Earphones, sound control method, and program

Abstract

To adaptively control the closed or open state of an earphone according to a surrounding environment.SOLUTION: An earphone includes a housing that has a space therein and a path that allows ventilation from one end side on an external acoustic meatus side of a wearer to the other end side on a surrounding environment side, a valve that is accommodated inside of the housing and can switch the path to either of an open state and a closed state, a microphone that is disposed on one end side of the housing and can collect voices spoken by the wearer, and a controller for controlling the open state and the closed state. The controller switches the path to the open state during a first operation being during calling including an operation in which the voices spoken by the wearer are being collected by the microphone, and switches the path to either of the open state and the closed state during a second operation which is a state different from the first operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present disclosure relates to earphones, an acoustic control method, and a program. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Patent Document 1 discloses earphones that can be connected to a device such as a mobile phone. These earphones are shaped and configured to be disposed so as to substantially cover the ear canal, and are a housing that houses a speaker element that emits sound into the ear canal, the housing having a channel extending from an inner end facing the ear canal side to an outer end facing the peripheral side, and closing means capable of switching between a closed state in which the channel is substantially closed and an open state in which the channel allows sound from the surroundings to pass through. Further, when the device is in the telephone operation mode, these earphones automatically switch to the open state, and when the device is in the audio player operation mode, the earphones automatically switch to the closed state. 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Translation of PCT International Publication No. 2009 - 525629 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 In recent years, many earphones are equipped with noise cancellation technology to make the sound outside the earphones less audible to the wearer. In addition, earphones equipped with a microphone for picking up the voice of the wearer during speech have also emerged. This is presumably because, for example, in recent years, in remote meetings held during the widespread telework and the like, it enables the wearer to easily participate while wearing the earphones. 【0005】 However, many earphones still have a design that blocks out external sounds as much as possible by sealing the wearer's ears. Therefore, when earphones are worn in this ear-sealing manner during remote meetings, etc., the wearer's own voice does not enter the wearer's ear from the outside, but rather travels through the wearer's body to the eardrum and resonates inside the wearer's ear, resulting in the wearer experiencing an unnatural feeling of their own voice sounding muffled. Furthermore, even when music is playing and the wearer is not speaking, depending on the environment in which the wearer is using the earphones or the wearer's preferences, it may be preferable to switch between a state that lets in external sounds and a state that blocks out external sounds. 【0006】 This disclosure was devised in light of the conventional circumstances described above, and aims to adaptively adjust the ease of hearing according to the wearer's usage situation, thereby suppressing discomfort for the wearer. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 This disclosure comprises a housing having an internal space and a path that allows ventilation from one end facing the wearer's external auditory canal to the other end facing the ambient environment; a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state; a microphone positioned at one end of the housing and capable of picking up the wearer's speech; and a control unit that controls the open state and the closed state, wherein the control unit The earphone's sound mode can be controlled. During a first operation, which is a call in progress and includes the operation of picking up the wearer's voice using the microphone, the path is switched to the open state. During a second operation, which is a different state from the first operation, the path is switched to either the open state or the closed state. If the acoustic mode is the closed mode of the ambient sound take-in mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation; if the acoustic mode is the open mode of the ambient sound take-in mode, the path is switched to the open state during the second operation. They will provide earphones. 【0008】 Furthermore, this disclosure relates to an acoustic control method using an earphone having a housing that has a space inside and a path that allows ventilation from one end on the wearer's ear canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side, and a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state, wherein the method includes a step of switching the path to the open state during a first operation which is during a call and includes the operation of picking up the wearer's speech voice with a microphone located on one end of the housing that is capable of picking up the wearer's speech voice, and a step of switching the path to either the open state or the closed state during a second operation which is a different state from the first operation. Furthermore, the acoustic mode of the earphones is controllable, and when the acoustic mode is the closed mode of the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation, and when the acoustic mode is the open mode of the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the open state during the second operation. The present invention provides an acoustic control method. 【0009】 Furthermore, this disclosure provides an earphone having a housing that has a space inside and a path that allows ventilation from one end on the wearer's ear canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side, and a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state, and that during a first operation which is during a call and includes the operation of picking up the wearer's speech with a microphone located on one end of the housing that can pick up the wearer's speech, the step of switching the path to the open state, and during a second operation which is a different state from the first operation, the step of switching the path between the open state and the closed state. The acoustic mode of the earphones is controllable, and when the acoustic mode is the closed mode of the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation, and when the acoustic mode is the open mode of the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the open state during the second operation. , provide the program. 【0010】 These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, or recording media, or as any combination of systems, devices, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media. [Effects of the Invention] 【0011】 According to this disclosure, the ease of hearing sounds can be adaptively adjusted according to the wearer's usage, thereby suppressing discomfort for the wearer. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0012】 [Figure 1] Front view of the earphone [Figure 2] Rear view of the earphone [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A when the valve is in the closed state [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view taken along line A-A when the valve is in the open state [Figure 5] Block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the earphone according to this embodiment [Figure 6] Block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the smartphone according to this embodiment [Figure 7] Diagram showing an example of the state transition of the acoustic mode of the earphone according to the first operation example [Figure 8] Diagram showing a correspondence table showing an example of the relationship between the acoustic mode and the operation of the earphone according to the first operation example [Figure 9] Flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the earphone according to the first operation example in chronological order [Figure 10] Diagram showing an example of the state transition of the acoustic mode of the earphone according to the second operation example [Figure 11] Diagram showing a correspondence table showing an example of the relationship between the acoustic mode and the operation of the earphone according to the second operation example [Figure 12] Flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the earphone according to the second operation example in chronological order [Figure 13] Diagram showing an example of the state transition of the acoustic mode of the earphone according to the third operation example [Figure 14] Diagram showing an example of the setting screen for valve opening and closing during the external sound capture mode [Figure 15] Diagram showing a correspondence table showing an example of the relationship between the acoustic mode and the operation of the earphone according to the third operation example [Figure 16] Flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the earphone according to the third operation example in chronological order 【Mode for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0013】 Hereinafter, with appropriate reference to the drawings, embodiments specifically disclosing the earphone, the acoustic control method, and the program according to the present disclosure will be described in detail. However, detailed descriptions that are more than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and duplicate descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art. The attached drawings and the following description are provided for those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and it is not intended to limit the subject matter described in the claims thereby. 