CN110996211B

CN110996211B - Earphone device and wireless communication system

Info

Publication number: CN110996211B
Application number: CN201911318047.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 雷钊
Original assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd
Current assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd
Priority date: 2019-12-19
Filing date: 2019-12-19
Publication date: 2022-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-19
Also published as: CN110996211A

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to an earphone device and a wireless communication system. The earphone device includes: a body; an ear canal insert connected to the body, the ear canal insert comprising an electroactive polymer layer; and a control module connected with the electroactive polymer layer, the control module being used for adjusting the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer. The embodiment of the invention can solve the problem that the earphone device in the prior art cannot be well matched with the ear of a human body, and the wearing comfort of a user is influenced.

Description

Earphone device and wireless communication system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of acoustic devices, and in particular, to an earphone device and a wireless communication system.

Background

With the development of audio playing device technology, headphone devices have become well known to users and are becoming more and more widely used. The earphone device converts the audio signal into a sound signal for listening by a user. In addition to focusing on the audio quality of the headphone apparatus, users also start to focus on the wearing comfort and stability of the headphone apparatus. One of the models of the earphone device is an in-ear earphone device. At present, the insertion part of the in-ear earphone device contacting with the human ear is made of hard plastic materials, and the size of the in-ear earphone device is fixed. However, since the sizes of the human ears are different, the insertion portion of the in-ear headphone device cannot be well matched with the human ears, which affects the wearing comfort of the user.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides an earphone device and a wireless communication system, and aims to solve the technical problems that in the prior art, the earphone device cannot be well matched with the ears of a human body, and wearing comfort of a user is influenced.

In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an earphone device, which includes:

a body; an ear canal insert connected to the body, the ear canal insert comprising an electroactive polymer layer; and a control module connected with the electroactive polymer layer, the control module being used for adjusting the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer.

In a second aspect, a wireless communication system is provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes:

the headphone assembly as defined in the first aspect, the control module in the headphone assembly further comprising a first wireless communication unit; the mobile terminal comprises a second wireless communication unit, the mobile terminal is in wireless communication connection with the first wireless communication unit through the second wireless communication unit, and the starting control module can be activated through the second wireless communication unit.

According to the earphone device provided by the embodiment of the invention, when a user uses the earphone device, after the ear canal insertion part is inserted into the ear canal, the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer can be adjusted through the control module, so that the electroactive polymer layer is deformed, and the shape of the electroactive polymer layer is matched with the shape of the ear canal of the user. Like this, because earphone device can match user's duct through the deformation of electroactive polymer layer to earphone device can adapt to different users' duct well, reduces because of the mismatching of duct inserted part shape and duct and leads to the possibility that duct inserted part produced great oppression power to ear canal local area, is favorable to improving user and wears comfort and satisfaction.

Drawings

Features, advantages and technical effects of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described below by referring to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an earphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a first electrode, an electroactive polymer layer, and a second electrode according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

fig. 3 is a schematic view showing a state in which the electroactive polymer layer of fig. 2 is protruded in a thickness direction;

fig. 4 is a schematic view showing a state in which the electroactive polymer layer of fig. 2 is depressed in a thickness direction;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a first electrode, an electroactive polymer layer, and a second electrode according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 6 is a schematic view of the electroactive polymer layer of fig. 5 in a state stretched in the horizontal direction;

fig. 7 is a schematic view of the electroactive polymer layer of fig. 5 in a state of compression in the horizontal direction;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a deformed state of an ear canal insert according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is an exploded view of an earphone device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of an earphone device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of an earphone device according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawings, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Description of the labeling:

10. an earphone device;

20. a body;

30. an ear canal insertion section; 30a, a sound outlet; 30b, a front cavity wall; 30c, a rear cavity wall; 31. an electroactive polymer layer; 32. a flexible cover layer;

40. a control module; 41. a first electrode; 42. a second electrode; 43. a first wireless communication unit;

50. a transfer support; 51. a first column; 52. a second cylinder;

60. a control unit; 61. a voice input control unit; 62. a touch control unit;

70. a wireless connection module;

100. a wireless communication system;

200. a mobile terminal; 201. a second wireless communication unit;

x, thickness direction; y, horizontal direction.

