JPS61177895A - Combination microphone and headphone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make a vibration within an ear difficult to be transmitted to a unit by positioning, symmetrically to the center axis of the unit, an adjustable aperture for specific character of a unit case and the through holes of an insertion instrument for holding within an earhole or a concha. CONSTITUTION:Through holes 8' are provided on an insertion instrument 8 for holding within the concha and a mutual position between the through holes 8' and the backward aperture of a unit case 2 is constituted so as to make a distance larger between an aperture 7 and the through holes 8' by positioning the through holes symmetrically to a unit 1, in other words, the axis of the case 2. Thereby, keeping an enough space between the through holes 8' and the aperture 7, the transmission of a filled tone peculiar to a bone conduction that is caused by the transmission of a speaker's voice, in use of a microphone, which is transferred to an earhole through the bone conduction and is transferred from through holes 8' to the unit 1 through the aperture 7 of the case 2 is screened or dampted, or a vibration within an ear is difficult to be transmitted to the unit 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention utilizes a unit having reversible electro-acoustic conversion characteristics and uses it as a microphone or as a headphone. The present invention relates to headphones that also serve as a microphone and are suitable for recording and reproducing the voice of a telephone conversation.

Conventional technology Traditionally, telephone pickups designed to record the contents of phone calls have an electromagnetic coil attached to a part of the main body of the telephone to reduce the leakage magnetic flux mainly from the hybrid transformer (coil) inside the telephone. This was then converted into electric current. In recent years, with changes in the structure of telephones, telephones with less leakage magnetic flux have appeared, and in telephones that have a semi-replaceable function such as button telephones, the electromagnetic coil has to be connected to the electromagnetic coil due to the operation of the control microcomputer. However, methods that introduce noise have appeared, and recording using this method is becoming increasingly impractical.

An example of a headphone coupled with a microphone is shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 53-42401, in which a microphone is attached to the opposite side of the headphone (earphone). This method requires a dedicated microphone for recording in addition to headphones (earphones), and the two-piece structure makes it difficult to miniaturize. To apply this device to recording the contents of a telephone call, place a microphone in front of the receiver of the telephone to record the pronunciation.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with the above-mentioned conventional methods, not only are the telephones that can make good recordings using conventional telephone pickups gradually limited, but also the noise is louder than the signal. There have been cases where it is not practical at all due to certain reasons. Furthermore, even if the sound of the handset is recorded using a microphone, the headphones (earphones) for monitoring and the microphone for recording use different elements, and the disadvantage is that the structure is complex and the size is large. was there.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the microphone-cum-headphones of the present invention include a unit having reversible electroacoustic conversion characteristics housed in a case having a size and structure that allows it to be held buried in the ear shell. A front sound hole is provided on the front of the case for sound collection and sound production, and an opening is provided on the other side for adjusting the characteristics, while the front sound hole of the unit case is held outward when used as a microphone. In this way, an ear shell or ear canal insertion holder is provided at the rear of the knit case, and this insertion holder is provided with a through hole for introducing external sound when inserted into the ear, and
For adjusting the characteristics of the above unit case.

The feature is that the opening and the through hole of the insertion holder are arranged almost symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the unit.

Function The present invention can be used for both recording and playback by using one electroacoustic transducer with the above-described configuration and changing its direction depending on the purpose of use. In addition, by arranging the opening for adjusting characteristics and the through hole at almost symmetrical positions with respect to the central axis of the unit, a sufficient space is created between the through hole and the opening, so that when using the microphone, your own vocalizations are transmitted by bone conduction. to block or attenuate the transmission of muffled sound peculiar to bone conduction that is transmitted into the ear canal and transmitted from the through hole to the unit through the rear opening of the unit case, or to make it difficult to transmit intra-ear imaging to the unit. can do. When recording, try to record only the sound from the receiver as faithfully as possible, without any unnatural sounds being recorded due to unnatural conduction methods such as bone conduction.
At the same time, it is capable of efficiently transmitting sound from the receiver to the inner ear.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side partial cross-sectional view (Moum' cross section in Fig. 2) of a microphone/headphone; Fig. 2 is a front view; Fig. 3 is a plan view;
The figure is a rear view, and FIG. 6 is a rear view with the ear pads removed. In the figure, 1 is a dynamic headphone unit, 2 is its unit case, 3 is a case front plate with many front sound holes 3' on the front side, and 4 is made of breathable foam material etc. to make it feel better on the ears. The case front plate is covered with a manufactured ear pad.

