Audio device

Abstract

Provided in the present application is an audio device. The audio device comprises a first earphone and an extension module; the first earphone is detachably connected to the extension module by means of a connecting assembly; the connecting assembly is a magnetic assembly and / or a bracket assembly; the first earphone is respectively communicatively connected to a terminal device and the extension module, or, the first earphone and the extension module are respectively communicatively connected to the terminal device, or, the first earphone is only communicatively connected to the extension module. The first earphone and the extension module can jointly playback audio, or the first earphone and the extension module can playback audio independently, or the extension module can assist the first earphone in playing back audio. Therefore, the audio device can meet user requirements in a plurality of scenarios, that is, the audio device of the present application can be adapted to a plurality of application scenarios, and can provide users with optimal audio experience in different scenarios.

Description

audio equipment

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on December 6, 2024, with application number 202411789772.8 and entitled "Audio Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of electronic technology, and more particularly to an audio device. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, single-form audio devices (such as air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones) are no longer sufficient to meet users' wearing needs in various scenarios. For example, traditional in-ear headphones (a type of air conduction headphone) are prone to slipping out during exercise, affecting user comfort and experience. Open-back headphones (a type of air conduction headphone) suffer from sound leakage during calls, potentially leading to privacy breaches and causing inconvenience and security risks. Furthermore, while bone conduction headphones, which have emerged in recent years, perform well in certain specific scenarios, their sound quality is inferior, making them unsuitable for music, movies, and other scenarios requiring a high-quality audio experience.

[0004] Therefore, developing an audio device that can adapt to multiple scenarios is particularly urgent. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, this application provides an audio device. This audio device can meet the needs of users in various scenarios.

[0006] In a first aspect, this application provides an audio device comprising a first earphone and an expansion module. The first earphone is detachably connected to the expansion module via a connecting component, which is a magnetic component and / or a bracket component. The expansion module includes a module capable of independently playing audio and capable of playing audio in conjunction with the first earphone, and / or a module capable of assisting the first earphone in playing audio. The first earphone is communicatively connected to both a terminal device and the expansion module; or, the first earphone and the expansion module are communicatively connected to the terminal device; or, the first earphone is communicatively connected only to the expansion module.

[0007] In cases where the expansion module is capable of independently playing audio and can also play audio in conjunction with the first earphone (e.g., the expansion module is a second earphone, hearing aid, voice assistant module, etc.): In some scenarios (such as sports scenarios), the first earphone and the expansion module can play audio together; thus, the sound reproduction advantages of both the first earphone and the expansion module can be leveraged in these scenarios, improving the listening experience. For scenarios where a good listening experience can be achieved solely through audio playback by the first earphone (such as music or movie scenarios), only the first earphone can play audio. For scenarios where a good listening experience can be achieved solely through audio playback by the expansion module (such as gaming scenarios), only the expansion module needs to play audio. In other words, the first earphone and the expansion module can play audio together, or they can play audio independently; this allows the audio device of this application to meet the needs of users in various scenarios. Therefore, the audio device of this application is applicable to various application scenarios and offers a superior experience compared to existing earphones.

[0008] When the expansion module is an auxiliary module for playing audio through the first earphone, such as an environmental monitoring module, and when the environmental monitoring module is an image acquisition module, the audio device of this application can play obstacle avoidance audio generated by the terminal device (or expansion module) based on the images acquired by the image acquisition module. Thus, the audio device of this application can also be used for obstacle avoidance for visually impaired individuals. Furthermore, the audio device of this application can automatically switch sound effect modes (such as pass-through mode, noise reduction mode, privacy call mode, etc.) based on the environmental information of the user identified by the images acquired by the image acquisition module. When the environmental monitoring module is a gas detector alarm, the audio device of this application can play a gas concentration warning audio (the gas concentration can be determined by analyzing the data collected by the gas detector alarm or the terminal device; and the gas concentration warning audio is generated when the gas concentration exceeds a threshold). Thus, the audio device of this application can provide safety alarms for miners, reducing safety hazards during mining operations.

[0009] In the case where the extension module is a module that assists the first earphone in playing audio, such as a health monitoring module, the terminal device (or health monitoring module) can acquire health data (such as heart rate, body temperature, sleep duration, exercise data, etc.) collected by the health monitoring module. Then, it determines whether the heart rate, body temperature, sleep duration, etc., exceed a threshold. If these health data exceed the threshold, a prompt audio is generated. Subsequently, the audio device of this application plays the prompt audio to remind the user to pay attention to their health and take timely measures. Alternatively, after the terminal device (or health monitoring module) generates exercise guidance audio based on exercise data, the audio device of this application plays the exercise guidance audio to prompt the user to adjust their exercise posture, exercise intensity, etc., thereby improving the user's exercise performance.

[0010] Secondly, this application does not limit the type of expansion module, and the first earphone and the expansion module are detachably connected; that is to say, the expansion module combined with the first earphone can be of various types; in this way, as the scene changes, the user can replace the expansion module combined with the first earphone; thus, the audio device can also be used in a variety of scenarios to provide the user with the best audio experience in different scenarios.

[0011] Secondly, the first earpiece and the expansion module are detachably connected, making them easy to carry and store. Furthermore, if either the first earpiece or the expansion module malfunctions, only the first earpiece or the expansion module needs to be replaced or repaired, resulting in low repair or replacement costs.

[0012] In addition, the support assembly can be designed as an adjustable or flexible structure, or the size of the support can be customized; in this way, users can choose the support assembly that best suits their ear shape according to their own ear's physiological structure, thereby improving the user's wearing comfort.

[0013] For example, the first earphone can be a wired earphone or a wireless earphone.

[0014] For example, the first earphone and the terminal device can be connected via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0015] For example, the expansion module and the terminal device (or the first earphone) can be connected via wired communication or wireless communication.

[0016] It should be noted that the first earphone can be used independently even without being combined with the expansion module.

[0017] For example, in use, the audio device can be worn on the ear, and the magnetic components and / or support components can make the audio device stay fixed or substantially fixed on the ear.

[0018] For example, this application does not limit the form of the first earphone and the expansion module.

[0019] It should be understood that the audio device of this application can be connected to a terminal device to play audio signals generated by the terminal device; or, the audio device of this application can also be used independently, and the audio device itself can generate and play audio signals.

[0020] According to the first aspect, the extension module includes at least one of an audio module, an environmental monitoring module, or a health monitoring module.

[0021] In other words, the expansion module can be a standalone audio module, a standalone environmental monitoring module, a standalone health monitoring module, or a module that integrates at least two of the audio, environmental, and health monitoring modules.

[0022] For example, an audio module can refer to a component that has the function of processing and playing audio signals as well as the function of acquiring audio signals.

[0023] For example, a health monitoring module can be used to monitor human health status and may include sensors for collecting health data, such as heart rate sensors, body temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.

[0024] For example, the environmental monitoring module can be used to monitor the environmental status and may include sensors for collecting environmental data, such as infrared detectors, gas detection alarms, radiation detectors, audio acquisition modules, image acquisition modules, etc.

[0025] It should be understood that the audio module, environmental monitoring module, or health monitoring module are all detachable modules.

[0026] It should be understood that extension modules may also include other types of modules, and this application does not limit this.

[0027] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the expansion module also includes a battery module. This increases the usage time of the expansion module and / or the first earphone.

[0028] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the audio module includes a second earphone, or the audio module includes at least one of a hearing aid or an artificial intelligence module.

[0029] For example, an artificial intelligence (AI) module can refer to a component used to implement artificial intelligence functions.

[0030] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the artificial intelligence module includes at least one of the following: a voice assistant module, a translator, or a simultaneous interpreter.

[0031] In other words, the artificial intelligence module can be any one of a voice assistant module, a translator, or a simultaneous interpreter, or any combination of two or more of these modules.

[0032] It should be understood that the artificial intelligence module may also include other types of modules, and this application does not limit this.

[0033] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the second earphone is a bone conduction earphone.

[0034] For example, the bone conduction headphones involved in this application may include bone conduction headphones and cartilage conduction headphones.

[0035] For example, bone conduction headphones can also be called bone conduction headphones.

[0036] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the first earphone is an air-conducting earphone.

[0037] For example, air-conducting headphones can also be called air-conducting headphones.