Detailed Description

The embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the drawings and examples. The following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings are provided to illustrate the principles of the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, i.e., the invention is not limited to the described embodiments.

In the description of the present invention, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise specified, "a plurality" means two or more; the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "inner," "outer," and the like, as used herein, refer to an orientation or positional relationship indicated for convenience in describing the invention and to simplify description, but do not indicate or imply that the referenced device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," "third," and the like are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

The following description is given with reference to the orientation words as shown in the drawings, and is not intended to limit the specific structure of the present invention. In the description of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention can be understood as appropriate to those of ordinary skill in the art.

For a better understanding of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to fig. 1 to 12.

Referring to fig. 1, an embodiment of the present invention provides an earphone device 10 including a body 20 and an ear canal insert 30 coupled to the body 20. The ear canal insert 30 comprises an electroactive polymer layer 31. The control module 40 is connected to the electroactive polymer layer 31. The control module 40 is used to adjust the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the body 20 has a hand-held portion, so that when the user uses the earphone device 10, the ear canal insertion portion 30 can be aligned with the ear canal of the human ear and the ear canal insertion portion 30 can be inserted into the ear canal through the hand-held portion of the hand-held body 20. The earphone device 10 is fixed to the human ear through the ear canal insertion part 30. The ear canal insert 30 includes an electroactive polymer layer 31 and a sound outlet hole 30a disposed through the electroactive polymer layer 31. The ear canal insert part 30 is inserted into the ear canal of the human ear and conducts sound into the human ear through the sound outlet hole 30 a. The shape of the electroactive polymer layer 31 is suitable for deformation by adjusting the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31. The headphone assembly 10 also includes a control module 40. The control module 40 is configured to adjust the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31 to deform the electroactive polymer layer 31 to fit the ear canal. The electroactive polymer layer 31 is a flexible structure. After the ear canal insertion part 30 is inserted into the ear canal when the user uses the earphone device 10, the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31 is controlled by the control module 40 so that the shape of the electroactive polymer layer 31 matches the ear canal of the user. Thus, on the one hand, the positional stability of the ear canal insertion part 30 can be maintained, reducing the possibility that the ear canal insertion part 30 is detached from the human ear and falls; on the other hand, since the earphone device 10 can be matched with the ear canal of the user through the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31, the earphone device 10 can be well adapted to the ear canals of different users, the possibility that the ear canal insertion part 30 generates a large pressing force to the local area of the ear canal due to the fact that the shape of the ear canal insertion part 30 is not matched with the ear canal is reduced, and the wearing comfort and the satisfaction of the user are improved.

In one embodiment, the control module 40 includes a first electrode 41 and a second electrode 42 of opposite polarity. A voltage is applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31 through the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42. One of the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 serves as a positive electrode, and the other serves as a negative electrode. In one example, referring to fig. 2, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is not deformed when the switch is not closed. Referring to fig. 3, when the switch is closed and the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 have a predetermined polarity, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is convexly deformed in the thickness direction thereof, so that the thickness dimension thereof is increased. Referring to fig. 4, when the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 become opposite polarities, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is concavely deformed in the thickness direction X thereof when the switch is closed, so that the thickness dimension thereof is reduced. In another example, referring to fig. 5, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is not deformed when the switch is not closed. Referring to fig. 6, when the switch is closed and the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 have a predetermined polarity, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is subjected to tensile deformation in the horizontal direction Y intersecting the thickness direction X thereof, so that the horizontal dimension thereof is increased. Referring to fig. 7, when the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 become opposite polarities, the electroactive polymer layer 31 is compressively deformed in the horizontal direction Y intersecting the thickness direction X thereof when the switch is closed, so that the horizontal dimension thereof is reduced. Thus, the shape of the ear canal insert 30 can be adjusted to fit the ear canal by adjusting the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31. Referring to fig. 8, a deformed outer profile of the electroactive polymer layer 31 of an embodiment is schematically shown using a dotted line. It is to be understood that the deformation direction of the electroactive polymer layer 31 of the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above two directions. By changing the polarity of the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42, the deformation direction of the electroactive polymer layer 31 can be adjusted in advance to improve the adaptability of the ear canal insertion part 30, so as to meet the requirement of the ear canal with different sizes.

