the headrest and adjusting a driver signal provided to an acoustic transducer based on the detected position of the adjustable surface.

[0018] In some examples, adjusting the driver signal at least partially compensates for an occlusion area between the acoustic opening and the ear, the occlusion area varying with the position of the adjustable surface.

[0019] In various examples, adjusting the driver signal at least partially compensates for changes in acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

[0020] According to various examples, the adjustable surface may be adjustable in a horizontal dimension, a vertical dimension, or both.

[0021] Further aspects, embodiments, and advantages of these exemplary aspects and embodiments are discussed in detail below. The 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," etc. are not necessarily mutually exclusive and are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described may be included in at least one embodiment. Appearances of such terms herein do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment.

[0022] Various aspects of at least one example 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 various aspects and examples, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this specification, but are not intended as a limiting boundary on the invention(s). In the drawings, identical or nearly identical components shown in various figures may be labeled with like letters or numerals. For clarity, not all components may be labeled in every figure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat having a headrest according to a disclosed example. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the seat of FIG. 1. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a headrest portion of the seat in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic top view of an exemplary headrest with an adjustable surface in a nominal position. [Figure 5] 5 is a schematic top view of the headrest of FIG. 4 with the adjustable surface in a forward position. [Figure 6] 5 is a schematic top view of the headrest of FIG. 4 with the adjustable surface in a rearward position. [Figure 7] 5 is a schematic side view of the headrest of FIG. 4 with the adjustable surface in a nominal position. [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic side view of the headrest of FIG. 4 with the adjustable surface in a raised position. [Figure 9] 5 is a schematic side view of the headrest of FIG. 4 with the adjustable surface in a lowered position. [Figure 10] 10 is a schematic side view of another exemplary headrest with an adjustable surface in a nominal position. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the headrest of FIG. 10 with the adjustable surface in a forward position. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the headrest of FIG. 10 with the adjustable surface in a rearward position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] 1-3 show perspective, side, and close-up perspective views, respectively, of a seat including an exemplary headrest 100 having an adjustable surface 110 positioned adjacent an occupant's head when the seat is occupied. The headrest 100 also includes at least one acoustic opening 120 coupled to an acoustic transducer (not shown) for providing an acoustic signal to the occupant. In various examples, the headrest 100 may have two or more acoustic openings 120 corresponding, for example, to left and right signals, high-mid-low frequencies, or a combination thereof. In some examples, there may be only a single acoustic opening 120.

[0025] Various examples may include an acoustic transducer coupled to each acoustic opening 120. Of course, in various examples, an acoustic transducer may be coupled to multiple acoustic openings 120 and / or an acoustic opening 120 may be coupled to multiple acoustic transducers to accommodate various system requirements and / or performance characteristics. Various examples may include an acoustic channel that provides a conduit from the acoustic transducer to the acoustic opening 120. In certain examples, the acoustic openings 120 may be associated with the adjustable surface 110 such that the acoustic openings move with the adjustable surface 110. In such examples, the acoustic conduit may be adjustable and may expand, contract, or shift with movement of the adjustable surface 110. In various examples, the acoustic openings 120 may be associated with other portions of the seat or headrest (as shown) and remain fixed when the adjustable surface 110 is moved. In some examples, the acoustic transducer may be positioned very close to the acoustic opening 120 without a discernible acoustic conduit, and therefore the acoustic opening 120 may be substantially indistinguishable from the acoustic transducer itself, e.g., the acoustic transducer may be mounted within or at the acoustic opening 120.

[0026] 2 further illustrates that surface 110 is adjustable along a first axis 112 (e.g., horizontally or fore-aft) and along a second axis 114 (e.g., vertically or up-down). References to horizontal, vertical, forward, rearward, up, down, etc. are with respect to the headrest in a nominal orientation, such as a typical orientation in a vehicle with a driver, passengers, etc. In various examples, a seat or headrest according to this disclosure may be temporarily or permanently placed in different orientations, such as in an aircraft, amusement ride, etc.

[0027] The placement or position of the adjustable surface has an acoustic effect on various acoustic signals emanating from the acoustic opening 120, such as by varying the degree of shielding between the acoustic opening 120 and the occupant's ear(s) around the edge(s) of the adjustable surface 110. In certain examples where the acoustic opening 120 is associated with the adjustable surface 110 and the acoustic conduit is also adjustable, the placement or position of the adjustable surface 110 may change the acoustic characteristics of the acoustic conduit, such as by lengthening, shortening, or distorting the shape of the acoustic conduit.

