Wearable electronic device

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device includes: a housing forming an exterior of the wearable electronic device; a first acoustic conduit and a second acoustic conduit disposed in an inner space of the housing; a nozzle unit including a cross section of the housing and transmitting an audio signal to the inside or the outside of the housing; a partition wall portion disposed in the inner space of the housing, and spatially separating the inner space into the first acoustic conduit and the second acoustic conduit; a speaker disposed in the inner space of the housing so as to correspond to the first acoustic conduit; and a microphone disposed in the inner space of the housing so as to correspond to the second acoustic conduit. According to an embodiment, a part of the partition wall portion may be formed to protrude farther outward than one surface of the nozzle portion.

Description

wearable electronic devices

[0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to wearable electronic devices.

[0002] With the advancement of digital technology, electronic devices are being provided in various forms, such as smartphones, tablet personal computers (PCs), or personal digital assistants (PDAs), which are available in bar-type, foldable, rollable, or sliding forms. As an example, the electronic devices may include wearable electronic devices implemented in a form that can be inserted into or attached to a body part of a user who uses the wearable electronic device. For example, wearable electronic devices may be a pair and operate wirelessly while inserted into or attached to a body part, such as one or more ears of the user. The wearable electronic device may include a speaker, a microphone, and a nozzle that separates the internal space of the body part, such as the eardrum, from the external space of the body part. For example, the microphone may include a microphone for active noise canceling (ANC) to remove audio signals that constitute noise within the wearable electronic device. Wearable electronic devices can use microphones to analyze sound waves from ambient audio sounds and output opposing sound waves through speakers to cancel out the ambient audio sounds, thereby removing noise and outputting a relatively enhanced audio signal.

[0003] If the nozzle of a wearable electronic device becomes clogged, not only will a recursive signal be generated between the speaker and microphone, but the volume in front of the speaker may also change, which may alter the speaker-microphone characteristics. Consequently, the speaker-microphone gain may increase in certain frequency bands, or the phase may become misaligned, resulting in howling and / or echo.

[0004] A wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a partition portion that spatially separates a speaker and a microphone.

[0005] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device may include a housing forming an exterior of the wearable electronic device, a first acoustic conduit and a second acoustic conduit arranged in an internal space of the housing, a nozzle unit including a cross-section of the housing and transmitting an audio signal into or out of the housing, a partition wall portion spatially dividing the internal space of the housing into the first acoustic conduit and the second acoustic conduit, a speaker arranged in the internal space of the housing to correspond to the first acoustic conduit, and a microphone arranged in the internal space of the housing to correspond to the second acoustic conduit. According to one embodiment, a portion of the partition wall portion may be formed to protrude outward from one surface of the nozzle unit.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a wearable electronic device has a speaker and a microphone spatially separated by a partition wall portion, so that when a nozzle is blocked, an audio signal output from the speaker and transmitted to the microphone is reduced, thereby preventing the formation of a reflexive signal between the speaker and the microphone. Accordingly, the characteristics between the speaker and the microphone remain unchanged, preventing howling and / or echo from occurring, and enhancing ANC performance.

[0007] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the specific embodiments of the present disclosure as described above will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device within a network environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] FIGS. 2A and 2B are side and cross-sectional views schematically illustrating a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining active noise cancelling according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating active noise cancelling of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] FIGS. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating the shape of a bulkhead portion and a grill of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views illustrating the shape of a bulkhead portion and a grill of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a bulkhead portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views illustrating at least one extension opening within a housing of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a bulkhead portion of a wearable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 10A is a graph illustrating the frequency response of a microphone when the speaker and microphone are not spatially separated, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG. 10b is a graph illustrating the frequency response of a microphone when the speaker and microphone are spatially separated by a partition wall portion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating active noise cancelling (ANC) performance when a speaker and a microphone are spatially separated by a partition wall portion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In connection with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used for identical or similar components. Furthermore, in the drawings and related descriptions, descriptions of well-known functions and configurations may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device (101) within a network environment (100) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, in a network environment (100), an electronic device (101) may communicate with an electronic device (102) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or may communicate with at least one of an electronic device (104) or a server (108) via a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may communicate with the electronic device (104) via the server (108). According to one embodiment, the electronic device (101) may include a processor (120), a memory (130), an input module (150), an audio output module (155), a display module (160), an audio module (170), a sensor module (176), an interface (177), a connection terminal (178), a haptic module (179), a camera module (180), a power management module (188), a battery (189), a communication module (190), a subscriber identification module (196), or an antenna module (197). In some embodiments, the electronic device (101) may omit at least one of these components (e.g., the connection terminal (178)), or may have one or more other components added. In some embodiments, some of these components (e.g., the sensor module (176), the camera module (180), or the antenna module (197)) may be integrated into one component (e.g., the display module (160)).

[0023] The processor (120) may, for example, execute software (e.g., a program (140)) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware or software component) of the electronic device (101) connected to the processor (120) and perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least a part of the data processing or calculations, the processor (120) may store commands or data received from other components (e.g., a sensor module (176) or a communication module (190)) in a volatile memory (132), process the commands or data stored in the volatile memory (132), and store result data in a non-volatile memory (134). According to one embodiment, the processor (120) may include a main processor (121) (e.g., a central processing unit or an application processor) or a secondary processor (123) (e.g., a graphics processing unit, a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor, a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor)) that can operate independently or together therewith. For example, if the electronic device (101) includes a main processor (121) and a secondary processor (123), the secondary processor (123) may be configured to use less power than the main processor (121) or to be specialized for a specified function. The secondary processor (123) may be implemented separately from the main processor (121) or as a part thereof.

[0024] The auxiliary processor (123) may control at least a portion of functions or states associated with at least one component (e.g., a display module (160), a sensor module (176), or a communication module (190)) of the electronic device (101), for example, on behalf of the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or together with the main processor (121) while the main processor (121) is in an active (e.g., application execution) state. In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another functionally related component (e.g., a camera module (180) or a communication module (190)). In one embodiment, the auxiliary processor (123) (e.g., a neural network processing unit) may include a hardware structure specialized for processing artificial intelligence models. The artificial intelligence models may be generated through machine learning. This learning can be performed, for example, on the electronic device (101) itself where the artificial intelligence model is executed, or can be performed through a separate server (e.g., server (108)). The learning algorithm can include, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, but is not limited to the examples described above. The artificial intelligence model can include multiple artificial neural network layers.The artificial neural network may be one of a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q-network, or a combination of two or more of the above, but is not limited to the examples described above. In addition to, or alternatively to, a hardware structure, an artificial intelligence model may include a software structure.

[0025] The memory (130) can store various data used by at least one component (e.g., processor (120) or sensor module (176)) of the electronic device (101). The data can include, for example, software (e.g., program (140)) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory (130) can include volatile memory (132) or non-volatile memory (134).

[0026] The program (140) may be stored as software in the memory (130) and may include, for example, an operating system (142), middleware (144), or an application (146).

[0027] The input module (150) can receive commands or data to be used in a component of the electronic device (101) (e.g., a processor (120)) from an external source (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The input module (150) can include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

[0028] The audio output module (155) can output audio signals to the outside of the electronic device (101). The audio output module (155) can include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as multimedia playback or recording playback. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. In one embodiment, the receiver can be implemented separately from the speaker or as part of the speaker.

[0029] The display module (160) can visually provide information to an external party (e.g., a user) of the electronic device (101). The display module (160) may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector and a control circuit for controlling the device. In one embodiment, the display module (160) may include a touch sensor configured to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor configured to measure the intensity of a force generated by the touch.

[0030] The audio module (170) can convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa, convert an electrical signal into sound. According to one embodiment, the audio module (170) can acquire sound through the input module (150), output sound through the sound output module (155), or an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)) (e.g., speaker or headphone) directly or wirelessly connected to the electronic device (101).

