Earphones, sound control method, and program

The earphones with a ventilation path and valve system automatically adjust to open or closed states based on microphone inputs, addressing the issue of muffled voice and wind noise, improving user experience during calls and music listening.

JP7873410B2Active Publication Date: 2026-06-12PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD
Filing Date
2022-06-13
Publication Date
2026-06-12

Smart Images

  • Figure 0007873410000001
    Figure 0007873410000001
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  • Figure 0007873410000003
    Figure 0007873410000003
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

To improve convenience for a wearer by achieving both easiness of audibility of sounds corresponding to a usage condition of the wearer and easiness of audibility when wind noise is present.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 the other end side of the housing and can collect external sounds from a surrounding environment side, a second microphone that is disposed on the other end side of the housing and can collect sounds 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 or the closed state according to an operation mode, and keeps or switches the path to the open state when it is determined that the external sounds collected by each of the microphone and the second microphone during the operation mode are wind noise.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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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 that extends from an inner end facing the ear canal side to an outer end facing the peripheral side, and closing means that can switch 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 a telephone operation mode, these earphones automatically switch to the open state, and when the device is in an 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 (for example, noise components) less audible to the wearer. Also, earphones equipped with a microphone for picking up the voice of the wearer have 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 noise as much as possible by sealing the wearer's ears. Therefore, when earphones are worn in this way 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 unpleasant, muffled voice. In addition, if the environment around the wearer is somewhat windy (in other words, an environment where wind noise is easily picked up), not only is the noise generated by the wind entering through the vents unpleasant, but it also becomes difficult to hear the sound from the speaker. 【0006】 This disclosure was devised in light of the conventional circumstances described above, and aims to improve the convenience of the wearer by achieving both ease of hearing according to the wearer's usage situation and ease of hearing when wind noise is present. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 This disclosure includes a housing having an internal space and a path that allows ventilation from one end on the wearer's external auditory canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side; a valve housed inside the housing that can switch the path between an open state and a closed state; a microphone positioned on one end of the housing and capable of picking up external sounds from the ambient environment side; a second microphone positioned on the 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. A wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, The control unit comprises, Based on the operation of the aforementioned operating terminal, when the sound signals picked up by the microphone and the second microphone are wind noise, the automatic switching of the path to the closed state by the valve is set. Depending on the operating mode, the path is switched to either the open state or the closed state, and if it is determined that the sound signals picked up by the microphone and the second microphone during the operating mode are wind noise, Based on the setting for automatic switching The present invention provides earphones that maintain or switch the aforementioned path to the closed state. 【0008】 Furthermore, this disclosure relates to an acoustic control method using earphones having a housing that has a space inside 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, The steps include: performing wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, and, based on the operation of the operating terminal, setting the automatic switching of the path to the closed state by the valve when the sound signals picked up by the microphone capable of picking up external sounds from the surrounding environment and the second microphone capable of picking up the wearer's speech are wind noise; Depending on the operating mode, the step of switching the path to either the open state or the closed state, The aforementioned Microphone and front Record number If the sound signal picked up by each of the two microphones during the aforementioned operating mode is determined to be wind noise, Based on the setting for automatic switching The present invention provides an acoustic control method comprising the steps of maintaining or switching the aforementioned path to the closed state. 【0009】 Furthermore, this disclosure relates to 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. The steps include: performing wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, and, based on the operation of the operating terminal, setting the automatic switching of the path to the closed state by the valve when the sound signals picked up by the microphone capable of picking up external sounds from the surrounding environment and the second microphone capable of picking up the wearer's speech are wind noise; Depending on the operating mode, the step of switching the path to either the open state or the closed state, The aforementioned Microphone and front Record number If the sound signal picked up by each of the two microphones during the aforementioned operating mode is determined to be wind noise, Based on the setting for automatic switching A program is provided for performing the steps of maintaining or switching the aforementioned path to the closed state. 