[0028] Various examples detect the position of adjustable surface 110 and adjust audio or acoustic processing based on the detected position to account for changes in the relative position between the expected ear positions and acoustic openings 120, changes in the relative position between adjustable surface 110 and acoustic openings 120, changes in the acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit, and / or various other relative changes that may affect acoustic performance. For example, one or more sensors may indicate or detect the position of adjustable surface 110, and a processor may adjust signal processing configured to provide a driver signal to an acoustic transducer (acoustic driver, loudspeaker). In some examples, gain and / or equalization processing may be adjusted in response to the detected position of adjustable surface 110. In various examples, various phase and / or timing adjustments may be applied, additionally or alternatively, to adjust to maintain, for example, interaural phase, interaural timing, interaural gain, etc.

[0029] In some examples, physical characteristics of the headrest may be adjusted in response to the detected position of adjustable surface 110. For example, the acoustic transducers may be physically adjusted, e.g., moved, angled, tilted, rotated, etc., and / or the acoustic openings 120 may be physically adjusted, e.g., resized, angled, expanded, retracted, etc. In some examples, such physical characteristics may be performed by a mechanical coupling between the adjustable surface and other components being adjusted. In some examples, a controller and actuators may perform such mechanical adjustments.

[0030] 4 is a schematic diagram of a top cross section of an exemplary headrest 100, showing the adjustable surface 110 in a nominal position relative to a horizontal axis 112. In this example, two acoustic transducers 122 are shown (e.g., mounted inside the headrest 100 within a housing, in various examples). An occupant's head 200 is shown along with the approximate locations of the occupant's ears 220. In various examples, at various positions on the adjustable surface 110, acoustic energy is emitted from each of the acoustic openings 120 and distributed outward toward the occupant's head 200. In various examples, a distribution angle 222 may be expressed as an angle measured straight ahead (e.g., from the center point of the acoustic opening 120 or other reference point) toward the central axis of the headrest, extending toward the direction in which the acoustic energy is intercepted by the structure of the adjustable surface 110.

[0031] At some positions of adjustable surface 110 (and for a given position of a given occupant), occupant's ear 220 may be completely within distribution angle 222. Thus, any acoustic shielding of adjustable surface 110 may have a relatively small effect on the acoustic energy reaching occupant's ear 220 from a given one of acoustic openings 120. However, as shown in FIG. 4 , occupant's ear 220 is at least partially shielded by the structure of adjustable surface 110, thus defining shielding angle 224.

[0032] 5, an exemplary headrest 100 similar to that of FIG. 4 is shown, except that the adjustable surface 110 is in a more forward position relative to the horizontal axis. Thus, distance 112a may indicate the forward positioning range of the adjustable surface 110. With the adjustable surface 110 in this forward position, the adjustable surface 110 may induce a larger occupancy angle 224a and a corresponding smaller distribution angle 222a for a given occupant in the same position (relative to the adjustable surface 110) as shown in FIG.

[0033] 6, an exemplary headrest 100 similar to that of FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown, except that the adjustable surface 110 is in a more rearward position relative to the horizontal axis. Again, for a given occupant in the same position (relative to the adjustable surface 110), the distribution angle 222b completely covers the occupant's ears 220, and therefore the occupant's occupant ...

[0034] Continuing with reference to all of Figures 4-6, which illustrate various horizontal positions of adjustable surface 110, each of Figures 4-6 may have a different acoustic transfer function from acoustic opening 120 to occupant's ear 220. Stated another way, each may have a different transfer function from acoustic transducer 122 to occupant's ear 220, which may be the acoustic transfer function or may include the transfer function of acoustic transducer 122 or other signal-transmitting portion of the audio system that provides a driver signal to acoustic transducer 122.

[0035] For a given occupant at a given position relative to adjustable surface 110, the difference between the transfer functions in each of Figures 4-6 is generated (at least in part) by the distance to the occupant's ear 220 and the position of adjustable surface 110, varying the occlusion area caused by the structure of adjustable surface 110.

[0036] In various examples, the audio system and / or processor may adjust the driver signals provided to the acoustic transducers 122 (e.g., various "tuning" changes including equalization, gain, phase, timing, and / or the like) to adapt to and / or at least partially compensate for the varying transfer functions based on the position of the adjustable surface 110. In various examples, various sensors may be included to detect the position of the adjustable surface 110, and the audio system or other processor may receive signal(s) from such sensors representing the detected position.

[0037] The various angular dimensions shown in each of Figures 4-6 are merely representative of one example of headrest 100 for a given occupant's head position and are not intended to be limiting.

[0038] 7 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of an exemplary headrest 100, showing the adjustable surface 110 in a nominal position relative to the vertical axis 114. During operation, acoustic energy is emitted from the acoustic opening 120 (e.g., the left side as shown), and the occupant's ear 220 may have a vertical alignment 226 relative to a reference point of the acoustic opening 120. For example, the center position of the acoustic opening 120 may be configured to be approximately or substantially horizontally aligned with the occupant's ear 220 relative to the nominal position of the adjustable surface 110, which may be intended to be properly aligned with the nominal occupant's head 200. In various examples, the nominal position may include other alignment angles 226.

