KR20100014752A - Multi-purpose headset with neck microphone and bone conduction speaker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A multi-purpose headset with a neck microphone and a bone conduction speaker are provided to extract sensitivity information and health information of a user by attaching a sensor or electrode on a frame of the headset. CONSTITUTION: Two bone conduction speakers(100) change an electrical sound signal into a vibration signal. The bone conduction speaker is installed on a bone conduction speaker support unit(190). A neck microphone unit(200) converts the vibration signal by the vocal cord to the electric sound signal. The neck microphone is installed on a neck microphone support unit(290). A head set support unit(197) connects the central unit of the neck microphone support unit with the central unit of the bone conduction speaker support unit. A control module(300) is installed on the headset support unit.

Description

Multi-purpose headset with neck microphone and bone conduction speaker

1 is a schematic diagram of a headset having a bone conduction speaker and a microphone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the wired / wireless communication channel unit of FIG. 1.

Figure 3a is an example of a Y-shaped headset having a bone conduction speaker and a microphone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

3B is an example of wearing the Y-shaped headset of FIG. 3A.

Figure 4a is an example of an S-shaped headset having a bone conduction speaker and a neck according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4B is an example of wearing the S-shaped headset of FIG. 4A.

The present invention relates to a multifunctional headset having a bone conduction speaker and a neck microphone integrally and capable of measuring and transmitting a biosignal.

As the use of digital convergence products is becoming more common, there is an increasing need for wearable headsets that are compatible with various input / output devices and are always worn and do not interfere with daily life. The present invention relates to a wearable headset capable of increasing the utilization of digital convergence products while taking advantage of existing bone conduction headphones and neck microphones.

In addition, for augmented reality and various services in ubiquitous environment, it is necessary to measure the health and emotional state of patients. The headset measures the brain wave, pulse wave, body temperature, etc. by using the contact surface between the frame and the human body to measure the user's health and emotion.

Bone Conduction refers to hearing sounds through the vibration of the skull. Bone Conduction Transducer was developed using this principle. Bone conduction transducer (Bone Conduction Transducer) refers to a transducer that converts an electrical signal into a signal of vibration, the speaker using the same is called a bone conduction speaker.

Headsets using bone conduction speakers listen to sound through the vibrations of the skull, so there is no difficulty in hearing even after long hours of use, and the headset does not cover the ears, making it comfortable to wear and opening the ears. It saves you the trouble of having to take off and can communicate accurately even in noisy environment.

In particular, the bone conduction speaker can recognize the audio signal through the vibration of the bones, as well as the normal, as well as the hearing impaired person with an impaired hearing loss in the outer and middle ear.

Neck Mic is a device that detects ringing of the vocal cords, that is, it detects the vibrations of the vocal cords and converts them into voice signals. It can block external noises at the source, such as accurately transmitting voices.

The conventional headphone is an airway hearing method for recognizing air conduction sound by air vibration, and the air vibration sound transmitted through the speaker is transmitted to the auditory nerve so that an acoustic signal can be heard. However, it is difficult to hear acoustic signals with these conventional headphones in the case of an omnidirectional hearing impaired person, and in general, the general public may use the helmet for the purpose of severe noise or for special purposes such as underwater activities and firefighting. It is difficult to listen to sound signals with headphones, and there is a problem that hearing is degraded when the headphones are used for a long time.

In addition, the conventional microphone converts the user's voice into an electrical signal and transmits the voice coming through the user's mouth while being located near the user's mouth. Since the voice of the user is not clearly transmitted, there is an inconvenience that the user should speak out loud. In particular, in a wearable computing environment in which commands are transmitted to a computer through a speaker's voice recognition, it is essential to block external noise.

In addition, it is important to measure the bio-signal of the user in order to satisfy various consumer needs and services in the ubiquitous era. Conventional human body signal measuring methods have been inconvenient to be utilized in daily life due to large measuring equipment and electrode attachment for measurement. In this headset, by placing electrodes or sensors on the surface where the headset frame contacts the human body, biological signals that can be measured from the head, such as brain waves, pulse waves, and body temperature, can be extracted. These signals can be used as the basis for healthcare or augmented reality services.