【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 the present disclosure, it is possible to balance the ease of hearing sounds according to the usage situation of the wearer and the ease of hearing when there is wind noise, and improve the convenience of the wearer. 【Brief Description of the Drawings】 【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 the present embodiment [Figure 6] Block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the smartphone according to the present embodiment [Figure 7] Diagram showing an example of a table defining the open / closed state of the valve based on the operation of the earphone and the presence or absence of detection of wind noise [Figure 8] Diagram showing an example of a setting screen for determining whether to automatically close the valve when wind noise is detected [Figure 9] Flowchart showing an example of the operation procedure of the earphone according to the present embodiment in chronological order [Figure 10] Flowchart showing in detail the determination process of the presence or absence of detection of wind noise in step St7 of FIG. 9 [Figure 11] Diagram showing an example of a first correspondence table showing the relationship between the operation mode and the operation of the earphone [Figure 12] Diagram showing an example of a second correspondence table showing the relationship between the operation mode and the operation of the earphone [Figure 13] Diagram showing an example of a third correspondence table showing the relationship between the operation mode and the operation of the earphone 【Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention】 【0013】 The following description will detail embodiments of the earphones, sound control method, and program disclosed herein, with appropriate reference to the drawings. However, unnecessary details may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand this disclosure and are not intended to limit the subject matter of the claims. 【0014】 First, an example of the earphone hardware configuration will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a front view of the earphone. Figure 2 is a rear view of the earphone. Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the configuration when earphones 1L and 1R are placed side by side, and the entire front surfaces of the touch sensors TCL and TCR face the front of the paper. 【0015】 For the sake of explanation, as shown in Figure 1, the X and Y axes are defined along a plane parallel to the surface of the touch sensor TCL of earphone 1L, and the axis perpendicular to the surface of the touch sensor TCL is defined as the Z axis. In earphone 1L, if the microphone MC1L side of the touch sensor TCL is the upper end and the microphone MC2L side opposite to microphone MC1L is the lower end, the direction from the lower end to the upper end is defined as the X axis. The direction perpendicular to both the Z and X axes is defined as the Y axis. The definitions of the XYZ axes are also applicable to earphone 1R. In this embodiment, for example, the orientation of earphone 1L shown in Figure 1 is defined as the front view. These expressions regarding directions are used for the sake of explanation and are not intended to limit the orientation of the structure during actual use. The same applies to the 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 (see 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 1L 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 portion (not shown) that communicates with the storage space. This mounting cylindrical portion 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 left 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 of the housing HOL by its inner cylinder, and is also provided on the mounting cylinder 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. Due to this elastic deformation, the IPL earpiece is held in the ear canal of the user's left ear. 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 ear canal of the user's left ear, 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 (an example of external 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 of the housing HOL, and when the earphone 1L is inserted into the user's left ear, it is positioned as close as possible to the external auditory canal of that 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 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 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】 Thus, the earphone 1L has an earpiece of one of several different sizes, which is attached to either the user's left or right ear. 【0032】 Next, the open and closed states of the valve will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view AA when the valve is in the closed state. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view AA when the valve is in the open state. Although earphone 1R is used as an example in Figures 3 and 4 for illustrative purposes, 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. 【0033】 The cross-sectional view shown in Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view AA of the earphone 1R shown in Figure 1. The valve 70R is a device having a movable mechanism that controls the air passing through the path 71. The valve 70R switches between opening and closing the 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 the driver SP1RDr that constitutes the speaker SP1R, or the 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 the earphone 1R. The operation of the valve 70R (specifically, opening and closing) is controlled by the earphone control unit S2R. The valve may be, for example, the gate valve shown in Figure 3, or a globe valve, needle valve, ball valve, or butterfly valve. 【0034】 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). 