[0039] Different occupants may have different heights and may therefore adjust the vertical position of adjustable surface 110. As shown in Figure 8, a shorter occupant 200 may position adjustable surface 110 in a lower position than, for example, the position shown in Figure 7, with alignment 226a representing the occupant's ears 220 in a lower position relative to acoustic openings 120 than their nominal position.

[0040] Further, with reference to FIG. 9, a taller occupant 200 may position the adjustable surface 110 at a higher position than that shown in, for example, FIG. 7, such that alignment 226b represents the occupant's ear 220 at a higher position relative to the acoustic opening 120 than the nominal position.

[0041] Continuing with reference to all of Figures 7-9, which show various vertical positions of adjustable surface 110, each of Figures 7-9 may have a different acoustic transfer function from acoustic opening 120 to occupant's ears 220. Similar to the varying horizontal positions of adjustable surface 110, each may have a different transfer function from acoustic transducer 122 to occupant's ears 220, which may be the acoustic transfer function, or may include the transfer function of acoustic transducer 122, or other signal-transmitting portion of the audio system that provides a driver signal to acoustic transducer 122. The difference in transfer function between each of Figures 7-9 is caused (at least in part) by the position of occupant's ear(s) 220 and the varying position of adjustable surface 110, each of which represents a change to the radiation pattern of acoustic energy emitted from acoustic opening 120 and may also represent a varying distance to occupant's ears 220. Additionally, adjustable surface 110 can produce varying occlusion regions similar to those described with respect to Figures 4-6 at varying vertical positions, for example, as generated by the structure of adjustable surface 110.

[0042] In various examples, the audio system and / or processor may adjust the driver signals provided to acoustic transducers 122 (e.g., various "tuning" changes including equalization, gain, phase, timing, and / or the like) to adapt to and / or at least partially compensate for the varying transfer functions based on the position of adjustable surface 110. For example, adjustments may be made to overcome off-axis high frequency losses (or gain). In various examples, various sensors may be included to detect the position of adjustable surface 110, which may be the same or similar sensors as those described above with respect to FIGS. 4-6, and the audio system or other processor may receive signals representing the detected position from such sensors.

[0043] In various examples, several positions of adjustable surface 110 may provide different unobstructed acoustic paths from acoustic opening 120 to ear 220. For example, with reference to FIG. 9 , the bottom of acoustic opening 120 may have an unobstructed acoustic path to ear 220. Thus, different positions of adjustable surface 110 may produce significantly different transfer functions that can be adapted by a processor to adjust the driver signal in response.

[0044] In various examples, the detected vertical position of adjustable surface 110 may represent horizontal alignment and distance to occupant's ear(s) 220. In some examples, such may also indicate distance to other surfaces, such as a car roof liner, and the driver signal may be further adjusted to accommodate and / or partially compensate for the varying acoustics of such different distance(s) to other surfaces.

[0045] The various angular alignments shown in the figures represent only one example of the headrest 100 relative to the nominal head position of the occupant relative to the adjustable surface 110 and are not intended to be limiting.

[0046] In at least one example, an alternative form of headrest 100 is shown with reference to Figures 10-12. Headrest 100 of Figures 10-12 may be similar to the headrest of Figures 1-9, but has an acoustic opening 120 associated with adjustable surface 110. In the exemplary headrest 100 of Figures 10-12, an acoustic transducer (not shown) may be located in another portion of headrest 100 or another portion of the seat (or any suitable location), and an acoustic conduit 300 may be provided to carry or transmit acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer to acoustic opening 120.

[0047] The acoustic conduit may be adjustable to accommodate various positions of the adjustable surface 110. For example, as shown in FIGS. 10-12, the acoustic conduit 300 may have an accordion-style configuration that allows the acoustic conduit to be compressed (shortened) or expanded (extended). FIG. 10 shows the acoustic conduit 300 in a nominal (mid-length) position, FIG. 11 shows the acoustic conduit 300 in an expanded (extended) position, and FIG. 12 shows the acoustic conduit 300 in a compressed (shortened) position (the acoustic conduit 300 is not visible in this example). In various examples, the acoustic conduit 300 may be flexible in other dimensions to accommodate up-and-down and front-and-back movement of the adjustable surface 110. In various examples, the acoustic conduit 300 may be telescopic, flexible, elastic, and / or include any other mechanical or physical properties that allow the acoustic conduit 300 to adapt to the relative positioning of the adjustable surface 110.