[0031] The sensor module (176) can detect the operating status (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device (101) or the external environmental status (e.g., user status) and generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected status. According to one embodiment, the sensor module (176) can include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an IR (infrared) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

[0032] The interface (177) may support one or more designated protocols that may be used to directly or wirelessly connect the electronic device (101) with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (102)). In one embodiment, the interface (177) may include, for example, a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, an SD card interface, or an audio interface.

[0033] The connection terminal (178) may include a connector through which the electronic device (101) may be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102)). According to one embodiment, the connection terminal (178) may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0034] A haptic module (179) can convert electrical signals into mechanical stimuli (e.g., vibration or movement) or electrical stimuli that a user can perceive through tactile or kinesthetic sensations. In one embodiment, the haptic module (179) can include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0035] The camera module (180) can capture still images and videos. According to one embodiment, the camera module (180) may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0036] The power management module (188) can manage power supplied to the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, the power management module (188) can be implemented, for example, as at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0037] A battery (189) may power at least one component of the electronic device (101). In one embodiment, the battery (189) may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0038] The communication module (190) may support the establishment of a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device (102), electronic device (104), or server (108)), and the performance of communication through the established communication channel. The communication module (190) may operate independently from the processor (120) (e.g., application processor) and may include one or more communication processors that support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to one embodiment, the communication module (190) may include a wireless communication module (192) (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module (194) (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module, or a power line communication module). Among these communication modules, the corresponding communication module can communicate with an external electronic device (104) via a first network (198) (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, wireless fidelity (WiFi) direct, or infrared data association (IrDA)) or a second network (199) (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a legacy cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN)). These various types of communication modules can be integrated into a single component (e.g., a single chip) or implemented as multiple separate components (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module (192) can verify or authenticate the electronic device (101) within a communication network such as the first network (198) or the second network (199) by using subscriber information (e.g., an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identification module (196).

[0039] The wireless communication module (192) can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies following the 4G network, such as NR access technology (new radio access technology). The NR access technology can support high-speed transmission of high-capacity data (eMBB (enhanced mobile broadband)), minimization of terminal power and connection of multiple terminals (mMTC (massive machine type communications)), or high reliability and low latency (URLLC (ultra-reliable and low-latency communications)). The wireless communication module (192) can support, for example, a high-frequency band (e.g., mmWave band) to achieve a high data transmission rate. The wireless communication module (192) can support various technologies for securing performance in a high-frequency band, such as beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, or large scale antenna. The wireless communication module (192) can support various requirements specified in the electronic device (101), an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (104)), or a network system (e.g., the second network (199)). According to one embodiment, the wireless communication module (192) can support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps or more) for eMBB realization, a loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) for mMTC realization, or a U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for round trip) for URLLC realization.

[0040] The antenna module (197) can transmit or receive signals or power to or from an external device (e.g., an external electronic device). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include an antenna including a radiator formed of a conductor or a conductive pattern formed on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). In one embodiment, the antenna module (197) may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication method used in a communication network, such as the first network (198) or the second network (199), may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module (190). A signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module (190) and an external electronic device through the selected at least one antenna. In some embodiments, in addition to the radiator, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module (197).

[0041] According to various embodiments, the antenna module (197) may form a mmWave antenna module. According to one embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent a first side (e.g., a bottom side) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a designated high-frequency band (e.g., a mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna) disposed on or adjacent a second side (e.g., a top side or a side side) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals in the designated high-frequency band.

[0042] At least some of the above components can be interconnected and exchange signals (e.g., commands or data) with each other via a communication method between peripheral devices (e.g., a bus, GPIO (general purpose input and output), SPI (serial peripheral interface), or MIPI (mobile industry processor interface)).

[0043] According to one embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted or received between the electronic device (101) and an external electronic device (104) via a server (108) connected to a second network (199). Each of the external electronic devices (102 or 104) may be the same or a different type of device as the electronic device (101). According to one embodiment, all or part of the operations executed in the electronic device (101) may be executed in one or more of the external electronic devices (102, 104, or 108). For example, when the electronic device (101) is to perform a certain function or service automatically or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device (101) may, instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, request one or more external electronic devices to perform the function or at least a part of the service. One or more external electronic devices that receive the request may execute at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device (101). The electronic device (101) may process the result as is or additionally and provide it as at least a portion of a response to the request. For this purpose, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), or client-server computing technology may be used, for example. The electronic device (101) may provide an ultra-low latency service by using distributed computing or mobile edge computing, for example. In another embodiment, the external electronic device (104) may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server (108) may be an intelligent server utilizing machine learning and / or a neural network. According to one embodiment, the external electronic device (104) or the server (108) may be included in the second network (199).The electronic device (101) can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smart car, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology and IoT-related technology.

[0044] FIGS. 2A and 2B are side and cross-sectional views schematically illustrating a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] In various embodiments, the wearable electronic device (200) of FIG. 2 may include components and embodiments described in the electronic device (101) disclosed in FIG. 1. For example, the wearable electronic device (200) may include an input module (150), an audio output module (155), and an audio module (170) disclosed in FIG. 1.

[0046] The wearable electronic device (200) may be a wearable type wireless audio device designed to interface with a body part of a user of the wearable electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may be an ear wearable type wireless audio device designed to be worn on one or more of the user's ears. In FIGS. 2A and 2B , a single ear wearable type wireless audio device is illustrated; however, the ear wearable type wireless audio device may be implemented as a set of wearable type wireless audio devices provided in multiple units. For example, the wearable electronic device may include a first wireless audio device designed to be worn on the user's left ear and a second wireless audio device designed to be worn on the user's right ear.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a housing (230), a nozzle portion (235), a speaker (240) (e.g., sound output module (155) of FIG. 1), a microphone (245) (e.g., input module (150) of FIG. 1), a bulkhead portion (250), a first sound conduit (260), a second sound conduit (265), and / or a grill (270).

[0048] In one embodiment, the housing (230) may form at least a portion of the exterior of the wearable electronic device (200). A portion of the housing (230) may be inserted into a body part, such as an ear, of a user of the wearable electronic device (200). At least a portion of the housing (230) may include a shape that is removably attachable to an ear (e.g., an external auditory canal) of a user of the wearable electronic device (200).

[0049] In one embodiment, at least a portion of the housing (230) may comprise various materials, such as polymers and / or metals. For example, at least a portion of the housing (230) may be formed of (or comprise) a rigid material.

[0050] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) each disposed in the interior space of the housing (230). Although not shown, the wearable electronic device (200) may further include a battery (e.g., battery (189) of FIG. 1) disposed in the interior space of the housing (230).

[0051] In one embodiment, the speaker (240) may be positioned in the interior space of the housing (230) and spaced apart from the microphone (245). The speaker (240) may convert an electrical signal into an audio signal (e.g., sound) and transmit at least a portion of the converted audio signal (e.g., sound) to the eardrum of a user of the wearable electronic device (200) through the first audio conduit (260). The speaker (240) may be configured to allow the user of the wearable electronic device (200) to hear various audio-related information, such as playable music or playable multimedia.

[0052] The first audio conduit (260) is exposed to the eardrum of the user of the wearable electronic device (200), so that audio communication can be made with the user's body part. When an audio signal from the speaker (240) is transmitted to the first audio conduit (260) along the internal space of the housing (230) and ultimately transmitted to the outside of the wearable electronic device (200) through the first audio conduit (260), the audio transmission path (e.g., the first audio transmission path) can be defined within the internal space of the housing (230).

[0053] In one embodiment, the speaker (240) may output an audio signal that cancels out noise to remove noise detected by the microphone (245). For example, the speaker (240) may perform active noise cancelling by generating noise that has an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245) (e.g., noise representing a frequency having an opposite phase) to cancel out the noise.

[0054] In one embodiment, the microphone (245) may include a microphone for active noise cancelling to remove noise within the wearable electronic device (200). In one embodiment, the microphone (245) may detect noise through the second acoustic duct (265) as a second audio transmission path.

