JP2019527521A - Sound equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An acoustic device having a neck loop constructed and arranged to be worn around the neck. The neck loop includes a housing having a first acoustic waveguide having a first sound outlet opening and a second acoustic waveguide having a second sound outlet opening. There is a first open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the first waveguide and a second open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the second waveguide.

Description

  The present disclosure relates to an acoustic device.

  The headset has an acoustic driver that rests on, in, or in the ear. Therefore, they are somewhat conspicuous when worn and can suppress the ability to listen to sounds around the user.

  All the examples and features described below can be combined in any way technically possible.

  The acoustic device delivers high-quality sound to each ear without an acoustic driver on the ear, the entire ear, or in the ear. The acoustic device is designed to be worn around the neck. The acoustic device may comprise a neck loop having a housing. The neck loop may have a “horse shoe” -like or generally “U” shape, and may have two legs that rest on or near the entire clavicle, and a curved central portion that rests on the back of the neck. The acoustic device may have two acoustic drivers, one on each leg of the housing. The driver may be located below the expected position of the user's ear and has its sound axis directed to the ear. The acoustic device may further include two waveguides within the housing, each one having an outlet under the ear close to the driver. The back side of one driver can be acoustically coupled to the entrance to one waveguide and the back side of the other driver can be acoustically coupled to the entrance to the other waveguide. Each waveguide has one end with a driver that sends it under one ear (left or right) and the other end (open end) under the other ear (right or left) ).

  The waveguides can fold together in the housing. The waveguides can be configured and arranged so that the entrance and exit to each one waveguide are located on the upper side of the housing. The waveguides may be configured and arranged such that each one waveguide has a cross-sectional area that approximately matches along its length. The waveguides start with each one waveguide just behind one driver, extend down to the end of the leg along the top portion of the housing in the adjacent leg of the neck loop, fold down to the bottom portion of the housing, 180 Can be configured and arranged to fold back and extend up the leg back and then back down the upper part of the other leg across the middle and to the exit located just behind the other driver . Each waveguide may reverse its position from the bottom portion to the top portion of the housing within the central portion of the neck loop.

  In one aspect, the acoustic device includes a neck loop configured and arranged to be worn around the neck. The neck loop includes a housing having a first acoustic waveguide having a first sound outlet opening and a second acoustic waveguide having a second sound outlet opening. There is a first open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the first waveguide and a second open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the second waveguide.

  Embodiments can include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. The first and second acoustic drivers may be driven such that they emit out-of-phase sound over at least some of the spectrum. The first open back acoustic driver may have a first sound axis that is held by the housing and generally oriented to the expected location of one ear of the user, the second open back acoustic driver also There may be a second sound axis held by the housing and generally directed to the expected location of the other ear of the user. The first sound outlet opening may be located proximate to the second acoustic driver, and the second sound outlet opening may be located proximate to the first acoustic driver. Each waveguide is adjacent to the adjacent ear on one side of the head and below that ear, with a corresponding acoustic driver on each waveguide, and adjacent to the other adjacent ear on the opposite side of the head. And a separate end leading to the sound outlet opening of each waveguide located under the ear of the lever.

  Embodiments can include one of the above or below features, or any combination thereof. The housing can have an outer wall, and the first and second sound outlet openings can be defined in the outer wall of the housing. Both waveguides may be defined by the outer wall of the housing and the inner wall of the housing. The inner wall of the housing can be placed along a long axis that is twisted 180 ° along its length. The neck loop is generally “U” shaped having a central portion and first and second leg portions having a distal end depending from the central portion and spaced apart to define an open end of the neck loop. There can be a twist in the inner wall of the housing located in the central part of the neck loop. The inner wall of the housing is substantially flat and can be placed under both sound outlet openings. The inner wall of the housing may comprise a sound shunt raised under each of the sound outlet openings. The housing may have a top that faces the ear when worn by a user, and first and second outlet openings are defined in the top of the housing.