[0038] When the first earphone is an air conduction earphone and the second earphone is a bone conduction earphone, the audio device is composed of air conduction and bone conduction earphones. Therefore, it can take advantage of the advantages of air conduction earphones (such as better sound presence and immersion) and bone conduction earphones (such as less affected by external noise (the audio heard in noisy environments is clearer) and less damage to the external ear canal and eardrum (when air conduction and bone conduction earphones play audio at the same time, the volume of air conduction earphones can be reduced, thereby reducing the overall damage to the external ear canal and eardrum of the audio device) to provide users with better sound quality and adapt to a wider range of scenarios (such as sports scenarios, call scenarios, game scenarios, music scenarios, movie scenarios, etc.).

[0039] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the magnetic component includes a first magnetic connection module and a second magnetic connection module. The first magnetic connection module is disposed on the first earphone, and the second magnetic connection module is disposed on the expansion module. The magnetic poles of the first magnetic connection module and the second magnetic connection module are opposite magnetic poles. In this configuration, the first earphone and the expansion module can be magnetically clamped onto the ear.

[0040] For example, when the first magnetic connection module is the North Pole (N pole), the second magnetic connection module is the South Pole (S pole); when the first magnetic connection module is the South Pole (S pole), the second magnetic connection module is the North Pole (N pole).

[0041] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the bracket assembly includes a bracket, a first connecting slot, and a second connecting slot. The first connecting slot is disposed on the first earphone, and the second connecting slot is disposed on the expansion module. The first earphone is detachably connected to one end of the bracket via the first connecting slot, and the expansion module is detachably connected to the other end of the bracket via the second connecting slot. In this configuration, the first earphone and the expansion module can be fixed to the ear by the bracket.

[0042] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the terminal device is a wearable device.

[0043] Wearable devices include head-mounted audio devices (such as augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headsets, smart glasses, etc.) and smartwatches. It should be understood that terminal devices can also be mobile phones, tablets, speakers, MP4 players, etc., and this application does not impose any restrictions on this.

[0044] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, when the terminal device generates a first audio signal and a second audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, and the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal; when the terminal device only generates the first audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal; when the terminal device only generates the second audio signal, the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal.

[0045] For example, in a sports scenario, a smartwatch can generate a first audio signal and a second audio signal. Assuming the downlink audio signal to be played from the smartwatch is a music audio signal, the first audio signal is the music audio signal (the first audio signal differs from the downlink audio signal; the first audio signal can be an audio signal obtained after audio processing of the downlink audio signal). The second audio signal is generated based on the drum beats and other audio elements in the downlink audio signal to be played from the smartwatch, used to represent the rhythm of the music. In this way, the air-conduction headphones can play music, and the bone-conduction headphones can feed back the music rhythm to the user in the form of bass-heavy audio and / or vibration, thereby improving the user's athletic performance. Furthermore, when the smartwatch detects that the user's heart rate is too high, the smartwatch can also generate an audio signal indicating an excessive heart rate (which can be considered part of the second audio signal). In this way, the bone-conduction headphones can feed back the audio signal indicating an excessive heart rate to the user as an alert in the form of cue audio and / or vibration, without interfering with the user's audio listening experience.

[0046] For example, in music or movie scenes, the phone can generate only the first audio signal.

[0047] For example, in a game scenario, if the downlink audio signal to be played is an audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effect, the mobile phone can generate only the second audio signal; then, the bone conduction headphones will feed back the skill release or explosion sound effect to the user in the form of heavy bass audio and / or vibration to enhance the user experience.

[0048] For example, if the terminal device only generates a second audio signal, the terminal device can send the second audio signal to the expansion module; the expansion module generates a first audio signal based on the second audio signal and sends the first audio signal to the first earphone; then the expansion module plays the second audio signal, and the first earphone plays the first audio signal.

[0049] For example, in a call scenario, the mobile phone can generate only a second audio signal and send it to the bone conduction headset; then, the bone conduction headset generates a first audio signal based on the second audio signal to cancel out the sound leakage caused by the bone conduction headset playing the second audio signal, and then sends the first audio signal to the air conduction headset; in this way, the bone conduction headset and the air conduction headset play audio at the same time, which can reduce sound leakage and ensure that the content of the call is not leaked.

[0050] For example, if the terminal device only generates a first audio signal, the terminal device can send the first audio signal to the first earphone; then, the first earphone can generate a second audio signal based on the first audio signal and send the second audio signal to the expansion module; subsequently, the first earphone plays the first audio signal and the expansion module plays the second audio signal.

[0051] For example, in a game scenario, if the downlink audio signal to be played includes the audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effects and the audio signal of background music, the mobile phone can generate only a first audio signal (including the audio signals of skill release or explosion sound effects and background music; the first audio signal and the downlink audio signal are different, and the first audio signal can be the audio signal after audio processing of the downlink audio signal), and send the first audio signal to the air conduction headphones; then, the air conduction headphones can generate a second audio signal based on the audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effects in the first audio signal and send the second audio signal to the bone conduction module; then the air conduction headphones play the first audio signal, and the bone conduction headphones play the second audio signal; in this way, the background music is played by the air conduction headphones, and the sound effects such as skill release or explosion are fed back to the user in the form of heavy bass audio and / or vibration by the bone conduction headphones, improving the user experience.

[0052] It should be noted that the first earphone can directly play the first audio signal, or it can process the first audio signal before playback. The expansion module can directly play the second audio signal, or it can process the second audio signal before playback.

[0053] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the wearable device is a head-mounted audio device.

[0054] When the head-mounted audio device generates a first audio signal, a second audio signal, and a third audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal;

[0055] When the head-mounted audio device generates a first audio signal and a third audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal;

[0056] The head-mounted audio device generates a second audio signal and a third audio signal. The expansion module is used to play the second audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal.

[0057] This allows for combined sound output from the head-mounted audio device, air-conduction headphones, and expansion modules. In this configuration, the air-conduction audio playback module (and / or bone-conduction audio playback module) of the head-mounted audio device works in conjunction with the air-conduction audio playback module (and / or bone-conduction audio playback module) of the audio device. Through coordinated sound output from each audio channel, overall sound quality and spatial awareness are improved, while reducing the power consumption of each device. Furthermore, deploying multiple sound units also helps improve ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and sound leakage prevention.

[0058] It should be understood that even if the first earphone is not connected to the expansion module, the first earphone can still play sound together with the terminal device.

[0059] It should be noted that when the expansion module is at least one of an audio module, a health monitoring module, or an environmental monitoring module, the audio device can be used in conjunction with the terminal device, that is, the audio device is used to play the audio signal generated by the terminal device.

[0060] According to the first aspect, or any implementation thereof, the extension module is used to generate a fourth audio signal based on the sensor data collected by the extension module; the first earphone is used to play the fourth audio signal. In other words, the audio device of this application can be used independently of the terminal device.

[0061] It should be noted that when the expansion module is a second earphone, the audio device can only be used in conjunction with the terminal device; when the expansion module is at least one of a hearing aid or an artificial intelligence module, or when the expansion module is at least one of an environmental monitoring module or a health monitoring module, the audio device of this application can also be used independently.

[0062] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located in the concha or ear canal, and the expansion module is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, around the ear, in the ear canal, or in the concha.

[0063] In one possible scenario, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located in the concha or ear canal, and the extension module is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear.

[0064] In one possible scenario, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located inside the concha, and the expansion module is located inside the ear canal.

[0065] In one possible configuration, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located within the concha, and the expansion module is also located within the concha. Specifically, at least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module included in the expansion module may be located within the concha, while the battery module included in the expansion module is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. At least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module and the battery module can be detachably connected via a support assembly. The first earphone is detachably connected to at least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module via a magnetic assembly.

[0066] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the first earphone and the expansion module are connected by wired or wireless communication.

[0067] For example, when the first earphone and the expansion module are detachably connected via a magnetic component, the first earphone and the expansion module can be a wireless communication connection.

[0068] For example, when the first earphone and the expansion module are detachably connected via a bracket assembly, the first earphone and the expansion module can be connected via a wired communication connection.

[0069] According to the first aspect, or any implementation of the first aspect above, the bracket is an earring bracket, a neck brace bracket, a headband bracket, or an ear hook bracket.