Therefore, there is little side effect such as hearing loss even when worn for a long time in the wearable computing era, and a multifunctional headset that can be usefully used in a real-life environment where a conversation can be made with a small voice is desired.

The present invention is equipped with a bone conduction speaker, a neck microphone, a bio-signal measuring device, without hearing problems such as hearing loss even for long-term use for hearing loss patients as well as the general public, and can communicate and recognize speech in a noisy environment. It provides a multifunctional headset that can extract health and emotional information.

The technical problem to be achieved by the present invention is to provide a bone conduction speaker, a microphone and a bio-signal measuring device integrally, so that the hearing loss is not a problem even for long-term use not only for hearing loss patients but also for the general public. The present invention provides a multifunctional headset capable of voice recognition and extracting user's health and emotional information.

 Hereinafter, a configuration and an operation of a headset including a bone conduction speaker and a microphone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a headset including a bone conduction speaker and a neck according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the biosignal measuring unit 10, the bone conduction speaker driving unit 100, and the neck microphone input unit 200. , The control unit 300, the power control unit 400, a wired / wireless communication channel unit 500, and a key input unit 600.

The biosignal measuring unit 10 measures the biosignal of the brain wave, the pulse wave, and the body temperature, and transmits the biosignal to the biosignal processor 310 of the control module 300. The biological signal measuring unit 100 includes an EEG measuring unit 20, a pulse wave measuring unit 30, and a body temperature measuring unit 40.

The EEG measurement unit 20 includes one or a plurality of EEG measurement sensors (not shown), and outputs an EEG signal detected from the EEG sensor to the EEG signal processor 320 of the control module 300. As an EEG sensor, a metal electrode formed on a bone conduction speaker support unit may be used.

The pulse wave measuring unit 30 includes one or a plurality of pulse wave measuring sensors (not shown), and outputs the pulse wave signal detected from the pulse wave measuring sensor to the pulse wave signal processing unit 330 of the control module 300. The pulse wave measuring sensor may include a piezoelectric sensor or a photoelectric sensor.

The body temperature measuring unit 40 detects a body temperature signal from the body temperature measuring sensor and outputs the body temperature signal to the body temperature signal processor 320 of the control module 300. The temperature sensor may be a temperature sensor or an infrared sensor.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, the biosignal measuring unit 100 may include a measuring unit measuring various biosignals in addition to brain waves, pulse waves, and body temperature. The biosignal measuring unit 100 may include one or a plurality of measuring units according to the signal target to be measured, and the signal processing unit 320 of the control module 300 according to the number of the measuring units 20, 30, and 40. , 330, 340 is also composed of one or a plurality.

The bone conduction speaker unit 100 includes one or more bone conduction speakers (not shown), and the bone conduction speaker is driven according to the output signal of the bone conduction speaker signal processing unit 350 of the control module 300.

The neck unit 200 detects the ringing of the vocal cords, that is, the vibration signal of the vocal cords from the neck microphone mounted around the vocal cords and transmits the vibration signal to the neck signal processing unit 370 of the control module 300.

The control module 300 includes a bone conduction speaker signal processor 350, a biosignal processor 310, a neck signal processor 370, and a controller 390.

The biosignal processing unit 310 amplifies the biosignal detected by the biosignal measuring unit 10 and removes noise to transmit the biosignal to the control unit 390. The biosignal processor 310 includes an EEG signal processor 310, a pulse wave signal processor 330, and a body temperature signal, each of which includes an amplifier (not shown), a filter (not shown), an A / D converter (not shown). It consists of a processing unit 340.

The EEG signal processor 310 amplifies the EEG signal detected by the EEG measurement unit 20, removes the noise, converts it into a digital signal, and transmits the signal to the controller 390.

The pulse wave signal processor 330 amplifies the pulse wave signal detected by the pulse wave measurer 30, removes noise, converts the pulse wave signal into a digital signal, and transmits the signal to the controller 390.

The body temperature signal processor 340 converts the body temperature signal detected by the body temperature measurer 40 into a digital signal and transmits the digital signal to the controller 390.