  Embodiments can include one of the above or below features, or any combination thereof. The housing may have an upper portion that is closest to the ear when worn by the user and a bottom portion that is closest to the torso when worn by the user, each waveguide being part of the top portion of the housing and part of the bottom portion of the housing. Can be placed on. The neck loop has a generally “U” shape having a central portion and first and second leg portions having a distal end depending from the central portion and spaced apart to define an open end of the neck loop. Can be shaped. A twist in the inner wall of the housing may be located in the central portion of the neck loop. The first acoustic driver may be located in the first leg portion of the neck loop and the second acoustic driver may be located in the second leg portion of the neck loop. The first waveguide begins under the first acoustic driver and extends along the top portion of the housing to the distal end of the first leg portion of the neck loop, folds back to the bottom portion of the housing, Extending into the central portion of the neck loop along the leg portion of the first, and may be folded back into the upper portion of the housing to extend into the second leg portion to the first sound outlet opening. The second waveguide begins under the second acoustic driver, extends along the top portion of the housing to the distal end of the second leg portion of the neck loop, folds back to the bottom portion of the housing, Extending into the central portion of the neck loop along the leg portion of the first and second folds into the upper portion of the housing and extending into the first leg portion to the second sound outlet opening.

  In another aspect, the acoustic device includes a neck loop configured and arranged to be worn around the neck, the neck loop having a first acoustic waveguide having a first sound outlet opening, and a second A housing comprising a second acoustic waveguide having a sound exit opening, and a first openback acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the first waveguide, wherein the first openback acoustic driver is provided by the housing A first open-back acoustic driver having a first sound axis held and generally directed to a predicted location of one ear of the user; and a second acoustically coupled to the second waveguide An open back acoustic driver, wherein the second open back acoustic driver is held by the housing and is generally directed to a predicted location of the other ear of the user A second open-back acoustic driver, wherein the first sound outlet opening is located proximate to the second acoustic driver, and the second sound outlet opening is proximate to the first acoustic driver. The first and second acoustic drivers are driven such that they emit out-of-phase sounds.

  Embodiments can include one of the following features, or any combination thereof. Both waveguides may be defined by an outer wall of the housing and an inner wall of the housing, the inner wall of the housing being placed along a major axis that is twisted 180 ° along its length. The neck loop is generally “U” shaped having a central portion and first and second leg portions having a distal end depending from the central portion and spaced apart to define an open end of the neck loop. There can be a twist in the inner wall of the housing located in the central part of the neck loop. The housing may have an upper portion that is closest to the ear when worn by the user and a bottom portion that is closest to the torso when worn by the user, each waveguide being part of the top portion of the housing and part of the bottom portion of the housing. Placed in.

  In another aspect, the acoustic device includes a neck loop configured and arranged to be worn around the neck, the neck loop having a first acoustic waveguide having a first sound outlet opening, and a second A housing comprising a second acoustic waveguide having a sound outlet opening, the waveguides both being defined by an outer wall of the housing and an inner wall of the housing, the inner wall of the housing being twisted by 180 ° along its length The neck loop has a first portion and a second leg portion having a central portion and a distal end depending from the central portion and spaced apart to define the open end of the neck loop. The “U” shape is such that the twist in the inner wall of the housing is located in the central portion of the neck loop, the housing is the upper part closest to the ear when worn by the user, and the torso when worn by the user It has a closest bottom portion, each waveguide is placed on a part of the portion and the bottom portion of the housing of the upper portion of the housing. There is a first open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the first waveguide, the first open-back acoustic driver being located within the first leg portion of the neck loop and one of the user's It has a first sound axis that is generally directed to the expected location of the ear. There is a second open-back acoustic driver acoustically coupled to the second waveguide, the second open-back acoustic driver being located in the second leg portion of the neck loop and the other of the user It has a second sound axis that is generally directed to the expected location of the ear. The first and second acoustic drivers are driven to emit sound that is out of phase. The first sound outlet opening is located in proximity to the second acoustic driver, and the second sound outlet opening is located in proximity to the first acoustic driver. The first waveguide begins under the first acoustic driver and extends along the top portion of the housing to the distal end of the first leg portion of the neck loop, folds back to the bottom portion of the housing, Extending into the central portion of the neck loop along the leg portion of the first portion, folded back to the upper portion of the housing and extending into the second leg portion to the first sound outlet opening, the second waveguide being Starting under the two acoustic drivers, extending along the top portion of the housing to the distal end of the second leg portion of the neck loop, folded back to the bottom portion of the housing, and neck loop along the second leg portion Extending into the central portion of the housing, folded back into the upper portion of the housing, and extended into the first leg portion to the second sound outlet opening.

