Sound input / output device and sound output device

Abstract

The present invention provides a near-ear disposition-type ear microphone speaker that is compact in size and can be used comfortably. The ear microphone speaker comprises a device body, a speaker part, a microphone part, and an ear hook part. The ear microphone speaker is held in the vicinity of the entrance to the earhole without having the speaker part inserted into the earhole in a state in which a sound emission port of the speaker part is directed at the earhole. The speaker part has a speaker unit for emitting sound, and also has a first vibration cutoff means for preventing the vibration of the speaker unit from being transmitted to the device body. The microphone part has a microphone unit for receiving sound and converting the sound into an electric signal, and also has a second vibration cutoff means for preventing the vibration of the device body from being transmitted to the microphone unit.

Description

Audio input / output device and audio output device

[0001] The present invention relates to an ear-proximity type ear-proximity speaker or an ear microphone speaker having both a microphone and a speaker in an ear-proximity arrangement.

[0002] As earphones, there are so-called canal-type earphones in which the earpiece is inserted into the ear canal. However, canal-type earphones have a problem that the ears become painful when used for a long time.

[0003] As earphones of the type that do not deeply insert the earpiece into the ear canal, there are inner-ear type earphones that use a speaker hooked on the concha in front of the ear canal and headphone type earphones with a speaker attached to the tip of a headband and worn on the head. However, inner-ear type earphones have a drawback that they are likely to fall off just by being hooked. On the other hand, headphone type earphones are too large and not easy to use daily.

[0004] Patent 6085541 Patent 6408243 JP-A 2022-935

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide an ear-proximity type audio output device that is small and comfortable to use. Another object of the present invention is to provide an audio input / output device that is small and comfortable to use and has both a microphone and a speaker in an ear-proximity arrangement.

[0006] The audio input / output device of the present invention includes a device main body portion, a speaker portion connected to the device main body portion, and a microphone portion connected to the device main body portion, and is an audio input / output device in which the speaker portion is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal with the sound emitting port of the speaker portion facing the ear canal, the speaker portion has a speaker unit that emits sound and first vibration blocking means for preventing vibration of the speaker unit from being conducted to the device main body portion, and the microphone portion has a microphone unit that receives sound and converts it into an electrical signal and second vibration blocking means for preventing vibration of the device main body portion from being conducted to the microphone unit.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the speaker section comprises a speaker enclosure that houses the speaker unit and is connected to the main body of the device, and it is preferable that the first vibration isolation means is provided between the speaker enclosure and the speaker unit, or that the speaker enclosure itself serves as the first vibration isolation means.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microphone portion comprises a microphone housing portion that houses the microphone unit and is connected to the main body of the device, and it is preferable that the second vibration damping means is provided between the microphone housing portion and the microphone unit, or that the microphone housing portion itself serves as the second vibration damping means.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the main body of the device is held to the side of a person's head, the speaker is positioned on the side of the main body of the device that is closer to the person's head, and the microphone is positioned on the side of the main body of the device that is opposite to the person's head.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, the outer shape of the housing of the microphone is substantially conical, and the surface corresponding to the bottom of this conical shape serves as the sound collection opening, and it is preferable that the sound collection opening faces forward of a person's head.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting opening of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, it is preferable that the edge or surface of the main body of the device that is in front of the person's head is very close to or in contact with the person's head.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the speaker portion has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch when the speaker portion is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting opening of the speaker portion facing the ear canal.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the microphone has a directivity that collects sound coming from the front of a person's head.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, it is preferable that the sound input / output device has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch, that an edge or surface of the device body that is in front of the person's head than the speaker unit is very close to or in contact with the person's head, and that the microphone unit has a directivity that collects sound coming from the front of the person's head.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable to have an ear hook portion for attaching to the auricle.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, it is preferable that the ear hook portion is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the main body of the device, and that the relative rotational position between the ear hook portion and the main body of the device can be fixed when the main body of the device is close to the ear or when the main body of the device is pressed against the ear.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that can be hooked onto the base of the back of the auricle, and it is preferable that a part of the tip of the hook portion is in close proximity to the rear side surface of the speaker enclosure, and that the auricle is sandwiched between the speaker enclosure and the hook portion to stabilize the sound input / output device against the ear.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that can be hooked onto the base of the back of the auricle, and it is preferable that the mounting angle between the base end of the hook and the main body of the device is within 40° with respect to a virtual line parallel to the front-rear direction of the main body of the device.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that hooks onto the base of the back of the auricle, the mounting angle between the base end of the hook and the main body of the device is preferably within 40° with respect to a virtual line parallel to the front-rear direction of the main body of the device, and the hook portion is bent in the middle so that the tip portion of the hook is substantially parallel to the vertical direction of the main body of the device.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present invention, the ear hook portion preferably has a hook portion that is U-shaped or C-shaped and hooks onto the base of the back of the auricle, and the hook portion is preferably made of an elastic material.