The bone conduction speaker signal processor 350 generates a bone conduction speaker driving signal according to a control signal received from the controller 390 and outputs the bone conduction speaker driving signal to the bone conduction speaker unit 100 to drive the bone conduction speaker.

The neck signal processor 370 amplifies the vibration signal received from the microphone part 200, removes noise, and transmits the noise signal to the controller 390.

The controller 390 transmits the biosignal received from the biosignal processor 310 to an external device (not shown) through the wired / wireless communication channel unit 500 and receives the signal from the wired / wireless communication channel unit 500. The sound signal is transmitted to the bone conduction speaker signal processing unit 350, and the external device (not shown) via the wired / wireless communication channel unit 500 transmits the vibration signal (voice signal) received from the microphone signal processing unit 370. To send). Here, the external device may be a computer, a mobile phone, or the like. In other words. The control unit 390 controls the flow of the signal, such as transmitting the signal generated by the headset of the present invention to an external device, such as a computer or a digital device, and transmitting the signal received from the external device to the bone conduction speaker unit. In addition, although not shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 390 may adjust the volume according to inputs of a volume control unit (not shown), a mode change and input / output selection switch (not shown), a call forwarding switch (not shown), etc. of the key input unit 600. To adjust the voice, control the voice recognition control mode / manual control mode, select the input / output, and transfer the call to the incoming call. In addition, the controller 390 may include a memory to store the bio signals received from the bio signal processor 310.

The power supply unit 400 includes a battery unit (not shown), a charging unit (not shown), and a power control unit (not shown). The power supply unit 400 supplies power to a portion required for wired power or battery power and supports battery charging.

The wired / wireless communication channel unit 500 is composed of a communication channel using an information communication standard protocol, and transmits a biological signal from the controller 390 to an external device (not shown), and transmits an acoustic signal from an external device (not shown). The controller 390 transmits a vibration signal (voice signal) received from the microphone signal processor 370 to the controller 390 to an external device (not shown). In addition, the wired / wireless communication channel unit 500 may receive an input from a plurality of digital devices and transmit the inputs to a headset, and transmit a plurality of headset outputs to a plurality of digital devices using an information communication standard protocol.

The key input unit 600 includes a volume control unit (not shown), a mode switching and input / output selection switch (not shown), and a telephone incoming call switch (not shown), and transmits the selected input signals to the control unit 300. Allows you to adjust volume, switch modes, select input and output, and transfer a call to an incoming call. The key input unit 600 may be wired to the headset of the present invention, or in some cases, the key input unit 600 may be configured as a remote controller so that the input key signals may be wirelessly transmitted.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the wired / wireless communication channel unit of FIG. 1, and includes a communication channel driver 510, an input channel controller 530, and an output channel controller 560.

The communication channel driver 510 transmits an input signal received through the input channel controller 530 to the control module 300, and transmits an output signal received from the controller 390 to the output channel controller 560. The communication channel driver 510 includes a wireless transmitter (not shown) and a wireless receiver (not shown) for wireless communication in addition to the wired channel port (not shown).

The input channel controller 530 selects one of a plurality of external input devices according to an input selection signal selected by an input / output selection switch (not shown) of the key input unit 600, and selects an input signal of the selected input device as a communication channel. The transmission unit 510 transmits the control unit 390 to the control unit 390. In addition, the input channel controller 530 is assigned a rank to each external input device, and even if a signal of one input device is being transmitted to the controller 300, when an input signal comes from a higher input device, the priority is given. Is configured to block low inputs and open the channel for high priority inputs.

The output channel controller 560 selects one or more external output devices from among a plurality of external output devices according to an output selection signal selected by an input / output selection switch (not shown) of the key input unit 600, and controls the selected output devices. In step 300, the signal received through the communication channel driver 510 is transmitted. In addition, the output channel controller 560 is configured to open the channel according to the priorities of the channel occupancy priority is set to the external output devices according to the user's use.

2 is a schematic diagram of a wired / wireless communication channel unit for controlling the flow of signals input and output from various digital devices and connecting to a headset. For example, in the case of an input channel controller, when a mobile phone comes while listening to an MP3, FIG. The headset may block low priority inputs and open the channel for high priority inputs. In the case of output, the channel is opened by setting the priority of channel occupancy according to the user's use purpose. Design appropriate channel driving circuit according to wired, wireless and protocol.