In one example, the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are both flexible structures. The first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 are both connected to the electroactive polymer layer 31. When the electroactive polymer layer 31 is deformed, both the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 may deform along with the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31, thereby reducing the possibility that the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 themselves are damaged by tensile or compressive force or provide resistance to the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31. Alternatively, the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 may be flexible structures having conductive properties such as copper foil, copper wire, aluminum foil, or aluminum wire.

In one example, the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 may be disposed on the same side of the inner surface or the outer surface of the electroactive polymer layer 31. Alternatively, one of the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 is disposed on the side of the inner surface of the electroactive polymer layer 31, and the other is disposed on the side of the outer surface.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 9, the electroactive polymer layer 31 has a front cavity wall 31b and a back cavity wall 31 c. The front chamber wall 31b is distal to the body 20 and the rear chamber wall 31c is proximal to the body 20. The front chamber wall 31b is provided with a first electrode 41 and a second electrode 42. The back chamber wall 31c is also provided with a first electrode 41 and a second electrode 42. The control module 40 can respectively control the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 arranged on the front cavity wall 31b or the first electrode 41 and the second electrode 42 arranged on the rear cavity wall 31c, so that a predetermined voltage can be applied to the front cavity wall 31b, the rear cavity wall 31c or both the front cavity wall 31b and the rear cavity wall 31c, and further the front cavity wall 31b can be adjusted to be deformed independently, the rear cavity wall 31c can be adjusted to be deformed independently or both the front cavity wall 31b and the rear cavity wall 31c can be adjusted to be deformed simultaneously. Like this, can adjust the deformation of the different regions of electroactive polymer layer 31, improve the adjustment flexibility in electroactive polymer layer 31 deformation region, be favorable to further promoting the adaptability of adaptation duct, improve the comfort level of wearing duct insertion portion 30. It is understood that the front cavity wall 31b and the rear cavity wall 31c may be further divided into a plurality of regions with smaller areas, and the control module 40 controls each region individually, so that each region can be deformed individually, thereby further improving the diversity of deformation conditions of the electroactive polymer layer 31.

In one embodiment, the material of the electroactive polymer layer 31 is polyvinylidene fluoride or acrylic resin having good piezoelectric effect characteristics, thereby facilitating the improvement of deformation sensitivity and deformation accuracy.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 9, the earphone device 10 further includes a transition support 50. The ear canal insert part 30 is connected to the body 20 by the adaptor support 50, and the adaptor support 50 is detachably connected to the body 20. The ear canal insert 30 is connected and fixed to the adaptor support 50 in advance, and then the adaptor support 50 is connected and fixed to the body 20, which is advantageous to reduce the difficulty of connecting the ear canal insert 30 directly to the body 20. The adapter bearing 50 is stiffer than the canal insert 30 to ensure that it provides effective bearing for the canal insert 30. In one example, the material of the adaptor support 50 may be plastic or plastic, etc. In one example, the transition support 50 is a ring-shaped structure. The transit bearing 50 has two ends axially opposite to each other in itself. The ear canal insert 30 has an opening toward the body 20. The adapter bearing 50 is inserted into the opening at one end and fixed to the ear canal insert part 30, and is fixed to the body 20 at the other end. The adaptor support 50 and the ear canal insert 30 may be secured by an adhesive or snap-fit connection. The adaptor support 50 and the body 20 are fixedly connected by means of adhesion, screw connection or clamping connection. Optionally, adaptor support 50 has a first post 51 and a second post 52. The first cylinder 51 has a smaller diameter than the second cylinder 52. The first cylinder 51 is inserted into the opening of the canal insert 30 and is bonded or snap-coupled to the canal insert 30. The ear canal insert 30 abuts against the step surface between the first cylinder 51 and the second cylinder 52. The second post 52 is fixedly connected to the body 20 by means of bonding, screwing or clipping.