[0021] The sound input / output device of the present invention comprises a main body, a speaker unit connected to the main body, and a microphone unit connected to the main body, wherein the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, the main body is held to the side of a person's head, the speaker unit is positioned on the side of the main body that is closer to the person's head, the microphone unit is positioned on the side of the main body that is opposite to the person's head, and when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, an edge or surface of the main body that is in front of the person's head than the speaker unit is extremely close to or in contact with the person's head, and when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, it has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch. The microphone unit is characterized by having a directivity that collects sound coming from the front of a person's head.

[0022] The sound output device of the present invention comprises a main body and a speaker unit connected to the main body, wherein the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, and the speaker unit has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch.

[0023] This is a perspective view of a pair of ear microphone speaker sets, consisting of a left ear microphone speaker and a right ear microphone speaker. This is a diagram showing the ear-side surface of the ear microphone speaker. This is a diagram showing the non-ear-side surface of the ear microphone speaker. This is a view of the ear microphone speaker from the non-ear side. This is a view of the ear microphone speaker from above. This is an example of use with the left ear microphone speaker attached to the left ear. This is a cross-sectional view along line VII-VII in Figure 4. This is a cross-sectional view along line VIII-VIII in Figure 4. This is a diagram showing an example of use where the insertion projection is inserted into the intertragal notch. This is a diagram showing the structure of the ear for reference. This is a perspective view of the ear microphone speaker according to the fifth embodiment, taken from the non-ear side. This is a perspective view of the ear microphone speaker according to the fifth embodiment, taken from the ear side. This is a view of the ear microphone speaker according to the fifth embodiment, taken from above. This is an example of the ear microphone speaker described in the fifth embodiment being attached to the ear.

[0024] Embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to the reference numerals assigned to each element in the figures. Note that individual embodiments, examples, and modifications may be implemented individually, or two or more embodiments, examples, and modifications may be combined. Furthermore, examples of modifications supplemented in individual embodiments, examples, and modifications may be applied to other embodiments, examples, and modifications.

[0025] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the sound input / output device of the present invention will be described. The sound input / output device as referred to in the present invention is an ear-proximity type sound input / output device in which the speaker unit 400 is not inserted into the ear canal 810, but is held in front of the entrance of the ear canal 810 and emits sound toward the ear canal 810. Furthermore, the sound input / output device as referred to in the present invention is a small sound device that is hooked onto the ear and held in place, and has both a sound output function (speaker function) and a sound input function (microphone function). In the following description, the ear-proximity type sound input / output device will be referred to as the ear microphone speaker 100.

[0026] A modified version, which uses an ear speaker without a microphone, will be described after the first embodiment.

[0027] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a pair of ear microphone speaker sets, consisting of a left ear microphone speaker 100L and a right ear microphone speaker 100R. Note that it is not necessary to wear ear microphone speakers 100L and 100R in both ears; they can be used individually. The configuration of the ear microphone speaker 100 will be explained below using the left ear microphone speaker 100L as an example. Figure 2 is a view of the ear-side surface of the ear microphone speaker 100. Figure 3 is a view of the non-ear side surface of the ear microphone speaker 100. Figure 4 is a view of the ear microphone speaker 100 from the non-ear side. Figure 5 is a view of the ear microphone speaker 100 from above (more specifically, slightly in front of the top). Figure 6 is an example of use with the left ear microphone speaker 100 worn on the left ear.

[0028] The ear microphone speaker 100 comprises a main unit 200, an ear hook 300, a speaker unit 400, and a microphone unit 500.