It is a perspective view from the top of an acoustic device. It is a perspective view from the upper part of the audio equipment worn by the user. It is a right view of an audio equipment. It is a front view of an audio equipment. It is a rear view of an audio equipment. It is a perspective view from the inner partition or wall of the housing of an acoustic device. FIG. 7 is a first cross-sectional view of the acoustic device taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a second cross-sectional view of the acoustic device taken along line 8-8 of FIG. FIG. 9 is a third cross-sectional view of the acoustic device taken along line 9-9 of FIG. It is a schematic block diagram of the electronic component for acoustic devices. FIG. 6 is a plot of the sound pressure level of the ears of the dummy head, with the acoustic device driver being driven both in phase and out of phase. FIG. 6 is a plot illustrating far-field acoustic power emission, where the acoustic device driver is driven both in phase and out of phase. It is a schematic block diagram of the element of an audio equipment. 1 illustrates steps of a method for controlling an audio device to assist communication between two people.

  The acoustic device directs high-quality sound to the ear, without direct contact with the ear and without blocking surrounding sounds. The acoustic device does not get in the way and can be worn under the garment (if the garment is acoustically sufficiently transparent) or on the surface of the garment.

  In one aspect, the acoustic device is constructed and arranged to be worn around the neck. The acoustic device has a neck loop including a housing. The neck loop has a horseshoe-like shape and has two legs that rest on the top of the torso on either side of the neck and a curved central portion that rests behind the neck. The device has two acoustic drivers, one on each leg of the housing. The driver is located below the expected position of the user's ear, and their sound axis is directed to the ear. The acoustic device also has two waveguides in the housing, each one having an outlet under the ear close to the driver. The back side of one driver is acoustically connected to the entrance to one waveguide, and the back side of the other driver is acoustically connected to the entrance to the other waveguide. Each waveguide has one end with a driver that sends it under one ear (left or right) and the other end (open end) under the other ear (right or left) ).

  A non-limiting example of an acoustic device is shown in the drawing. However, this is one of many possible examples illustrating the subject acoustic device. The scope of the invention is not limited to this example, but is supported by this example.

  The acoustic device 10 (FIGS. 1-9) is, for example, a horseshoe shape (or perhaps approximately “U”) shaped, configured and arranged to be worn around a person's neck as shown in FIG. Neck loop 12 having a “shape”. The neck loop 12 has a curved central portion 24 that will rest on the neck of the neck “N”, respectively, depending from the central portion 24 and on either side of the neck, generally above or near the clavicle “C”. A right leg 20 and a left leg 22 configured and arranged to be hung on the upper body. 3-5 illustrate an overall configuration that helps the acoustic device 10 sit comfortably on the neck and upper chest areas.

  The neck loop 12 includes a housing 13 having a closed distal end 27 and 28, which is an essentially elongated (rigid or flexible) mostly rigid plastic tube (except for sound inlet and outlet openings). Prepare. The interior of the housing 13 is divided by an integral wall (partition wall) 102. Two internal waveguides are defined by the outer wall and the bulkhead of the housing. The housing 13 should be sufficiently rigid so that sound does not substantially degrade as it travels through the waveguide. In this non-limiting example, the lateral distance “D” between the end 27 of the right neck loop leg 20 and the end 28 of the left neck loop leg 22 is less than the width of a typical human neck, The loop also needs to be sufficiently flexible so that the ends 27 and 28 can be unfolded when the device 10 is removed and returned to its resting shape as shown in the drawings. One of many possible materials with appropriate physical properties is polyurethane. Other materials may be used. The device may also be configured in other ways. For example, the device may consist of a plurality of separate parts that are connected together using, for example, fasteners and / or adhesives. And the neck loop leg need not be placed so that the neck loop leg needs to be unfolded when the device is placed behind the neck with the leg hanging over the entire upper chest.

  The housing 13 holds the right acoustic driver 14 and the left acoustic driver 16. The driver is located on the upper surface 30 of the housing 13 and below the expected position of the ear “E”. Please refer to FIG. The housing 13 has a lower surface 31. The driver is tilted backwards (rear side) as shown when it may be necessary to orient the driver's sound axis (not shown in the drawing) to the generally expected position of the wearer / user's ear. It can be obtained or angled. The driver may have its sound axis directed to the expected location of the ear. Each driver can be about 10 cm from the predicted position of the nearest ear and about 26 cm from the predicted position of the other ear (this distance can extend from under the chin to the farthest ear). Measured using flexible tape). The lateral distance between the drivers is about 15.5 cm. This arrangement results in a sound pressure level (SPL) from the driver in the near ear that is approximately three times that of the other ear, which helps maintain channel separation.