[0055] In one embodiment, the nozzle portion (235) may be formed (or provided) integrally with a portion of the housing (230). For example, the nozzle portion (235) may be formed in a cylindrical shape. In one embodiment, the nozzle portion (235) may include (or define) an end of a first sound conduit (260) through which an audio signal output from a speaker (240) is provided to the outside of the housing (230) and an end of a second sound conduit (265) through which an audio signal received by a microphone (245) is provided to the outside of the housing (230). In one embodiment, the nozzle portion (235) may also form a portion of the housing (230). At least a portion of the nozzle portion (235) may be worn by the user, such as inserted into an ear (e.g., an external auditory canal) as a body part of the user of the wearable electronic device (200). The nozzle section (235) can define an audio input (or inlet) and / or an audio output (or outlet) of the housing (230).

[0056] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) extending from a portion of the housing (230) to spatially separate a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in an internal space of the housing (230) of the wearable electronic device (200). A portion of the partition wall portion (250) may extend from a portion of the housing (230) and be formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). That is, the partition wall portion (250) may be considered integral with a portion of the housing (230). The one side (255) may be defined by a dotted line indicated by 255 and may represent a plane extending in the page view direction. For example, FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating a plane defined by a first direction (e.g., the x-axis direction) intersecting a second direction (e.g., the z-axis direction). The plane on one side (255) may be defined by a first direction intersecting a third direction (e.g., within the page).

[0057] An opening of the housing (230) through which the internal space of the housing (230) is connected to the outside of the housing (230) by audio may be defined along this plane. An end of the housing (230) may be arranged on the plane. The partition wall portion (250) may be spaced apart from the inner wall of the housing (230) facing each other in the plane direction to form the opening. The body of the housing (230) may define the partition wall portion (250) and a side wall portion defining the inner wall of the housing (230) facing the partition wall portion (250), respectively. That is, the body of the housing (230) is not limited thereto and may be a unitary body.

[0058] A first gap or space is defined between a first side wall of the bulkhead portion (250) and a first inner side wall of the housing (230), and an audio outlet (e.g., a terminal end of the first sound conduit (260)) of the housing (230) may correspond to the first gap. A second gap or space is defined between a second side wall of the bulkhead portion (250) opposite the first side wall and a second inner side wall of the housing (230), and an audio inlet (e.g., a terminal end of the second sound conduit (25)) of the housing (230) may correspond to the second gap. The terminal ends of the first inner wall and the second inner wall may be coplanar with each other in a plane defined in one surface (255), but the end of the bulkhead portion (250) may not be coplanar with the one surface (255).

[0059] The grille (270) may extend completely across the (audio) opening of the housing (230). In one embodiment, sound may pass through the grille (270) even if the grille (270) overlaps the audio opening defined in the nozzle portion (235). That is, the grille (270) may be a sound-permeable (or audio signal-permeable) member that allows audio signals or sounds to enter the interior area of ​​the housing (230) from the exterior of the housing (230), or to escape from the interior of the housing (230) to the exterior area of ​​the housing (230).

[0060] In one embodiment, a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and extending from a portion of the housing (230) may be included in the nozzle portion (235). For example, the nozzle portion (235) may include an end portion of a first sound pipe (260), which is an exit portion of a path for an audio signal output from a speaker (240), an end portion of a second sound pipe (265), which is an entrance portion of a path for an audio signal input to a microphone (245), and an end portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). Each of the aforementioned ends may be considered as a terminal portion of each feature. One or more of the distal ends may be exposed outside the housing (230) (or outside the wearable electronic device (200)), such that a sound receiving portion of a body part (e.g., an ear canal) is exposed to the distal ends.

[0061] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill (270) detachably coupled to the nozzle portion (235) (or non-removably secured to the nozzle portion (235). The grill (270) may be variously detachably or non-removably attached to the housing (230) body at the body ends on either side of the bulkhead portion (250) and at the bulkhead portion (250).

[0062] In one embodiment, the grill (270) may be arranged such that a portion of the partition wall (250) extends from a portion of the housing (230) and protrudes outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and surrounds one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the grill (270) may be formed in an arched cross-section, but is not limited thereto.

[0063] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining active noise cancelling according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 3, when the active noise canceling function is operated while the wearable electronic device (e.g., the electronic device (101) of FIG. 1, the wearable electronic device (200) of FIGS. 2A and 2B) is mounted on a body part such as a user's ear or is in contact with a body part, the microphone (e.g., the microphone (245) of FIGS. 2A and 2B) can detect external noise (305). The external noise (305) can be provided from outside the wearable electronic device (200). The external noise (305) can be transferred to the filter function W(z) (325) and the transfer function S(z) (330) by a closed-loop control system as an input value n(x) (310). The filter function W(z) (325) can generate a cancellation noise by using n(x) (310). A speaker (e.g., speaker (240) of FIGS. 2A and 2B) can output generated cancellation noise. The wearable electronic device (200) can measure a transfer function S(z)(330) between the speaker (240) and the microphone (245). The transfer function S(z)(330) can reflect the characteristic of noise output from the speaker (240) being transformed in the process of reaching the microphone (245).

[0065] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may be configured to multiply the filter function W(z)(325) and the transfer function S(z)(330) and then, through an addition operation (335) with n(x)(310), transmit the output value e(x)(315) to the cine site (e.g., the eardrum (320)).

[0066] In one embodiment, the transfer function of ANC performance may be calculated based on the following <Mathematical Formula 1>. A smaller transfer function of the calculated ANC performance may indicate higher ANC performance.

[0067]

[0068] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated in the internal space of the housing (230) by a partition wall portion (e.g., the partition wall portion (250) of FIGS. 2A and 2B), the transfer function S(z)(330), which means the characteristic of noise output from the speaker (240) being deformed in the process of reaching the microphone (245), may not be deformed (or performed). That is, the audio signal being provided from the speaker (240) to the microphone (245) can be reduced or effectively prevented. In this case, the speaker (240) can more accurately generate a canceling noise (e.g., noise representing a frequency having an opposite phase) having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245), thereby canceling out the external noise (305), thereby improving the ANC performance.

[0069] FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating active noise cancelling of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0070] According to one embodiment, the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B are substantially the same as the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and therefore, the description thereof may be replaced with the description of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0071] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., electronic device (101) of FIG. 1) may include a housing (230), a nozzle portion (235), a speaker (240) (e.g., sound output module (155) of FIG. 1), a microphone (245) (e.g., input module (150) of FIG. 1), a first sound conduit (260), a second sound conduit (265), and / or a grill (270).

[0072] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) as a part of the housing (230), which is an extension of the housing (230) and spatially separates a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in an internal space of the housing (230). The partition wall portion (250) may extend from the body portion of the housing (230) and may be formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0073] In one embodiment, the microphone (245) can detect noise generated from outside the wearable electronic device (200) through the second acoustic conduit (265). The speaker (240) can perform the ANC function by generating noise having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245) (e.g., noise representing a frequency having an opposite phase) to cancel out the noise, thereby canceling out the noise. The ANC function can be performed electronically within the wearable electronic device (200) by utilizing one or more characteristics of the block diagram of the electronic device in the aforementioned network environment.

[0074] In one embodiment, the nozzle portion (235) may include an end portion of a first audio conduit (260), which is an output path for an audio signal output from a speaker (240), and an end portion of a second audio conduit (265), which is an input path for an audio signal received by a microphone (245). At least a portion of the nozzle portion (235) may be inserted into and worn in the ear (e.g., external auditory canal) of a user of the wearable electronic device (200). A portion of the wearable electronic device (200) may overlap with a body part and be positioned inside, and another portion may extend outside the body part and be positioned outside the user's body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. A portion of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B may be a first (inner) portion of the wearable electronic device (200) that can be inserted into a body part and overlapped with the body part, and the remaining portion of the wearable electronic device (200) (excluding portions of FIGS. 2A and 2B and portions of FIGS. 4A and 4B) may be a second (outer) portion of the wearable electronic device (200) that is outside the body part when the wearable electronic device (200) overlaps with the body part.