【0035】 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. 【0036】 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 pair of 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. 【0037】 The wireless audio 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) 11, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 12, 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. 【0038】 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. 【0039】 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. 【0040】 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. 【0041】 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 units 14L and 14R, respectively. Therefore, each of the earphones 1L and 1R can receive data, audio signals, or information transmitted from the smartphone F1. 【0042】 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. 【0043】 The audio signal input / output control unit S1L is connected to each of the microphones MC1L, MC2L, and MC3L, and receives the 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. 【0044】 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 signals in the form of audio signals converted into digital format. The earphone control unit S2L ​​functions as a controller that oversees the overall operation of the earphone 1L, performing 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. 【0045】 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. 【0046】 Each of the earphone control units S2L and S2R is capable of functionally performing the corresponding wind noise detection units S2La and S2Ra, respectively. The wind noise detection unit S2La detects the presence or absence of wind noise based on at least one of the correlation (similarity) of the waveforms of sound signals picked up by, for example, microphones MC1L and MC2L, and the sound pressure level. For example, if the wind noise detection unit S2La determines that at least one of the correlation (similarity) and sound pressure level of the sound signals picked up by microphones MC1L and MC2L exceeds predetermined thresholds for correlation and sound pressure level, it determines that the picked up sound signal is a wind noise signal. The predetermined thresholds include the threshold for the correlation (similarity) of the waveforms of the sound signals and the threshold for the sound pressure level. Here, since both microphones MC1L and MC2L are positioned facing outward relative to the housing HOL, it can be assumed that both have similar wind noise signal waveforms and sound pressure levels in a situation where wind noise is present. However, since microphone MC2L picks up the wearer's voice during a call, in this case, wind noise detection unit S2La can determine that wind noise has been detected when it determines that the waveform of the sound signal excluding the frequency band of the voice (e.g., 100~1kHz) is correlated with the waveform of the sound signal picked up by microphone MC1L, or / or that their sound pressure levels are equivalent. 【0047】 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 set on 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 operating mode of earphone 1L (see below). Details of the control method for valve 70L will be described later. 【0048】 The F1 smartphone is a wireless terminal carried by the user. 【0049】 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". 【0050】 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. 【0051】 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. 【0052】 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. 【0053】 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. 【0054】 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. 【0055】 RAM 35 is a RAM used as work memory 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. 【0056】 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. 【0057】 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. 【0058】 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. 【0059】 Speaker SP2 acoustically outputs sound signal data from the sound signal input / output control unit 37. 【0060】 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. 【0061】 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). 【0062】 The earphone communication interface unit 40 is connected to the antenna AT1 of the smartphone F1 and performs short-range wireless communication via Bluetooth (for example, data transmission from the short-range wireless control unit 38) with the earphone 1. 【0063】 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. 【0064】 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. 【0065】 Next, we will explain an example of how to control the opening and closing of the valve based on the operation of earphones 1L and 1R and whether or not wind noise is detected. 【0066】 Figure 7 shows an example of a table that defines the open / closed state of a valve based on the operation of the earphones and whether or not wind noise is detected. Figure 8 shows an example of a setting screen for whether or not automatic valve closure is required when wind noise is detected. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the earphone operation procedure according to this embodiment in chronological order. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing in detail the process of determining whether or not wind noise is detected in step St7 of Figure 9. The flowchart in Figure 9 is executed periodically by the earphone control units S2L and S2R of earphones 1L and 1R, respectively. 