WO2020080577A1 - Portable sound device - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable sound device may remove external noise more effectively by further having an inner mic for collecting sounds inputted via the body of a user, the portable sound device comprising: a housing having a speaker hole and a mic hole formed on one side thereof; a sound output unit mounted inside the housing and outputting sound via the speaker hole; an inner mic for collecting sound via the mic hole; an ear tip coupling to the housing and covering the speaker hole and the mic hole; and a control unit mounted inside the housing, outputting sound by controlling the sound output unit and processing the sound collected from the inner mic, wherein the ear tip comprises a partition and a sound hole, the partition separating a first space, where the speaker hole is positioned, from a second space, where the mic hole is positioned, and the sound hole communicating with the first space and the second space.

Description

Portable audio equipment

The present invention relates to a portable sound device for receiving a sound signal from a terminal through wireless communication with the terminal and transmitting a control signal for controlling the terminal.

A portable audio device means an audio device that receives sound signals from a terminal and transmits sound information collected through a microphone to the terminal. Conventionally, a wired method of receiving a sound signal by inserting a terminal into the ear jack of a terminal using a portable sound device has been used, but in recent years, the demand for portable sound devices of the wireless communication method has increased in terms of mobility and convenience of use.

The portable audio device has an audio output unit and can perform functions such as music playback and telephone conversation. It can connect itself to the base station to make a phone call, or directly connect to an external server to obtain sound data, and connect to another terminal to perform the above function through pairing.

In order to carry it on the user's body, a portable sound device having a design in consideration of portability has been developed, such as a headphone type fitted on the head in a band shape, a type hanging on the ear, and a type fitted on the ear.

The portable sound device not only outputs sound, but also collects the user's voice through the microphone and stores it or transmits it to the person in the call. At this time, various algorithms are used to distinguish the user's voice from external noise, and a plurality of microphones are physically placed in an optimal position. However, due to the miniaturization of portable sound devices, there is a limitation in the placement of the microphone, which makes it difficult to collect the optimal sound.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable sound device having an in-ear microphone in a limited space in a portable sound device that receives an audio signal from the terminal through wireless communication with the terminal and transmits a control signal to control the terminal. do.

A housing in which a speaker hole and a microphone hole are formed on one side; An audio output unit mounted inside the housing and outputting sound through the speaker hole; An internal microphone collecting sound through the microphone hole; An ear tip that covers the speaker hole and the microphone hole and is coupled to the housing; And a control unit mounted inside the housing to control the sound output unit to output sound and process the sound collected from the inner micro, wherein the ear tip is located in a first space where the speaker hole is located and the microphone hole is located. A partition wall divided into a second space; And an acoustic hole in communication with the first space and the second space.

The size of the first space may be larger than the size of the second space.

The acoustic hole is partitioned into a first hole connected to the first space and a second hole connected to the constant second space, and the first hole may be formed to be larger than the second hole.

The ear tip may include a flexible material.

A mesh covering the acoustic hole may be further included.

The size of the speaker hole may be larger than that of the microphone hole.

In the ear tip, the sound hole may be disposed to one side, and the sound hole portion may protrude.

The housing is a portable sound device further comprises a fastening portion to which the partition wall is coupled between the speaker hole and the microphone hole.

The portable sound device according to the present invention is further provided with an inner microphone that collects sound input through the user's body, thereby effectively removing external noise.

In addition, it is possible to prevent the sound output from the inner micro audio output unit from flowing through the partition wall.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, and thus, it should be understood that specific embodiments such as detailed description and preferred embodiments of the present invention are given as examples only.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable sound device of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of a portable sound device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from one direction.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a portable sound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram for explaining a collection of sounds spoken by a user through a plurality of microphones.

5 is a view showing a state in which the ear tip of the present invention is separated from the housing.

6 is a view showing a cross-section of a portable sound device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the same or similar elements are assigned the same reference numbers regardless of the reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "modules" and "parts" for the components used in the following description are given or mixed only considering the ease of writing the specification, and do not have meanings or roles distinguished from each other in themselves. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, when it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, and the technical spirit disclosed in the specification is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all modifications included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention , It should be understood to include equivalents or substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components.

When an element is said to be "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that other components may be directly connected to or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that no other component exists in the middle.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this application, the terms "comprises" or "have" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts or combinations thereof described herein, one or more other features. It should be understood that the existence or addition possibilities of fields or numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof are not excluded in advance.

1 is a block diagram of a portable sound device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view of a portable sound device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the portable sound device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are referred together for convenience of description of components of the portable sound device 300 related to FIG. 1.

 The portable sound device 300 of the present invention includes a control unit 380, a wireless communication unit 385, an audio output unit 340, a sensing unit 375, a microphone 360, a user input unit 370, and a power supply unit 390 It includes.