Figure 3a is an example of a Y-shaped headset having a bone conduction speaker and a neck according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3b is an example of wearing the Y-shaped headset of Figure 3a. The headset of FIG. 3A includes a bone conduction speaker unit 100, a bone conduction speaker support unit 190, a neck microphone unit 200, a neck support unit 290, a control module 300, and a headset support unit 197.

The bone conduction speaker unit 100 is located at the skull portion above the ear, and converts the electrical sound signal received from the control module 300 into a vibration signal to vibrate the skull of the user to allow the user to listen to the sound.

The bone conduction speaker support 190 is formed in a band shape so that the two bone conduction speaker portions 100 are positioned at the skull portion of the ear, and can be maintained for a long time, and the bone conduction speaker portions (at both ends of the bone conduction speaker support 190) 100) is installed. The bone conduction speaker support unit 190 allows the bone conduction speaker unit 100 to be positioned above the front of the ear, and forms the ear wheels in the temporal lobe region of the human body from the site connected to the bone conduction speaker unit 100 (the bone conduction speaker support unit ( 190) is made to fit tightly.

Although not shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, biometric sensors are mounted in the bone conduction speaker support 190 to measure biosignals.

In the case of an EEG sensor, the bone conduction speaker support unit 190 may be located at a portion 195 closest to the median part of the ear wheel shape in the temporal lobe region. In the present invention, in the case of EEG, all positions of the frame contactable with the human body may be utilized according to the channel to be measured, and the configuration may use a metal or an electrically conductive material. In the EEG sensor, the signal electrode may be mounted on the bone conduction speaker support 190 as described above, and the reference electrode may be mounted on the neck support 290.

In the case of a pulse wave measuring sensor, the bone conduction speaker support unit 190 forms the ear wheel shape on the temporal lobe part and is in contact with the skin and may be located at the site where the blood vessel passes. In the present invention, the pulse wave may be measured by using a piezoelectric sensor or a photoelectric sensor in a portion where the frame and the blood vessel pass. In addition, the pulse wave sensor may be mounted to the neck support 290.

In the case of the body temperature measurement sensor, the bone conduction speaker support unit 190 forms the ear wheel shape in the temporal lobe region and is in contact with the skin and may be located near the artery. In the present invention, in the case of body temperature can be measured by using a temperature sensor or an infrared sensor in the portion close to the artery. In addition, the body temperature sensor may be mounted on the neck support 290.

The biological signals of the EEG sensor, pulse wave sensor, and body temperature sensor are amplified, noise removed, and A / D conversion in each signal processor 320, 330, 340 of the control module 300 connected to each sensor. It is transmitted through the wired / wireless communication channel unit 500 connected to the control module 300 through a signal processing process.

The neck unit 200 detects a vibration signal according to the ringing of the vocal cords, converts the signal into an electrical sound signal, and amplifies and transmits the vibration signal to the control module 300.

Neck support 290 is the neck 200 is mounted on the vocal cords in the neck form a circular shape that can be used for a long time and the neck is mounted on one end, it is made to surround the neck. In the present invention, the neck support 290 may also be equipped with an electrode or a sensor to measure a bio-signal. For example, when measuring EEG, a reference electrode is required in addition to the signal electrode. A part of the neck support 290 may be used as the reference electrode. In addition, the neck area has a lot of important blood vessels, including the carotid artery to the brain, so you can install a temperature sensor or pulse wave sensor on this area.

The headset support unit 197 connects the center of the bone conduction speaker support unit 190 with the center of the neck support unit 290, and the control module 300 is mounted thereon.

The control module 300 serves to control the bone conduction speaker unit 100, the neck unit 200, and the biosignal measurement unit 10, and according to the input signal of the key input unit 600, the bone conduction speaker unit. It controls the on / off of 100, the on / off of the microphone 200, the volume control, the setting of the voice recognition control mode / manual control mode. The key input unit 600 may be located at one side of the controller 300, and in some cases, may be configured as a remote controller. In addition, the controller 300 controls the flow of receiving or outputting an acoustic signal from a plurality of devices such as an external computer.