Reference numeral 6 indicates the input/output cord of the headphone unit 1. Since the signal level is low when using the headphone unit 1 as a microphone, it is necessary to use a shielded wire. 6 is a bushing for protecting the cord, and 7 is provided to be installed in the unit case 2. Reference numeral 8 denotes a holder for insertion into the ear shell when the headphone unit 1 is used as a microphone, and numeral 10 denotes an ear pad that covers the holder for insertion into the ear shell and improves the feel of the ear. It is made. The in-ear shell insertion holder 8 is also provided with a through hole 8' as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.
As can be understood by comparing the figure with FIG. 6, the positional relationship between the through hole 8' and the lower part of the rear surface of the unit case 2 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the unit 1, in other words, the unit case 2. Therefore, the distance between the rear opening and the through hole is large. Reference numeral 11 denotes an input/output lug provided at the tip of the cord 5. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the input and output ports of the tape recorder, where 12 is the tape recorder, 13 is a headphone jack, and 14 is a microphone jack.

The operation of the microphone-cum-headphone constructed as described above will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

When using this example as a headphone, insert and hold the part covered by the ear pad 4 into the ear shell, and
is connected to the headphone jack 13 of the tape recorder 12. On the other hand, when using it as a microphone, it is only necessary to insert the in-ear shell insertion holder 8 having the ear pad 1o into the ear shell and connect the input/output plug lug 11 to the microphone jack 14. To record telephone calls,
While in this state, place the telephone receiver (not shown) over your ear. Since the unit case 2 has a small external shape, the voice of the receiver leaks from the surrounding area and is transmitted into the ear canal through the through hole 8' provided in the in-ear shell insertion holder 8, making it possible to hear the other party's voice and at the same time Sound pressure is applied to the headphone unit 1 from the front sound hole 3' of the case front plate 3, and the generated signal current is applied to the microphone jack 14 through the input/output cord 6 and input/output plug lug 11. Recording can be done by leaving the tape recorder in recording mode. On the other hand, since the user's own conversation sound received by the telephone's transmitter is also uttered through the receiver, it is possible to record the conversation sounds of both parties.

At this time, the own vocalization is divided into two parts, and one is a spatial sound that may reach the unit 1 inside the unit case 2 other than the transmitter of the telephone, but according to experiments, the vocalization of the receiver is Because it was closer to the unit 1 and because the front plate 3 was pressed against the receiver, there was almost no influence from spatial sound. On the other hand, so-called bone conduction sound that travels inside the head and reaches the ear shell is recorded quite loudly when the open lower and through hole 8' are close together, and lacks the high frequency characteristic of bone conduction sound. As a result of the sound being added to the vocalization sound from the receiver, the recorded own voice was a mumbled and unclear sound, but when configured as in the example, the transmission of sound through this route is considerably reduced, I was able to record the sound as clearly as the other person's voice. In the former case, this is considered to be because air vibrations generated in the ear shell due to bone conduction are transmitted to the unit 1 via the through hole 8' and the open lower part for adjusting characteristics, and are converted into a signal current. In this example, air vibrations caused by this path are blocked,
Or, by increasing the distance, the attenuation of air vibrations through this path is increased.To further enhance this effect, the in-auricular insertion holder 8, the Shirakawa part of the unit case 2, or all of them can be vibrated. By using soft rubber, plastic, or the like, which has a high damping resistance, it is possible to take even greater measures to prevent not only air vibrations but also internal vibrations from being transmitted. (Shape with your fingers in your ears)
This can be easily verified by feeling the vibration in your fingertips when you touch your finger.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a microphone/headphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a plan view of the same. Components with the same functions as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and their explanations will be omitted. 16 is an ear canal insertion holder; 16 is a through hole provided inside the ear canal for introducing external sound into the ear canal;
' is its external opening, and 16'' is the opening into the ear canal.