[0075] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill (270) detachably coupled to the nozzle portion (235). However, the grill (270) may also be formed to be fixed (e.g., non-detachable) to the nozzle portion (235).

[0076] For example, the grill (270) may be arranged to surround a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), as illustrated in FIG. 4A. In this case, a portion of the partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) may be in contact with the inner surface of the grill (270). For example, the grill (270) may be formed in a curved shape. Here, the entire partition wall portion (250) may be positioned on the inner side of the grill (270).

[0077] For another example, the grill (270) may include a first grill (270a) arranged to surround at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and one side of a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), as illustrated in FIG. 4b. The grill (270) may include a second grill (270b) arranged to surround at least another portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and the other side of a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0078] Here, the first grill portion (e.g., the first grill (270a)) and the second grill portion (e.g., the second grill (270b)) can be separated from each other with a partition portion (250) therebetween. The grill (270) can be separated from each other by the partition portion (250) to define the first grill portion and the second grill portion that are separated from each other along a plane defined on one surface (255).

[0079] The first grill portion and the second grill portion may be variously removably or non-removably attached to the body of the housing (230), such as a side surface of the bulkhead portion (250) (e.g., see FIG. 4b), an end surface of the bulkhead portion (250) (e.g., see FIG. 4a), or a distal end of the body of the opposite side of the bulkhead portion (250). As used herein, the location where each of the grill portions meets the body of the housing (230) within the various drawings may disclose an attachment location at which the grill portion is removably attached (or non-removably attached) to the housing (230).

[0080] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) includes a partition wall portion (250) that extends from a portion of the housing (230) and protrudes outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and spatially separates a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in the internal space of the housing (230), thereby allowing the wearable electronic device (200) to analyze sound waves of ambient noise using the microphone (245) and generate an opposite sound wave that cancels out the ambient noise using the speaker (240), thereby removing the ambient noise, thereby outputting a relatively enhanced audio signal.

[0081] In one embodiment, when the nozzle portion (235) of the wearable electronic device (200) is blocked (e.g., when the nozzle portion (235) is blocked by the user's hand), the audio signal (420, 460) output from the speaker (240) may be output through the first sound conduit (260). For example, when the audio opening of the nozzle portion (235) is blocked, the audio signal (420, 460) output from the speaker (240) through the first sound conduit (260) and transmitted to the microphone (245) through the second sound conduit (265) is reduced or effectively prevented by the partition wall portion (250), so that a reflexive signal that causes howling or echoing between the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) is not formed, and thus the characteristics between the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) may not change. For example, since the audio input path from the speaker (240) and the audio input path to the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250), even if the nozzle portion (235) of the wearable electronic device (200) is blocked, the audio signal output from the speaker (240) and transmitted to the microphone (245) is reduced, so that the gain of the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) in a specific frequency band may increase or the phase may not be shifted, so that howling (and / or echo) may not occur.

[0082] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are cross-sectional views illustrating the shape of a partition wall portion (250) and a grill of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] According to one embodiment, the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B are substantially the same as the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and therefore, the description thereof may be replaced with the description of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0084] Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) that extends from a portion of the housing (230) and protrudes outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). Since the partition wall portion (250) extends from a portion of the housing (230) and protrudes outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), each audio path exposed to a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in the internal space of the housing (230) of the wearable electronic device (200) may be spatially separated.

[0085] In one embodiment, the partition wall portion (250) illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B may be formed such that, compared to the partition wall portion (250) illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, at least a portion of the partition wall portion (250) protrudes outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0086] For example, as illustrated in FIG. 5a, at least a portion (525a) of the partition wall portion (250) adjacent to the first acoustic conduit (260) may be formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). At least another portion (525b) of the partition wall portion (250) adjacent to the second acoustic conduit (265) may be formed to have a length that allows it to contact one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). Each of the portions (525a, 525b) defines a cross-section of the partition wall portion (250), and the cross-section of at least a portion (525a) of the partition wall portion (250) may be further from the one surface (255) than the cross-section of at least another portion (525b) of the partition wall portion (250). A cross-section of at least another part (525b) of the bulkhead portion (250) may be positioned on the same plane as one side (255).

[0087] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill detachably coupled to (or fixed to) the nozzle portion (235). For example, the grill may include a first grill (515) and a second grill (520). The first grill (515) may be arranged to surround at least a portion (525a) of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least one surface of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least one surface of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the first sound conduit (260). The second grill (520) may be arranged to surround at least another part (525b) of the partition wall portion (250) formed to a length that can contact one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., a length that ends at one side (255)) and at least another side of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least another side of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the second sound pipe (265).

[0088] In one embodiment, the first grill (515) may be formed in a curved shape, and the second grill (520) may be formed in a shape parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). However, this is not limited thereto. Here, the first grill (515) and the second grill (520) may be spaced apart from each other along the z-axis direction.

[0089] For another example, as illustrated in FIG. 5b, at least a portion (565a) of the partition wall portion (250) adjacent to the first acoustic conduit (260) may be formed parallel to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). At least another portion (565b) of the partition wall portion (250) adjacent to the second acoustic conduit (265) may be formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). Each of the portions (565a, 565b) defines a cross-section of the partition wall portion (250), and the cross-section of at least a portion (565a) of the partition wall portion (250) may be closer to the one surface (255) than the cross-section of at least another portion (565b) of the partition wall portion (250). A cross-section of at least another portion (565a) of the bulkhead portion (250) may be positioned on the same plane as one surface (255).

[0090] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill detachably coupled to (or fixed to) the nozzle portion (235). For example, the grill may include a first grill (555) and a second grill (560). The first grill (555) may be arranged to surround at least a portion (565a) of a partition wall portion (250) formed parallel to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least one surface of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least one surface of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the first acoustic conduit (260). The second grill (560) may be arranged to surround at least another part (565b) of the partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least another side of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least another side of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the second sound pipe (265).

[0091] In one embodiment, the first grill (555) may be formed in a shape parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), and the second grill (560) may be formed in a curved shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0092] In one embodiment, the bulkhead portion (250) may have a stepped end. The thickness of the bulkhead portion (250) may be defined in a direction parallel to the plane on one side (255). A first thickness of the bulkhead portion (250) along the z-axis direction may be on the inner side of the plane (e.g., 525b and 565a), and a second thickness of the bulkhead portion (250) may be on the outer side of the plane (e.g., extending further than the plane in the -z-axis direction, such as 525a and 565b). The first thickness may be greater than the second thickness. In FIG. 5A, the step may be directed toward the second acoustic conduit (265), while in FIG. 5B, the step may be directed toward the first acoustic conduit (260).

[0093] The first grill portion and the second grill portion can be variously detachably or non-detachably attached to the body of the housing (230), such as at two meeting surfaces forming a step, a side surface of the bulkhead portion (250), an end surface of the bulkhead portion (250), an end surface of the body of the opposite side of the bulkhead portion (250).

[0094] FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are cross-sectional views illustrating the shape of a partition wall portion (250) and a grill of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0095] According to one embodiment, the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B are substantially the same as the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the partition wall part (250), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and therefore, the description thereof may be replaced with the description of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 6A, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) that extends from a portion of the housing (230) and spatially separates a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in an internal space of the housing (230) of the wearable electronic device (200) as a part of the housing (230). A portion of the partition wall portion (250) may extend from a portion of the housing (230) and protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0097] In one embodiment, at least a portion (625) of the body of the housing (230) forming at least a portion of the exterior of the wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., at least a portion of the body of the housing (230) adjacent to the second acoustic conduit (265)) may be formed to be longer in a specific direction (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) than one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). At least a portion (625) may define the second acoustic conduit (265) together with the partition wall portion (250). In one embodiment, the second acoustic conduit (265) may be formed to protrude outwardly (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) than one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). Accordingly, the ends of a portion (625) of the housing (230), the end of the second acoustic conduit (265), and the end of the bulkhead portion (250) may protrude from one surface (255) by substantially the same length. In one embodiment, the ends of each of at least a portion (625) of the housing (230), the second acoustic conduit (265), and the bulkhead portion (250) are not limited thereto and may be on the same plane as each other.