【0014】 First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example of the hardware configuration of an earphone will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view of the earphone. FIG. 2 is a rear view of the earphone. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a state where the earphones 1L and 1R are arranged side by side and the entire surfaces of the touch sensors TCL and TCR face the front side of the paper surface. 【0015】 For the sake of convenience of explanation, as shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis and the Y-axis are defined along a plane parallel to the surface of the touch sensor TCL of the earphone 1L, and further, an axis orthogonal to the surface of the touch sensor TCL is defined as the Z-axis. In the earphone 1L, when the side of the touch sensor TCL where the microphone MC1L is located is defined as the upper end side and the side of the touch sensor TCL where the microphone MC2L opposite to the microphone MC1L is located is defined as the lower end side, the direction from the lower end side to the upper end side is defined as the X-axis. A direction orthogonal to both the Z-axis and the X-axis is defined as the Y-axis. The definition of the XYZ axes is similarly applicable to the earphone 1R. In the present embodiment, for example, the orientation of the earphone 1L according to FIG. 1 is defined as the front view. Expressions related to these directions are used for the sake of convenience of explanation and are not intended to limit the posture during actual use of the structure. The same applies to other drawings. 【0016】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the left earphone 1L and the right earphone 1R are identical in configuration. Identical components are indicated by adding "L" to the end of the left earphone 1L's name and "R" to the end of the right earphone 1R's name. In the following description, only the left earphone 1L will be described, and the description of the other earphone, the right earphone 1R, will be omitted. 【0017】 Earphone 1 consists of earphones 1L and 1R, which are worn on the user's left and right ears, respectively, and each earphone has multiple interchangeable eartips of different sizes attached to one end. Specifically, earphone 1 may consist of two earphones (i.e., earphone 1L and earphone 1R) that can operate independently, with earphone 1L worn on the user's left ear and earphone 1R worn on the user's right ear. In this case, earphone 1L and earphone 1R can communicate wirelessly (for example, via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®). Earphone 1 may also be configured as a pair of earphones, with earphone 1L and earphone 1R connected by a wire (in other words, a cable such as a wire). 【0018】 As shown in Figure 1, the earphone 1L is an in-ear acoustic device worn in the user's ear and receives sound data (e.g., music data) transmitted wirelessly (e.g., via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth®) from an external device such as a smartphone or portable music player owned by the user. The earphone 1L acoustically outputs sound signals based on the received sound data. When not in use, the earphone 1L is placed on a charging case, which is a cradle (not shown). If the battery B1L (Figure 5) built into the earphone 1L is not fully charged, the earphone 1L is placed on a designated spot on the cradle, and the battery B1L built into the earphone is charged based on the power supplied from the cradle. 【0019】 The earphone 1L has a housing HOL as its structural component. The housing HOL is made of a composite material such as synthetic resin, metal, or ceramic, and has a storage space inside which various components constituting the earphone 1L are housed. The housing HOL is also provided with a mounting cylindrical part FCL1 (see Figures 3 and 4) that communicates with the storage space. This mounting cylindrical part FCL1 is provided on one end of the housing HOL opposite to the touch sensor TCL, which will be described later. 【0020】 The earphone 1L has an earpiece IPL that attaches to the main body of the earphone 1L. For example, the earphone 1L is held in the user's ear by being inserted into the ear canal by the earpiece IPL, and this held state is considered the state in which the earphone 1L is in use. 【0021】 The IPL earpiece is made of a flexible material such as silicone and is injection molded, having an inner cylinder (not shown) and an outer cylinder (not shown). The IPL earpiece is inserted into and fixed to the mounting cylinder FCL1 of the housing HOL by its inner cylinder, and is also provided on the mounting cylinder FCL1 of the housing HOL in a replaceable (detachable) manner. The IPL earpiece is fitted into the user's ear canal by its outer cylinder and elastically deforms according to the shape of the ear canal into which it is fitted. This elastic deformation holds the IPL earpiece in place within the user's ear canal. The IPL earpiece comes in several different sizes. One of the multiple different sizes of the IPL earpiece is attached to the earphone 1L and worn in the user's left ear. 【0022】 As an example of an input unit, the touch sensor TCL is provided on the opposite end of the housing HOL from the end where the earpiece IPL is located, as shown in Figure 1. The touch sensor TCL is a sensor element having a touch sensor function that detects user input operations (e.g., touch operations). The sensor element is, for example, an electrode of a capacitive touch sensor. The touch sensor TCL may be formed as, for example, a circular surface, or as, for example, an elliptical surface. Alternatively, the touch sensor TCL may be formed as a rectangular surface. 【0023】 Furthermore, examples of touch operations on the touch sensor TCL by the user's finger, etc., include the following: When a short touch operation is performed on the earphone 1L, it may instruct an external device to play, stop, skip tracks, or skip tracks back. When a long touch operation (so-called long press) is performed on the earphone 1L, it may perform pairing operations for wireless communication such as Bluetooth® with an external device such as a smartphone. In addition, when a finger is traced over the surface of the touch sensor TCL (so-called swipe operation), the earphone 1L may adjust the volume of the music being played. 【0024】 The opening 60L is formed to be exposed on the surface of the housing HOL and, when inserted into and held in the user's ear canal, is a hole that leads to a ventilation path from one end on the user's ear canal side to the other end on the outside air side (ambient environment side). Detailed cross-sectional examples of the structure of the opening 60L will be described later with reference to Figures 3 and 4. 【0025】 Earphone 1L has multiple microphones (microphone MC1L, microphone MC2L, and microphone MC3L) as electrical and electronic components. These multiple microphones are housed in a storage space (not shown) of the housing HOL. 【0026】 As shown in Figure 1, the microphone MC1L is positioned so as to be exposed on or near the surface of the housing HOL, and is configured to pick up ambient sounds from outside the earphone 1L. In other words, the microphone MC1L can detect the user's ambient sounds when the earphone 1L is worn in the user's ear. The microphone MC1L converts the external ambient sounds into electrical signals (sound signals) and sends them to the sound signal input / output control unit S1L. 【0027】 As shown in Figure 1, the microphone MC2L is positioned so as to be exposed on or near the surface of the housing HOL, and is configured to pick up audio signals based on the user's speech while wearing the earphone 1L. Therefore, the earphone 1L can communicate with the user's mobile phone device, such as the smartphone F1, enabling so-called hands-free calling. The microphone MC2L is composed of a microphone device capable of picking up (i.e., detecting audio signals) the sound generated based on the user's speech. The microphone MC2L picks up the sound generated based on the user's speech, converts it into an electrical signal, and sends it to the sound signal input / output control unit S1L. The microphone MC2L is positioned so that when the earphone 1L is inserted into the user's left ear, the extension direction of the earphone 1L faces the user's mouth (see Figure 1), and is located below the touch sensor TCL (i.e., in the -X direction). The sound uttered by the user is picked up by the microphone MC2L and converted into an electrical signal, and the presence or absence of user speech can be detected by the microphone MC2L based on the magnitude of this electrical signal. 