  Close to the driver, just behind the driver and in a position within the top outer wall 30 of the housing 13 are waveguide outlets 40 and 50. The outlet 50 is an outlet for the waveguide 110 and has the inlet at the rear of the right driver 14. The outlet 40 is an outlet for the waveguide 160 and has the inlet at the rear of the left driver 16. Please refer to FIGS. Thus, each ear directly receives the output from the front of one driver and the output from the back of the other driver. When the driver is driven out of phase, the two acoustic signals received by each ear are substantially below the fundamental waveguide quarter-wave resonance frequency, which is approximately 130-360 Hz in this non-limiting example. Are in phase. This ensures that the low frequency emissions from each driver and the corresponding waveguide exit on the same side are in phase and do not cancel each other. At the same time, the emission from the opposite driver and the corresponding waveguide is out of phase, thus providing far-field cancellation. This reduces sound leakage from the acoustic device to others nearby.

  The acoustic device 10 includes right and left button socks or partial housing covers 60 and 62 that include volume buttons 68, power buttons 74, control buttons 76, and apertures 72 that expose the microphone. A sleeve that can define or support aspects of a user interface. The microphone, if present, allows the device to be used to make a call (similar to a headset). Other buttons, sliders, and similar controls can be included as desired. The user interface may be configured and positioned to allow easy operation by the user. Individual buttons can be uniquely shaped and positioned to allow the buttons to be identified without viewing. An electronic component cover is located under the button socks. A printed circuit board holding hardware and a battery necessary for the function of the acoustic device 10 is located under the cover.

  The housing 13 includes two waveguides 110 and 160. Please refer to FIGS. Sound enters each waveguide just behind / below the driver, where the driver extends down the top of the neck loop leg located at the end of the leg, then falls back 180 ° to the bottom of the housing at the end of the leg, and then , Extending up and back along the bottom side of the housing. The waveguide continues along the bottom side of the first portion of the central portion of the neck loop. The waveguide is then twisted so that the waveguide returns to the upper side of the housing at or near the end of the central portion of the neck loop. The waveguide is an exit opening located at the top of the other leg of the neck loop and terminates near the other driver. The waveguide is formed by the space between the outer wall of the housing and the integral bulkhead or wall 102 inside. The septum 102 (shown away from the housing in FIG. 6) is a generally flat integral inner housing wall having a right leg 130, a left leg 138, a right end 118, a left end 140, and a central 180 ° twist 134. . The septum 102 also has curved angled shunts 132 and 136 that transmit sound from a waveguide extending generally parallel to the housing axis to an outlet opening in the top wall of the housing above the shunt. Leading through, so that the sound is generally directed towards one ear.

  A first portion of the waveguide 110 is shown in FIG. The waveguide inlet 114 is located immediately after the rear portion 14a of the acoustic driver 14, and the acoustic driver 14 has a front side 14b that is positioned toward the expected position of the right ear. The lower leg 116 of the waveguide 110 is located above the septum 102 and below the upper wall / top 30 of the housing. The fold 120 is defined between the end 118 of the septum 102 and the closed round end 27 of the housing 12. The waveguide 110 then continues below the partition wall 102 in the upper portion 122 of the waveguide 110. The waveguide 110 then extends under a shunt 133 that is part of the septum 102 (see waveguide portion 124), which folds back into the central housing portion 24. FIGS. 8 and 9 show how two identical waveguides 110 and 160 extend along the central portion of the housing, and each waveguide begins at the upper portion of the housing and folds within each other to terminate. Or inversion. This allows each waveguide to be connected to the back of one driver in one leg of the neck loop and have its outlet in the top of the housing in the other leg near the other driver. To do. FIGS. 8 and 9 also show the arrangement of the second end 140 of the septum 102 and the waveguide 160, the waveguide 160 starting from behind the driver 16, with the waveguide 160 folding back to the bottom of the leg 22. It extends down to the top of 22 and rises and extends into the middle portion 24 of the leg 22. Waveguides 110 and 140 are essentially mirror images of each other.

In one non-limiting example, each waveguide has a substantially constant cross-sectional area of about 2 cm ² along its entire length and includes a generally annular exit opening. In one non-limiting example, each waveguide has a total length in the range of about 22-44 cm, and in one particular example is very close to 43 cm. In one non-limiting example, the waveguide is long enough to establish resonance at about 150 Hz. More generally, the major dimensions of an acoustic device (eg, waveguide length and cross-sectional area) are mainly defined by ergonomics, while adequate acoustic responsiveness and functionality are ensured by appropriate audio signal treatment. The Other waveguide arrangements, shapes, sizes, and lengths are considered within the scope of this disclosure.