Regarding the second embodiment configured as above, the seventh embodiment will be explained below.
This will be explained using FIG.

The usage as headphones is the same as in the first embodiment.

When using it as a microphone, use the ear canal insertion holder 16.
Insert into the ear canal to hold the device. External sounds and sounds from the receiver enter through the external opening 16' of the through hole 16, and are transmitted through the through hole 16 and into the ear canal through the opening 16'' into the ear canal. Air vibrations caused by vocalization also exit through the opposite route, but since the distance between the external opening 16' of the through hole 16 and the open lower part of the unit case 2 is large, the distance between them is shielded, and the influence on the unit 1 is greatly reduced. What can be reduced is the same as in the first embodiment.Furthermore, if necessary, the unit case 2, the ear canal insertion holder 16,
Similar to the first embodiment, the effect can be further improved by manufacturing the damping member from a soft material with high vibration damping resistance.

Various modifications can be made to the above embodiments within the spirit of the invention. That is, in the embodiment, the case front plate 3, the ear shell insertion holder 8, etc. are covered with ear pads, but this is not necessarily essential. However, the ear pads on the front panel of the case have the effect of reducing the noise caused by a telephone receiver, and the ear butts of the in-ear shell insertion holder are thought to have the effect of attenuating the conduction of vibrations within the ear shell. Then, consideration must be given to reducing the acoustic transmission as much as possible by adjusting the positions of the opening and the through hole to maximize the distance from the through hole to the opening.

In the embodiments, the microphone-cum-headphones are all explained using one ear, but in the case of telephone use, one ear is sufficient, but in the case of general recording, it goes without saying that pinaural recording and playback can be performed using both ears. Further, although the embodiments have been described using headphones, the present invention may also be applied to earphones having different units or structures. In addition to the electromagnetic conversion type, the unit may also be of a piezoelectric or capacitor type.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention utilizes reversible electroacoustic conversion characteristics to create a single device that can be used for both recording and playback by reversing the way it is attached to the ear. Headphones can be realized, and when used as a microphone, external sounds are introduced into the ear canal, and the sound produced by the person wearing the ear is generated in the ear canal and the ear shell through bone conduction etc. It is designed to prevent air vibrations and, if necessary, from transmitting vibrations to the unit, which is a total vibration generating element, as much as possible, and also to improve the frequency characteristics of microphones and headphones, especially when it comes to recording the contents of phone calls. It is extremely effective and can be put to practical use even in cases where conventional methods are not possible.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side partial cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view of the microphone headphone in FIG. 2) according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIG. 4 is a rear view, FIG. 5 is a rear view with the ear pads removed, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the input/output cover of the tape recorder, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the microphone/headphone according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a plan view as well. 1...Headphone unit, 2...Unit case, 3...Case front plate, 3'...
...Front sound hole, 7...Aperture for adjusting characteristics,
8... Holder for insertion into the ear canal, 8'... Through hole, 16... Holder for insertion into the ear canal, 16...
...Through hole. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person
．． , headphone unit 21. , unit case Fig. 1 3... each case i-shaped 3'... night 6i acom 4-N7 Figure/4...Micro Bookshelf Figure 7 Figure 8

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A unit with reversible electroacoustic conversion characteristics is housed inside, a front sound hole is provided on the front side, and an opening for adjusting characteristics is provided on the other side, and the size structure allows it to be held buried in the ear shell. The unit case has a formed unit case, and an in-auricular shell or in-ear canal insertion holder provided at the rear of the unit case and having a through hole for collecting external sound, and an opening for adjusting the characteristics of the unit case and 1. A headphone that can be used as a microphone, characterized in that the ear shell or the through hole of the ear canal insertion holder are arranged at positions that are almost symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the unit. (2) Part or all of the unit case, the holder for insertion into the ear shell or the ear canal is made of a soft material with high damping resistance against vibration transmission. Headphones that also serve as a microphone as described in section.