[0029] For the sake of explanation, we will determine the direction of the ear microphone speaker 100 as shown in Figures 4 and 5, using the orientation of the ear microphone speaker 100 when it is worn on the ear as shown in Figure 6 as a reference. When the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn on the ear as shown in Figure 6, the front (front) and back (back) of the ear speaker are determined according to the orientation of the front (or front side) and back (or rear side) of the face, as shown in Figure 4. When the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn on the ear as shown in Figure 6, the up and down direction of the ear speaker is determined according to the up and down direction of the face, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, when the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn on the ear as shown in Figure 6, the side of the ear microphone speaker 100 closer to the head (ear) is designated as the ear side, as shown in Figure 5, and the side further from the head (ear) is designated as the anti-ear side.

[0030] The main body of the device 200 is generally somewhat flattened (laterally flattened), meaning that the thickness between the ear side 210 and the opposite ear side 220 of the main body 200 is relatively thin. The shape is designed so that when the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn in the ear, it does not protrude significantly to the side of the head. Inside the main body of the device 200 are a small battery (rechargeable battery) 230 and an electronic circuit board (printed circuit board: PCB) 240. Refer to Figure 7 for the battery 230. Refer to Figure 8 for the electronic circuit board 240.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the main body of the device 200 is approximately a right triangle when viewed from the opposite ear side, with the right-angle corner being on the front (front) and upper side of the main body of the device 200. The length of the main body of the device 200 in the front-to-back direction corresponds to a length of approximately 820 from the base of the front side of the ear (pinna). However, since ear size varies from person to person, the above design length is a guideline. It may be designed to fit the ear size of Japanese people or people from other countries, or ear microphone speakers 100 of different sizes such as large, medium, and small may be prepared, or they may be custom-made to suit each individual. Furthermore, even if there is a slight discrepancy between the length of the main body of the device 200 and the size of the ear, the elasticity of the ear hook portion 300, which will be described later, will allow it to fit snugly to the ear.

[0032] The vertical length of the front end of the main body of the device 200 (indicated by L in Figure 1) is approximately equal to the vertical length of the base of the front of the ear (pinna). However, such lengths can be adjusted as appropriate, taking into consideration the size of the built-in rechargeable battery 230, the circuit board, and the structure of the rotating support of the ear hook portion 300, which will be described later.

[0033] The external shape of the main body 200 is a design matter and is not limited to a triangle in plan view; it can be a square, circle, or ellipse. However, it is preferable that the front edge 250 of the main body 200 be straight in the vertical direction to reduce, or virtually eliminate, the gap with the base of the front of the ear, and even if the front edge 250 of the main body 200 is curved or arc-shaped, it is considered better to make it a gentle arc. By closing the gap between the front edge 250 of the main body 200 and the head as much as possible, it is expected that the sound from the speaker 400 will not leak out toward the front of the face.

[0034] The material of the main body 200 of the device is not particularly limited, but a thermoplastic synthetic resin with excellent rigidity, hardness, and processability is preferred, such as ABS resin.

[0035] The ear hook portion 300 is generally U-shaped or C-shaped and designed to hook onto the base of the back of the auricle. The ear hook portion 300 has a rotating shaft portion 310 and a hook portion 320.

[0036] The rotating shaft portion 310 is supported in the main body portion 200 of the device and serves as the rotating shaft. Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in Figure 4. The rotating shaft portion 310 is provided in the vertical direction along the front end edge 250 of the main body portion 200 of the device. That is, a bearing hole is provided in the vertical direction along the front end edge 250 of the main body portion 200 of the device. The rotating shaft portion 310 is inserted into this bearing hole and is supported so as to be rotatable. In Figure 7, for the sake of explanation, the gap between the rotating shaft portion 310 and the bearing hole is exaggerated and drawn to be larger. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, the rotating shaft portion 310 and a part of the bearing are made into a flat surface 330. When the planes (330) of the rotating shaft and the bearing come into contact, they snap into place, and unless a slight external force is applied, the ear hook portion 300 and the main body portion 200 do not rotate relative to each other, allowing the main body portion 200 to be fixed in a position very close to the ear, or slightly pressed against the ear. Also, if a little force is applied to the main body portion 200, it rotates to the opposite side of the ear, making it easier to attach or remove the ear microphone speaker 100 from the ear. The rotation structure and rotational positioning method of the ear hook portion 300 are not limited; for example, a detachable fitting structure with a convex portion (projection) on one of the rotating shaft and bearing and a concave portion (notch) on the other may be used, or other methods may be possible.