[0070] Data transmission lines can be installed inside the earring holder, neckband holder, headband holder, and earring holder. Attached Figure Description

[0071] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of this application;

[0072] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of the present application embodiment;

[0073] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of the present application embodiment;

[0074] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of the present application embodiment;

[0075] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a first earphone according to an embodiment of this application;

[0076] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an extension module according to an embodiment of this application;

[0077] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the physical connection between a first earphone and an expansion module according to an embodiment of this application;

[0078] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of how an audio device is worn according to an embodiment of this application;

[0079] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of another physical connection method between the first earphone and the expansion module according to an embodiment of this application;

[0080] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of another way of wearing an audio device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0081] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of another way of wearing an audio device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0082] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of a connection method between an audio device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0083] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of another connection method between an audio device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0084] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of a head-mounted display device and an audio device used in combination according to an embodiment of this application;

[0085] Figure 7D is a schematic diagram of a smart glasses and an audio device used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application;

[0086] Figure 7E is a schematic diagram of a speaker and audio device used in combination according to an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 7F is a schematic diagram of an MP4 player and an audio device used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application;

[0088] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an audio system 800 according to an embodiment of this application;

[0089] Figure 9A is a schematic diagram of a head-mounted display device and a first earphone used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application;

[0090] Figure 9B is a schematic diagram of a smart glasses and a first earphone used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application;

[0091] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between the first earphone and the expansion module in an audio device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0092] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a device provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0093] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0094] In this article, the term "and / or" is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent three situations: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone.

[0095] The terms "first" and "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a specific order of objects. For example, "first target object" and "second target object," etc., are used to distinguish different target objects, not to describe a specific order of target objects.

[0096] In the embodiments of this application, the words "exemplarily" or "for example" are used to indicate examples, illustrations, or explanations. Any embodiment or design described as "exemplarily" or "for example" in the embodiments of this application should not be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments or design solutions. Specifically, the use of the words "exemplarily" or "for example" is intended to present the relevant concepts in a specific manner.

[0097] In the description of the embodiments in this application, unless otherwise stated, "multiple" means two or more. For example, multiple processing units means two or more processing units; multiple systems means two or more systems.

[0098] In the embodiments of this application, the modules / components shown in the framework diagram (or structural diagram or system diagram) are merely examples of this application. The actual framework (or structure or system) may include more or fewer modules / components than those shown in the diagram, or may have different component configurations. Furthermore, the various components / modules shown in the diagrams may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software, including one or more signal processing and / or application-specific integrated circuits.

[0099] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram of an application scenario according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 1A shows an audio device used in a call scenario.

[0100] Referring to Figure 1A, user A can dial user B's phone B using mobile phone A (user A's phone A and the audio device worn by user A have established a communication connection). After user B answers the call from mobile phone A, user A and user B can have a voice call. During the voice call, the audio device worn by user A can capture user A's voice to obtain audio signal A, and send audio signal A to mobile phone A, which then sends audio signal A to mobile phone B. After receiving audio signal A, mobile phone B, since its hands-free function is enabled, can play audio signal A through its internal speaker. Correspondingly, mobile phone B can capture user B's voice to obtain audio signal B, and send audio signal B to mobile phone A. After receiving audio signal B, mobile phone A can send audio signal B to the audio device, which can then play audio signal B. Using an audio device during a voice call has advantages such as freeing up hands, effectively reducing ambient noise, making calls clearer, and protecting privacy.

[0101] Figure 1B is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of the present application embodiment. Figure 1B shows the application of audio equipment in a sports scene.

[0102] Referring to Figure 1B, users can wear an audio device before or during running and establish a communication connection between the audio device and their mobile phone. Afterwards, users can play music, audiobooks, news, and other audio files on their mobile phones. The phone responds to the user's actions by sending the audio signals of the music, audiobooks, news, etc., to the audio device; the audio device can then play these audio signals. Using an audio device during exercise offers advantages such as freeing up hands, reducing external interference, and improving audio quality.

[0103] Figure 1C is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of this application embodiment. Figure 1C shows an audio device applied in a game scenario.

[0104] Referring to Figure 1C, users can wear an audio device before or during gameplay and establish a communication connection between the audio device and their mobile phone. During gameplay, the mobile phone can send audio signals of game sound effects (such as the opening theme song, battle background, button clicks, etc.) and teammates' voices to the audio device; the audio device can then play these audio signals. Using an audio device during gameplay offers advantages such as ensuring an immersive gaming experience, reducing external interference, and protecting privacy.

[0105] Figure 1D is a schematic diagram of another application scenario of this application embodiment. Figure 1D shows an audio device applied in a movie scene.

[0106] Referring to Figure 1D, users can wear an audio device before or during a movie, establishing a communication connection between the device and their mobile phone. During playback, the phone can send the movie's audio signals (such as dialogue and background music) to the audio device, which then plays the audio. Using an audio device while watching a movie offers advantages such as ensuring an immersive experience and providing clearer, higher-quality audio.

[0107] It should be understood that audio devices can also be used in other listening scenarios, such as music scenarios, video conferencing scenarios, audio production scenarios, etc.; this application does not limit this.

[0108] It should be understood that the mobile phones in the application scenarios of Figures 1A to 1D can be replaced with other terminal devices, such as tablets, wearable devices (such as smartwatches, smart glasses, augmented reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) devices, etc.), and this application does not impose any restrictions on them.

[0109] For example, the audio device of this application (the audio device in Figures 1A to 1D) may include: a first headset and an expansion module, wherein the first headset is detachably connected to the expansion module via a connecting component; that is, the first headset can be used alone or in combination with the expansion module.

[0110] For example, the first earphone can be an air-conducting earphone (or an air-conducting headphone). The air-conducting earphone can be a wired air-conducting earphone or a wireless air-conducting earphone. For example, the air-conducting earphone can be in the form of in-ear, earbud, over-ear, ear-hook, open-back, true wireless earphones, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0111] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first earphone according to an embodiment of this application. The first earphone shown in Figure 2 is an in-ear wireless air-conduction earphone. It should be understood that Figure 2 only shows one form of the first earphone, and it should be understood that the first earphone of this application may also include other forms.

[0112] Referring to Figure 2, the first earphone 20 may, by way of example, include a first connection slot 201, a first magnetic connection module 202, a microphone and microphone hole 203, and a speaker and earphone sound outlet 204. It should be understood that the first earphone 20 may also include processing modules, communication modules, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0113] It should be noted that the first connection slot 201 of the first earphone 20 is optional, or the first magnetic connection module 202 is optional. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape, position, number, etc., of the first connection slot 201 and the first magnetic connection module 202; Figure 2 is merely an example.

[0114] For example, the extension module may include a module capable of playing audio independently and capable of playing audio in conjunction with the first earphone, and / or a module that can assist the first earphone in playing audio.

[0115] For example, the extension module may include at least one of an audio module, an environmental monitoring module, or a health monitoring module. It should be understood that the extension module may also be other types of modules, and this application does not limit this.

[0116] For example, an audio module can refer to a component that has the function of processing and playing audio signals as well as the function of acquiring audio signals.

[0117] For example, a health monitoring module can be used to monitor human health status and may include sensors for collecting health data, such as heart rate sensors, body temperature sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, etc.

[0118] For example, the environmental monitoring module can be used to monitor the environmental status and may include sensors for collecting environmental data, such as infrared detectors, gas detection alarms, radiation detectors, audio acquisition modules, image acquisition modules, etc.

[0119] It should be understood that the audio module, environmental monitoring module, or health monitoring module are all detachable modules.

[0120] For example, the audio module may include a second earphone, or the audio module may include at least one of a hearing aid or an artificial intelligence module.

[0121] In one possible implementation, the second earpiece is a bone conduction earpiece (also known as a bone conduction headphone).

[0122] For example, the artificial intelligence module may include at least one of the following: a voice assistant module, a translator, or a simultaneous interpreter. It should be understood that the artificial intelligence module may also include other modules with artificial intelligence capabilities, and this application does not limit this.

[0123] In one possible implementation, the expansion module may also include a battery module. This could increase the usage time of the expansion module and / or the first earphone.

[0124] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an extension module according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 only shows one form of the extension module, and it should be understood that the extension module of this application may also include other forms.

[0125] Referring to Figure 3, the expansion module 30 may, by way of example, include a second connection slot 301, a second magnetic connection module 302, a vibration pick-up unit (VPU) 303, and a vibration bone conduction unit 304. It should be understood that the expansion module 30 may also include a processing module, a communication module, etc., and this application does not limit this.