【0028】 As shown in Figure 2, the microphone MC3L is positioned in the plane near the mounting cylindrical portion FCL1 of the housing HOL, and is positioned as close as possible to the external auditory canal of the left ear when the earphone 1L is inserted into the user's left ear. The microphone MC3L converts the sound leaking from between the user's left ear and the earpiece IPL when the earphone 1L is worn in the user's left ear into an electrical signal (sound signal) and sends it to the sound signal input / output control unit S1L. 【0029】 As shown in Figure 2, the speaker SP1L is positioned within the mounting cylindrical portion FCL1 of the housing HOL. The speaker SP1L is an electronic component having a driver SP1LDr (see Figures 3 and 4), which acoustically outputs sound data (e.g., music data) transmitted wirelessly from an external device. Inside the housing HOL, the front surface of the speaker SP1L (in other words, the sound emission surface of the acoustically output sound) is directed toward the mounting cylindrical portion FCL1 of the housing HOL, which is covered by the earpiece IPL. As a result, the music data acoustically output from the speaker SP1L is transmitted from the user's ear canal (e.g., outer ear) to the external auditory canal of the outer ear and then to the eardrum of the middle ear, allowing the user to hear the music data. 【0030】 The wear sensor SEL consists of a device that detects whether or not the earphone 1L is worn on the user's left ear, and can be configured using, for example, an infrared sensor or an electrostatic sensor. In the case of an infrared sensor, if the earphone 1L is worn on the user's left ear, the wear sensor SEL can detect that it is worn on the user's left ear by receiving infrared light reflected from the infrared light emitted from the wear sensor SEL within the left ear. If the earphone 1L is not worn on the user's left ear, the wear sensor SEL can detect that it is not worn on the user's left ear by not receiving infrared light that is not reflected from the infrared light emitted from the wear sensor SEL. On the other hand, in the case of an electrostatic sensor, if the earphone 1L is worn on the user's left ear, the wear sensor SEL can detect that it is worn on the user's left ear by determining that the change in capacitance value corresponding to the distance to the inside of the user's left ear is greater than a threshold held by the wear sensor SEL. If the earphone 1L is not worn on the user's left ear, the wear sensor SEL can detect that it is not worn on the user's left ear by determining that the change in capacitance value is less than a threshold held by the wear sensor SEL. The wear sensor SEL is positioned to face the ear canal when the earphone 1L is inserted into the user's left ear, and is located on the back side of the touch sensor TCL. 【0031】 Next, the open and closed states of the valve will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is an AA cross-sectional view when the valve is in the closed state. Figure 4 is an AA cross-sectional view when the valve is in the open state. Figures 3 and 4 use earphone 1R as an example for illustrative purposes, but as mentioned above, earphones 1L and 1R have the same structure, and the same explanation can be applied to earphone 1L. In the following explanation, the open state may be referred to as the open state, and the closed state as the closed state. Also, the eartips IPL and IPR (see Figures 1 and 2) are not shown in Figures 3 and 4. 【0032】 The cross-sectional view shown in Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view AA of earphone 1R as shown in Figure 1. Valve 70R is a device having a movable mechanism that controls the air passing through path 71. Valve 70R switches between opening and closing path 71, which releases sound remaining inside the housing HOR to the outside of the housing HOR. The sound remaining inside the housing HOR is, for example, the reverberation of sound output from driver SP1RDr, or transmitted sound acoustically transmitted through the user's own body to the vicinity of the right ear by the user's speech. These sounds cause discomfort or difficulty in hearing external sounds when the user speaks while wearing earphone 1R. The operation of valve 70R (specifically, opening and closing) is controlled by earphone control unit S2R. The valve may be, for example, a gate valve as shown in Figure 3, or a globe valve, needle valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve. 【0033】 Valve 70R can move back and forth along direction DR1 (see Figure 4) and contact the wall surface 72, thereby blocking the path 71 and creating a closed state. The state in which valve 70, as shown in Figure 3, contacts the wall surface 72 and blocks a portion of the path 71 is referred to as the "closed state". When the user wears earphone 1R in their right ear and valve 70 is in the closed state, the path 71 is blocked by valve 70R, so the user's ear is sealed and isolated from the surrounding environment (outside air). 【0034】 The state in which the valve 70R shown in Figure 4 is separated from the wall surface 72 by a certain distance and the path 71 is open is referred to as the "open state". When the user wears the earphone 1R in their right ear and the valve 70R is in the open state, the path 71 is not blocked by the valve 70R and is in contact with the surrounding environment (outside air) on the touch sensor TCR side, so the user's ear is not isolated (sealed) from the surrounding environment (outside air). In this state, any sound remaining inside the housing HOR is released to the outside of the housing HOR via the path 71, and it is expected that when the user speaks while wearing the earphone 1R, the discomfort or difficulty in hearing external sounds that the user may feel will be suppressed. 【0035】 Next, with reference to Figure 5, an example of the earphone hardware configuration will be described. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the earphone hardware configuration according to this embodiment. Specifically, Figure 5 shows block diagrams illustrating the hardware configuration examples of the left and right earphones 1L and 1R shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the following, the configuration of earphone 1L will be described, but since the configuration of earphone 1R is the same as that of earphone 1L, the description of the configuration of earphone 1L can also be applied to the description of the corresponding components of earphone 1R, except for the difference in reference numerals. 【0036】 The wireless acoustic system 100 shown in Figure 5 includes earphone 1L, earphone 1R, and smartphone F1. Earphone 1L includes a touch sensor TCL, a wear sensor SEL, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 11L, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12L, a power monitoring unit 13L including a battery B1L, a wireless communication unit 14L, an audio signal input / output control unit S1L, an earphone control unit S2L, a valve 70L, a microphone MC1L, a microphone MC2L, and a microphone MC3L. 【0037】 As an example of an input unit, the touch sensor TCL is connected to the earphone control unit S2L ​​in a communicative manner. The touch sensor TCL generates signals related to touch operations performed by the user wearing the device and outputs them to the earphone control unit S2L. 【0038】 The wear sensor SEL is connected to the earphone control unit S2L ​​for data input / output and generates a signal indicating whether the user's left ear and earphone 1L are in contact, and outputs it to the earphone control unit S2L. 【0039】 The power monitoring unit 13L is configured using, for example, a semiconductor chip. The power monitoring unit 13L has a battery B1L and measures the remaining charge capacity of the battery B1L. The battery B1L is a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery. The power monitoring unit 13L outputs information regarding the measured remaining charge capacity of the battery B1L to the earphone control unit S2L. 【0040】 The wireless communication unit 14L wirelessly connects to the smartphone F1 for data communication and sends audio signals processed by the audio signal input / output control unit S1L or the earphone control unit S2L ​​to the smartphone F1. The wireless communication unit 14L has an antenna ATL and performs short-range wireless communication in accordance with the Bluetooth® communication standard, for example. The wireless communication unit 14L may be provided to connect to a communication line such as Wi-Fi® or a mobile communication line. In addition, each of the earphones 1L and 1R can individually perform wireless communication with the smartphone F1 using the wireless communication unit 14L and wireless communication unit 14R. Therefore, each of the earphones 1L and 1R can receive data, audio signals, or information transmitted from the smartphone F1. 