[0037] The hook portion 320 is provided continuously from the rotating shaft portion 310 and is an arc-shaped hook formed in a U-shape or C-shape (arc shape) on the upper side of the device body portion 200. The tip of the hook portion 320 is slightly thicker in diameter to make it easier to grip and to prevent pain if the tip of the hook portion 320 touches the skin.

[0038] The speaker unit 400 is located on the ear-side surface 210 of the main body 200 of the device. The rear side of the main body 200 is bent towards the ear by approximately 45° (or 40° to 60°) and the speaker unit 400 is positioned at the tip of the rear side of the main body 200. The speaker unit 400 comprises a speaker unit 410 and a speaker enclosure 420.

[0039] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in Figure 4. The speaker unit 410 has a voice coil that converts electrical signals sent from the electronic circuit section (printed circuit board: PCB) 240 into corresponding sound vibrations. The speaker enclosure 420 is generally cylindrical in shape and houses the speaker unit 410 inside. The speaker enclosure 420 is connected to the main body of the device 200 with the speaker unit 410 housed inside.

[0040] In this embodiment, the speaker enclosure 420 is made of a relatively soft resin, which absorbs vibrations from the speaker unit 410 and prevents those vibrations from being transmitted to the main body 200 of the device. Examples of materials for the speaker enclosure 420 include rubbery resins (elastomers) and foamed resins. The material for the speaker enclosure 420 is not particularly limited, but silicone resin is one example.

[0041] In this embodiment, a relatively soft speaker enclosure 420 functions as the first vibration isolation means, but it is sufficient for a vibration absorbing material (cushioning material) that serves as the first vibration isolation means to be interposed between the speaker unit 410 and the main body of the device 200, and the vibration absorbing material (cushioning material) that serves as the first vibration isolation means may be sandwiched between the speaker enclosure 420 and the speaker unit 410.

[0042] Incidentally, although the expressions "interruption" are used for the first vibration interruption means and the second vibration interruption means, since they are targeted at vibration, the interruption may be rephrased as "attenuation". Ideally, it is desirable that the first vibration interruption means and the second vibration interruption means can each independently interrupt (attenuate) vibration completely (i.e., 100%). However, in line with the gist of the present invention, it suffices if vibration can be attenuated to a certain extent practically. For example, if the first vibration interruption means and the second vibration interruption means can each independently attenuate vibration by half (50%), the vibration transmitted from the speaker unit 410 to the microphone unit 510 can be attenuated to a level where there are no practical problems. Of course, ideally, the combined action effect of the first vibration interruption means and the second vibration interruption means is to interrupt (attenuate) the vibration transmitted from the speaker unit 410 to the microphone unit 510 to almost zero.

[0043] In this embodiment, in consideration of integrally forming the later-described insertion convex portion 430 on the speaker enclosure 420, the speaker enclosure 420 is formed of a soft silicone resin so as to also serve as the first vibration interruption means.

[0044] Here, an insertion convex portion 430 is integrally provided on the speaker enclosure 420. The insertion convex portion 430 is a convex portion (projection) formed so as to be inserted into the intertragal notch 830 of the ear when the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn on the ear. FIG. 9 is a diagram of a usage example in which the insertion convex portion 430 is inserted into the intertragal notch 830. The insertion convex portion 430 is generally a somewhat irregular triangular prism, and the ridge line of the triangular prism is inserted into the intertragal notch 830 of the ear. The surfaces sandwiching the ridge line of the insertion convex portion 430 are in contact with the tragus 840 or the antitragus 850, or the surfaces sandwiching the ridge line of the insertion convex portion 430 are sandwiched between the tragus 840 and the antitragus 850 and are in contact with both the tragus 840 and the antitragus 850. In this embodiment, the insertion convex portion 430 is provided on the edge of the ear side of the speaker enclosure 420 and on the lower side.

[0045] In this embodiment, the insertion convex portion 430 is attached to the speaker enclosure 420 of the speaker unit 400. However, as long as there is a convex portion (protrusion) that is inserted into the notch 830 between the beads as the insertion convex portion 430, the insertion convex portion 430 may extend and be provided from an appropriate location of the apparatus main body portion 200 separately from the speaker unit 400.

[0046] As the function of the insertion convex portion 430, the first point is to prevent, as much as possible, the sound from leaking from the speaker unit 400. In particular, an effect of preventing the sound from the speaker unit 400 from leaking downward along the groove of the notch 830 between the beads can be expected. And since the sound pressure of the sound entering the earhole 810 increases, it becomes possible to lower the volume (volume) from the speaker unit 400, and thereby, it can be expected that the sound leakage will be further reduced.