[0126] It should be noted that the second connection slot 301 of the expansion module 30 is optional, or the second magnetic connection module 302 is optional. Furthermore, this application does not limit the shape, position, number, etc., of the second connection slot 301 and the second magnetic connection module 302; Figure 3 is merely an example.

[0127] It should be understood that the second connection slot 301 of the expansion module 30 is adapted to the position of the first connection slot 201 of the first earphone 20, and the second magnetic connection module 302 of the expansion module 30 is adapted to the position of the first magnetic connection module 202 of the first earphone 20.

[0128] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of the physical connection between a first earphone and an expansion module according to an embodiment of this application.

[0129] In one possible implementation, the connecting component for connecting the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 is a magnetic component. This magnetic component may include a first magnetic connection module 202 and a second magnetic connection module 302, with the magnetic poles of the second magnetic connection module 302 being opposite to those of the first magnetic connection module 202. For example, when the first magnetic connection module 202 is the north pole (N pole), the second magnetic connection module 302 is the south pole (S pole), and vice versa. Thus, the first magnetic connection module 202 of the first earphone 20 and the second magnetic connection module 302 of the expansion module 30 can be magnetically connected, as shown in Figure 4A.

[0130] Figure 4B is a schematic diagram of how an audio device is worn according to an embodiment of this application.

[0131] Figure 4B illustrates how a user wears the audio device 100 (including a first earphone 20 and an expansion module 30): the first earphone 20 is located in the concha or ear canal, and the expansion module 30 is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. The first magnetic connection module 202 of the first earphone 20 and the second magnetic connection module 302 of the expansion module 30 can be magnetically connected, thereby enabling the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 to be clipped onto the earphone.

[0132] In one possible implementation, the connection component for connecting the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 is a bracket assembly. The bracket assembly includes a bracket, a first connection slot 201, and a second connection slot 302.

[0133] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of another physical connection method between the first earphone and the expansion module according to an embodiment of this application.

[0134] In one possible implementation, the support is an ear hook support 50, as shown in Figure 5A. Referring to Figure 5A, exemplarily, the first earphone 20 is detachably connected to one end of the ear hook support 50 via a first connecting slot 201, and the expansion module 30 is detachably connected to the other end of the ear hook support 50 via a second connecting slot 301.

[0135] Optionally, the ear hook bracket 50 may include a data transmission line 501; correspondingly, the first connecting slot 201 and the second connecting slot 301 are both provided with interfaces for the data transmission line.

[0136] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram of another way of wearing an audio device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0137] Figure 5B illustrates how a user wears the audio device 100 (including a first earphone 20 and an expansion module 30): the first earphone 20 is located in the concha or ear canal, and the expansion module 30 is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. The first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 are connected by an ear hook bracket 50, which can surround the upper and back of the ear to fix the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30.

[0138] For example, the ear hook support 50 can be designed as an adjustable or flexible structure to adapt to different users' ear shapes and sizes; this can provide better comfort and stability for users wearing the audio device 100.

[0139] In one possible implementation, the support is an earring support. For example, the first earphone 20 is detachably connected to one end of the earring support via a first connecting slot 201, and the expansion module 30 is detachably connected to the other end of the earring support via a second connecting slot 301.

[0140] Figure 6 illustrates how a user wears the audio device 100 (including a first earphone 20 and an expansion module 30): the first earphone 20 is located in the concha or ear canal, and the expansion module 30 is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. The first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 are connected by an earring bracket 60, which wraps around from the front of the ear to the back of the ear to secure the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30.

[0141] For example, the earring support 60 can be designed as an adjustable or flexible structure to adapt to different users' ear shapes and sizes; this can provide better comfort and stability for users wearing the audio device 100.

[0142] Optionally, the earring holder 60 may include a data transmission line; correspondingly, both the first connecting slot 201 and the second connecting slot 301 are provided with interfaces for the data transmission line.

[0143] It should be understood that the support in this application can also be a neck brace, a headband, etc., and this application does not limit the form of the support. Data transmission lines can also be installed inside the neck brace or headband.

[0144] In one possible scenario, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located inside the concha, and the expansion module is located inside the ear canal.

[0145] In one possible configuration, when the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located within the concha, and the expansion module is also located within the concha. Specifically, at least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module included in the expansion module may be located within the concha, while the battery module included in the expansion module is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. At least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module and the battery module can be detachably connected via a support assembly. The first earphone is detachably connected to at least one of the audio module, health monitoring module, or environmental monitoring module via a magnetic assembly.

[0146] The following description uses the audio device and terminal device of this application in combination as an example.

[0147] Figure 7A is a schematic diagram of a connection method between an audio device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0148] In one possible implementation, the first earpiece 20 can be communicatively connected to both the terminal device and the expansion module 30, as shown in Figure 7A. In Figure 7A, the terminal device is a mobile phone, the first earpiece 20 is communicatively connected to the mobile phone, and the first earpiece 20 is communicatively connected to the expansion module 30.

[0149] For example, the mobile phone can generate a first audio signal and a second audio signal, and send the first audio signal and the second audio signal to a first earphone 20. The first earphone 20 can send the second audio signal to the expansion module 30, and the first earphone 20 can play the first audio signal. The expansion module 30 can play the second audio signal after receiving it. It should be understood that in the process of the mobile phone generating the first audio signal and the second audio signal, the communication delay between the mobile phone and the first earphone 20, and the communication delay between the mobile phone and the expansion module 30, are resolved; thus, it can be ensured that the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 can play audio signals synchronously.

[0150] Figure 7B is a schematic diagram of another connection method between an audio device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of this application.

[0151] In one possible implementation, the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 are respectively communicatively connected to a terminal device, as shown in Figure 7B. In Figure 7B, the terminal device is a mobile phone, and both the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 are communicatively connected to the mobile phone.

[0152] For example, the mobile phone can generate a first audio signal and a second audio signal; then, the mobile phone can send the first audio signal to the first earphone 20 and the second audio signal to the expansion module 30. Next, the first earphone 20 can play the first audio signal, and the expansion module 30 can play the second audio signal. It should be understood that in the process of the mobile phone generating the first and second audio signals, the communication latency between the mobile phone and the first earphone 20, and between the mobile phone and the expansion module 30, is resolved; thus, it can be ensured that the first earphone 20 and the expansion module 30 can play the audio signals synchronously.

[0153] Figure 7C is a schematic diagram of a head-mounted display device and an audio device used in combination according to an embodiment of this application.

[0154] In Figure 7C, the terminal device connected to the audio device can be a head-mounted display device, so that the audio device can be used in conjunction with the head-mounted display device, as shown in Figure 7C.

[0155] Figure 7D is a schematic diagram of a smart glasses and an audio device used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application.

[0156] In Figure 7D, the terminal device connected to the audio device can be smart glasses, so that the audio device can be used in conjunction with the smart glasses, as shown in Figure 7D.

[0157] Figure 7E is a schematic diagram of a speaker and audio device used in combination according to an embodiment of this application.

[0158] In Figure 7E, the terminal device connected to the audio device can be a speaker, so that the audio device can be used in conjunction with the speaker, as shown in Figure 7E.

[0159] Figure 7F is a schematic diagram of an MP4 player and an audio device used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application.

[0160] In Figure 7F, the terminal device connected to the audio device can be an MP4 player, so that the audio device can be used in conjunction with the MP4 player.

[0161] It should be understood that the terminal device can also be other wearable devices (such as smartwatches) and other non-wearable devices (such as tablets), and this application does not limit this.

[0162] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an audio system 800 according to an embodiment of this application.

[0163] Referring to FIG8, the audio system 800 may, by way of example, include a terminal device 810, a first headset 20, and an expansion module 30.

[0164] For example, the terminal device 810 may include a device connection status control module 81, an information management module 82, an audio channel management module 83, an audio processing module 84, and a wired / wireless communication module 85.