[0098] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill detachably coupled to (or fixed to) the nozzle portion (235). For example, the grill may include a first grill (615) and a second grill (620). The first grill (615) may be arranged to surround at least a portion of one surface of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least a portion of one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the first acoustic conduit (260). The second grill (620) may be arranged to surround a part of the partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least another part of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least another part of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the second sound pipe (265).

[0099] In one embodiment, the first grill (615) and the second grill (620) may be formed in a shape parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), but is not limited thereto.

[0100] In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 6B, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) that extends from a portion of the housing (230) to spatially separate a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) disposed in an internal space of the housing (230) of the wearable electronic device (200). A portion of the partition wall portion (250) may extend from a portion of the housing (230) and protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0101] At least another part (665) of the body of the housing (230) forming at least a part of the exterior of the wearable electronic device (200) (e.g., at least another part of the housing (230) adjacent to the first acoustic conduit (260)) may be formed to be longer in a specific direction (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) than one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). At least another part (665) may define the first acoustic conduit (260) together with the partition wall portion (250). Accordingly, an end of a part of the partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) than one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and an end of a part (665) of the housing (230) may protrude from the one side (255) by substantially the same length. In one embodiment, the ends of at least another portion (665) of the housing (230), the first acoustic conduit (260), and the bulkhead portion (250) may be, but are not limited to, coplanar with each other.

[0102] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill detachably coupled to the nozzle portion (235). However, the grill may also be formed to be fixed (e.g., non-detachable) to the nozzle portion (235).

[0103] In one embodiment, the grille may include a first grille (655) and a second grille (660). The first grille (655) may be arranged to surround a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the first sound conduit (260). The second grille (660) may be arranged to surround at least another portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least another portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) corresponding to the second sound conduit (265).

[0104] In one embodiment, the first grill (655) and the second grill (660) may be formed in a shape parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), but is not limited thereto.

[0105] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a partition wall portion (250) of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0106] According to one embodiment, the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIG. 7 are substantially the same as the housing (230), the nozzle part (235), the speaker (240), the microphone (245), the first sound conduit (260), and the second sound conduit (265) of the wearable electronic device (200) illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B, and therefore, the description thereof may be replaced with the description of FIGS. 2A and 2B.

[0107] In FIGS. 2A and 2B according to various embodiments, it is described that the partition wall portion (250) is formed as a part of the housing (230), and a part of the partition wall portion (250) is formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), but this is not limited thereto.

[0108] For example, referring to FIG. 7, the partition wall portion (250) is formed as a part of the housing (230) and has a length that can extend from a part of the housing (230) and come into contact with one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., formed to extend to a length that ends at one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), thereby spatially separating the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) arranged in the internal space of the housing (230). Here, the end of the body of the housing (230) and the partition wall portion (250) may be on the same plane as each other in the plane pointed by the one side (255).

[0109] FIGS. 8A and 8B are perspective views illustrating at least one extension opening (820, 860) within a housing (230) of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0110] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a partition wall portion (250) that is formed as a part of the housing (230) and extends from at least a portion of the housing (230) to a length that can contact one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), thereby spatially separating a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) arranged in the internal space of the housing (230).

[0111] As shown in FIG. 7 according to one embodiment, the partition wall portion (250) may be formed as a part of the housing (230) to have a length that can be in contact with or on the same plane as one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). In this case, as shown in FIG. 8A, a first extension opening (820) may be formed as a first opening extension in at least a portion of the housing (230) adjacent to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the first extension opening (820) may be formed to extend in one direction (e.g., in the x-axis direction) from the first acoustic pipe (260). In one embodiment, when the first extension opening (820) extends in the x-axis direction, the first extension opening (820) may extend further into the body of the housing (230) along the z-axis direction. Here, as illustrated in FIG. 8A, the first acoustic conduit (260) can be exposed to the outside of the housing (230) not only in the -z-axis direction but also in the x-axis direction. Accordingly, when the nozzle portion (235) of the wearable electronic device (200) is blocked (e.g., when the nozzle portion (235) is blocked on a plane of one side (255) by a user's hand), pressure can escape along the x-axis direction through the expanded area of ​​the first extension opening (820).

[0112] Not limited thereto, in one embodiment, when the bulkhead portion (250) is formed as a part of the housing (230) with a length that can contact one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), as illustrated in FIG. 8B, a second extension opening (860) may be formed as a second opening extension in at least some other area of ​​the housing (230) adjacent to at least another side of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the second extension opening (860) may be formed to extend in the other direction (e.g., the -x-axis direction) from the second acoustic conduit (265). In one embodiment, when the second extension opening (860) extends in the -x-axis direction, the second extension opening (860) may extend further into the body of the housing (230) along the z-axis direction. Here, as illustrated in FIG. 8b, the second sound conduit (265) can be exposed to the outside of the housing (230) not only in the -z-axis direction but also in the -x-axis direction. Accordingly, when the nozzle portion (235) of the wearable electronic device (200) is blocked (e.g., when the nozzle portion (235) is blocked on a plane of one side (255) by a user's hand), pressure can escape along the -x-axis direction through the expanded area of ​​the second extension opening (860).

[0113] In one embodiment, when the bulkhead portion (250) is formed as a part of the housing (230) to a length that can contact one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a first extension opening (820) may be formed in at least a portion of the housing (230) adjacent to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least a portion of the housing (230) adjacent to the first sound conduit (260), and a second extension opening (860) may be formed in at least another portion of the housing (230) adjacent to at least another side of the nozzle portion (235) (e.g., at least a portion of the housing (230) adjacent to the second sound conduit (265).

[0114] In various embodiments, in FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, when the partition wall portion (250) is formed as a part of the housing (230) with a length that can contact one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) (or a length that is on the same plane), when the first extension opening (820) and / or the second extension opening (860) are formed in at least a portion of the housing (230), when the nozzle portion (235) of the wearable electronic device (200) is blocked (e.g., when the nozzle portion (235) is blocked in the plane of the one side (255) by a user's hand), pressure can escape through the extended area of ​​the first extension opening (820) and / or the second extension opening (860). Accordingly, a reflexive signal that causes howling or echo is not formed between the speaker (240) and the microphone (245), so that the characteristics between the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) do not change, and thus the ANC performance can be improved.

[0115] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the shape of a partition wall portion (250) of a wearable electronic device (200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0116] In FIGS. 2A and 2B according to various embodiments, a part of the partition wall portion (250) is described as being formed to protrude outward (e.g., in the -z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) as a part of the housing (230), and in FIG. 7, the partition wall portion (250) is described as being formed to have a length that can be in contact with and parallel to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) as a part of the housing (230), but is not limited thereto. For example, referring to FIG. 9, the partition wall portion (250) may be formed to be spaced apart from a plane at one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235) by being formed inward (e.g., in the z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0117] In one embodiment, the wearable electronic device (200) may include a grill (910) detachably coupled to (or fixed to) the nozzle portion (235). The grill (910) may be arranged to surround one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the grill (910) may be formed in a curved shape, but is not limited thereto.

[0118] In one embodiment, a protruding member (915) formed to extend inwardly (e.g., in the z-axis direction) from a portion of the grill (910) may be included. In one embodiment, when the partition wall portion (250) is formed inwardly (e.g., in the z-axis direction) from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a portion of the partition wall portion (250) may be connected to (or in contact with) the protruding member (915).

[0119] In FIG. 9 according to various embodiments, when the partition wall portion (250) is formed on the inner side (e.g., in the z-axis direction) with respect to the plane of one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a part of the partition wall portion (250) is connected to (or in contact with) the protruding member (915), so that the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) arranged in the inner space of the housing (230) can be spatially separated from each other by the partition wall portion (250) and the protruding member (915). Accordingly, the audio signal output from the speaker (240) and transmitted to the microphone (245) is reduced, so that the speaker (240) can accurately generate noise having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245) (e.g., noise representing a frequency having an opposite phase), thereby canceling out the external noise (305), thereby improving the ANC performance.