In one embodiment, see fig. 10, the ear canal insert 30 further comprises a flexible cover layer 32 covering the outside of the electroactive polymer layer 31, so that on the one hand, the ear canal insert 30 can be made to appear in different colors by changing the color of the flexible cover layer 32, increasing the flexibility of choice of the appearance of the earphone device 10; on the other hand, the thickness of the electroactive polymer layer 31 can be reduced, which is advantageous in reducing the amount of the electroactive polymer layer 31 used. In one example, the material of the flexible cover layer 32 may be a material with good skin-friendliness, which may improve wearing comfort. Alternatively, the material of the flexible cover layer 32 may be silicone or other suitable resilient and flexible material.

In one embodiment, the ear canal insert 30 is adhesively attached to the body 20. The bonding method is simple and easy to operate, so that the complexity of the structure and the difficulty of the connection between the ear canal insertion part 30 and the body 20 are reduced.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 1, the earphone device 10 further includes a control portion 60. The control portion 60 is communicatively connected to the control module 40, so that the control portion 60 can activate the activation control module 40 to enable the control module 40 to control and adjust the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31, so as to deform the electroactive polymer layer 31. The user can activate the control module 40 through the control part 60 according to the size of the user's own ear canal to adjust the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31 so that the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31 satisfies the size of the user's own ear canal, thereby improving the wearing comfort of the ear canal insertion part 30. In one example, referring to fig. 11, the control section 60 includes a voice input control unit 61. The user can activate the start control module 40 in a voice manner by inputting a voice control instruction to the voice input control unit 61. Alternatively, the voice input control unit 61 is a built-in microphone. In another example, referring to fig. 11, the control section 60 includes a touch control unit 62. The user can input a control command by touching the touch control unit 62, thereby activating the start control module 40. It is to be understood that the control unit 60 is not limited to the above control unit, and may be a physical button. The user activates the start control module 40 directly by pressing a physical button. Of course, the user may stop the control module 40 through the control unit 60.

In one embodiment, the headset device 10 also includes an internal battery and a battery management module. The internal battery supplies power to the earphone device 10. Both the control section 60 and the control module 40 are connected to the battery management module.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 9, the earphone device 10 further includes a wireless connection module 70. The earphone device 10 can be connected with the mobile terminal through the wireless connection module 70 in a wireless communication manner, so that the earphone device 10 can play audio without using a plug with a transmission cable to be plugged into an earphone jack of the mobile terminal, the constraint caused by the transmission cable is reduced, and the convenience, the satisfaction degree and the comfort degree of a user using the earphone device 10 are improved. In one example, the wireless connection module 70 is a bluetooth module or a near field communication module (NFC).

In the earphone device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the user uses the earphone device 10, after the ear canal insertion part 30 is inserted into the ear canal, the voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer 31 may be adjusted by the control module 40, so that the electroactive polymer layer 31 is deformed, and thus the shape of the electroactive polymer layer 31 matches the shape of the ear canal of the user. Thus, the earphone device 10 can be matched with the shape of the ear canal of the user through the deformation of the electroactive polymer layer 31, so that the earphone device 10 can be well adapted to the ear canals of different users, the possibility that the ear canal insertion part 30 generates large pressing force on the local area of the ear canal due to the fact that the shape of the ear canal insertion part 30 is not matched with the shape of the ear canal is reduced, and the wearing comfort and the satisfaction of the user are improved.