[0165] For example, the device connection status control module 81 can be used to control the communication connection between the terminal device 810 and the first earphone 20 (and / or the expansion module 30). The information management module 82 can be used to acquire and store the audio channel parameters and device information of the first earphone 20, as well as the audio channel parameters and device information of the expansion module 30, etc.; wherein, the audio channel parameters may include, but are not limited to: the number of audio channels, the on / off state of the audio channels, and the audio playback parameters of the audio channels (such as response, delay, EQ (Equalizer) parameters, etc.). The audio channel management module can be used to control the on / off state of some audio channels of the first earphone 20 (and / or expansion module 30) and the corresponding sound effect algorithms of the audio channels in the on state, based on the sensor data collected by the sensors of the terminal device 810 (excluding sensor data collected by the microphone, such as human posture, motion state, spatial information, etc.), the ambient audio signals collected by the microphone of the terminal device 810, the downlink audio signals to be played in the terminal device 810 (such as music, movie audio, etc.), and the position and energy efficiency of the air conduction audio playback module (or bone conduction audio playback module) in the first earphone 20 (and / or expansion module 30). The audio processing module 84 can perform audio processing on the ambient audio signals collected by the microphone of the terminal device 810 and the downlink audio signals to be played in the terminal device 810 (such as music audio signals, movie audio signals, etc.) based on the sensor data collected by the sensors of the terminal device 810, the audio channel parameters of the audio channels in the first earphone 20 (and / or expansion module 30) in the on state, and the corresponding sound effect algorithms, to obtain an audio signal.

[0166] For example, the audio processing module 84 can run sound effect algorithms to perform audio processing; wherein, the audio processing performed by the audio processing module 84 may include, but is not limited to: adding EQ, dynamic range compression (DRC), spatial audio rendering, audio encoding, etc. For specific details, please refer to the audio processing process in the prior art, which will not be elaborated here.

[0167] For example, the first earphone 20 may include: a device connection status control module 21, a device status monitoring module 22, an audio processing module 23, an air conduction audio playback module 24, a microphone 25, and a wired / wireless communication module 26.

[0168] For example, the device connection status control module 21 can be used to control the communication connection between the first earphone 20 and other devices (such as terminal device 810, expansion module 30). The device status monitoring module 22 can be used to monitor the communication connection status between the first earphone 20 and other devices, as well as monitor the sound playback effect of the first earphone 20. The audio processing module 23 can be an optional module; when the first earphone 20 includes the audio processing module 23, the audio processing module 23 can be used to perform audio processing, such as active noise cancellation (ANC), DRC, pass-through, decoding, etc. The air-conducting audio playback module 24 can be a speaker for playing audio signals.

[0169] For example, the expansion module 30 may include: a device connection status control module 31, a device status monitoring module 32, an audio processing module 33, a bone conduction / air conduction audio playback module 34, a VPU / microphone 35, and a wired / wireless communication module 36. It should be understood that the functions of the device connection status control module 31, device status monitoring module 32, audio processing module 33, and air conduction audio playback module 34 of the expansion module 30 can be referred to the descriptions of the various modules in the first earphone 20, and will not be repeated here. The bone conduction audio playback module 34 may refer to a vibrating bone conduction unit, which generates sound through vibration to achieve audio playback.

[0170] It should be noted that when the expansion module 30 is a bone conduction headset, 34 is a bone conduction audio playback module, and 35 is a VPU or microphone. When the expansion module 30 is a hearing aid, the audio processing module 33 can also run a hearing aid algorithm to optimize the audio signal to be played by the hearing aid; the specific implementation process of the hearing aid algorithm can be referred to the description in the prior art, and will not be repeated here. When the expansion module 30 is an artificial intelligence module, the expansion module 30 can also include an artificial intelligence unit, which can process the audio signal collected by the VPU / microphone 35 (such as translating the audio signal, simultaneous interpretation, recognizing voice commands, etc.) to obtain a fifth audio signal (such as the translated audio signal, the simultaneous interpretation audio signal, the voice of the execution result of the voice command, etc.); then, the fifth audio signal can be sent to the bone conduction / air conduction audio playback module 34 for playback. When the expansion module 30 is a camera, the expansion module 30 can include an image acquisition unit, but does not include the audio processing module 33, the bone conduction / air conduction audio playback module 34, or the VPU / microphone 35.

[0171] The following uses the terminal device 810 as a mobile phone, the expansion module 30 as a bone conduction earphone, the first earphone 20 as an air conduction earphone, and the magnetic connection between the air conduction earphone and the bone conduction earphone as an example. The combined sound playback process of the air conduction earphone and the bone conduction earphone will be explained with reference to Figure 8 and Figure 7A.

[0172] When using audio devices, air conduction headphones can be placed in the concha or ear canal, and bone conduction headphones can be placed behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear. The air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones attract each other through magnetic force, thereby providing clamping force. In this way, the bone conduction unit and air conduction headphones are clamped on the ear and held still on the ear by friction against gravity and centrifugal force.

[0173] Once the air-conduction and bone-conduction earphones are magnetically attracted to each other and clipped onto the ears, the sensors inside the air-conduction earphones detect the magnetic attraction and determine that the air-conduction earphones can establish a communication connection with the bone-conduction earphones. Then, the air-conduction earphones can read the device information (such as device model and device address) of the bone-conduction earphones via near-field communication (NFC), Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi). Specifically, the information management module (not shown in Figure 8) in the air-conduction earphones can send first information (for requesting device information from the bone-conduction earphones) to the wireless communication module 26 in the air-conduction earphones; the wireless communication module 26 in the air-conduction earphones can then send this first information to the wireless communication module 36 in the bone-conduction earphones, which in turn sends the first information to the information management module (not shown in Figure 8) in the bone-conduction earphones. Afterwards, the information management module in the bone-conduction earphones can send the device information of the bone-conduction earphones to the wireless communication module 26 in the air-conduction earphones via the wireless communication module 36 in the bone-conduction earphones; subsequently, the wireless communication module 26 in the air-conduction earphones sends the device information of the bone-conduction earphones back to the information management module in the air-conduction earphones.

[0174] Furthermore, after establishing a communication connection (wireless communication connection) with the mobile phone, the air conduction headphones can feed back the device information of the bone conduction headphones to the mobile phone. This allows the mobile phone to know the type of the expansion module connected to the air conduction headphones, facilitating the subsequent generation of audio signals for playback by both the air conduction headphones and the bone conduction headphones. The process of establishing a communication connection between the mobile phone and the air conduction headphones can be as follows: the mobile phone's device connection status control module 81 can send a second message (for requesting pairing with the air conduction headphones) to the mobile phone's wireless communication module 85. The mobile phone's wireless communication module 85 can then send the second message to the air conduction headphones' wireless communication module 26. Subsequently, the air conduction headphones' wireless communication module 26 can send the second message to the air conduction headphones' device connection status control module 21. The air conduction headphones' device connection status control module 21 can then send a third message (including pairing information from the air conduction headphones) to the mobile phone's wireless communication module 85 via the air conduction headphones' wireless communication module 26. Finally, the mobile phone's wireless communication module 85 sends the third message to the mobile phone's device connection status control module 81. Subsequently, the device connection status control module 81 of the mobile phone and the device connection status control module 21 of the air conduction headphones exchange information multiple times through the wireless communication module 85 of the mobile phone and the wireless communication module 26 of the air conduction headphones to perform pairing and communication connection. It should be understood that this application does not limit the timing of communication connection between the mobile phone and the air conduction headphones. The process by which the air conduction headphones feed back the device information of the bone conduction headphones to the mobile phone can be as follows: the information management module of the air conduction headphones can send the device information of the bone conduction headphones to the wireless communication module 85 of the mobile phone through the wireless communication module 26 of the air conduction headphones; the wireless communication module 85 of the mobile phone then sends the device information of the bone conduction headphones to the information management module 82 of the mobile phone.

[0175] Furthermore, the air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones can also pair and communicate with each other via near-field communication (refer to the process of pairing and establishing a communication connection between a mobile phone and air conduction headphones, which will not be repeated here). Then, the air conduction headphones can read the audio channel parameters of the bone conduction headphones (refer to the process described above of the air conduction headphones reading device information from the bone conduction headphones, which will not be repeated here) and feed them back to the mobile phone (refer to the process described above of the air conduction headphones feeding back device information to the mobile phone, which will not be repeated here). Afterwards, once the mobile phone's information management module 82 obtains the audio channel parameters of the air conduction headphones and the bone conduction headphones communicating with them, the information management module 82 can send the audio channel parameters of the bone conduction headphones and the air conduction headphones to the audio channel management module 83 and the audio processing module 84, respectively. Next, the audio channel management module 83 can control the on / off state of each audio channel of the air conduction headphones and the bone conduction headphones based on the audio channel parameters of the bone conduction headphones and the sensor data collected by the mobile phone's sensors. Subsequently, the audio channel management module 83 can send the on / off status of each audio channel of the air conduction headphones and the bone conduction headphones to the audio processing module 84. The audio processing module 84 can combine the audio channel parameters of the bone conduction headphones and the air conduction headphones, the on / off status of each audio channel of the air conduction headphones and the bone conduction headphones, and the sensor data collected by the mobile phone's sensors to perform audio processing on the ambient audio signal collected by the mobile phone's microphone and the downlink audio signal to be played in the mobile phone to obtain the audio signal.