【0067】 Table TBL0, shown in Figure 7, defines the state of valves 70L and 70R according to the playback status of earphones 1L and 1R (specifically, during music playback and during a call) and whether or not wind noise is detected. The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0068】 While the user is on a call (in other words, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each maintain or switch valves 70L and 70R in an open state if wind noise is not detected by the wind noise detection units S2La and S2Ra, respectively. As a result, when no wind noise is detected while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R remain open, allowing the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR to be exposed to the outside air. This suppresses the user's perception that their own voice sounds muffled, even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0069】 Furthermore, while the user is on a call (in other words, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's speech), the earphone control units S2L and S2R, respectively, switch valves 70L and 70R from open to closed if wind noise is detected by the wind noise detection units S2La and S2Ra, respectively. As a result, earphones 1L and 1R keep both valves 70L and 70R closed while wind noise is detected during a user's call, thus suppressing any unpleasant sensations the user may experience due to wind noise. 【0070】 On the other hand, while the user is playing music (i.e., while the speakers SP1L and SP1R are acoustically outputting a music signal), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each maintain or switch valves 70L and 70R in the closed state, regardless of whether wind noise is detected or not. This allows the user to enjoy music listening comfortably, for example, when they want to concentrate on listening to music, because the deterioration of the music's sound quality is suppressed regardless of the presence or absence of wind noise, by keeping valves 70L and 70R in the closed state. 【0071】 The setting screen WD1 shown in Figure 8 is displayed on the display / operation unit 30 within a dedicated application installed on the smartphone F1, for example, by user operation. This setting screen allows users to configure whether or not to automatically close (i.e., close) valves 70L and 70R when wind noise is detected by earphones 1L and 1R, respectively. The setting screen WD1 displays an enable icon and a disable icon. The enable icon and the disable icon can be selected alternately by user operation. In Figure 8, for example, the enable icon is selected. After this selection, 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 response to wind noise detection, corresponding to the press of the OK icon BT1, with earphones 1L and 1R. As a result, earphones 1L and 1R can automatically control valves 70L and 70R to the closed state based on the detection of wind noise. 【0072】 In Figure 9, the earphone control units S2L and S2R of earphones 1L and 1R determine whether the current operating mode of earphones 1L and 1R is in the "principle valve open" state by referring to, for example, RAM 12L and 12R (step St1). Here, "principle valve open" refers to the operation of earphones 1L and 1R in which it is desirable, in principle, to keep valves 70L and 70R in the open state, for example, when the user is on a call. Note that the principle valve open operation is not limited to when a call is being made. As it is written as "principle," in this embodiment, in principle, during the principle valve open operation, valves 70L and 70R are in the open state, but as an exception, when wind noise is detected, valves 70L and 70R are switched to the closed state. 【0073】 If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current operating mode of earphones 1L and 1R is, in principle, the valve open operation (Step St1, YES), they refer to, for example, RAM12L and 12R to determine whether the automatic closing (closed state) of valves 70L and 70R when wind noise is detected is set (Step St2). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the automatic closing (closed state) of valves 70L and 70R when wind noise is detected is not set (Step St2, NO), they refer to, for example, RAM12L and 12R to determine whether valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state (closed state) (Step St3). 【0074】 If it is determined that valves 70L and 70R are not in a closed state (step St3, NO), the processing of the earphone control units S2L and S2R in Figure 9 is terminated. On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state (step St3, YES), they open valves 70L and 70R to allow the path 71 to be exposed to the outside air (step St4). As a result, when no wind noise is currently detected and the valves are in the principle of being open, valves 70L and 70R are both open, so the user can have a comfortable conversation by suppressing the feeling that their own voice sounds muffled in their ears when the valves are in the principle of being open (for example, during a call). 【0075】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the current operating mode of earphones 1L and 1R is not in the valve open state (step St1, NO), they determine whether valves 70L and 70R are in the open state by referring to, for example, RAM 12L and 12R (step St5). 【0076】 If it is determined that valves 70L and 70R are not in the open state (step St5, NO), the processing of the earphone control units S2L and S2R in Figure 9 is terminated. On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that valves 70L and 70R are in the open state (step St5, YES), they close valves 70L and 70R to block the path 71 from the outside air (step St6). As a result, when wind noise is currently detected or when the valves are not in the open state (for example, when listening to music), valves 70L and 70R are both closed, allowing the user to concentrate on listening to music without being bothered by ambient noise. 【0077】 Furthermore, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the automatic closing (closed state) of valves 70L and 70R when wind noise is detected is set (step St2, YES), they determine whether or not wind noise has been detected based on the sound signals picked up by two types of microphones (for example, microphones MC1L and MC2L for earphone 1L, and microphones MC1R and MC2R for earphone 1R) (step St7). Details of step St7 will be described later with reference to Figure 10. 