【0041】 The audio signal input / output control unit S1L is configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The audio signal input / output control unit S1L is connected to the earphone control unit S2L ​​for data input / output, and exchanges audio signals as digital signals converted to digital format using the PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) method. The audio signal input / output control unit S1L adjusts the volume level of the digital signal related to the audio signal acquired from the smartphone F1 and outputs it to the speaker SP1L. 【0042】 The audio signal input / output control unit S1L is connected to microphones MC1L, MC2L, and MC3L, and receives audio signals picked up by each microphone. The audio signal input / output control unit S1L may be capable of processing the audio signals input from each microphone, such as amplifying them or converting them from analog signals to digital signals. The audio signal input / output control unit S1L sends the audio signal data input from each microphone to the earphone control unit S2L. 【0043】 As an example of a control unit, the earphone control unit S2L ​​is configured using a processor such as a CPU, MPU, DSP, or FPGA, and is connected to the audio signal input / output control unit S1L, ROM 11L, RAM 12L, power monitoring unit 13L, and wireless communication unit 14L to enable data input / output, and exchanges audio signals as digital signals converted to digital format using the PCM method. The earphone control unit S2L ​​functions as a controller that oversees the overall operation of the earphone 1L, and performs control processing to coordinate the operation of each part of the earphone 1L, data input / output processing between each part of the earphone 1L, data calculation processing, and data storage processing. 【0044】 The audio signal input / output control unit S1L and the earphone control unit S2L ​​implement their respective functions using programs and control data stored in the ROM 11L. The audio signal input / output control unit S1L and the earphone control unit S2L ​​may use the RAM 12L during operation to temporarily store generated or acquired data or information in the RAM 12L. 【0045】 Valve 70L is connected to the earphone control unit S2L ​​for data input / output. Valve 70L operates (i.e., opens and closes) based on signals from the earphone control unit S2L. Valve 70L is controlled by the earphone control unit S2L ​​to be in an open state or a closed state, for example, based on settings made from the settings screen displayed on the smartphone F1. In this embodiment, for example, valve 70L is controlled based on the operation of earphone 1L or the acoustic mode of earphone 1L (see below). Details of the control method for valve 70L will be described later. 【0046】 The smartphone F1 is a wireless terminal carried by the user. 【0047】 Next, an example of the smartphone's hardware configuration will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the smartphone's hardware configuration according to this embodiment. The smartphone F1 includes a display / operation unit 30, a public network communication I / F unit 31, a public network protocol control unit 32, a control unit 33, a ROM 34, a RAM 35, an audio signal bus 36, an audio signal input / output control unit 37, a short-range wireless control unit 38, a wireless LAN communication I / F unit 39, an earphone communication I / F unit 40, a USB communication I / F unit 41, and a battery B2. In Figure 6, interface is abbreviated as "I / F". 【0048】 The display / operation unit 30, as an example of a display unit or operation unit, is configured using a touch panel that accepts user input and displays data generated by the control unit 33, thus forming a so-called user interface. The display / operation unit 30 may display various screens generated by the control unit 33. The display / operation unit 30 accepts user input on the displayed screens, generates input signals, and sends them to the control unit 33. 【0049】 The public network communication interface 31 is connected to the antenna AT3 of the smartphone F1 and performs wireless communication using a public network with a public base station (not shown) (for example, wireless communication compliant with 4G (fourth-generation mobile communication system) or 5G (fifth-generation mobile communication system) such as LTE (Long Term Evolution)). Note that the public network communication interface may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone F1. 【0050】 The public network protocol control unit 32 performs control over data input and output between the sound signal bus 36 and the public network communication I / F unit 31. Note that the public network protocol control unit 32 may be omitted from the configuration of the smartphone F1. 【0051】 The control unit 33 is configured using a processor such as a CPU, MPU, or DSP. It functionally includes a smartphone OS processing unit 33A and a smartphone application processing unit 33B, and performs various processes and controls in cooperation with the ROM 34, each of the smartphone OS processing unit 33A and the smartphone application processing unit 33B. 【0052】 ROM34 contains a program that defines the operation of the control unit 33 and the data used when executing that program. ROM34 also stores the identification information of the smartphone F1 and the identification information of the earphone 1, which has been pre-registered (paired) as the destination for transmitting sound signals. 【0053】 RAM 35 is a work memory used when executing each process of the control unit 33. Data or information generated or acquired by the control unit 33 is temporarily stored in RAM 35. 【0054】 The audio signal bus 36 performs audio signal data input and output with the control unit 33, audio signal data input and output with the public line protocol control unit 32, audio signal input / output control unit 37, and audio signal data input and output with the short-range wireless control unit 38. 【0055】 The sound signal input / output control unit 37, based on commands output from the control unit 33, sends sound signal data picked up by the microphone MC4 to the control unit 33 via the sound signal bus 36, or causes sound signals input via the sound signal bus 36 to be output from the speaker SP2. 【0056】 Microphone MC4 captures speech based on the user's utterances using smartphone F1, converts it into an audio signal, and sends the converted audio signal to the audio signal input / output control unit 37. The audio signal captured by microphone MC4 is input to the control unit 33 via the audio signal input / output control unit 37 and the audio signal bus 36. 【0057】 Speaker SP2 acoustically outputs sound signal data from the sound signal input / output control unit 37. 【0058】 The short-range wireless control unit 38 performs control over data input and output between the sound signal bus 36 and the wireless LAN communication interface unit 39, and between the sound signal bus 36 and the earphone communication interface unit 40. The short-range wireless control unit 38 sends commands output from the control unit 33 and sound signal data input via the sound signal bus 36 to the wireless LAN communication interface unit 39 or the earphone communication interface unit 40. The short-range wireless control unit 38 may also send sound signal data input from the wireless LAN communication interface unit 39 or the earphone communication interface unit 40 to the control unit 33. 【0059】 The wireless LAN communication interface 39 is connected to the antenna AT2 of the smartphone F1 and performs wireless communication with the earphone 1 via wireless LAN (for example, data transmission from the short-range wireless control unit 38). The wireless LAN communication interface 39 is configured using a communication circuit that can connect to the internet via a wireless LAN router (not shown). The wireless LAN communication interface 39 may also perform wireless communication (for example, wireless LAN such as Wi-Fi®) with each of the earphones 1L and 1R via the aforementioned wireless LAN router (not shown). 【0060】 The earphone communication interface unit 40 is connected to the antenna AT1 of the smartphone F1 and performs short-range wireless communication (for example, data transmission from the short-range wireless control unit 38) with the earphone 1 using Bluetooth®. 【0061】 The USB communication interface 41 is an interface for wired communication between the smartphone F1 and an external device (e.g., a PC (Personal Computer)) using a cable or similar means. The USB communication interface 41 is connected to the control unit 33 in a data communication manner and can transmit data from the external device to the control unit 33. The USB communication interface 41 may also supply charge to the battery B2 from an external commercial power source. 