[0120] FIG. 10A is a graph illustrating the frequency response of a microphone (245) when a conventional speaker (240) and a microphone (245) are not spatially separated, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0121] In FIG. 10a according to one embodiment, the x-axis may represent frequency (1005) (Hz (Hertz)) and the y-axis may represent frequency response (1010) (dB (decibels)) of the microphone (245).

[0122] Referring to FIG. 10A, the first graph (1021), the third graph (1025), and the fifth graph (1029) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position when the wearable electronic device (200) is inserted and worn in the user's ear (e.g., external auditory canal), and the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are not spatially separated.

[0123] In one embodiment, the second graph (1023), the fourth graph (1027), and the sixth graph (1031) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the location of the microphone (245) when the wearable electronic device (200) is inserted and worn in the user's ear (e.g., the external auditory canal), and the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are not spatially separated.

[0124] In one embodiment, the first graph (1021) and the second graph (1023) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum location and the location of the microphone (245) in a first leakage (e.g., high leak) state. The third graph (1025) and the fourth graph (1027) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum location and the location of the microphone (245) in a second leakage (e.g., middle leak) state that is less than the first leakage. The fifth graph (1029) and the sixth graph (1031) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum location and the location of the microphone (245) in a third leakage (e.g., low leak) state that is less than the second leakage.

[0125] As illustrated in FIG. 10A, the first graph (1021) and the second graph (1023), which represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the position of the microphone (245) in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the first leakage state, may be similar. The third graph (1025) and the fourth graph (1027), which represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the position of the microphone (245) in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the second leakage state, may be different (e.g., a difference of about 2 dB to about 3 dB occurs in the frequency response (1010) of the microphone (245). The fifth graph (1029) and the sixth graph (1031), which represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the position of the microphone (245) in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the third leakage state, may be different (e.g., a difference of about 3 dB to about 5 dB occurs in the frequency response (1010) of the microphone (245).

[0126] As discussed above, the third graph (1040) and the fourth graph (1045) in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the second leakage state may be different from the fifth graph (1050) and the sixth graph (1055) in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the third leakage state. In other words, as the leakage increases in the low frequency band (1035) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz), a difference may occur in the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245), which may mean lower ANC performance.

[0127] FIG. 10b is a graph illustrating the frequency response of a microphone (245) when the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by a partition wall portion (250) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0128] In FIG. 10b according to one embodiment, the x-axis may represent frequency (1005) (Hz) and the y-axis may represent frequency response (1010) (dB) of the microphone (245).

[0129] Referring to FIG. 10b, the seventh graph (1041), the ninth graph (1045), and the eleventh graph (1049) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the location of the microphone (245) when the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250) while the wearable electronic device (200) is inserted and worn in the user's ear (e.g., external auditory canal).

[0130] In one embodiment, the eighth graph (1043), the tenth graph (1047), and the twelfth graph (1051) may represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum location when the wearable electronic device (200) is inserted and worn in the user's ear (e.g., the external auditory canal), and the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the septum portion (250).

[0131] In one embodiment, the seventh graph (1041) and the eighth graph (1043) may represent the frequency response at the position and eardrum location of the microphone (245) in a first leakage (e.g., high leak) state. The ninth graph (1045) and the tenth graph (1047) may represent the frequency response at the position and eardrum location of the microphone (245) in a second leakage (e.g., middle leak) state that is less than the first leakage. The eleventh graph (1049) and the twelfth graph (1051) may represent the performance at the position and eardrum location of the microphone (245) in a third leakage (e.g., low leak) state that is less than the second leakage.

[0132] As illustrated in FIG. 10b, the seventh graph (1041) and the eighth graph (1043), which represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245) and the eardrum position in the low frequency band (1055) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the first leakage state, may be similar. The ninth graph (1045) and the tenth graph (1047), which represent the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245) and the eardrum position in the low frequency band (1055) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the second leakage state, may be similar. The eleventh graph (1049) and the twelfth graph (1051) showing the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245) and the eardrum position in the low frequency band (1055) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz) and the third leakage state may be similar.

[0133] In one embodiment, in the low frequency band (1055) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz), the seventh graph (1041) and the eighth graph (1043) are similar, the ninth graph (1045) and the tenth graph (1047) are similar, and the eleventh graph (1049) and the twelfth graph (1051) are similar, so that it can be confirmed that the frequency response at the position of the microphone (245) and the frequency response at the position of the eardrum are similar. The similarity of the frequency response at the position of the microphone (245) and the frequency response at the position of the eardrum may mean that the ANC performance is high. In other words, compared to the prior art, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, since the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250), even when the leaks increase in the low frequency band (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz), there is no difference in the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245), so that the ANC performance can be high. Since there is no difference between the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the eardrum position and the frequency response of the microphone (245) at the position of the microphone (245), even when the leakage increases in the low-frequency band (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz), the speaker (240) can accurately generate noise having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245) (e.g., noise indicating a frequency having an opposite phase) to cancel out the noise, thereby enabling high ANC performance to be achieved even in the first leakage state, the second leakage state, and the third leakage state.

[0134] FIG. 11 is a graph illustrating the ANC (active noise cancelling) performance when a speaker (240) and a microphone (245) are spatially separated by a partition wall portion (250) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0135] In FIG. 11 according to one embodiment, the x-axis may represent frequency (1110) (Hz), and the y-axis may represent ANC performance (1120).

[0136] Referring to FIG. 11, the first graph (1130) may represent ANC performance (1120) in a state where the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are not spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250). The second graph (1140) may represent ANC performance (1120) in a state where the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250) according to one embodiment.

[0137] In one embodiment, the speaker (240) can output noise having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245) (e.g., noise indicating a frequency having an opposite phase) to cancel out the noise. For example, in the graph illustrated in FIG. 11, a lower value of the ANC performance (1120) may indicate a higher noise canceling performance. Based on this, when comparing the first graph (1130) and the second graph (1140) in the low frequency band (1150) (e.g., about 100 Hz to about 1000 Hz), it can be confirmed that the ANC performance (1120) has a lower value in the second graph (1140). Accordingly, the ANC performance (1120) may be high when the speaker (240) and the microphone (245) are spatially separated by the partition wall portion (250).

[0138] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a housing (230) forming at least a portion of the exterior of the wearable electronic device (101, 200). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a nozzle portion (235) formed on one side of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a speaker (240) arranged to correspond to a first sound channel (260) in the internal space of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a microphone (245) arranged to correspond to a second sound channel (265) in the internal space of the housing (230). According to one embodiment, a wearable electronic device (101, 200) may include a partition wall portion (250) extending from a portion of the housing (230) in the internal space of the housing (230) to spatially separate the speaker (240) and the microphone (245). A portion of the partition wall portion (250) according to one embodiment may be formed to protrude outward from one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235).

[0139] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a housing (230) forming an exterior of the wearable electronic device (101, 200). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265) arranged in an internal space of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a nozzle unit (235) that includes a cross-section of the housing (230) and transmits an audio signal to the inside or outside of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a partition wall portion (250) that spatially divides the internal space of the housing (230) into a first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a speaker (240) arranged to correspond to the first sound conduit (260) in the internal space of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a microphone (245) arranged to correspond to the second sound conduit (265) in the internal space of the housing (230). According to one embodiment, a part of the partition wall portion (250) may be formed to extend beyond a cross section of the housing (230).

[0140] According to one embodiment, the first sound conduit (260) may be a path for an audio signal output from the speaker (240). According to one embodiment, the second sound conduit (265) may be a path for an audio signal received by the microphone (245). For example, the first sound conduit (260) may output an audio signal output from the speaker (240) to the outside of the housing (230) through the nozzle portion (235). The second sound conduit (265) may transmit an audio signal input from the outside of the housing (230) through the nozzle portion (235) to the microphone (245).