[0176] In one possible implementation, the audio signal generated by the mobile phone may include a first audio signal (including the audio signal of the audio channel of the air conduction headphones when they are in the on state) and a second audio signal (including the audio signal of the audio channel of the bone conduction headphones when they are in the on state). Then, the mobile phone's audio processing module 84 can send the first and second audio signals to the air conduction headphones' audio processing module 23, which forwards the second audio signal to the bone conduction headphones' audio processing module 33 via wireless communication modules 26 and 36. Next, the air conduction headphones' audio processing module 23 can directly send the first audio signal to the air conduction audio playback module 24, which then plays the first audio signal; or the air conduction headphones' audio processing module 23 can perform audio processing on the first audio signal and send the processed first audio signal to the air conduction audio playback module 24, which then plays the processed first audio signal. Furthermore, the audio processing module 33 of the bone conduction headphones can directly send the second audio signal to the bone conduction audio playback module 34, which then plays the second audio signal; or the audio processing module 33 can process the second audio signal and send the processed second audio signal to the bone conduction audio playback module 34, which then plays the processed second audio signal. In this way, during listening, the advantages of air conduction headphones (such as better sound presence and immersion) and bone conduction headphones (such as less susceptibility to external noise (clearer audio heard in noisy environments) and less damage to the external ear canal and tympanic membrane) can be utilized.

[0177] For example, in a sports scenario, a smartwatch can generate a first audio signal and a second audio signal. Assuming the downlink audio signal to be played from the smartwatch is a music audio signal, the first audio signal is the music audio signal (the first audio signal differs from the downlink audio signal; the first audio signal can be an audio signal obtained after audio processing of the downlink audio signal). The second audio signal is generated based on the drum beats and other audio elements in the downlink audio signal to be played from the smartwatch, used to represent the rhythm of the music. In this way, the air-conduction headphones can play music, and the bone-conduction headphones can feed back the music rhythm to the user in the form of bass-heavy audio and / or vibration, thereby improving the user's athletic performance. Furthermore, when the smartwatch detects that the user's heart rate is too high, the smartwatch can also generate an audio signal indicating an excessive heart rate (which can be considered part of the second audio signal). In this way, the bone-conduction headphones can feed back the audio signal indicating an excessive heart rate to the user as an alert in the form of cue audio and / or vibration, without interfering with the user's audio listening experience.

[0178] It should be noted that after the air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones are connected by communication or physical means, both air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones can play sound independently.

[0179] In one possible implementation, the audio signal generated by the mobile phone only includes a first audio signal. The mobile phone can then send the first audio signal to the air-conduction headphones; subsequently, the air-conduction headphones can directly play the first audio signal, or play the audio signal obtained after the air-conduction headphones have processed the first audio signal. This leverages the advantages of air-conduction headphones; for example, in music or movie scenarios, the mobile phone can generate only the first audio signal.

[0180] In one possible implementation, the audio signal generated by the mobile phone only includes the second audio signal. The mobile phone can then send the second audio signal to the air conduction headphones; subsequently, the air conduction headphones can send the second audio signal to the bone conduction headphones; then, the bone conduction headphones can directly play the second audio signal, or play the audio signal obtained after the bone conduction headphones have processed the second audio signal. This allows the advantages of bone conduction headphones to be fully utilized.

[0181] For example, in a game scenario, if the downlink audio signal to be played is an audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effect, the mobile phone can generate only the second audio signal; then, the bone conduction headphones will feed back the skill release or explosion sound effect to the user in the form of heavy bass audio and / or vibration to enhance the user experience.

[0182] In one possible implementation, if the terminal device only generates a second audio signal, the terminal device can send the second audio signal to the bone conduction headphones; the bone conduction headphones generate a first audio signal based on the second audio signal and send the first audio signal to the air conduction headphones; then the bone conduction headphones play the second audio signal, and the air conduction headphones play the first audio signal.

[0183] For example, in a call scenario, the mobile phone can generate only a second audio signal and send it to the bone conduction headset; then, the bone conduction headset generates a first audio signal based on the second audio signal to cancel out the sound leakage caused by the bone conduction headset playing the second audio signal, and then sends the first audio signal to the air conduction headset; in this way, the bone conduction headset and the air conduction headset play audio at the same time, which can reduce sound leakage and ensure that the content of the call is not leaked.

[0184] In one possible implementation, if the terminal device only generates a first audio signal, the terminal device can send the first audio signal to the air conduction headphones; then, the air conduction headphones can generate a second audio signal based on the first audio signal and send the second audio signal to the bone conduction headphones; subsequently, the air conduction headphones play the first audio signal, and the bone conduction headphones play the second audio signal.

[0185] For example, in a game scenario, if the downlink audio signal to be played includes the audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effects and the audio signal of background music, the mobile phone can generate only a first audio signal (including the audio signals of skill release or explosion sound effects and background music; the first audio signal and the downlink audio signal are different, and the first audio signal can be the audio signal after audio processing of the downlink audio signal), and send the first audio signal to the air conduction headphones; then, the air conduction headphones can generate a second audio signal based on the audio signal of skill release or explosion sound effects in the first audio signal and send the second audio signal to the bone conduction module; then the air conduction headphones play the first audio signal, and the bone conduction headphones play the second audio signal; in this way, the background music is played by the air conduction headphones, and the sound effects such as skill release or explosion are fed back to the user in the form of heavy bass audio and / or vibration by the bone conduction headphones, improving the user experience.

[0186] In summary, audio devices composed of air conduction headphones and bone conduction headphones can leverage the advantages of both technologies to provide superior sound quality and adapt to a wider range of scenarios (e.g., sports, calls, games, music, movies, etc.).

[0187] The following uses the terminal device 810 as a mobile phone, the expansion module 30 as a hearing aid, and the first earphone 20 as an air conduction earphone, with the air conduction earphone and bone conduction earphone connected by an ear hook bracket as an example. The combined sound playback process of the air conduction earphone and the hearing aid is explained in conjunction with Figure 8 and Figure 5B.

[0188] When using audio equipment, users can place the ear hook 50 on their ears, place the air conduction headphones in the concha or ear canal, and place the hearing aid behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, or around the ear; this ensures that the hearing aid and air conduction headphones remain fixed on the ears.

[0189] When the air conduction headphones and the hearing aid are connected via an ear hook with a data transmission cable, the air conduction headphones can obtain the hearing aid's device information through the data transmission cable in the ear hook; and after establishing a communication connection with the mobile phone, the air conduction headphones can send the hearing aid's device information back to the mobile phone.

[0190] Afterwards, the air conduction headphones can establish a communication connection with the hearing aid through the data transmission line in the ear hook (which can be understood as the wired communication module of the air conduction headphones and the wired communication module of the hearing aid establishing a wired connection through the data transmission line in the ear hook; then, the air conduction headphones and the hearing aid exchange information through their respective wired communication modules and data transmission lines to establish a wired communication connection).

[0191] Subsequently, the air-conduction earphone can acquire the audio channel parameters of the hearing aid through the data transmission line in the ear hook bracket, and the air-conduction earphone can also feed back the audio channel parameters of the hearing aid to the mobile phone. Furthermore, the air-conduction earphone can also feed back its own audio channel parameters to the mobile phone. After the mobile phone obtains the audio channel parameters of the air-conduction earphone and the audio channel parameters of the hearing aid connected to the air-conduction earphone, it can combine the audio channel parameters of the hearing aid and the air-conduction earphone, the on / off states of each audio channel of the air-conduction earphone and the hearing aid, and the sensor data collected by the mobile phone's sensors to perform audio processing on the ambient audio signal collected by the mobile phone's microphone and the downlink audio signal to be played in the mobile phone to obtain an audio signal (which may include a first audio signal and / or a second audio signal). After receiving the first audio signal, the air-conduction earphone can directly play the first audio signal or play an audio signal that has undergone audio processing (such as speech enhancement); and / or, after receiving the second audio signal, the hearing aid can directly play the second audio signal or play an audio signal that has undergone audio processing (such as speech enhancement, optimization of the acquisition hearing aid algorithm).