Figure 4a is an example of an S-shaped headset having a bone conduction speaker and a neck according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 4b is an example of wearing the S-shaped headset of Figure 4a. The headset of FIG. 4A includes a bone conduction speaker unit 100, a headset frame 195, a neck unit 200, and a control module 300.

The bone conduction speaker unit 100 and the neck unit 200 are mounted at both ends of the headset frame 195, and the control module 300 is provided in the middle of the headset frame 195.

Headset of the present invention is composed of one or two bone conduction speaker portion and can be positioned above or below the center of the ear. The headset frame can be configured in Y or S shape according to the usage and user's convenience, and the control module can be embedded in the headset frame or externally by wire.

As described above, the headset of the present invention is equipped with a bone conduction speaker, a microphone and a biosignal measuring device integrally, so that the hearing loss is not a problem such as hearing loss even for long time use not only for hearing loss patients but also for the general public, In conversation, voice recognition is possible, and user's health and emotion information can be extracted. In other words, the present invention is equipped with a bone conduction speaker and a neck microphone, without hearing problems such as hearing loss even for long-term use for hearing loss patients as well as the general public, it is possible to talk with a small voice, less influence of external noise, wearing comfort This provides a nice headset.

In addition, the neck of the present invention, by sensing the sound directly from the skin is not affected by the external noise by blocking external noise inherently, there is a voice recognition mode required in the wearable computing age has the advantage that the user can control without using the hand There is this.

An augmented reality service can be provided in a ubiquitous environment by attaching a sensor or an electrode that can measure a biosignal to a frame of a headset and extracting user's health and emotion information.

Finally, the present invention controls the input and output of a variety of digital equipment, such as a mobile phone, MP3, computer with a single headset to receive a service with one headset.

Claims (7)

Two bone conduction speakers 100 for converting the received electrical acoustic signals into vibration signals; The two bone conduction speaker units 100 mounted at both ends thereof, and having a bone conduction speaker support 190 formed in a band shape; A neck unit 200 for detecting a vibration signal according to the vocal cords and converting the vibration signal into an electrical acoustic signal; The neck microphone 200 is mounted at one end thereof, and formed in a circular shape, a neck support part 290 mounted to a neck so that a neck microphone comes to a part where a vocal cord is provided; A headset support part 197 connecting the center part of the bone conduction speaker support part 190 with the center part of the neck support part 290 and having a control module 300 mounted thereon; In the multifunction headset provided with, The bone conduction speaker support 190 is such that the bone conduction speaker unit 100 is located above the front of the ear, and the ear wheel shape is formed in the temporal lobe region of the human body from a region connected with the bone conduction speaker unit 100. Multifunctional headset. The method of claim 1, In the bone conduction speaker support unit 190, the signal electrode of the EEG sensor is mounted on the part 195 closest to the middle part of the ear wheel shape in the temporal lobe region, Multi-function headset, characterized in that the reference electrode is mounted on the neck support (290). The method of claim 1, The bone conduction speaker support unit 190 is a multi-function headset, characterized in that the ear lobe shape is formed in the temporal lobe portion and is in contact with the skin, and the pulse wave measuring sensor is mounted at the portion where the blood vessel passes. The method of claim 1, Multi-function headset, characterized in that the neck microphone support portion 290 is equipped with a pulse wave sensor or a temperature measuring sensor. The method of claim 1, The bone conduction speaker support unit 190 is a multi-function headset, characterized in that the temporal lobe region is formed in the shape of the ear wheels in contact with the skin and the body temperature sensor is mounted in the region close to the arteries. Bone conduction speaker unit 100 for converting the received electrical acoustic signal into a vibration signal; A neck unit 200 for detecting a vibration signal according to the vocal cords and converting the vibration signal into an electrical acoustic signal; S-shaped, the bone conduction speaker 100 is mounted on one end, the neck portion 200 is mounted on the other end, the headset frame 195 is provided with a control module 300 in the middle Multifunctional headset comprising a. The method of claim 6, Multifunctional headset, characterized in that the pulse wave sensor or body temperature sensor is mounted to the skin contact portion of the neck of the headset frame (195).

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