【0062】 Battery B2 is a secondary battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery) capable of storing charge supplied from an external commercial power source, and supplies the necessary power to each part of the smartphone F1. Battery B2 may be configured to be detachable from the casing of the smartphone F1. Battery B2 may obtain power directly from an external commercial power source, or it may be capable of supplying power to the smartphone F1 when disconnected from an external commercial power source. 【0063】 Next, we will describe various examples of operations for controlling the opening and closing of the valve based on the operation or acoustic mode of earphones 1L and 1R. In this embodiment, for example, three types of operation examples will be described. 【0064】 (Example of first action) Figure 7 shows an example of state transitions of the earphone's acoustic mode related to the first operation example. Figure 8 shows a correspondence table showing an example of the relationship between the earphone's acoustic mode and operation related to the first operation example. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the earphone's operation procedure related to the first operation example in chronological order. The flowchart in Figure 9 is executed by the earphone control units S2L and S2R when the state of earphones 1L and 1R (for example, the operation or acoustic mode of earphones 1L and 1R) changes. 【0065】 The first example of operation is the most basic of the three types of operation examples. For example, when the user is on the phone or participating in a remote meeting (online meeting), both valves 70L and 70R are switched to the open state regardless of the sound mode. When the user is listening to music, the state of valves 70L and 70R is switched differently depending on the sound mode. 【0066】 Here, the earphone's acoustic mode is an operating mode that specifies the acoustic characteristics of the sound signal (e.g., music signal) acoustically output from earphones 1L and 1R. For example, there are noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2, and off mode MD0. 【0067】 Noise cancellation mode MD1 is an operating mode that performs known noise cancellation processing. Noise cancellation processing can suppress or remove ambient noise components by generating an inverse phase signal of ambient noise components using the sound signals picked up by earphone 1L (specifically, microphones MC1L, MC3L) and earphone 1R (specifically, microphones MC1R, MC3R), and then combining this inverse phase signal with the sound signal to be acoustically output. 【0068】 Ambient sound mode MD2 is an operating mode that actively picks up and captures ambient sounds around earphones 1L and 1R. In ambient sound mode, the ambient sound signals picked up by the microphone MC1L on earphone 1L and the microphone MC1R on earphone 1R are input to the earphone control units S2L and S2R, respectively. 【0069】 Off mode MD0 is the so-called normal operating mode, and neither noise cancellation nor ambient sound capture is performed. 【0070】 The noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2, and off mode MD0 can each be easily switched between by predetermined user operations. These predetermined user operations may include, for example, long-pressing the touch sensors TCL and TCR on earphones 1L and 1R, respectively, or specifying the sound mode from a dedicated application (not shown) installed on smartphone F1. This allows the user to easily change the sound mode of earphones 1L and 1R. 【0071】 The correspondence table TBL1 shown in Figure 8 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R in the first operation example, according to the playback state of earphones 1L and 1R (specifically, during music playback and during a call) and the acoustic mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2, and off mode MD0). The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0072】 As described above, in the first operational example, while the user is on a call (for example, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice, or while the user is listening to the voice of another person on the other end of the call even if they are not speaking), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the acoustic mode. In other words, valves 70L and 70R are kept open regardless of whether it is noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2, or off mode MD0. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, so the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR is exposed to the outside air, and the user is prevented from having the sensation that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0073】 On the other hand, while the user is playing music (i.e., while the music signal is being acoustically output from speakers SP1L and SP1R), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state if the acoustic mode is noise cancellation mode MD1 or off mode MD0. Then, if the acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2, the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state. This allows the user to enjoy music listening comfortably by switching to noise cancellation mode MD1 or off mode MD0 and closing valves 70L and 70R, for example, when they want to concentrate on listening to music, thereby suppressing degradation of music quality. Furthermore, even when not on a call (for example, while playing music), the user can hear ambient sounds by switching to ambient sound mode MD2 and opening valves 70L and 70R, improving convenience. Therefore, users will be able to hear the voices of others more clearly when they speak to them while listening to music, and they will also be able to suppress the feeling that their own speech sounds muffled. 【0074】 In Figure 9, the earphone control units S2L and S2R of the earphones 1L and 1R determine whether the user is currently on a call based on whether the sound pressure level of the audio signal picked up by the microphones MC2L and MC2R, or the sound pressure level of the audio signal corresponding to the voice spoken by the other person on the other end of the call, exceeds a predetermined sound pressure level threshold that is expected to occur when a call is in progress, or whether the user is connected using the Bluetooth® hands-free profile (step St1). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the user is currently on a call (step St1, YES), they open the valves 70L and 70R to allow the path 71 to be exposed to the outside air (step St2). As a result, when the user is on a call, the path 71 is exposed to the outside air, which suppresses the user from experiencing the discomfort of muffled sound in their ears and allows them to have a comfortable conversation. 【0075】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the user is not currently on a call (step St1, NO), they refer to, for example, RAM12L and 12R to determine whether the current acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2 (step St3). The case where the user is not on a call is, for example, when the user is playing music transferred from smartphone F1 using earphones 1L and 1R. 【0076】 If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2 (step St3, YES), they open the valves 70L and 70R to allow the path 71 to be exposed to the outside air (step St2). As a result, even if the user is not on a call, ambient sound is picked up by the microphones MC1L and MC1R and output through the speakers SP1L and SP1R, allowing the user to hear surrounding sounds. This means that the user can be spoken to even while listening to music, and because the path 71 is exposed to the outside air, the user can easily be aware of what is happening around them. 【0077】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current acoustic mode is not ambient sound mode MD2 (step St3, NO), they close the valves 70L and 70R to block (close) the path 71 from the outside air (step St4). This allows the user to concentrate on listening to music without being bothered by surrounding noise when the user is not on a call and the acoustic mode is not ambient sound mode MD2 (for example, when playing music transferred from smartphone F1). 【0078】 (Example of second action) Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of state transitions of the earphone's acoustic mode related to the second operation example. Figure 11 is a diagram showing a correspondence table illustrating an example of the relationship between the earphone's acoustic mode and operation related to the second operation example. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the earphone's operation procedure related to the second operation example in chronological order. In the explanation of Figure 10 or Figure 12, explanations of elements that overlap with the explanation of Figure 7 or Figure 9 are simplified or omitted by assigning the same symbols as the corresponding symbols, and different content is explained. The flowchart in Figure 12 is executed by the earphone control units S2L and S2R when the state of earphones 1L and 1R (for example, the operation or acoustic mode of earphones 1L and 1R) changes, similar to Figure 9. 