[0047] As the function of the insertion convex portion 430, the second point is that it can be expected that the sensitivity of hearing the sound of the ear is enhanced by the insertion convex portion 430 coming into contact with the earlobe 840 or the opposing bead 850, or both. The reason is not clear, but the inventors noticed that when something contacts the earlobe 840, or the opposing bead 850, or both the earlobe 840 and the opposing bead 850, the sensitivity of hearing the sound of the ear is enhanced. (In particular, it seems to be effective for discriminating consonants.) Different from something like bone conduction, the thing itself that contacts the earlobe 840, or the opposing bead 850, or both the earlobe 840 and the opposing bead 850 does not need to have the vibration of sound, and even if it is fixed without vibrating, it has the effect of enhancing the ear sensitivity. In addition, since it is desirable for the insertion convex portion 430 to contact both the earlobe 840 and the opposing bead 850, it is advisable to make the thickness of the insertion convex portion 430 slightly thicker than the width of the notch 830 between the beads.

[0048] As the function of the insertion convex portion 430, the third point is to stabilize the position of the earphone microphone speaker 100 by the insertion convex portion 430 coming into contact with the earlobe 840 or the opposing bead 850, or both. The position of the earphone microphone speaker 100 is stabilized by the presence of the insertion convex portion 430 in addition to the ear hook portion 300. Also, the sound emission port of the speaker unit 400 comes to be disposed substantially in front of the earhole 810.

[0049] The microphone unit 500 is located on the non-ear side of the main body unit 200. On the non-ear side of the main body unit 200, a roughly triangular pyramidal projection is provided on the front side (front side) of the main body unit 200, and this roughly triangular pyramidal projection constitutes the microphone unit 500. The surface corresponding to the bottom of the roughly triangular pyramidal projection serves as the sound collection opening. Therefore, when the ear microphone speaker 100 is worn on the ear, the microphone unit is positioned directly opposite the ear with the main body unit 100 in between, or opposite the side of the face with the main body unit 100 in between. (Here, the external shape of the microphone unit 500 is described as roughly triangular pyramidal, but this is based on a perspective or a matter of convenience for easier explanation; describing this roughly conical shape as roughly conical would not be an essential difference.)

[0050] The microphone unit 500 comprises a microphone unit 510 and a microphone housing 520. The microphone unit 510 receives sound and sends the converted sound signal to the electronic circuit unit (printed circuit board: PCB) 240. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the microphone unit 510 is positioned with its sound collection opening facing the front of the ear microphone speaker 100. The microphone unit 510 has directionality to collect sound coming from the front. Preferably, the microphone has high unidirectionality so as to collect only sound coming from the front.

[0051] The microphone housing 520 has an overall shape that is roughly a triangular pyramid and houses the microphone unit 510 inside. The microphone housing 520 is made of a relatively soft resin, such as a rubbery resin (elastomer) or foamed resin. Furthermore, a cushioning material 530 made of foamed resin (sponge) is provided around the microphone unit 510, meaning that the cushioning material 530 (for example, foamed resin (sponge)) 530 is sandwiched between the microphone housing 520 and the microphone unit 510. Here, the microphone housing 520 and the cushioning material 530 act as a second vibration isolation means, preventing vibrations from the main body 200 of the device from being transmitted to the microphone unit 510. As described above, the combined effect of the first vibration isolation means and the second vibration isolation means blocks (attenuates) vibrations transmitted from the speaker unit 410 to the microphone unit 510 to almost zero.

[0052] When a user wears the ear microphone speaker 100 in their ear, the sound-collecting opening of the microphone unit 500 faces forward. Therefore, sound from the direction the user is facing is collected by the microphone unit 500, converted into an electrical signal, and sent to the electronic circuit unit 240 (printed circuit board: PCB). The electronic circuit unit 240 (printed circuit board: PCB) performs the necessary signal processing for the electrical sound signal. Considering the role of a hearing aid (which can also be called a hearing aid, assistive device, or sound collector), amplification is the main signal processing. The amplified and processed electrical signal is emitted as sound from the speaker unit 400 and is clearly audible to the user's ear.

