Ear-worn Sound Device with Dynamic Earhole Partition

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional ear-worn sound devices that block the ear canal make it difficult to communicate and are uncomfortable due to the inability to hear ambient sounds, and they struggle with reproducing low-frequency sounds and noise isolation.

Innovation Solution

A sound device with a main body on the auricle, a holding portion with an annular hollow structure, and a sound guide portion that can open or close the earhole to control ambient sound intake, using a control unit to adjust the open/close state based on application type, noise level, user behavior, and position information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the earhole is kept open to allow ambient sound hearing, then communication comfort is improved, but reproduced sound clarity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication comfortVSAvoidreproduced sound clarity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the earhole open/close state changeable through a movable partition wall. The partition wall can shift between blocking and opening positions, allowing the earhole to dynamically transition between closed and open states. This enables the sound device to adapt its acoustic characteristics in real-time, balancing reproduced sound clarity when the earhole is closed with ambient sound hearing when the earhole is opened, thereby resolving the contradiction between communication comfort and sound quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the earhole is closed to improve reproduced sound clarity, then sound quality is improved, but communication comfort deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereproduced sound clarityVSAvoidcommunication comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the earhole open/close state changeable through a movable partition wall. The partition wall can shift between blocking and opening positions, allowing the earhole to dynamically transition between closed and open states. This enables the sound device to adapt its acoustic characteristics in real-time, balancing reproduced sound clarity when the earhole is closed with ambient sound hearing when the earhole is opened, thereby resolving the contradiction between communication comfort and sound quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If a fixed structure is used for simplicity, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different usage scenarios deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructure simplicityVSAvoidusage scenario adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the earhole open/close state changeable through a movable partition wall. The partition wall can shift between blocking and opening positions, allowing the earhole to dynamically transition between closed and open states. This enables the sound device to adapt its acoustic characteristics in real-time, balancing reproduced sound clarity when the earhole is closed with ambient sound hearing when the earhole is opened, thereby resolving the contradiction between communication comfort and sound quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies the parameter changes principle by changing the acoustic parameters of the sound device through the movable partition wall. By shifting the partition wall between different positions, the device changes its acoustic characteristics (e.g., noise isolation level, ambient sound transmission), enabling adaptation to different usage scenarios such as noisy environments versus quiet settings without requiring multiple fixed configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11743626B2Sound device and sound system

Publication Date: 2023.08.29 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

There is provided a sound device used while being worn on the listener's ears.The sound device includes a main body installed on a medial surface of an auricle, a holding portion having an annular hollow structure arranged to be coupled to an intertragic notch of an ear near an entrance of an ear canal, a sound guide portion formed as a pipe structure having one end communicating with the main body and another end communicating with the holding portion, an open/close operation unit configured to open or close an earhole, and a control unit configured to control driving of the open/close operation unit. The earhole open/close state is set for each user. The earhole open/close state can be switched depending on the type of application or content to be played, ambient noise level, user behavior, position information, or the like.