The portable sound device 300 of the present invention includes a plurality of cases 301, 302, and 303, and the cases are combined to form a housing including an internal space in which electronic components are mounted. The second case 302 coupled to one side of the first case 301 is a portion exposed to the outside when the user wears the portable sound device 300, and the third case coupled to the other side of the first case 301 In 303, a speaker hole 303a through which the sound of the sound output unit is output is located, and the sound output unit may be located between the first case 301 and the third case 303. A battery 391 and a printed circuit board 381 may be mounted as a control unit by forming an electric field between the first case 301 and the second case 302.

The portable sound device 300 has an open type, a kernel type, and a semi-kernel type according to a structure inserted into a user's ear. The general type has a wide range in which sound is output by covering the entire circle with a mesh in such a way that a circular earbud covers the ear folds outside the user's ear canal. However, since it is not completely inserted into the external auditory meatus, sound leaks to the outside or external sound enters the user's ear.

The kernel type consists of a soft eartip with an end where the sound hole through which the sound is output is output so as to be completely inserted into the user's ear canal, and the shape is modified to fit the size of the user's ear canal. The ear tip is inserted into the end of the acoustic passage protruding from the housing, and the soft ear tip blocks the external auditory meatus so that external sound does not flow in and the sound output from the sound output unit does not leak to the outside. However, it is difficult to hear external sounds, and there is a risk of not being able to detect external hazards when used on the go.

The semi-kernel type has a characteristic between the open type and the kernel type, and may have a shape in which the part inserted into the ear canal of the user in the open type earbud is protruded. The sound hole 3071 is located at the end of the protruding portion to reduce the sound leaked from the sound output unit to the outside, and the external sound is introduced into the user's ear by using a soft material in the part touching the user's ear. Can reduce things. However, it is not a form that is completely inserted into the external auditory meatus, such as a kernel type, but it may detect a danger by introducing some external sound.

The portable audio device of the present invention includes a projection 3072 that is partially inserted into the user's ear canal in the form of a semi-kernel as shown in FIG. 2. At the end of the protrusion 3072, an acoustic hole 3071 through which the sound output from the sound output unit is injected is formed. According to the shape of the user's ear, the protrusion 3072 may have a shape biased to one side.

The microphone 360 processes external sound signals as electrical voice data. The processed voice data is transmitted to an external terminal or an external server through the wireless communication unit 385. Various noise reduction algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal may be implemented in the microphone 360.

4 is a diagram for explaining a collection of sounds spoken by a user through a plurality of microphones. 4 (a) is a case with two microphones, and FIG. 4 (b) is a case with three microphones.

The microphone 360 of the present invention may include a plurality of sounds to remove noise by combining various sounds. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the two microphones 361 and 362 are disposed at different positions, so that the user speaks and external noise using the time difference, volume difference, etc. of the sound collected at each microphone 361 and 362. Can be distinguished.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4B, when a third microphone 363 for collecting sound transmitted through the Eustachian tube located at the user's ear is additionally provided, external noise may be removed by combining the three sounds. In particular, the sound collected from the third microphone 363 has the smallest external noise and the user's voice can be collected the most, so it has an optimal structure to remove external noise. The sensing unit 375 is a device for recognizing the state of the portable sound device 300 itself and surroundings, and detects the brightness of the surroundings, a touch sensor for detecting a touch input, and a tilt and position of the portable sound device. And a gyro sensor for sensing.

The user input unit 370 is an input unit for the user to control the portable sound device 300, and the portable sound device 300 having a small size as in the present invention uses a touch type or presses a button using a limited number of buttons. Time and number of times and a plurality of buttons can be combined to expand the input control commands.

The power supply unit 390 supplies power required for the control unit and each component, and may use a button-type battery 391 to mount in a small space. Since the size of the battery 391 determines the usage time of the portable sound device 300, it is necessary to secure as wide a space as possible, and it is possible to expand a possible mounting space by overlapping and arranging some substrates. In order to charge the battery 391, a power terminal for connecting to an external power source may be included. The power terminal is in contact with the power terminal formed in the cradle on which the portable sound device 300 is mounted to receive power from an external power source.

As the control unit 380, the printed circuit board 381 is located inside the housings 301, 302, and 303, and the printed circuit board 381 is mounted with a plurality of ICs. There is a problem of thickening. Therefore, the battery 391 is disposed so as not to overlap, and the flexible substrate 382 may be used for mounting and connecting some components such as a microphone 360, a user input unit, and an audio output unit 340.

The wireless communication unit 385 means a device for wireless communication with another terminal or a base station, and includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The antenna may be located in the second case 302 that is not in contact with the body when worn because the radiation performance decreases when it comes into contact with the user's body.