【0079】 The second operation example is an advanced version of the first operation example. For example, if the user is on the phone or participating in a remote meeting (online meeting), both valves 70L and 70R are switched to the open state regardless of the acoustic mode, similar to the first operation example. However, if the user is listening to music, the state of valves 70L and 70R is switched depending on whether the ambient sound mode is sealed or open. 【0080】 In the second operating example, the ambient sound mode MD2 has two sub-modes: closed mode MD2a and open mode MD2b. Open mode MD2b of ambient sound mode MD2 is an operating mode that actively picks up and incorporates ambient sounds around earphones 1L and 1R, similar to ambient sound mode MD2 in the first operating example. Open mode MD2b is used, for example, when you want to actively hear other people talking around you. On the other hand, closed mode MD2a of ambient sound mode MD2 is used when you don't necessarily want to actively incorporate ambient sounds, but you intend for incorporating ambient sounds to assist the user's actions. For example, when the user is walking or wants to listen to announcements such as phone calls, and does not want to make a call but wants to hear ambient sounds, switching to closed mode is expected to improve the sound quality of the music acoustically output from earphones 1L and 1R. 【0081】 The correspondence table TBL2 shown in Figure 11 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R in the second operation example, according to the playback state of earphones 1L and 1R (specifically, during music playback and during a call) and the acoustic mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode MD1, sealed mode MD2a of ambient sound mode MD2, open mode MD2b of ambient sound mode MD2, and off mode MD0). The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0082】 In the second example of operation, as in the first example, while the user is on a call (for example, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice, or while the user is listening to the voice of another person on the other end of the call even if they are not speaking), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the acoustic mode. In other words, valves 70L and 70R are kept open regardless of whether it is noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2a, ambient sound mode MD2b, or off mode MD0. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, so the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR is exposed to the outside air, and the user is prevented from having the sensation that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0083】 On the other hand, while the user is playing music (i.e., while the music signal is being acoustically output from speakers SP1L and SP1R), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state if the acoustic mode is noise cancellation mode MD1, off mode MD0, or ambient sound mode MD2a. Then, if the acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2b, each of the earphone control units S2L and S2R switches valves 70L and 70R to the open state. This allows the user to improve the sound quality of the music and enjoy a comfortable music listening experience by switching to noise cancellation mode MD1, ambient sound mode MD2a, or off mode MD0 and closing valves 70L and 70R, for example, when they want to concentrate on listening to music or when they want to hear ambient sounds even while music is playing. Furthermore, even when not on a call (for example, while playing music), users can improve convenience by switching to the open mode MD2b of the ambient sound mode MD2, opening valves 70L and 70R to hear ambient sounds. As a result, users can hear the voices of others more clearly when spoken to while listening to music, and the feeling of their own speech sounding muffled can be suppressed. 【0084】 In Figure 12, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2 (step St3, YES), they determine whether the current sub-mode is sealed mode MD2a or open mode MD2b (step St11). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current sub-mode is open mode MD2b (step St11, open mode), they open the valves 70L and 70R to allow the path 71 to flow to the outside air (step St2). As a result, even if the user is not on a call, ambient sounds are picked up by the microphones MC1L and MC1R and output from the speakers SP1L and SP1R, allowing the user to hear them. This makes it easier to actively hear the voices of people around you even when listening to music, and because the path 71 is open to the outside air, the user can easily understand what is happening around them. 【0085】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current sub-mode is sealed mode MD2a (step St11, sealed mode), they close the valves 70L and 70R to block (close) the path 71 from the outside air (step St4). This allows the user to hear ambient sounds even when they are not on a call and are not speaking, and also improves the sound quality of the music being played, allowing the user to enjoy music comfortably. 【0086】 (Example of third action) Figure 13 is a diagram showing an example of state transitions of the earphone's acoustic mode related to the third operation example. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the valve opening / closing setting screen during ambient sound mode. Figure 15 is a diagram showing a correspondence table illustrating an example of the relationship between the earphone's acoustic mode and operation related to the third operation example. Figure 16 is a flowchart showing an example of the earphone's operation procedure related to the third operation example in chronological order. In the explanation of Figure 13 or Figure 16, explanations of elements that overlap with the explanation of Figure 10 or Figure 12 are simplified or omitted by assigning the same symbols as the corresponding symbols, and different content is explained. The flowchart in Figure 16 is executed by the earphone control units S2L and S2R when the state of earphones 1L and 1R (for example, the operation or acoustic mode of earphones 1L and 1R) changes, similar to Figure 9 or Figure 12. 【0087】 The third operation example is an evolution of the first operation example. For example, if the user is on the phone or participating in a remote meeting (online meeting), both valves 70L and 70R are switched to the open state regardless of the acoustic mode, similar to the first operation example. However, for the ambient sound take-in mode, the user can individually set two sub-modes based on their preferences, and the open / closed state of valves 70L and 70R is switched differently in each sub-mode. 【0088】 In the third example of operation, the ambient sound mode MD2 has two sub-modes, A and B, which can be freely defined by the user. Sub-mode A of ambient sound mode MD2 is, for example, an operating mode that captures sound signals in the entire frequency band, and the same applies in the following description. Sub-mode B of ambient sound mode MD2 is, for example, an operating mode that captures sound signals in the frequency band of human voices (e.g., 100-1000Hz band), and the same applies in the following description. Note that the contents of sub-modes A and B are not limited to these, and can be arbitrarily selected or specified by user operation on a dedicated application installed on smartphone F1, for example. According to sub-mode A, earphones 1L and 1R can capture sounds occurring in the surroundings without leakage, not limited to human voices. On the other hand, according to sub-mode B, earphones 1L and 1R can capture only human voices occurring in the surroundings. 【0089】 The setting screen WD1 shown in Figure 14 is displayed on the display / operation unit 30 within a dedicated application installed on the smartphone F1, for example, by user operation. In the third operation example, this setting screen allows the user to set whether or not to open or close valves 70L and 70R during operation in ambient sound mode MD2 when not on a call. The setting screen WD1 includes a setting area SB1 for sub-mode A and a setting area SB2 for sub-mode B. In Figure 14, for example, in sub-mode A, valves 70L and 70R are specified to be "open" (i.e., in the open state), and in sub-mode B, valves 70L and 70R are specified to be "closed" (i.e., in the closed state). After these specifications are made, when the OK icon BT1 is pressed by user operation, the smartphone F1 shares the opening and closing settings for valves 70L and 70R in sub-modes A and B corresponding to the press of the OK icon BT1 with the earphones 1L and 1R. As a result, in the third operating example, earphones 1L and 1R can easily control the opening and closing of valves 70L and 70R based on settings shared from smartphone F1 while the user is not on a call (for example, while playing music) and in ambient sound mode MD2. 