  A representative non-limiting example of an electronic component of an acoustic device is shown in FIG. In this example, the device functions as a wireless headset that can be wirelessly coupled to a smartphone or different sound sources. The PCB 103 holds the microphone 164 and microphone processing. The antenna receives an audio signal (eg, music) from another device. Bluetooth® wireless communication protocol (and / or other wireless protocols) is supported. However, although the user interface can be maintained as part of both PCB 103 and PCB 104, it is not necessary. The system on chip generates audio signals that are amplified and provided to L and R audio amplifiers on the PCB 104. The amplified signal is sent to left and right transducers (drivers) 16 and 14 described above as open back acoustic drivers. The acoustic driver may have a diameter of 40 mm and a depth of 10 mm, but need not be of these dimensions. The PCB 104 also maintains a battery charging circuit that connects to a rechargeable battery 106 that supplies all power to the acoustic device.

  FIG. 11 illustrates the SPL of one ear having the acoustic device described above. Plot 196 is due to drivers driven out of phase and plot 198 is due to drivers driven in phase. The out-of-phase SPL below about 150 Hz is higher than that of in-phase driving. The benefit of driving out of phase is up to 15 dB at the lowest frequency of 60-70 Hz. The same effect occurs at frequencies in the range of about 400 to about 950 Hz. In the frequency range of 150-400 Hz, the in-phase SPL is higher than the out-of-phase SPL, and the phase difference between the left and right channels is inverted to return to zero to obtain the best driver performance in this frequency range. It should be. In one non-limiting example, the phase difference between channels is achieved using a so-called all-pass filter with a limited phase change slope. These provide a gradual phase change rather than a phase jump that can have detrimental effects on recording and playback. This allows the benefit of proper phase selection while ensuring the power efficiency of the acoustic device. Beyond 1 KHz, the phase difference between the left and right channels has a very small effect on SPL due to the lack of correlation between the channels at higher frequencies.

  In some cases, there is a need to optimize the sound performance of the acoustic device to provide a better experience for the wearer and / or a person near the wearer who can communicate with the wearer. For example, in a situation where a wearer of an acoustic device is communicating with a person who speaks another language, the acoustic device provides the wearer with a translation of the speech of another person, and other translations of the wearer's speech. Can be used to provide The acoustic device thereby emits sound alternately in the near field for the wearer and in the far field for a person near the wearer (eg, a person standing in front of the wearer). Has been adapted to. In an acoustic device, the controller changes the acoustic emission pattern to generate the preferred sound for both cases. This can be achieved by changing the relative phase of the acoustic transducer in the acoustic device and applying a different equalization scheme (compared to outputting sound for another person near the wearer). Can be achieved when outputting sound for the wearer).

  While the sound field around each ear is important for the wearer, far-field emission is no different for the wearer, but for others nearby, far-field emission is suppressed. Is the best. Far-field sound is important for a person standing in front of a wearer and listening. It is also useful for listeners when this far-field sound has an isotropic sound emission pattern and a wide spatial range, as would be true if the sound originated from the human mouth.

  Near field sound for the wearer and far field sound for the person near the wearer can be generated by two acoustic transducers. The structure described herein (ie, an acoustic device having acoustic transducers on each side, each acoustic transducer being connected to the opposite outlet of the acoustic device via a waveguide) The phase difference can be used to generate two modes of operation. For example, in a first “private” mode that can be used when the acoustic device is translating another person's voice for the wearer of the acoustic device, both transducers are at frequencies below the waveguide resonant frequency. The first range is driven out of phase, the second range of frequencies above the waveguide resonance frequency is in phase, and the third range of frequencies beyond the waveguide resonance frequency is driven out of phase. The In one non-limiting example where the waveguide resonance frequency is about 250 Hz, the relative phase of the acoustic transducer can be controlled as shown in Table 1 below.

  As shown, below about 250 Hz, the transducer is driven out of phase. As described above, when the transducer is driven out of phase, the two acoustic signals received by each ear are substantially in phase below the waveguide resonance frequency. This ensures that the low frequency emissions from each transducer and the corresponding waveguide exit on the same side are in phase and do not cancel each other. At the same time, the emission from the opposite transducer and the corresponding waveguide is out of phase, which reduces sound leakage from the acoustic device at these frequencies. At about 250 to about 750 Hz, the transducers are driven in phase, increasing the SPL at the wearer's ear (see FIG. 11). At these frequencies, sound leakage is not bothersome for people near the acoustic device. Above about 750 Hz, the transducer is driven out of phase, which results in effective sound output in the wearer's ear (see FIG. 11), and some sound leakage in the sound device for nearby persons. Bring about a reduction.