【0078】 If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that wind noise has been detected (step St8, YES), they determine whether the valves 70L and 70R are in the open state by referring to, for example, RAM12L and 12R (step St5). The explanations of each process in steps St5 to St6 are as described above, so we will omit further explanation. 【0079】 If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that they have not detected wind noise (step St8, NO), they determine whether the valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state by referring to, for example, RAM12L and 12R (step St3). The explanations of each process in steps St3 to St4 are as described above, so we will omit further explanation. 【0080】 In Figure 10, the earphone control units S2L and S2R detect the presence or absence of wind noise based on at least one of the correlation (similarity) and sound pressure level of the sound signals picked up by the microphones MC1L and MC2L of earphone 1L and MC1R and MC2R of earphone 1R (step St71). In step St71, the earphone control units S2L and S2R calculate a confidence score based on the correlation (similarity) and sound pressure level of the sound signals picked up by the microphones MC1L and MC2L. For example, if both the correlation and sound pressure level are similar, the confidence score is high, while if both the correlation and sound pressure level are different, the confidence score is low. The earphone control units S2L and S2R then determine that wind noise has been detected if the calculated confidence score exceeds a predetermined confidence threshold. 【0081】 The earphone control units S2L and S2R determine whether valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state by referring to, for example, RAM 12L and 12R (step St72). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state (step St72, YES), they determine whether the confidence level for wind noise detection calculated in step St71 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value Th1 (step St73). If the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the confidence level for wind noise detection is greater than or equal to a predetermined value Th1 (step St73, YES), they determine that wind noise has been detected (step St74). After this, the process for determining the presence or absence of wind noise shown in Figure 10 is completed. 【0082】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the confidence level for detecting wind noise is less than a predetermined value Th1 (step St73, NO), they determine that no wind noise has been detected (step St75). After this, the process for determining the presence or absence of wind noise, as shown in Figure 10, is completed. 【0083】 Furthermore, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that valves 70L and 70R are not in a closed state (step St72, NO), they determine whether the confidence level for detecting wind noise calculated in step St71 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th2 (step St76). Here, predetermined value Th1 and predetermined value Th2 may be the same or different values. Predetermined value Th1 is the confidence threshold when valves 70L and 70R are in a closed state. Predetermined value Th2 is the confidence threshold when valves 70L and 70R are in an open state. 【0084】 The earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that wind noise has been detected (step St74) if the confidence level for detecting wind noise is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th2 (step St76, YES). After this, the process for determining the presence or absence of wind noise shown in Figure 10 is completed. 【0085】 On the other hand, if the earphone control units S2L and S2R determine that the confidence level for detecting wind noise is less than a predetermined value Th2 (step St76, NO), they determine that no wind noise has been detected (step St75). After this, the process for determining the presence or absence of wind noise shown in Figure 10 is completed. 【0086】 Figure 11 shows an example of a first correspondence table illustrating the relationship between earphone operating modes and operation. Figure 12 shows an example of a second correspondence table illustrating the relationship between earphone operating modes and operation. Figure 13 shows an example of a third correspondence table illustrating the relationship between earphone operating modes and operation. 【0087】 The earphones according to this embodiment have, for example, noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode, and off mode. 【0088】 The noise cancellation mode 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. 【0089】 The ambient sound mode is an operating mode that actively picks up and captures ambient sounds around the 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. 【0090】 Off mode is the so-called normal operating mode, and neither noise cancellation nor ambient sound capture is performed. 【0091】 The noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode, and off mode can each be easily switched between through predetermined user operations. These predetermined user operations may include, for example, long-pressing the touch sensors TCL and TCR on the respective earphones 1L and 1R, or specifying the operating mode from a dedicated application (not shown) installed on the smartphone F1. This allows the user to easily change the operating mode of the earphones 1L and 1R. 【0092】 The correspondence table TBL1 shown in Figure 11 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R according to the playback status (specifically, during music playback, during a call) and operating mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode, and off mode) of earphones 1L and 1R. The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0093】 While the user is on a call (in other words, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice), the earphone control units S2L and S2R, respectively, switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the operating mode. That is, valves 70L and 70R are kept open whether in noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode, or off mode. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, allowing the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR to be exposed to the outside air, thus suppressing the user's perception that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0094】 However, if earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is on a call and valves 70L and 70R are open, they will switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state, regardless of the operating mode shown in Figure 11. 【0095】 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, respectively, switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state if the operating mode is noise cancellation mode or off mode. Conversely, if the operating mode is ambient sound mode, the earphone control units S2L and S2R, respectively, switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state. This allows the user to enjoy music listening comfortably by switching to noise cancellation mode or off mode 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 and opening valves 70L and 70R, improving convenience. 【0096】 However, if the earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is playing music and the operating mode is in ambient sound mode, causing the valves 70L and 70R to be open, they will switch the valves 70L and 70R to the closed state. 【0097】 The ambient sound capture mode shown in Figure 12 has two sub-modes: a closed mode and an open mode. The open mode of the ambient sound capture mode is an operating mode that actively picks up and takes in ambient sounds from around the earphones 1L and 1R. The open mode is used, for example, when you want to actively hear other people talking around you. On the other hand, the closed mode of the ambient sound capture mode is used when you don't want to actively take in ambient sounds, but you intend for taking in ambient sounds to assist the user's actions. For example, when the user is walking or wants to hear announcements on the phone, etc., and does not want to make a call but wants to hear ambient sounds, it is expected that the sound quality of the music acoustically output from earphones 1L and 1R will be improved by using the closed mode. 【0098】 The correspondence table TBL2 shown in Figure 12 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R according to the playback status (specifically, during music playback, during a call) and operating mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode, sealed mode of ambient sound mode, open mode of ambient sound mode, and off mode) of earphones 1L and 1R. The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0099】 While the user is on a call (in other words, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice), the earphone control units S2L and S2R, respectively, switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the operating mode. That is, valves 70L and 70R are kept open regardless of whether the mode is noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode (sealed mode), ambient sound mode (open mode), or off mode. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, allowing the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR to be exposed to the outside air, thus suppressing the user's perception that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0100】 However, if earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is on a call and valves 70L and 70R are open, they will switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state, regardless of the operating mode shown in Figure 12. 【0101】 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 operating mode is noise cancellation mode, off mode, or the sealed mode of ambient sound mode. Conversely, if the operating mode is the open mode of ambient sound mode, the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch 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, the sealed mode of ambient sound mode, or off mode 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), the user can hear ambient sounds by switching to the open mode of ambient sound mode and opening valves 70L and 70R, improving convenience. 【0102】 However, if the earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is playing music and the operating mode is in the open mode of ambient sound mode, causing valves 70L and 70R to be open, they will switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state. 【0103】 The ambient sound mode in Figure 13 has two sub-modes, A and B, which can be freely defined by the user. Sub-mode A of the ambient sound mode is, for example, an operating mode that captures sound signals in the entire frequency band, and the same applies to the following description. Sub-mode B of the ambient sound mode 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 to 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 the user through 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. 【0104】 The correspondence table TBL3 shown in Figure 13 defines the state of valves 70L and 70R according to the playback status (specifically, music playback, call) and operating mode (specifically, noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode sub-mode A, ambient sound mode sub-mode B, off mode) of earphones 1L and 1R. The states of valves 70L and 70R are open and closed. 【0105】 While the user is on a call (in other words, while microphones MC2L and MC2R are picking up the user's voice), the earphone control units S2L and S2R each switch valves 70L and 70R to the open state, regardless of the operating mode. That is, valves 70L and 70R are kept open regardless of whether the mode is noise cancellation mode, ambient sound mode sub-mode A, ambient sound mode sub-mode B, or off mode. As a result, while the user is on a call, both valves 70L and 70R are kept open, allowing the path 71 inside the housing HOL and HOR to be exposed to the outside air, thus suppressing the user's perception that their own voice sounds muffled even while wearing earphones 1L and 1R. 