[0053] Generally speaking, when both a speaker unit 400 and a microphone unit 500 are attached to a small sound device, howling becomes a problem. In this embodiment, however, a first vibration isolation means (a slightly flexible speaker enclosure 420) prevents vibrations from the speaker unit 410 from being transmitted to the main body 200 of the device. Furthermore, there is a double second vibration isolation means (a slightly flexible microphone housing 520 and a cushioning material 530) between the microphone unit 510 and the main body 200, which prevents the microphone unit 510 from picking up vibrations from the speaker unit 410. Moreover, in this embodiment, since the insertion projection 430 attached to the speaker enclosure 420 is inserted into and fixed in the interbead notch 830, vibrations from the speaker unit 410 are less likely to be transmitted to the main body 200 of the device via the speaker enclosure 420.

[0054] Furthermore, while the speaker unit 400 is located on the ear side of the main body 200, the microphone unit 500 is located on the opposite ear side of the main body 200, so that the microphone unit 510 does not directly pick up sound from the speaker unit 400. In addition, by closing the gap between the front edge 250 of the main body 200 and the head as much as possible, sound from the speaker unit 400 is shielded as much as possible from leaking forward. Also, the insertion projection 430 is inserted into the interbead notch 830, which shields as much as possible from sound from the speaker unit 400 leaking up from below along the interbead notch 830.

[0055] Furthermore, the microphone unit 500 is a unidirectional microphone that collects sound from the front, so that even if sound leaks from the speaker unit 400 to the back or above and below, the microphone will not pick up that leaked sound. When considering an ideal hearing aid (which can also be called a hearing aid, assistant, or sound amplifier), it might be considered better if the microphone could collect sound from the back and sides rather than having high directivity for sound collection. However, with a close-placement speaker that does not go into the ear canal 810, some sound leakage is unavoidable, and if the microphone is positioned to pick up all sound, the problem of feedback will not be solved. Also, when considering a hearing aid (assistant, sound amplifier), it is considered sufficient if it can assist in hearing conversations and television sounds, and therefore, the disadvantage of making the microphone's sound collection direction forward is considered to be small.

[0056] (Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment described above, an example was explained in which sound collected by the microphone unit 500 is emitted from the speaker unit 400. However, instead of sound from the microphone unit 500, sound from another audio device (a small music player or smartphone) may be output from the speaker unit 400 of the ear microphone speaker 100. In this case, it is sufficient that the electronic circuit unit (printed circuit board: PCB) 240 has a wireless communication connection function with the other audio device (a small music player or smartphone).

[0057] (Third Embodiment) The microphone unit 500 may be omitted from the first embodiment and replaced with an ear speaker. That is, instead of the microphone unit 500, the sound input may be via wireless communication with another audio device (a small music player, a smartphone, or a separate microphone device).

[0058] (Fourth Embodiment) An operating section (e.g., a button) may be provided on the outer surface of the main body 100 of the device. For example, a power on / off button may be placed on the non-ear side surface 220 of the main body 100 of the device, and volume adjustment buttons (volume up, volume down) may be placed on the lower surface of the main body 100.

[0059] (Fifth Embodiment) The fifth embodiment is illustrated in Figures 11, 12, and 13. Figure 11 is a perspective view of the ear microphone speaker 100 according to the fifth embodiment, viewed from the non-ear side. Figure 12 is a perspective view of the ear microphone speaker 100 according to the fifth embodiment, viewed from the ear side. Figure 13 is a view of the ear microphone speaker 100 according to the fifth embodiment, viewed from above.

[0060] The basic configuration of the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but the fifth embodiment has distinctive features in the ear hook portion 3000 compared to the first embodiment. In the fifth embodiment, the ear hook portion 3000 does not have a rotating shaft portion (310), and the base end 3210 of the hook portion 3000 is fixedly attached to the device body portion 200. In the fifth embodiment, there is no need to install the rotating shaft portion (310) inside the device body portion 200, and therefore the device body portion 200 of the fifth embodiment is smaller than the device body portion 200 of the first embodiment.

[0061] However, in the fifth embodiment as well, the hook portion 3200 of the ear hook portion 3000 may have the morphological elements of the hook portion 3200 as described below, and furthermore, the ear hook portion 3000 may have a rotating shaft portion (310) so that the ear hook portion 3000 rotates relative to the main body portion 200 of the device.

[0062] The hook portion 3200 is generally C-shaped, or it may be U-shaped. The base end 3210 of the hook portion 3200 is attached to the upper end surface 270 of the main body portion 200 of the device.