  The above frequency range varies depending on the waveguide resonance frequency and the desired application. If an acoustic device is used for translation, the relative phase of the transducers shown above allows for effective acoustic output in the wearer's ear (see FIG. 11), while at least The frequency at which the transducer operates out of phase reduces sound leakage from the acoustic device to other people nearby. The sound can be further optimized for the wearer by applying a near field equalization scheme. Near field equalization schemes are designed to optimize sound for the wearer. It takes into account that the sound originates from a position near / around the wearer's neck, near the chest and is received by the wearer's ear.

  FIG. 12 illustrates SPL in the far field with the acoustic device described above. Plot 296 is from an acoustic transducer driven out of phase, and plot 298 is from an acoustic transducer driven in phase. Out-of-phase emission below about 250 Hz is higher than in-phase emission. Above about 250 Hz to about 750 Hz, in-phase emission is greater than out-of-phase emission. This ensures that the acoustic device provides effective sound reproduction for both the wearer and a person near the acoustic device person.

  For example, in a second “speech” mode, which may be used when the acoustic device is translating the wearer's voice for another person, both transducers have a first frequency of less than the waveguide resonance frequency. The range is out of phase, and all frequencies above the waveguide resonance frequency are driven in phase. In one non-limiting example where the waveguide resonance frequency is about 250 Hz, the relative phase of the acoustic transducer can be controlled as shown in Table 2 below.

  As shown, below about 250 Hz, the transducer is driven out of phase, which produces the effects described above for the private mode. At frequencies above about 750 Hz, the transducers are driven in phase. By designing the waveguide to have a resonant frequency near the audio band (typically starting at about 300 Hz), the waveguide can be used by both the wearer of the acoustic device and a person near the acoustic device. It is particularly effective for outputting sound in the voice band. At frequencies greater than the waveguide resonance frequency, emission in the waveguide dominates the transducer output, resulting in higher leakage from the acoustic device. In the loudspeaker mode, by operating the transducer in phase for all frequencies in the voice band, the acoustic device maximizes this leakage effect, thereby improving the sound output for a person near the acoustic device.

  The above frequency range will vary depending on the waveguide resonance frequency and the desired application. If the acoustic device is used for translation, the relative phase of the transducers shown above allows effective sound output for a person near the acoustic device wearer (see FIG. 12). ). The sound can be further optimized for other people by applying a far field equalization scheme. For example, the equalization scheme may apply a gradual roll-off at a low frequency (below 300 Hz in some implementations) to improve the speech intelligibility and power efficiency of the system. The far-field equalization scheme takes into account that sound originates from the wearer's body, but is perceived by the person who is typically standing in the far-field region before the wearer. Low frequency balanced playback is not required for speech, and such low frequency rejection allows for power efficient system operation.

  This acoustic design allows the phase difference between the two transducers to provide sound to the wearer (with lower leakage to the far field) or to provide sound to the wearer and far field (at lower frequencies, etc. Achieve audio system operation that can be provided to any one (with directional directivity).

  FIG. 13 is a schematic block diagram of components of an example audio device of the present disclosure that may be used in translating verbal communication between an audio device user and another person. The controller 82 controls the relative phase of the first transducer 84 and the second transducer 86 in various frequency ranges. The controller 82 also receives an output signal from a microphone 88 that can be used to detect the voice of the user and another person located near the user, as described below. The wireless communication module 85 is adapted to send signals from the controller 82 to a translation program (eg, Google Translate), receive signals from the translation program, and pass them to the controller 82. The wireless communication module 85 may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) wireless (using Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy), or near field communication (NFC), IEEE 802.11, Or other communication protocols such as other local area network (LAN) or personal area network (PAN) protocols may be used. The translation program can be located in a separate device (eg, a smartphone) connected to the audio device via a wireless connection, or the translation program can be located on a remote server (eg, a cloud) and the audio device May wirelessly transmit signals to the translation program directly or indirectly via a separate connected device (eg, a smartphone). The controller 82 is in a first mode of operation (eg, a private mode) where the first and second acoustic transducers 84 and 86 are out of phase for a first range of frequencies below the waveguide resonance frequency. A first operating mode that is operated in phase for a second range of frequencies above the waveguide resonant frequency and in phase out of phase for a third range of frequencies beyond the waveguide resonant frequency; Two operating modes (eg, loudspeaker mode), wherein the first and second acoustic transducers 84 and 86 are out of phase for a first range of frequencies below the waveguide resonant frequency, and the waveguide resonant frequency Two modes of operation described herein with a second mode of operation can be established for all the above frequencies, operating in phase. Controller 82 may enable the first mode of operation in response to a user utterance, and controller 82 may enable the second mode of operation in response to a person other than the user who is speaking.