[0192] The interaction process between the various modules of the air conduction headphones, hearing aid, and mobile phone during the establishment of communication and data interaction between the air conduction headphones and hearing aids, as well as the establishment of communication and data interaction between the air conduction headphones and mobile phones, can be referred to the above description and will not be repeated here.

[0193] It should be understood that air-conduction headphones and hearing aids can play sound together, or they can play sound independently. For example, when a user plays a downlink audio signal using a mobile phone, the phone can generate a first audio signal and a second audio signal based on the downlink audio signal, and send the first audio signal and the second audio signal to the air-conduction headphones. Then, the air-conduction headphones send the second audio signal to the hearing aid; the air-conduction headphones play the first audio signal or the audio-processed first audio signal, and the hearing aid plays the second audio signal and the audio-processed second audio signal to amplify the downlink audio signal for the hearing-impaired user. For example, during the process of the air-conduction headphones playing the first audio signal or the first audio signal after audio processing, and / or during the process of the hearing aid playing the second audio signal or the second audio signal after audio processing, and / or when neither the air-conduction headphones nor the hearing aid is playing audio, the microphone in the hearing aid is always in working mode. When the microphone of the hearing aid picks up the human voice audio signal, the hearing aid (or the hearing aid and the air-conduction headphones working together) processes the human voice audio signal (e.g., separation, dynamic range compression, feedback suppression, etc.) to generate a seventh audio signal and an eighth audio signal; wherein, the air-conduction headphones are used to play the seventh audio signal, and the hearing aid is used to play the eighth audio signal (wherein, the air-conduction headphones and the hearing aid can work together to amplify the seventh audio signal and the eighth audio signal before playback). (It should be understood that the microphone for picking up human voice generally needs to be far away from the sound-playing component to prevent crosstalk and feedback; therefore, the hearing aid (or the hearing aid and the air-conduction headphones working together) processes the human voice audio signal to generate only the seventh audio signal; then, the air-conduction headphones play the amplified seventh audio signal). For example, assuming the hearing aid uses bone conduction to play sound, in a call scenario, the phone can generate only a second audio signal and send it to the hearing aid through the air conduction earpiece. The hearing aid then uses a hearing aid algorithm to optimize the audio signal of the human voice before playback. Additionally, the hearing aid generates a first audio signal based on the second audio signal to compensate for sound leakage caused by the hearing aid playing the second audio signal, and then sends the first audio signal to the air conduction earpiece for playback. This ensures that the user hears clearer audio while also protecting their privacy.

[0194] In summary, audio devices consisting of air-conduction headphones and hearing aids allow users with hearing needs to listen to ambient sounds while simultaneously listening to audio (such as music, audiobooks, etc.) playing on the terminal device. Furthermore, they can improve the quality of the audio data heard by the user from the terminal device.

[0195] Similarly, when the expansion module 30 is a voice assistant module, simultaneous interpreter, or translator, it can also be connected, exchange data, and play sound with the air conduction headphones, referring to the connection method, data exchange method, and sound playback method of the air conduction headphones; these will not be elaborated further here.

[0196] It should be noted that, in the case where the terminal device 810 is a head-mounted audio device, in one possible approach, the head-mounted audio device generates an audio signal based on the downlink audio signal, which can be at least one of a first audio signal and / or a second audio signal. The first audio signal is then played by the air-conduction headphones, and / or the second audio signal is played by the expansion module. Simultaneously, the head-mounted audio device can play the downlink audio signal together with the air-conduction headphones or the expansion module. In another possible approach, the head-mounted audio device can generate a third audio signal based on the downlink audio signal, as well as at least one of the first or second audio signals. The third audio signal can be played by the audio module of the head-mounted audio device, the first audio signal by the air-conduction headphones, and the second audio signal by the expansion module. This allows for joint sound playback from the head-mounted audio device, the air-conduction headphones, and the expansion module. In this case, the air-conduction audio playback module (and / or bone conduction audio playback module) of the head-mounted audio device and the air-conduction audio playback module (and / or bone conduction audio playback module) of the audio device 100 jointly produce sound. Through the coordinated playback of each audio channel, the overall sound quality and spatial sense can be improved, while reducing the power consumption of each device. In addition, deploying multiple sound units can also help improve the ANC and sound leakage prevention effects.

[0197] It should be noted that when the expansion module 30 is a camera, the audio device of this application can help visually impaired people avoid obstacles. For example, the camera can send the captured image to a mobile phone, and the mobile phone can generate obstacle avoidance audio based on the image captured by the camera and the sensor data collected by the mobile phone's sensors; then, the mobile phone can send the obstacle avoidance audio to the first earphone 20, which will play the obstacle avoidance audio.

[0198] It should be noted that when the expansion module 30 is a gas detection alarm, the audio device of this application can provide safety alarms for miners, reducing safety hazards during mining operations. For example, the gas detection alarm can send the collected data to a mobile phone, which can analyze the data collected by the gas detection alarm to determine the gas concentration; and when the gas concentration is greater than a threshold, it generates a gas concentration warning audio; subsequently, the audio device of this application can play the gas concentration warning audio.

[0199] It should be noted that, when the expansion module 30 is a health monitoring module, the terminal device can acquire health data (such as heart rate, body temperature, sleep duration, exercise data, etc.) collected by the health monitoring module; subsequently, it determines whether the heart rate, body temperature, sleep duration, etc., exceed thresholds. If these health data exceed the thresholds, a prompt audio is generated; then, the audio device of this application plays the prompt audio to remind the user to pay attention to their health and take timely measures. Alternatively, after the terminal device generates exercise guidance audio based on exercise data, the audio device of this application plays the exercise guidance audio to prompt the user to adjust exercise posture, exercise intensity, etc., thereby improving the user's exercise performance.

[0200] It should be noted that one or more of the following can be integrated into the hearing aid: a voice assistant module, a simultaneous interpreter, a translator, or a camera; or one or more of the following can be integrated into the voice assistant module; and so on. In other words, the expansion module 30 can be any one of the following: a hearing aid, a voice assistant module, a simultaneous interpreter, a translator, or a camera; or it can be at least two of the following integrated into the hearing aid, voice assistant module, simultaneous interpreter, translator, or camera.

[0201] It should be understood that the first earphone 20 can also be used independently when it is not physically connected to the expansion module 30. For example, after the first earphone 20 establishes a communication connection with a terminal device, the terminal device can generate a first audio signal based on the downlink audio signal to be played and send the first audio signal to the first earphone 20, which can then play the first audio data or the first audio data after audio processing. In this case, the air conduction audio playback module (and / or bone conduction audio playback module) in the head-mounted audio device and the air conduction audio playback module of the first earphone work together to produce sound; through the coordinated playback of various audio channels, the overall sound quality and spatial sense can be improved, while reducing the power consumption of each device. In addition, deploying multiple sound units is also beneficial to improving the ANC and sound leakage prevention effects.

[0202] It should be understood that even if the first earphone is not connected to the expansion module, the first earphone can still play sound together with the terminal device.

[0203] Figure 9A is a schematic diagram of a head-mounted display device used in conjunction with a first earphone according to an embodiment of this application.

[0204] In Figure 9A, a wireless communication connection is established between the head-mounted display device and the first earphone. In one possible configuration, the head-mounted audio device generates an audio signal based on the downlink audio signal, which becomes a first audio signal; subsequently, the first earphone plays the first audio signal, and the audio module of the head-mounted audio device and the air-conduction earphone simultaneously play the downlink audio signal. In another possible configuration, the head-mounted audio device generates a first audio signal and a sixth audio signal based on the downlink audio signal; subsequently, the audio module of the head-mounted audio device plays the sixth audio signal, and the first earphone plays the first audio signal. This allows for joint sound playback between the head-mounted audio device and the air-conduction earphone.

[0205] Figure 9B is a schematic diagram of a smart glasses and a first earphone used in conjunction according to an embodiment of this application.