【0106】 However, if earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is on a call and valves 70L and 70R are open, they will switch valves 70L and 70R to the closed state, regardless of the operating mode shown in Figure 13. 【0107】 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 operating mode is set to noise cancellation mode, off mode, or the "CLOSE" setting for sub-modes A and B of the ambient sound mode. Conversely, if the operating mode of the earphone control units S2L and S2R is set to the "OPEN" setting for sub-modes A and B of the ambient sound mode, valves 70L and 70R will switch to the open state. This improves convenience, as the user can, for example, hear ambient sounds in a frequency range (sub-modes A and 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. 【0108】 However, if the earphones 1L and 1R detect wind noise while the user is playing music and the operating mode is set to the "OPEN" sub-mode A or B of the ambient sound mode, the valves 70L and 70R will switch to the closed state. 【0109】 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 ventilation from one end on the wearer's (user's) ear canal side to the other end on the ambient environment side (outside air side); valves 70L,70R housed inside the housing HOL,HOR and capable of switching the path 71 between an open state and a closed state; microphones MC1L,MC1R positioned on the other end of the housing HOL,HOR and capable of picking up ambient sounds from the ambient environment side; a second microphone (e.g., microphones MC2L,MC2R) positioned on the other end of the housing HOL,HOR and capable of picking up the wearer's spoken voice; 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 or closed state depending on the operating mode (e.g., during music playback, during a call). If it determines that the sound signals picked up by the microphone and the second microphone during the operating mode are wind noise, it maintains or switches the path 71 to a closed state. As a result, the earphones 1L and 1R can achieve both ease of hearing according to the wearer's usage situation and ease of hearing when wind noise is present. This not only improves ease of hearing according to the operating mode, but also prevents the user from experiencing unpleasant sensations due to wind noise by keeping the valves 70L and 70R closed even when there is a strong wind blowing in the surroundings that generates wind noise. Therefore, the earphones 1L and 1R can improve the convenience of the wearer. 【0110】 Furthermore, when the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) detects wind noise while in an operating mode that is picking up the wearer's speech using at least one of the microphones (e.g., MC1L, MC1R) and the second microphone (e.g., microphones MC2L, MC2R), it switches the path 71 from an open state to a closed state. As a result, when wind noise is detected while the earphones 1L, 1R are used to close the valves 70L, 70R, thus preventing situations where wind noise interferes with conversations. 【0111】 Furthermore, the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) maintains the path 71 open when it does not detect wind noise during the operation mode in which it is picking up the wearer's speech using at least one of the microphones (e.g., MC1L, MC1R) and the second microphone (e.g., microphone MC2L, MC2R). As a result, the earphones 1L, 1R keep the path 71 (in other words, valves 70L, 70R) open when no wind noise is detected during a call, which helps to suppress the feeling that the user's own voice sounds muffled and allows for a comfortable call. 【0112】 Furthermore, when the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) detects wind noise while the operating mode is noise cancellation mode and at least one of the microphones (e.g., MC1L, MC1R) and the second microphone (e.g., microphones MC2L, MC2R) is picking up the wearer's speech, it switches the path 71 (in other words, valves 70L, 70R) from an open state to a closed state. As a result, even in situations where wind noise is detected while making a call in noise cancellation mode, the earphones 1L, 1R can suppress adverse effects caused by noise generated by wind entering through the vents (for example, the user may find it unpleasant, or it may be difficult to hear the sound from the speaker) by closing the valves 70L, 70R. 【0113】 Furthermore, when the control unit (for example, the earphone control units S2L and S2R) detects wind noise while the operating mode is set to ambient sound mode, it switches the path 71 (in other words, valves 70L and 70R) from an open state to a closed state. As a result, when wind noise is detected while the earphones 1L and 1R are in ambient sound mode, they close valves 70L and 70R, thus preventing the wind noise from being directly heard. 【0114】 Furthermore, when the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) detects wind noise while the operating mode is the open mode of ambient sound capture mode and at least one of the microphones (e.g., MC1L, MC1R) and the second microphone (e.g., microphones MC2L, MC2R) is capturing the wearer's speech, it switches the path 71 (in other words, valves 70L, 70R) from the open state to the closed state. As a result, when wind noise is detected while the earphones 1L, 1R are in the open mode of ambient sound capture mode and the user is on a call, the valves 70L, 70R are switched from the open state to the closed state, thereby suppressing the difficulty in hearing the voice due to wind noise during a call. 