  The mode selection can be, for example, by one or more microphones (onboard or connected to the acoustic device) that detect where the sound originates (ie, the wearer or another person) or voice Based on the content of (language recognition), it can be done automatically by an application resident in a smartphone connected to the audio device via a wired or wireless connection, or by operation of a user interface.

  As mentioned above, transitioning the transducer to a different phase can be accomplished through an all-pass filter with a limited phase change slope, which is a stepped phase change (to minimize any impact on sound reproduction). (Not phase jump).

  The controller elements of FIG. 13 are shown and described as individual elements in the block diagram. It may be implemented with one or more microprocessors that execute software instructions. The software instructions can include digital signal processing instructions. The operation can be performed by an analog circuit or by a microprocessor executing software that performs an operation equivalent to the analog operation. The signal lines may be implemented as individual analog signal lines or digital signal lines, as individual digital signal lines with appropriate signal processing capable of processing separate signals, and / or as elements of a wireless communication system. Good.

  When a process is represented or suggested in a block diagram, a step may be performed by one element or multiple elements. These steps may be performed together or at different times. The elements that perform the activities may be physically the same, close to each other, or physically separated. An element can perform more activities than a block. Audio signals can be encoded or unencoded and can be transmitted in either digital or analog form. Conventional audio signal processing apparatuses and audio signal arithmetic processing may be omitted from the drawings.

  A method 90 for controlling an audio device to assist verbal communication between a device user and another person is described in FIG. Method 90 contemplates the use of acoustic devices such as those described above. In one non-limiting example, the acoustic device can have first and second acoustic transducers each acoustically coupled to a waveguide proximate to the end of the waveguide, the first and second Each of the acoustic transducers is further arranged to project sound outward from the waveguide (see, eg, FIG. 1). In method 90, an audio signal resulting from the user's voice is received (step 91). The audio signal can be detected by a microphone held by the acoustic device and the microphone output is provided to the controller. Alternatively, the audio signal may be detected by a microphone that is integral to a device connected to the acoustic device (via a wired or wireless connection). A translation of the received user's speech from the user's language to a different language is then obtained (step 92). In one non-limiting example, the audio device of the present invention can communicate with a portable computing device such as a smartphone, which can be involved in obtaining translation. For example, a smartphone may be able to obtain translations from an internet translation site such as Google Translate. The controller may use the translation as a reference for the audio signal provided to the two transducers (step 93). In the example described above, the translation can be played by the transducer out of phase for a first range of frequencies below the waveguide resonance frequency and in phase for all frequencies above the waveguide resonance frequency. This allows a person near the user to listen to the translated audio signal.

  In step 94, a (second) audio signal resulting from the voice of another person is received. A translation of the received other person's speech from the other person's language to the user's language is then obtained (step 95). A second audio signal based on the received translation is provided to the transducer (step 96). In the example above, the translation is out of phase for the first range of frequencies below the waveguide resonance frequency and in phase for the second range of frequencies above the waveguide resonance frequency, Further, the third range of frequencies beyond can be played by the transducer out of phase. This allows the wearer of the acoustic device to listen to the translation while reducing leakage at least at some frequencies for the person communicating with the wearer.

  So that the wearer of the acoustic device can speak normally and the sound is detected and translated into the selected language (typically the language of another person the user is speaking with) The method 90 operates. The audio device then plays the translation so that it can be heard by the person with whom the user is speaking. Then, when another person speaks, the voice is detected and translated into the wearer's language. The acoustic device then plays this translation so that it can be heard by the wearer, but is less audible to other persons (or third parties in the same vicinity). The device thereby allows a relatively private translated communication between two people who do not speak the same language.

  Embodiments of the systems and methods described above include computer components and computer-implemented steps that will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that computer-implemented steps can be stored as computer-executable instructions on computer-readable media, eg, floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, flash ROM, non-volatile ROM, and RAM. . Further, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that computer-executable instructions can be executed on various processors, such as, for example, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor, a gate array, and the like. For ease of explanation, not all steps or elements of the systems and methods described above are described herein as part of a computer system, but each step or element may correspond to a corresponding computer system or One skilled in the art will recognize that software components may be included. Accordingly, such computer system and / or software components are enabled by describing their corresponding steps or elements (ie, their functionality) and are within the scope of this disclosure. It is in.