[0206] In Figure 9B, a wireless communication connection is established between the smart glasses and the first earphone. In one possible approach, the smart glasses generate an audio signal based on the downlink audio signal; subsequently, the first earphone plays the first audio signal, and the audio module of the smart glasses and the air-conduction earphone simultaneously play the downlink audio signal. In another possible approach, the smart glasses generate a first audio signal and a sixth audio signal based on the downlink audio signal; subsequently, the audio module of the smart glasses plays the sixth audio signal, and the first earphone plays the first audio signal. This allows for joint sound playback between the smart glasses and the air-conduction earphone.

[0207] In other words, air-conduction headphones, whether or not they are paired with other modules, can be combined with head-mounted or non-head-mounted audio devices to form a combined audio sound-producing device.

[0208] The following explanation uses the audio device of this application as an example for standalone use.

[0209] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the communication connection between a first earphone and an expansion module in an audio device according to an embodiment of this application. In Figure 10, the first earphone is only connected to the expansion module and not to the terminal device. In this case, the expansion module is used to generate a fourth audio signal based on the sensor data collected by the expansion module itself; the first earphone is used to play the fourth audio signal.

[0210] For example, in a sports scenario: users can carry only the audio device described in this application without needing to bring a mobile phone or watch. In this case, the extended module in the audio device can be a health monitoring module; thus, the health monitoring module can generate exercise guidance audio based on its own collected exercise data and send the exercise guidance audio to the first earphone, which will then play the exercise guidance audio to prompt the user to adjust their exercise posture, exercise intensity, etc., thereby improving the user's exercise performance.

[0211] For example, in a sports scenario: users can carry only the audio device described in this application without needing to carry a mobile phone or watch. In this case, the expansion module in the audio device can be an audio module (an audio module of other types besides the second earphone), which can store audio files (such as music audio files); then, during exercise, the audio module can work with the first earphone to play the audio signal in the audio file.

[0212] It should be understood that the expansion module can include a health monitoring module and an audio module, so that in sports scenarios, health monitoring and music playback can be achieved without connecting to terminal devices such as mobile phones.

[0213] For example, in a scenario where miners are working underground, they can carry the audio device described in this application without needing to carry a mobile phone or watch. In this case, the extended module in the audio device can be an environmental monitoring module, which may include at least one of a positioning module, a gas detection alarm, and a radiation detector. When the environmental monitoring module includes a gas detection alarm, the gas detection alarm can analyze the data it collects to determine the gas concentration; and when the gas concentration exceeds a threshold, it generates a gas concentration alert audio and sends it to a first earpiece, which then plays the gas concentration alert audio. When the environmental monitoring module includes a positioning module, the positioning module can generate a location alert audio based on the latitude and longitude information it collects and send it to the first earpiece, which then plays the location alert audio. When the environmental monitoring module includes a radiation detector, the radiation detector can analyze the data it collects, and when the radiation of a certain substance exceeds a safety threshold, it can generate a radiation alert audio and send it to the first earpiece, which then plays the radiation alert audio.

[0214] In one example, FIG11 shows a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 1100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The apparatus 1100 may include a processor 1101 and a transceiver 1102, and optionally, a memory 1103.

[0215] The various components of device 1100 are coupled together via bus 1104, which includes a data bus, a power bus, a control bus, and a status signal bus. However, for clarity, all buses are referred to as bus 1104 in the figure.

[0216] Optionally, the memory 1103 can be used to store instructions (such as performing audio processing) in the foregoing method embodiments. The processor 1101 can be used to execute the instructions in the memory 1103, control the transceiver 1102 to receive signals, and control the transceiver 1102 to send signals.

[0217] Device 1100 may be an electronic device (such as a terminal device, audio device, etc.) or a chip of an electronic device in the above method embodiments.

[0218] All relevant content of each step involved in the above method embodiments can be referenced from the functional description of the corresponding functional module, and will not be repeated here.

[0219] This application also provides a chip, including one or more interface circuits and one or more processors; the one or more processors receive or send data through the one or more interface circuits, and when the one or more processors execute computer instructions, the steps of the above-described related method steps that implement the method in the above embodiments (such as the audio processing method) are executed. The interface circuit is a transceiver 1102.

[0220] This embodiment also provides a computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions. When these computer instructions are executed on an electronic device, the electronic device performs the aforementioned method steps to implement the methods described in the above embodiments (such as the audio processing method). Exemplarily, the computer-readable storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk.

[0221] This embodiment also provides a computer program product containing computer instructions that, when executed by a computer or processor, cause the computer to perform the aforementioned steps to implement the methods described in the above embodiments (such as the audio processing method). Exemplarily, the computer program product can be stored in random access memory (RAM), flash memory, ROM, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard disks, portable hard disks, read-only optical discs (CD-ROMs), or any other form of storage medium well known in the art.

[0222] In this embodiment, the electronic device, computer-readable storage medium, computer program product or chip are all used to execute the corresponding methods provided above. Therefore, the beneficial effects that can be achieved can be referred to the beneficial effects of the corresponding methods provided above, and will not be repeated here.

[0223] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that, for the sake of convenience and brevity, only the division of the above functional modules is used as an example. In actual applications, the above functions can be assigned to different functional modules as needed, that is, the internal structure of the device can be divided into different functional modules to complete all or part of the functions described above.

[0224] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. A component shown as a unit can be one or more physical units; that is, it can be located in one place or distributed in multiple different locations. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0225] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or as a software functional unit.

[0226] Any content in the various embodiments of this application, as well as any content in the same embodiment, can be freely combined. Any combination of the above content is within the scope of this application.

[0227] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. An audio device, characterized in that, The audio device includes a first headset and an expansion module, wherein, The first earphone is detachably connected to the expansion module via a connecting component, which is a magnetic component and / or a bracket component. The expansion module includes a module that can play audio independently and can play audio in conjunction with the first earphone, and / or a module that can assist the first earphone in playing audio. The first earpiece is communicatively connected to both the terminal device and the expansion module; or, the first earpiece and the expansion module are communicatively connected to both the terminal device; or, the first earpiece is communicatively connected only to the expansion module.

2. The audio device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The expansion module includes at least one of an audio module, a health monitoring module, or an environmental monitoring module.

3. The audio device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The expansion module also includes a battery module.

4. The audio device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The audio module includes a second earphone, or the audio module includes at least one of a hearing aid or an artificial intelligence module.

5. The audio device according to claim 4, characterized in that, The artificial intelligence module includes at least one of the following: a voice assistant module, a translator, or a simultaneous interpreter.

6. The audio device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The second earphone is a bone conduction earphone.

7. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first earphone is an air-conducting earphone.

8. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The magnetic component includes a first magnetic connection module and a second magnetic connection module. The first magnetic connection module is disposed on the first earphone, and the second magnetic connection module is disposed on the expansion module. The magnetic poles of the first magnetic connection module and the magnetic poles of the second magnetic connection module are opposite magnetic poles.

9. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The bracket assembly includes a bracket, a first connecting slot, and a second connecting slot. The first connecting slot is disposed on the first earphone, and the second connecting slot is disposed on the expansion module. The first earphone is detachably connected to one end of the bracket via the first connecting slot, and the expansion module is detachably connected to the other end of the bracket via the second connecting slot.

10. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The terminal device is a wearable device.

11. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that, When the terminal device generates a first audio signal and a second audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, and the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal. When the terminal device generates only the first audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal. When the terminal device generates only the second audio signal, the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal.

12. The audio device according to claim 11, characterized in that, The wearable device is a head-mounted audio device. When the head-mounted audio device generates a first audio signal, a second audio signal, and a third audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal. When the head-mounted audio device generates a first audio signal and a third audio signal, the first earphone is used to play the first audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal; When the head-mounted audio device generates a second audio signal and a third audio signal, the expansion module is used to play the second audio signal, and the head-mounted audio device is used to play the third audio signal.

13. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, The extended module is used to generate a fourth audio signal based on the sensor data collected by the extended module; The first earphone is used to play the fourth audio signal.

14. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that, When the audio device is in use, the first earphone is located in the concha or ear canal, and the expansion module is located behind the auricle, in front of the tragus, around the ear, in the ear canal, or in the concha.

15. The audio device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The first earphone and the expansion module are connected via wired or wireless communication.

16. The audio device according to claim 9, characterized in that, The bracket is an earring bracket, a neck bracket, a headband bracket, or an earring bracket.

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