【0090】 The correspondence table TBL3 shown in Figure 15 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R in the third operation example, according to the playback state of earphones 1L and 1R (specifically, during music playback and during a call) and the acoustic mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode MD1, sub-mode A of ambient sound mode MD2, sub-mode B of ambient sound mode MD2, and off mode MD0). The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0091】 In the third example of operation, as in the first and second examples of operation, while the user is on a call (for example, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice, or while the user is listening to the voice of another person on the other end of the call even if they are not speaking), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the acoustic mode. In other words, valves 70L and 70R are kept open regardless of whether it is noise cancellation mode MD1, sub-mode A of ambient sound mode MD2, sub-mode B of ambient sound mode MD2, or off mode MD0. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, so the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR is exposed to the outside air, and the user is prevented from having the sensation that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0092】 On the other hand, while the user is playing music (i.e., while the music signal is being acoustically output from speakers SP1L and SP1R), the earphone control units S2L and S2R will switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state if the acoustic mode is set to noise cancellation mode MD1, off mode MD0, or the sub-mode A or B of ambient sound mode MD2, respectively. Conversely, if the acoustic mode is set to the sub-mode A or B of ambient sound mode MD2, respectively, the earphone control units S2L and S2R will switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state. This improves convenience, as the user can, for example, hear ambient sounds in a frequency range (sub-mode A or B) that they want to hear according to their usage by opening valves 70L and 70R. Furthermore, if a user wants to block out external noise in specific frequencies (sub-modes A and B) to concentrate on listening to music, they can enjoy a more comfortable music listening experience by closing the 70L and 70R valves. 【0093】 In Figure 16, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current acoustic mode is ambient sound mode MD2 (step St3, YES), they determine whether the current setting for sub-mode A or sub-mode B is "CLOSE" or "OPEN" (step St21). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current setting for sub-mode A or sub-mode B is "OPEN" (step St21, OPEN), they open the valves 70L and 70R to allow the path 71 to flow to the outside air (step St2). As a result, even if the user is not on a call, ambient sounds are picked up by the microphones MC1L and MC1R and output through the speakers SP1L and SP1R, allowing the user to hear them. This makes it easier to actively hear the voices of people around you even when listening to music, and the opening of the path 71 to the outside air also makes it easier for the user to understand what is happening around them. 【0094】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current setting for sub-mode A or sub-mode B is "CLOSE" (step St21, CLOSE), they close the valves 70L and 70R to shut off (close) the path 71 from the outside air (step St4). This allows the user to hear ambient sounds when they want to casually listen to them while in sub-mode A or sub-mode B of ambient sound mode MD2, even if they are not on a call and therefore not speaking. In addition, the user can enjoy music more comfortably with improved sound quality. 【0095】 As described above, the earphones 1L,1R according to this embodiment include a housing HOL,HOR having a space inside and a path that allows air to pass from one end on the wearer's (user's) ear canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side (outside air side); a valve 70L,70R housed inside the housing HOL,HOR that can switch the path 71 between an open state and a closed state; a microphone MC2L,MC2R positioned on one end of the housing HOL,HOR and capable of picking up the wearer's speech; and a control unit (e.g., earphone control unit S2L,S2R) that controls the open state and the closed state. The control unit switches the path 71 to an open state during a first operation, which is during a call and includes the operation of picking up the wearer's speech with the microphone MC2L,MC2R, and switches the path 71 to either an open state or a closed state during a second operation, which is a different state from the first operation (e.g., during music playback). As a result, the earphones 1L and 1R can adaptively adjust the ease of hearing the sound according to the wearer's usage situation (for example, during the first or second action), thereby reducing discomfort for the wearer. 【0096】 Furthermore, the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) can control the acoustic mode of the earphones 1L and 1R. When the acoustic mode is noise cancellation mode, the path 71 is switched to a closed state during the second operation, and when the acoustic mode is ambient sound mode, the path is switched to an open state during the second operation. As a result, when the earphones 1L and 1R are in noise cancellation mode MD1, in which the user can suppress noise components contained in ambient sound, the valves 70L and 70R are closed, making it easy for the user to concentrate on the music. Also, when the earphones 1L and 1R are in ambient sound mode MD2, in which the user wants to take in ambient sound, the valves 70L and 70R are open, making it easy for the user to be aware of their surroundings. 【0097】 Furthermore, the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) switches the path 71 to a closed state during the second operation if the acoustic mode is neither noise cancellation mode nor ambient sound mode. As a result, when the acoustic mode is the so-called off mode MD0, the earphones 1L and 1R can easily provide the user with an environment in which they can concentrate on listening to music by closing the valves 70L and 70R, just like conventional earphones. 【0098】 Furthermore, the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) can control the acoustic mode of the earphones. When the acoustic mode is the closed mode MD2a of the ambient sound mode MD2, the path 71 is switched to the closed state during the second operation. When the acoustic mode is the open mode MD2b of the ambient sound mode MD2, the path 71 is switched to the open state during the second operation. This allows the user to improve the sound quality of music and enjoy listening to music comfortably by switching to noise cancellation mode MD1, the closed mode MD2a of the ambient sound mode MD2, or the off mode MD0, and closing the valves 70L and 70R, for example, when they want to concentrate on listening to music or when they want to hear ambient sounds even while music is playing. In addition, even when not on a call (for example, while playing music), the user can hear ambient sounds by switching to the open mode MD2b of the ambient sound mode MD2 and opening the valves 70L and 70R, thus improving convenience. 【0099】 Furthermore, the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) switches the path 71 to a closed state during the second operation when the acoustic mode is noise cancellation mode MD1, and switches the path 71 to a closed state during the second operation when the acoustic mode is neither noise cancellation mode MD1 nor ambient sound mode MD2. This allows the user to concentrate on listening to high-quality music when playing music in noise cancellation mode MD1. Also, when neither noise cancellation mode MD1 nor ambient sound mode MD2 is selected, the user can easily obtain an environment in which they want to concentrate on listening to music by closing the valves 70L and 70R, similar to conventional earphones. 【0100】 Furthermore, the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) can control the acoustic modes of earphones 1L and 1R. When the acoustic mode is the first sub-mode (e.g., sub-mode A) of the ambient sound mode MD2, based on the wearer's specification, the path 71 is switched to a closed state during the second operation. When the acoustic mode is the first sub-mode (e.g., sub-mode A) of the ambient sound mode MD2, based on the wearer's specification, the path 71 is switched to an open state during the second operation. When the acoustic mode is the second sub-mode (e.g., sub-mode B) of the ambient sound mode MD2, based on the wearer's specification, the path 71 is switched to a closed state during the second operation. When the acoustic mode is the second sub-mode (e.g., sub-mode B) of the ambient sound mode MD2, based on the wearer's specification, the path 71 is switched to an open state during the second operation. This improves convenience, as the user can, for example, hear ambient sounds in a frequency range (sub-modes A, B) that they want to hear according to their usage by opening the valves 70L and 70R. Furthermore, if a user wants to block out external noise in specific frequencies (sub-modes A and B) to concentrate on listening to music, they can enjoy a more comfortable music listening experience by closing the 70L and 70R valves. 