[0048] As discussed above with respect to Figures 1-9, various examples may detect the position of the adjustable surface 110 of Figures 10-12 and make optional signal processing and / or physical / mechanical adjustments to accommodate one or more changing acoustic characteristics of the headrest system, including the acoustic transducer, acoustic conduit 300, adjustable surface 110, and acoustic opening 120, in various combinations with occupant and / or other characteristics. All aspects of the previous description relating to detecting the position of the adjustable surface 110 of Figures 1-9 and making any adjustments or taking any actions in response thereto are equally applicable to aspects of the headrest 100 of Figures 10-12. For the sake of brevity, such detailed description is omitted herein as it is redundant.

[0049] The various figures are merely schematic and illustrate the relative positions of components, whereby, for example, adjustable surface 110 is shown in various relative positions without regard to the physical structure that may support adjustable surface 110. In various examples, such physical support structure may include mechanically adjustable supports and may contribute to variations in the acoustic transfer function (which may be taken into account when adjusting the driver signal). Furthermore, such physical support structure may be operable by manual manipulation by a user or by a powered mechanism, which may in turn be controlled by user input or by a processor that receives sensor input, e.g., sensing the occupant's head position, or by various means.

[0050] The method and apparatus embodiments discussed herein are not limited in their application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the above description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may be implemented in other embodiments and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. 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.

[0051] Additionally, the phraseology and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered limiting. Any reference herein to system and method examples, components, elements, acts, or functions in the singular may also encompass embodiments that include the plural, and any reference herein to any example, component, element, act, or function in the plural may also encompass examples that include only the singular. Thus, singular or plural references are not intended to limit the disclosed systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements. The use herein of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof, is meant to encompass the items listed below and equivalents thereof, as well as other items. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, such that all terms described with "or" refer to either the singular, the plural, and all terms of the described term. Unless the context reasonably suggests otherwise, references to front, back, left, right, up, down, top and bottom, and width and length are for convenience of description and do not limit the present systems and methods, or components thereof, to any one positional or spatial orientation.

[0052] Having described several aspects of at least one embodiment, it will be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure and be within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only, with the scope of the invention to be determined from proper construction of the appended claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 100 Headrest 110 adjustable surfaces 112 horizontal axis 114 Vertical axis 120 Acoustic Opening 122 Acoustic Transducer 200 crew head 220 ears 222 Distribution angle 224 Obscuration Angle 226 Alignment Angle 300 Acoustic Conduit

Claims

1. A headrest, an adjustable surface positioned in use adjacent the rear of the occupant's head, the adjustable surface being adjustable along at least one of a front-to-rear axis and a vertical axis; an acoustic opening configured to emit acoustic energy from the acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the ears of the occupant; a processor configured to adjust a driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on a position of the adjustable surface; The headrest, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for acoustic effects due to an occlusion area between the acoustic opening and the ear, the occlusion area varying with the position of the adjustable surface.

2. The headrest of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a position of the adjustable surface.

3. The headrest of claim 1 further comprising an acoustic conduit that adjusts the shape of the acoustic channel in relation to movement of the adjustable surface.

4. 4. The headrest of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on the position of the adjustable surface to at least partially compensate for changes in acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

5. The headrest of claim 1 further comprising the acoustic transducer.

6. An audio system, a headrest having an adjustable surface positioned in use adjacent to a rear of an occupant's head and adjustable along at least one of a front-to-back axis and a vertical axis, and an acoustic opening configured to emit acoustic energy from an acoustic transducer into a range of directions expected to be occupied by the ears of the occupant; a processor configured to adjust a driver signal provided to the acoustic transducer based on a position of the adjustable surface; 1. An audio system, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for acoustic effects due to an occlusion area between the acoustic opening and the ear, the occlusion area varying with the position of the adjustable surface.

7. The audio system of claim 6 , further comprising a sensor configured to detect a position of the adjustable surface.

8. 7. The audio system of claim 6, further comprising an acoustic conduit that adjusts the shape of the acoustic channel in relation to movement of the adjustable surface.

9. 9. The audio system of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the driver signal to at least partially compensate for changes in acoustic properties of the acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

10. A method for controlling audio output of an audio headrest positioned adjacent to the rear of an occupant's head when in use, the audio headrest having an adjustable surface that is adjustable along at least one of a fore-aft axis and a vertical axis, comprising: Detecting the position of the adjustable surface of the headrest; and adjusting a driver signal provided to an acoustic transducer based on the detected position of the adjustable surface to at least partially compensate for acoustic effects due to an occlusion area between an acoustic opening and an ear that varies with the position of the adjustable surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein adjusting the driver signal at least partially compensates for changes in acoustic properties of an acoustic conduit based on the position of the adjustable surface.

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