[0141] In one embodiment, an audio signal output from a speaker (240) through a first sound conduit (260) may be prevented from being transmitted to a microphone (245) through a second sound conduit (265) by a partition wall portion (250). That is, an audio signal transmitted to the outside of the housing (230) through the first sound conduit (260) may not be transmitted to the second sound conduit (265) by the partition wall portion (250). Here, the audio signal may be separated from the microphone.

[0142] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may further include a grill (270) disposed in the nozzle portion (235). The grill (270) may be an audio signal transmitting member disposed in the nozzle portion (235).

[0143] In one embodiment, the grill (270) may be arranged to surround a portion of the partition wall portion (255) formed to protrude outward from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). That is, the audio signal transmitting member may be arranged to extend across the partition wall portion (255) by extending further than the cross-sections of the nozzle portion (235) and the housing (230).

[0144] In one embodiment, the grill (270) may be formed in a curved shape.

[0145] In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a first grille (270a) arranged to surround at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a second grille (270b) arranged to surround at least another portion of the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the audio signal transmitting member may include a first grille (270a) extending across the nozzle portion (235) from the first sound conduit (260) and a second grille (270b) extending across the nozzle portion (235) from the second sound conduit (265).

[0146] In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a first grille (515) arranged to surround at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and a portion of a partition wall portion (255) formed to protrude outwardly from one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a second grille (520) arranged to surround at least another portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). That is, the audio signal transmitting member may include a first grille (515) extending across the nozzle portion (235) of the first sound conduit (260) from an end of the partition wall portion (255), and a second grille (520) separated from the first grille (515), extending from the partition wall portion (255), and crossing the nozzle portion (235) at the second sound conduit (265).

[0147] In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a first grille (615) arranged to surround at least a portion of one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). In one embodiment, the grille (270) may include a second grille (620) arranged to surround a portion of a partition wall portion (250) formed to protrude outward from the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235) and at least another portion of the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). That is, the audio signal transmitting member may include a first grille (615) extending from the partition wall portion (255) and crossing the nozzle portion (235) of the first sound conduit (260), and a second grille (620) separated from the first grille (615) and extending across the nozzle portion (235) of the second sound conduit (265) from an end of the partition wall portion (255).

[0148] In one embodiment, a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) may be formed parallel to a surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), instead of being formed to protrude outwardly from the surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the bulkhead portion (250) may include a surface that is flush with a cross-section of the housing (230) and a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) that extends from the cross-section of the housing (230) and extends further than the cross-section of the housing (230).

[0149] In one embodiment, when a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) is formed parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a first extension opening (820) may be formed in at least a portion of the housing (230) adjacent to at least a portion of the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the nozzle portion (235) may include a first extension opening (820) and a second extension opening (860). The first extension opening (820) and the second extension opening (860) may be positioned on the same plane as the cross-section of the housing (230). The first extension opening (820) may extend in a direction away from the plane.

[0150] In one embodiment, when a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) is formed parallel to one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a second extension opening (860) may be formed in at least another portion of the housing (230) adjacent to at least another portion of the one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the second extension opening (860) may extend in a direction away from a plane (e.g., a plane identical to a cross-section of the housing (230).

[0151] In one embodiment, a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) may be formed inwardly relative to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235), instead of being formed to protrude outwardly relative to one surface (255) of the nozzle portion (235). For example, the bulkhead portion (250) may include an end portion spaced apart from the cross section of the housing (230) in the internal space of the housing (230).

[0152] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may further include a grill (910) disposed in a nozzle portion (235).

[0153] In one embodiment, the grill (910) may include a protruding member (915) formed to extend inwardly from a portion of the grill (910).

[0154] In one embodiment, when a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) is formed inside one side (255) of the nozzle portion (235), a portion of the bulkhead portion (250) may be connected to the protruding member (915).

[0155] According to one embodiment, the first sound conduit (260) may be a path for an audio signal output from a speaker (240). According to one embodiment, the second sound conduit (265) may be a path for an audio signal received by a microphone (245).

[0156] In one embodiment, an audio signal output from a speaker (240) through a first sound conduit (260) may be prevented from being transmitted to a microphone (245) through a second sound conduit (265) by a partition wall portion (250) and a protruding member (915).

[0157] In one embodiment, the microphone (245) may include a microphone for active noise cancelling to remove noise inside the wearable electronic device (101, 200).

[0158] In one embodiment, the speaker (240) can generate canceling noise that has an opposite phase to the noise detected by the microphone (245), thereby canceling out the noise detected by the microphone (245).

[0159] For example, the microphone may include an active noise canceling microphone that senses (detects) noise inside the wearable electronic device, and the speaker may generate canceling noise that has an opposite phase to the noise sensed (detected) by the microphone to cancel out the noise inside the wearable electronic device.

[0160] In another embodiment, the wearable electronic device may include a baffle (e.g., see FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 7) that includes a surface (e.g., 525b and 565a of FIGS. 5A and 5B) that is flush with an end surface of the housing. The baffle may further include an extension portion (e.g., 525a and 565b of FIGS. 5A and 5B) that extends from the surface of the baffle further than the end surface of the housing to define the end surface of the baffle. The surface and the extension portion of the baffle may form a step of the baffle (e.g., see FIGS. 5A and 5B). A portion of the audio signal-transparent member (e.g., 520 of FIG. 5A or 555 of FIG. 5B) may be parallel to (or flush with) the end surface of the housing.

[0161] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a housing (230) forming an exterior of the wearable electronic device (101, 200). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265) arranged in an internal space of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a nozzle unit (235) that includes a cross-section of the housing (230) and transmits an audio signal to the inside or outside of the housing (230). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a partition wall portion (250) that spatially divides the internal space of the housing (230) into a first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a speaker (240) that is disposed in the internal space of the housing (230) and transmits an audio signal through the first sound conduit (260). A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment may include a microphone (245) that is disposed in the internal space of the housing (230) and transmits an audio signal through the second sound conduit (265). A partition wall portion (250) according to one embodiment may include a surface that is on the same plane as a cross-section of the housing (230).

[0162] According to one embodiment, the bulkhead portion (250) may further include an extension portion that extends further than the cross-section of the housing (230) from the surface of the bulkhead portion (250).

[0163] The surface and extension portion of the bulkhead portion (250) according to one embodiment can form a step of the bulkhead portion (250).

[0164] A wearable electronic device (101, 200) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may further include an acoustic signal transmitting member disposed in a nozzle portion (235). A portion of the acoustic signal transmitting member according to one embodiment may be parallel to a cross-section of the housing (230).

[0165] A portion of the acoustic signal transmitting member that is on the same plane as the cross-section of the housing (230) according to one embodiment may extend across the first acoustic conduit (260).

[0166] A portion of the acoustic signal transmitting member that is on the same plane as the cross-section of the housing (230) according to one embodiment may extend across the second acoustic conduit (265).

[0167] Electronic devices according to the various embodiments disclosed in this document may take various forms. Electronic devices may include, for example, portable communication devices (e.g., smartphones), computer devices, portable multimedia devices, portable medical devices, cameras, wearable devices, or home appliances. Electronic devices according to the embodiments of this document are not limited to the aforementioned devices.

[0168] The various embodiments and terminology used in this document are not intended to limit the technical features described herein to specific embodiments, but should be understood to encompass various modifications, equivalents, or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar or related components.

[0169] The singular form of a noun corresponding to an item may include one or more of said items, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, phrases such as "A or B," "at least one of A and B," "at least one of A or B," "A, B, or C," "at least one of A, B, and C," and "at least one of A, B, or C" may each include any one of the items listed in that phrase, or all possible combinations thereof.

[0170] Terms such as "first," "second," or "first" or "second" may be used simply to distinguish one component from another and do not qualify the components in any other respect (e.g., importance or order).

[0171] When a component (e.g., a first component) is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component (e.g., a second component), with or without the terms "functionally" or "communicatively," it means that the component can be connected to the other component directly (e.g., wired), wirelessly, or through a third component.