【0101】 Furthermore, the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) switches the path 71 to a closed state during the second operation when the acoustic mode is noise cancellation mode MD1, and switches the path 71 to a closed state during the second operation when the acoustic mode is neither noise cancellation mode MD1 nor ambient sound mode MD2. This allows the user to concentrate on listening to high-quality music when playing music in noise cancellation mode MD1. Also, when neither noise cancellation mode MD1 nor ambient sound mode MD2 is selected, the user can easily obtain an environment in which they want to concentrate on listening to music by closing the valves 70L and 70R, similar to conventional earphones. 【0102】 Furthermore, the earphones 1L and 1R are equipped with touch sensors TCL and TCR, located at one end of the housing HOL and HOR, which are capable of detecting the wearer's touch operation. The control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L and S2R) detects a change in the acoustic mode based on the detection of touch operation on the touch sensors TCL and TCR. This allows the user to easily change the acoustic mode by simply touching the TCL and TCR, which are flat and have a large surface area relative to the housing HOL and HOR, even while wearing the earphones 1L and 1R. 【0103】 Furthermore, the earphones 1L and 1R are further equipped with a communication unit (for example, a wireless communication unit 14L to which antenna ATL is connected, and a wireless communication unit 14R to which antenna ATR is connected) that performs data communication with an external terminal (for example, a smartphone F1). The control unit (for example, earphone control units S2L and S2R) detects a change in the acoustic mode based on the acquisition of a mode change instruction from the external terminal by the communication unit. As a result, the user can easily change the acoustic mode by making simple operations on the smartphone F1 held in their hand, without having to touch the earphones 1L and 1R. 【0104】 While embodiments have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, this disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications, alterations, substitutions, additions, deletions, and equivalents can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the components of the embodiments described above can be combined in any way without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Industrial applicability] 【0105】 This disclosure is useful as an earphone, an acoustic control method, and a program that adaptively adjust the ease of hearing according to the wearer's usage situation and suppress discomfort for the wearer. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0106】 100 Wireless Audio Systems 1,1L,1R Earphones IPL, IPR ear tips MC1L, MC1R, MC2L, MC2R, MC3L, MC3R, MC4 Microphone TCL, TCR Touch Sensor HOL, HOR Housing SEL, SER mounted sensors SP1L, SP1R, SP2 speakers 11L, 11R, 34 ROM 12L, 12R, 35 RAM 13L,13R Power monitoring section B1L, B1R, B2 Battery 14L,14R Wireless communication section ATL, ATR, AT1, AT2, AT3 antennas S2L, S2R Earphone Control Unit S1L, S1R, 37 Audio Signal Input / Output Control Unit F1 Smartphone 30 Display / operation section 31 Public Telecommunication Interface Section 32 Public Network Protocol Control Unit 33 Control Unit 33A Smartphone OS Processing Unit 33B Smartphone application processing unit 36-tone signal bus 38 Short-range wireless control unit 39 Wireless LAN communication I / F section 40. Earphone Communication Interface Section 41 USB Communication Interface Section 60L,60R opening 70L, 70R valves 71 routes 72 Wall surface

Claims

[Claim 1] A housing having an internal space and a path that allows ventilation from one end facing the wearer's external auditory canal to the other end facing the surrounding environment, A valve housed inside the housing, which can switch the path between an open state and a closed state, A microphone is positioned at one end of the housing and capable of picking up the voice of the wearer, The system comprises a control unit that controls the open state and the closed state, The control unit is capable of controlling the acoustic mode of the earphones. During the first operation, which is a call that includes the operation of picking up the wearer's voice using the microphone, the path is switched to the open state. During the second operation, which is in a different state from the first operation, the path is switched between the open state and the closed state. If the acoustic mode is the sealed mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the closed state. If the acoustic mode is the open mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the open state. Earphones. [Claim 2] The control unit, If the acoustic mode is the noise cancellation mode, during the second operation, switch the path to the closed state. If the acoustic mode is neither the noise cancellation mode nor the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 3] The control unit, In the mode in which the acoustic mode captures the entire frequency band of the external sound capture mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation based on the specification by the wearer. In the mode in which the acoustic mode captures the entire frequency band of the external sound capture mode, the path is switched to the open state during the second operation based on the designation by the wearer. In the above-mentioned acoustic mode, which is a mode in which the frequency band of human voices in the external sound take-in mode is emphasized and taken in, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation based on the specification by the wearer. In the acoustic mode, which is a mode in which the frequency band of the human voice of the external sound capture mode is emphasized and captured, the path is switched to the open state during the second operation based on the specification by the wearer. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 4] The control unit, If the acoustic mode is the noise cancellation mode, during the second operation, switch the path to the closed state. If the acoustic mode is neither the noise cancellation mode nor the ambient sound mode, the path is switched to the closed state during the second operation. The earphones according to claim 3. [Claim 5] The housing further comprises a touch sensor located at one end and capable of detecting the wearer's touch operation, The control unit detects a change in the acoustic mode based on the detection of the touch operation on the touch sensor. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 6] It further includes a communication unit that performs data communication with external terminals, The control unit detects a change in the acoustic mode based on the acquisition of a mode change instruction from the external terminal by the communication unit. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 7] An acoustic control method using earphones comprising: a housing having an internal space and a path that allows ventilation from one end on the wearer's external ear canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side; and a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state, During a first operation which is a call in progress, the steps include switching the path to the open state, while the microphone, which is located at one end of the housing and capable of picking up the wearer's speech, is picking up the wearer's speech. The second operation, which is in a different state from the first operation, includes the step of switching the path between the open state and the closed state, The sound mode of the aforementioned earphones is controllable. If the acoustic mode is the sealed mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the closed state. If the acoustic mode is the open mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the open state. Acoustic control method. [Claim 8] An earphone having a housing with an internal space and a path that allows ventilation from one end facing the wearer's ear canal to the other end facing the surrounding environment, and a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state, During a first operation which is a call in progress, the steps include switching the path to the open state, while the microphone, which is located at one end of the housing and capable of picking up the wearer's speech, is picking up the wearer's speech. During the second operation, which is in a different state from the first operation, the system is made to perform the step of switching the path between the open state and the closed state. The sound mode of the aforementioned earphones is controllable. If the acoustic mode is the sealed mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the closed state. If the acoustic mode is the open mode of the external sound intake mode, during the second operation, the path is switched to the open state. program.

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