【0115】 Furthermore, the control unit (e.g., earphone control units S2L, S2R) switches the path 71 from the open state to the closed state when it detects wind noise while the path 71 (in other words, valves 70L, 70R) is set to the open state in the first sub-mode of the ambient sound mode (e.g., sub-mode A), and switches the path 71 from the open state to the closed state when it detects wind noise while the path 71 is set to the open state in the second sub-mode of the ambient sound mode (e.g., sub-mode B). This allows the user to, for example, when wind noise is detected while they want to listen to ambient sounds in a frequency range (sub-modes A, B) that suits their usage, prioritize reducing the sound of wind noise by switching the valves 70L, 70R from the open state to the closed state, thereby reducing the unpleasant impression caused by wind noise. Furthermore, users can comfortably enjoy focused music listening by closing valves 70L and 70R when wind noise is detected, for example, when they want to block out external noise of frequencies they want to hear (sub-modes A and B) according to their usage. 【0116】 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] 【0117】 This disclosure is useful as an earphone, acoustic control method, and program that improves the wearer's convenience by balancing ease of hearing according to the wearer's usage situation with ease of hearing in the presence of wind noise. [Explanation of Symbols] 【0118】 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 S2La, S2Ra Wind noise detection 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 on the other end of the housing and is capable of picking up external sounds from the surrounding environment, A second microphone is positioned on the other end of the housing and is capable of picking up the wearer's voice. A control unit that controls the open state and the closed state, It includes a wireless communication unit that performs wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, The control unit, Based on the operation of the aforementioned operating terminal, when the sound signals picked up by the microphone and the second microphone are wind noise, the automatic switching of the path to the closed state by the valve is set. Depending on the operating mode, the path is switched to either the open state or the closed state. If, during the aforementioned operating mode, the sound signals picked up by the first microphone and the second microphone are determined to be wind noise, the path is maintained in the closed state or switched based on the setting for automatic switching. Earphones. [Claim 2] When the control unit detects wind noise during the operating mode in which it is collecting the wearer's speech voice using at least one of the microphone and the second microphone, it switches the path from the open state to the closed state. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 3] When the control unit does not detect wind noise during the operating mode in which it is collecting the wearer's speech voice with at least one of the microphone and the second microphone, it maintains the path in the open state. The earphones according to claim 2. [Claim 4] When the control unit detects wind noise while the operating mode is noise cancellation mode and at least one of the microphones (the first microphone and the second microphone) is picking up the wearer's speech, it switches the path from the open state to the closed state. The earphones according to claim 2. [Claim 5] When the control unit detects wind noise while the operating mode is in the external sound intake mode, it switches the path from the open state to the closed state. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 6] When the control unit detects wind noise while the operating mode is the open mode of the external sound capture mode and at least one of the microphone and the second microphone is capturing the wearer's speech, it switches the path from the open state to the closed state. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 7] The control unit, In the mode in which the above operating mode captures the entire frequency band of the external sound capture mode, when wind noise is detected while the path is set to the open state, the path is switched from the open state to the closed state. In the mode in which the above operating mode emphasizes and captures the frequency band of human voices in the above ambient sound capture mode, when wind noise is detected while the path is set to the open state, the path is switched from the open state to the closed state. The earphones according to claim 1. [Claim 8] 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, The steps include: performing wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, and, based on the operation of the operating terminal, setting an automatic switch to the closed state of the path by the valve when the sound signals picked up by the microphone capable of picking up external sounds from the surrounding environment and the second microphone capable of picking up the wearer's speech are wind noise; Depending on the operating mode, the step of switching the path to either the open state or the closed state, The system includes the step of, if it is determined that the sound signal picked up by the first microphone and the second microphone during the operating mode is wind noise, maintaining or switching the path to the closed state based on the setting for automatic switching. Acoustic control method. [Claim 9] 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, The steps include: performing wireless communication with the user's operating terminal, and, based on the operation of the operating terminal, setting an automatic switch to the closed state of the path by the valve when the sound signals picked up by the microphone capable of picking up external sounds from the surrounding environment and the second microphone capable of picking up the wearer's speech are wind noise; Depending on the operating mode, the step of switching the path to either the open state or the closed state, If the sound signal picked up by the first microphone and the second microphone during the operating mode is determined to be wind noise, the steps of maintaining or switching the path to the closed state based on the setting for automatic switching are to be performed. program.