The main bracket may be used to fix the flexible substrate 382, the printed circuit board 381, the battery 391, the microphone 360, and the like. The printed circuit board 381, the battery 391, the flexible substrate 382, the microphone 360, etc. are mounted on the main bracket, assembled into one assembly, and then mounted on the housing to be easily mounted on the housing.

5 is a view showing a state in which the ear tip 307 of the present invention is separated from the housings 301, 302, and 303, and FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the portable sound device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a diagram showing. As described above, the third microphone 363 for collecting the voice input through the user's ear is arranged in parallel with the sound output unit 340 to open the sound hole 3071 through which the sound of the sound output unit 340 is output. Can be output.

However, when the sound output from the sound output units 340 and 340 flows into the third microphone 363, noise is mixed with sounds collected by the third microphone 363. In order to prevent the above problem, a partition wall 307c separating the sound output unit 340 from the third microphone 363 is required. Unlike the structure in which a sound path for inserting into the external auditory meatus of the user is long, such as a kernel type, the semi-kernel type is a microphone through which the sound of the sound output unit 340 is outputted through the speaker hole 303a and the third microphone 363 Only the hole 303b is formed, and the two holes are in communication.

In the present invention, the first space 307a and the microphone hole 303b in which the speaker hole 303a is positioned by forming the partition wall 307c inside the ear tip 307 as shown in FIG. The second space 307b can be partitioned.

The conventional semi-kernel type ear tip 307 is tightly coupled to the speaker hole 303a of the housings 301, 302, and 303, but the ear tip 307 of the present invention is spaced a predetermined distance from the first space 307a. Two spaces 307b can be partitioned. The partition wall 307c separating the first space 307a and the second space 307b is also formed in the protrusion 3073 and extends to the sound holes 3071 and 3071, and the sound output from the sound output unit 340 It is possible to minimize the inflow to the third microphone 363.

The ear tip 307 may use a soft material for a user's wearing comfort. When the partition wall 307c protrudes from the housing, when the user wears the portable sound device 300, the partition wall 307c is felt through the ear tip 307 of the flexible material, and thus there is a problem of poor fit, the ear tip 307 ), The partition wall 307c of the same material can be used.

The eartips 307 may be provided with multiple pieces to be replaced with other shapes according to the shape of the user's ears, and the shape of the partition walls 307c extended from the eartips 307 may be different sizes according to the size of each eartip 307 307c may be provided.

The ductile material of the partition wall 307c is in close contact with the housing to reduce sound transmission between the first space 307a and the second space 307b, and the partition wall 307c as shown in FIG. 5 (a). And it may further include a fastening portion 303c formed protruding or concave so that the space between the housing (301, 302, 303) does not occur.

Since the sound output unit 340 generates sound by vibrating the diaphragm, the size of the speaker hole 303a may be larger than that of the microphone hole 303b. In addition, the first space 307a may be disposed to be biased to one side so that it is wider than the second space 307b so that it is resonated and amplified during sound output.

In order to prevent foreign substances from entering the acoustic hole 3071 located at the end of the protrusion 3073 of the ear tip 307, it may be covered using a mesh 3072 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

As described above, the portable sound device of the present invention is further equipped with an inner microphone for collecting sound input through the user's body, thereby effectively removing external noise. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sound output from the sound output unit 340 from entering the inner microphone 363 through the partition wall 307c.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects, but should be considered illustrative. The scope of the present invention should be determined by rational interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the present invention are included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (8)

A housing in which a speaker hole and a microphone hole are formed on one side; An audio output unit mounted inside the housing and outputting sound through the speaker hole; An internal microphone collecting sound through the microphone hole; An ear tip that covers the speaker hole and the microphone hole and is coupled to the housing; And It is mounted inside the housing and includes a control unit to output sound by controlling the sound output unit and process the sound collected from the inner micro, The ear tip is A partition wall divided into a first space in which the speaker hole is located and a second space in which the microphone hole is located; And A portable sound device including an acoustic hole communicating with the first space and the second space. According to claim 1, The size of the first space is a portable audio device, characterized in that larger than the size of the second space. According to claim 1, The acoustic hole is divided into a first hole connected to the first space by the partition wall and a second hole connected to the second air space, The first hole is a portable sound device, characterized in that larger than the second hole. According to claim 1, The ear tip is a portable acoustic device, characterized in that it comprises a flexible material. According to claim 1, And a mesh covering the acoustic hole. According to claim 1, The size of the speaker hole is a portable audio device, characterized in that larger than the size of the microphone hole. According to claim 1, The ear tip is The sound hole is disposed on one side and the portable sound device, characterized in that the sound hole portion protrudes. According to claim 1, The housing is a portable sound device further comprises a fastening portion to which the partition wall is coupled between the speaker hole and the microphone hole.

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