[0063] In the first embodiment, the base end of the hook portion (320) was at an angle nearly perpendicular to the upper end surface 270 of the device body portion 200 and extended upward from the upper end surface 270. In contrast, in the fifth embodiment, the base end 3210 of the hook portion 3200 is attached at a shallow angle to the upper end surface 270. When considering a virtual line L parallel to the front-rear direction of the device body portion 200, the base end 3210 of the hook portion 3200 is attached at an angle of 40° or less, preferably 30° or less, with respect to this virtual line L in the front-rear direction. In other words, the attachment angle between the base end 3210 of the hook portion 3200 and the upper end surface of the device body portion 200 can be, for example, 0° or more and 40° or less, preferably 0° or more and 30° or less, specifically 20° or more and 30° or less.

[0064] Alternatively, the base end 3210 of the hook portion 3200 may be attached to the rear end surface 280 of the main body of the device shown in Figure 11. However, in this case, the joint between the hook portion 3200 and the main body of the device 200 may come into contact with the user's skin (ear), which is somewhat undesirable.

[0065] The base end of the hook portion 3200 extends from the main body portion 200 toward the rear of the main body portion 200. Then, the hook portion 3200 curves sharply at the curved portion 3220, and the tip of the hook portion 3200 extends downward. The hook portion 3200 hooks onto the back of the ear (pinna) at this curved portion. Furthermore, the pinna is sandwiched between the hook portion 3200 and the speaker portion 400.

[0066] As shown in the top view of Figure 13, the hook portion 3200 is slightly curved even when facing the ear. As a result, a portion of the tip of the hook portion 3200 is directly opposite the rear side surface of the speaker portion 400. Figures 11 to 13 show the configuration in which the tip portion of the hook portion 3200 is close to and opposite the rear side surface of the speaker portion 400. Looking at the top view of Figure 13, when considering the width D of the rear side surface of the speaker portion 400 (speaker enclosure 420), it can be seen that the tip of the hook portion 3200 is located directly behind the speaker portion 400 and within this width D of the rear side surface. As a result, the ear (pinna) can be sandwiched between the hook portion 3200 and the speaker portion 400. Therefore, by sandwiching the ear (pinna) between the hook portion 3200 and the speaker portion 400, the ear microphone speaker 100 can be securely attached to the ear and become stable.

[0067] Here, it's important to remember that the insertion projection 430 of the speaker unit 400 fits into the intertragal notch 830, which can further fix the position of the speaker unit 400 relative to the ear. In this case, the ear microphone speaker 100 attaches securely to the ear, and its stability is further increased.

[0068] The tip of the hook portion 3200 is thickened. Therefore, it does not hurt even if the tip of the hook portion 3200 touches the skin. In addition, by making the tip of the hook portion 3200 thicker, the gap between the hook portion 3200 and the speaker portion 400 is narrowed, allowing the ear (pinna) to be securely held between the hook portion 3200 and the speaker portion 400. Furthermore, the thickened tip of the hook portion 3200 makes it less likely for the hook portion 3200 to come off once it is hooked onto the ear.

[0069] The hook portion 3200 is preferably elastic. For example, the core material of the hook portion 3200 may be a thin metal wire (e.g., a titanium alloy wire), and this metal wire may be coated with a resin (silicone resin).

[0070] In the first embodiment, if a user with small ears uses the ear microphone speaker 100, the hook portion 320 may be quite loose, potentially resulting in an uncomfortable user experience. In contrast, Figure 14 shows an example of the ear microphone speaker 100, as described in the fifth embodiment, being worn on the ear. In Figure 14, it can be seen that the hook portion 3200 of the ear microphone speaker 100 does not protrude from the ear, and the ear microphone speaker 100 fits snugly on the user's ear.

[0071] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0072] 100 Ear microphone speaker 200 Main unit 230 Battery 240 Electronic circuit section 250 Front edge 270 Upper surface 300, 3000 Ear hook section 310 Rotating shaft section 320, 3200 Hook section 3210 Base end of hook section 3220 Curved section 400 Speaker section 410 Speaker unit 420 Speaker enclosure 430 Insertion protrusion 500 Microphone section 510 Microphone unit 520 Microphone housing section 530 Cushioning material 810 Ear canal 820 Antiring 830 Intertragal notch 840 Tragus 850 Antiring tragus

Claims

1. An audio input / output device comprising: a main body; a speaker unit connected to the main body; and a microphone unit connected to the main body, wherein the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, the speaker unit having a speaker unit that emits sound and a first vibration-blocking means that prevents vibrations of the speaker unit from being transmitted to the main body; and the microphone unit having a microphone unit that receives sound and converts it into an electrical signal and a second vibration-blocking means that prevents vibrations of the main body from being transmitted to the microphone unit.

2. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, wherein the speaker section comprises a speaker enclosure that houses the speaker unit and is connected to the main body of the device, and the first vibration isolation means is provided between the speaker enclosure and the speaker unit, or the speaker enclosure itself is the first vibration isolation means.

3. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, wherein the microphone section comprises a microphone housing section that houses the microphone unit and is connected to the main body of the device, and the second vibration isolation means is provided between the microphone housing section and the microphone unit, or the microphone housing section itself is the second vibration isolation means.

4. An audio input / output device according to claim 1, characterized in that the main body of the device is held to the side of a person's head, the speaker is positioned on the side of the main body of the device that is closer to the person's head, and the microphone is positioned on the side of the main body of the device that is opposite to the person's head.

5. The sound input / output device according to claim 4, characterized in that the outer shape of the housing of the microphone is substantially conical, the surface corresponding to the bottom of this conical shape is a sound collection opening, and the sound collection opening faces forward of a person's head.

6. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound outlet of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, an edge or surface of the device body that is in front of the person's head than the speaker unit is extremely close to or in contact with the person's head.

7. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound outlet of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, the speaker unit has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch.

8. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, characterized in that the microphone unit has directionality for collecting sound coming from the front of a person's head.

9. The sound input / output device according to claim 1, wherein when the speaker portion is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound outlet of the speaker portion facing the ear canal, the sound input / output device has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch, an edge or surface of the device body that is in front of the person's head than the speaker portion is extremely close to or in contact with the person's head, and the microphone portion has directionality that collects sound coming from the front of the person's head.

10. An audio input / output device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an ear hook portion for attaching to the auricle.

11. The sound input / output device according to claim 10, wherein the ear hook portion is provided so as to be rotatable relative to the main body of the device, and the relative rotational position between the ear hook portion and the main body of the device can be fixed when the main body of the device is close to the ear or when the main body of the device is pressed against the ear.

12. The sound input / output device according to claim 10, wherein the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that can be hooked onto the base of the back of the auricle, and a part of the tip of the hook portion is in close proximity to the rear side surface of the speaker enclosure, and the auricle is sandwiched between the speaker enclosure and the hook portion to stabilize the sound input / output device against the ear.

13. The sound input / output device according to claim 10, wherein the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that can be hooked onto the base of the back of the auricle, and the mounting angle between the base end of the hook and the main body of the device is within 40° with respect to an imaginary line parallel to the front-rear direction of the main body of the device.

14. The sound input / output device according to claim 10, wherein the ear hook portion has a U-shaped or C-shaped hook portion that can be hooked onto the base of the back of the auricle, the mounting angle between the base end of the hook and the main body of the device is within 40° with respect to a virtual line parallel to the front-rear direction of the main body of the device, and the hook portion is bent in the middle, with the tip portion of the hook being substantially parallel to the up-down direction of the main body of the device.

15. The sound input / output device according to claim 10, characterized in that the ear hook portion has a hook portion that is U-shaped or C-shaped and hooks onto the base of the back of the auricle, and the hook portion is made of an elastic material.

16. An audio input / output device comprising: a main body; a speaker unit connected to the main body; and a microphone unit connected to the main body, wherein the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, the main body is held to the side of a person's head, the speaker unit is positioned on the side of the main body that is closer to the person's head, the microphone unit is positioned on the side of the main body that is opposite to the person's head, and when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, an edge or surface of the main body that is in front of the person's head than the speaker unit is extremely close to or in contact with the person's head, and when the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal with the sound-emitting port of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, it has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch. The aforementioned microphone unit is characterized by having a directional property that collects sound coming from the front of a person's head.

17. A sound output device comprising a main body and a speaker unit connected to the main body, wherein the speaker unit is held near the entrance of the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, with the sound-emitting opening of the speaker unit facing the ear canal, and the speaker unit has an insertion projection that is sandwiched in the intertragal notch.

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