  A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, additional modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concept described herein, and thus other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. It is understood.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Acoustic apparatus 13 Housing 110,160 Waveguide 40,50 Waveguide exit 82 Controller 84 1st acoustic transducer 86 2nd acoustic transducer

Claims (20)

An audio device,
A housing comprising a first acoustic waveguide having a first sound outlet opening and a second acoustic waveguide having a second sound outlet opening;
A first acoustic transducer acoustically coupled to the first waveguide;
A second acoustic transducer acoustically coupled to the second waveguide;
And a controller for controlling a relative phase of the first and second acoustic transducers.   The first sound outlet opening is proximate to a first end of the first acoustic waveguide, and the second sound outlet opening is proximate to a first end of the second acoustic waveguide. The audio device according to claim 1.   The first acoustic transducer is proximate to a second end of the first acoustic waveguide, and the second acoustic transducer is proximate to a second end of the second acoustic waveguide. The audio device according to claim 2.   The audio device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be worn around a user's neck. The controller is
A first operation in which the first and second acoustic transducers are out of phase in a first frequency range, in phase in a second frequency range, and out of phase in a third frequency range; Mode,
A second operating mode in which the first and second acoustic transducers are out of phase in the first frequency range and in phase in the second and third frequency ranges; The audio device according to claim 1, wherein two operating modes are established.   The audio device of claim 5, wherein the controller activates the first mode of operation in response to a speaking user.   The audio device according to claim 5, wherein the controller activates the second operation mode in response to a person other than the user who is speaking.   The audio device according to claim 5, wherein the first frequency range is less than a resonance frequency of the first and second waveguides.   The audio device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone configured to receive an audio signal from at least one of a user and a person other than the user.   The audio device according to claim 9, further comprising a wireless communication module for wirelessly transmitting the audio signal to a translation engine.   The audio device according to claim 10, wherein the translation engine translates the speech signal into another language.   The controller applies a first equalization scheme to an audio signal output via the first and second transducers during the first operation mode, and during the second operation mode, the 6. The audio device of claim 5, further configured to apply a second equalization scheme to the audio signal output via the first and second transducers. A computer-implemented method for controlling an audio device to assist verbal communication between a device user and another person, wherein the audio device has a first sound exit opening. And a second acoustic waveguide having a second sound outlet opening, and first and second acoustic transducers, wherein the first acoustic transducer is acoustically coupled to the first waveguide. The second acoustic transducer is acoustically coupled to the second waveguide, and the method comprises:
Receiving an audio signal associated with the user;
Generating a first audio signal based on the received user voice signal;
Outputting the first audio signal from the first and second acoustic transducers, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers are out of phase in a first frequency range and have a second frequency; Operating in the same phase in the range and out of phase in the third frequency range;
Receiving audio signals associated with other people;
Generating a second audio signal based on the received other person's voice;
Outputting the second audio signal from the first and second acoustic transducers, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers are out of phase in the first frequency range; And operating in phase in the third frequency range and outputting.   The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining a translation of the received user speech signal from the user language to a different language, wherein the first audio signal is based on the translation.   14. The method further comprises obtaining a translation of the received other person's voice signal from the other person's language to the user's language, wherein the second audio signal is based on the translation. The method described in 1.   The method further comprises: wirelessly transmitting the received user voice signal to a secondary device; and generating the first audio signal using information from the secondary device. 14. The method according to 13.   Further comprising wirelessly transmitting the received other person's voice signal to a secondary device; and generating the second audio signal using information from the secondary device; The method of claim 13.   The method of claim 13, further comprising: applying a first equalization scheme to the first audio signal; and applying a second equalization scheme to the second audio signal. A machine-readable storage device having one or more processors,
Receiving an audio signal associated with a user of the audio device;
Generating a first audio signal based on the received user voice signal;
Outputting the first audio signal from first and second acoustic transducers supported by a housing of the audio device, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers are different in a first frequency range; Operating in phase, in phase in the second frequency range and in phase out of phase in the third frequency range;
Receiving an audio signal associated with a person other than the user;
Generating a second audio signal based on the received other person's voice;
Outputting the second audio signal from the first and second acoustic transducers, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers are out of phase in the first frequency range; And machine readable storage having encoded computer readable instructions for performing operations including outputting and operating in phase in the third frequency range. Said action is
Obtaining a translation of the received user speech signal from the user language to a different language, wherein the first audio signal is based on the translation;
Obtaining a translation of the received other person's voice signal from the other person's language to the user's language, wherein the second audio signal is based on the translation; The machine-readable storage device of claim 19, further comprising:

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