Referring to fig. 12, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a wireless communication system 100, which includes the earphone device 10 and the mobile terminal 200 of the above-mentioned embodiment. The control module 40 of the headphone set 10 further includes a first wireless communication unit 43. The mobile terminal 200 includes a second wireless communication unit 201. The mobile terminal 200 is in wireless communication connection with the first wireless communication unit 43 through the second wireless communication unit 201 so that the activation control module 40 can be activated through the second wireless communication unit 201. In this way, the user can activate the start control module 40 through the wireless communication between the mobile terminal 200 and the ear speaker device 10, and of course, can also stop the control module 40 through the wireless communication, so that the user does not need to directly activate the start or stop control module 40 on the ear speaker device 10 itself, thereby improving the convenience of operation and the variety of selection. In one example, the first wireless communication unit 43 and the second wireless communication unit 201 are both wireless transceivers. The wireless transceiver has the necessary components and circuitry for short-range wireless communication. In one example, the mobile terminal 200 has a touch display screen. The user can activate the start control module 40 through the second wireless communication unit 201 by touching a virtual button on the display screen. Alternatively, the mobile terminal 200 has a physical button, and the user can activate the start control module 40 through the second wireless communication unit 201 by pressing the button.

In one embodiment, the control module 40, the control section 60 of the ear speaker device 10 and the second wireless communication unit 201 of the mobile terminal 200 may each be constituted by any suitable Central Processing Unit (CPU), microcontroller, digital signal processor, etc., which is capable of executing program codes for operation signals of the ear speaker device 10. The mobile terminal 200 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a mobile computer, or the like.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention, and particularly, features shown in the various embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the scope of the invention. It is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An earphone device, comprising:

a body;

an ear canal insert coupled to the body, the ear canal insert comprising an electroactive polymer layer;

a control module connected to the electroactive polymer layer, the control module configured to adjust a voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer;

the control module comprises a first electrode and a second electrode which are opposite in polarity, the first electrode and the second electrode are both flexible structures, and the first electrode and the second electrode are both connected with the electroactive polymer layer;

the first electrode is disposed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the electroactive polymer layer;

the second electrode is disposed on an inner surface or an outer surface of the electroactive polymer layer;

the electroactive polymer layer has a front cavity wall and a back cavity wall, the front cavity wall is far away from the body, the back cavity wall is close to the body, the front cavity wall is provided with the first electrode and the second electrode, and the back cavity wall is provided with the first electrode and the second electrode; the front cavity wall and the rear cavity wall are further divided into a plurality of areas, and each area is independently controlled by the control module;

the control module controls the electroactive polymer layer to protrude or recess in the thickness direction of the electroactive polymer layer; and/or the control module controls the electroactive polymer layer to stretch or compress in a direction intersecting the thickness direction of the electroactive polymer layer;

the control module is configured to adjust a voltage applied to the electroactive polymer layer to deform the electroactive polymer layer to fit the ear canal.

2. The earphone device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adapter support, wherein the ear canal insertion part is connected to the body through the adapter support, and the adapter support is detachably connected to the body; alternatively, the ear canal insertion part is adhesively connected to the body.

3. The earphone device according to claim 1, wherein the material of the electroactive polymer layer is polyvinylidene fluoride or acrylic resin; and/or the ear canal insert further comprises a flexible cover layer covering the outside of the electroactive polymer layer.

4. The headset of claim 1, further comprising a control in communicative connection with the control module, the control being activatable by the control.

5. The headphone apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control section includes a voice input control unit and/or a touch control unit.

6. The headset device of claim 1, further comprising a wireless connection module, wherein the headset device is in wireless communication with a mobile terminal via the wireless connection module.

7. A wireless communication system, comprising:

the earphone device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control module in the earphone device further comprises a first wireless communication unit;

the mobile terminal comprises a second wireless communication unit, the mobile terminal is in wireless communication connection with the first wireless communication unit through the second wireless communication unit, and the control module can be activated and started through the second wireless communication unit.