[0172] The term "module" used in various embodiments of this document may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A module may be an integral component, or a minimum unit or part of such a component that performs one or more functions. For example, according to one embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0173] Various embodiments of the present document may be implemented as software (e.g., a program (140)) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., an internal memory (136) or an external memory (138)) readable by a machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)). For example, a processor (e.g., a processor (120)) of the machine (e.g., an electronic device (101)) may call at least one instruction among the one or more instructions stored from the storage medium and execute it. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one called instruction. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Here, 'non-transitory' simply means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not contain signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), and the term does not distinguish between cases where data is stored semi-permanently or temporarily on the storage medium.

[0174] According to one embodiment, the method according to various embodiments disclosed in this document may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between sellers and buyers as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a device-readable storage medium (e.g., compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)) or may be provided through an application store (e.g., Play Store). TM) or directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones), online distribution (e.g., downloading or uploading). In the case of online distribution, at least a portion of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored or temporarily created in a machine-readable storage medium, such as the memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or an intermediary server.

[0175] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., a module or a program) of the above-described components may include one or more entities, and some of the entities may be separated and placed in other components. According to various embodiments, one or more components or operations of the aforementioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components or operations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In such a case, the integrated component may perform one or more functions of each of the plurality of components identically or similarly to those performed by the corresponding component among the plurality of components prior to the integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, program, or other component may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or one or more other operations may be added.

[0176] When an element is referred to as being "on" another element, it can be understood that the element exists directly in the other element, or that there is an intervening element between them. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" another element, there may not be an intervening element. Elements that are in contact with or "directly" related to one another can form an interface between them.

[0177] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the terms "a," "an," "the," and "at least one" do not denote limitations of quantity and are intended to encompass both the singular and the plural, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, in the claims, a reference to "an" element followed by a reference to "the" element includes both one element and plural elements. For example, "an element" has the same meaning as "at least one element," unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" or "includes" and / or "including" when used herein specify the presence of specified features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0178] Additionally, relative terms such as "lower" or "bottom" and "upper" or "top" may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another element as depicted in the drawings. It will be understood that relative terms encompass various orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if one device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as being on the "lower" side of another element may be facing the "upper" side of the other element. Thus, the term "lower" may encompass both the "lower" and "upper" orientations depending on the particular orientation of the drawing. Similarly, if one device in the drawings is flipped, an element described as being "below" or "beneath" another element may be facing "above" the other element. Thus, the terms "below" or "beneath" may encompass both the above and below orientations.

[0179] As used herein, "about" or "approximately" includes the stated value and may mean within an acceptable range of deviation for a particular value as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, taking into account the measurement and errors associated with measuring a particular quantity (e.g., limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" may mean within one or more standard deviations, or within ± 30%, 20%, 10%, or 5% of the stated value.

[0180] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and this disclosure, and should not be interpreted in an overly formal or idealized sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0181] Embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional examples that are schematic illustrations of ideal embodiments. Therefore, the shapes of the drawings may vary, for example, as a result of manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances. Therefore, the embodiments described herein should not be construed as being limited to the specific shapes of the regions depicted herein, but should encompass, for example, shape variations that occur during manufacturing. For example, regions depicted or described as flat may generally have rough and / or non-linear features. Furthermore, depicted sharp angles may be rounded. Therefore, the regions depicted in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to depict the precise shapes of the regions, nor are they intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. In a wearable electronic device (101, 200), A housing (230) forming the exterior of the wearable electronic device (101, 200); A first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265) arranged in the internal space of the above housing (230); A nozzle portion (235) including a cross-section of the housing (230) and transmitting an audio signal to the inside or outside of the housing (230); In the internal space of the housing (230), a partition wall portion (250) that spatially separates the internal space into the first sound conduit (260) and the second sound conduit (265); and In the internal space of the housing (230), a speaker (240) arranged to correspond to the first sound pipe (260); and In the internal space of the above housing (230), a microphone (245) is included that is arranged to correspond to the second sound channel (265). A wearable electronic device in which a portion of the above bulkhead portion (250) is formed to extend beyond the cross-section of the housing (230).

2. In paragraph 1, The first sound pipe (260) outputs an audio signal output from the speaker (240) to the outside of the housing (230) through the nozzle part (235), and The second sound conduit (265) is a wearable electronic device that transmits an audio signal input from the outside of the housing (230) through the nozzle part (235) to the microphone (245).

3. In paragraph 2, A wearable electronic device in which an audio signal transmitted to the outside of the housing (230) through the first sound conduit (260) is not transmitted to the second sound conduit (265) by the partition wall portion (250).

4. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, A wearable electronic device further comprising an audio signal transmitting member disposed in the nozzle portion (235).

5. In paragraph 4, A wearable electronic device in which the audio signal transmitting member is arranged to extend across the partition wall portion (255) and is longer than the cross-section of the nozzle portion (235) and the housing (230).

6. In paragraph 5, The above audio signal transmitting member is a wearable electronic device formed in a curved shape.

7. In paragraph 4 or 5, The above absence of audio signal transmission is A first grill (270a) extending across the nozzle section (235) in the first sound pipe (260); and A wearable electronic device including a second grill (270b) extending across a nozzle portion (235) in the second sound passage (265).

8. In paragraph 4 or 5, The above absence of audio signal transmission is A first grill (515) extending across the nozzle portion (235) of the first sound pipe (260) from the end of the above bulkhead portion (255); and A wearable electronic device comprising a second grill (520) separated from the first grill (515) and extending from the partition wall portion (255) and crossing the nozzle portion (235) in the second sound passage (265).

9. In paragraph 4 or 5, The above absence of audio signal transmission is A first grill (615) extending from the above bulkhead portion (255) and crossing the nozzle portion (235) of the first sound pipe (260); and A wearable electronic device comprising a second grill (620) separated from the first grill (615) and extending across the nozzle portion (235) of the second sound conduit (265) from the end of the bulkhead portion (255).

10. In paragraph 1, The above bulkhead portion (250) is A surface that is on the same plane as the cross-section of the above housing (230); and Includes a part of the partition wall portion (250) that extends from the cross-section of the housing (230) and is formed to extend further than the cross-section of the housing (230), The above nozzle part (235) includes a first extension opening (820) and a second extension opening (860). The first extension opening (820) and the second extension opening (860) are positioned on the same plane as the cross-section of the housing (230), The above first extension opening (820) extends in a direction away from the plane, and A wearable electronic device in which the second extension opening (860) extends in a direction away from the plane.

11. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 10, The above microphone (245) includes a microphone for active noise cancelling to remove noise inside the wearable electronic device (101, 200), and A wearable electronic device in which the above speaker (240) generates canceling noise having an opposite phase to the noise detected by the above microphone (245), thereby canceling the noise.

12. In a wearable electronic device (101, 200), A housing (230) forming the exterior of the wearable electronic device (101, 200); A first sound conduit (260) and a second sound conduit (265) arranged in the internal space of the above housing (230); A nozzle portion (235) including a cross-section of the housing (230) and transmitting an audio signal to the inside or outside of the housing (230); In the internal space of the housing (230), a partition wall portion (250) that spatially separates the internal space into the first sound conduit (260) and the second sound conduit (265); and A speaker (240) arranged in the internal space of the housing (230) and transmitting an audio signal through the first sound pipe (260); and It includes a microphone (245) that is placed in the internal space of the housing (230) and transmits an audio signal through a second sound channel (265). A wearable electronic device in which the above bulkhead portion (250) includes an end portion spaced apart from the cross-section of the housing (230) in the internal space.

13. In paragraph 12, A wearable electronic device further comprising an acoustic signal transmitting member disposed in the nozzle portion (235).

14. In paragraph 13, A wearable electronic device in which the acoustic signal transmitting member includes a protruding member (915) extending across the nozzle portion (235) and extending inwardly toward the end of the partition wall portion.

15. In paragraph 14, The above-mentioned acoustic signal transmitting member is a wearable electronic device connected to the end of the partition wall portion (250) in the above-mentioned protruding member (915).

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