WO2010018879A1

WO2010018879A1 - Headphone

Info

Publication number: WO2010018879A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/004655
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jong-Bae Lee
Original assignee: Cresyn Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2008-08-11
Filing date: 2008-08-11
Publication date: 2010-02-18
Also published as: KR20110021869A; KR101107599B1

Abstract

Headphones for removing external noise are disclosed. Each headphone includes a headphone housing, a speaker plate, a microphone, an attenuation circuit, and a speaker. The speaker plate forms a pair of protrusions that are spaced apart from each other at a spacing in which the microphone is placed. The pair of protrusions are further protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone placed in the placement space. Since the headphone has the speaker plate that forms a pair of protrusions protruded from the microphone to the user's ear canal, it has the following advantages. First, although the cover of the headphones is pressed by outer factors, such as the pressure of the user's hand, the headphones can prevent the microphone placed therein from being damaged. Second, due to the reflection characteristics of external noise entered into the headphones, the microphone can collect more external noise, thereby enhancing the external noise collection.

Description

Description HEADPHONE

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to headphones, and more particularly, to headphones that can remove noise input from external sources. Background Art

[2] Headphones are used for listening to music, etc. without interference from peripheral noise. When users wear headphones in noisy areas, such as airplanes, trains, construction sites, etc., they cannot clearly hear the music from the speakers in their headphones due to peripheral noise.

[3] In order to resolve this problem closed-type headphones are worn by users to block external noise in a passive mode. Closed-type headphones are classified into supra- aural headphones, which cover the ear to block external noise, and in-ear headphones that are inserted into the ear canal. In particular, supra-aural headphones include around-ear headphones, which completely cover the ear to block external noise, and on-ear headphones that sit on the ears.

[4] In recent years, a technique has been developed which can actively cancel external noise in headphones. The technique processes external noise as follows: detecting external noise through a microphone; analyzing the detected external noise; generating an attenuation sound whose phase is opposite to that of the external noise; and outputting the attenuation sound to thus cancel the external noise.

[5] In such an external noise cancelling method, the higher the collection of external noise, the higher the efficiency of external noise removal. To this end, the study of external noise collection has been continually researched.

[6] Conventional headphones are configured in such a way as to install a microphone for removing external noise close to the front of the speaker therein. In this structure, when the cover of the headphones is pressed by external factors, such as the user's hand, the microphone placed at the rear side of the cover is also pressed and thus damaged. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[7] The present invention solves the above problems, and provides headphones, in each of which a microphone is installed, which can prevent the microphone from being damaged when the cover of the headphones is pressed by the external factors such as the user's hands, and can enhance the collection of external noise. Technical Solution

[8] In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a noise removal headphone including: a headphone housing having a receiving space, whose front is opened, therewithin, wherein "front" denotes the direction of the headphone that faces toward the user's ear and "rear" indicates the direction that faces outward from the user's ear; a speaker for outputting audio sound according to input electrical signals; a speaker plate for mounting the speaker in the receiving space of the headphone housing; a microphone for detecting external noise; and an attenuation circuit for analyzing the external noise detected by the microphone and generating an attenuation signal. Here, the speaker plate forms a pair of protrusions that are spaced apart from each other at a spacing in which the microphone is place. The pair of protrusions are further protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone when the microphone is placed in a placement space formed between the protrusions.

[9] Preferably, at least one of the pair of protrusions forms a holding part to prevent the microphone from being removed from the placement space, when the microphone is placed in the placement space.

[10] Preferably, the pair of protrusions are protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone, equal to and greater than 1 mm but equal to and less than 3 mm.

[11] Preferably, the pair of protrusions are protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone by 2 mm.

Advantageous Effects

[12] As described above, the present invention provides headphones each of which has a speaker plate that forms a pair of protrusions protruded from the microphone to the user's ear canal. The headphones have the following advantages. [13] First, although the cover of the headphones is pressed by outer factors, such as the pressure of the user's hand, the headphones can prevent the microphone placed therein from being damaged. [14] Second, due to the reflection characteristics of external noise entered into the headphones, the microphone can collect a large amount of external noise, thereby enhancing the external noise collection.

Brief Description of Drawings [15] The features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [16] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a headphone according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[17] Figure 2A is an enlarged view illustrating portion C in Figure 1;

[18] Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view depicting a part of a pair of protrusions in which a microphone is placed; [19] Figure 3 A and Figure 3B are views describing the state where a microphone collects external noise; and

[20] Figure 4 is a sound pressure-frequency graph at each state of Figure 3.

[21] <Brief Description of Symbols in the Drawings>

[22] 100: headphone

[23] 110: headphone housing

[24] 120: speaker plate

[25] 124a, 124b: protrusion ends

[26] 124a- 1 , 124b- 1 : holding part

[27] 130: microphone

[28] 140: speaker

[29] 150: attenuation circuit board

[30] 160: cover

[31] 170: ear pad

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention [32] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. [33] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a headphone according to an embodiment of the present invention. [34] As shown in Figure 1, the headphone 100 includes a headphone housing 110, a speaker plate 120, a microphone 130, a speaker 140, an attenuation circuit board 150, a cover 160 and an ear pad 170. [35] The headphone housing 110 forms a receiving space whose front is opened there within. The headphone housing 110 is coupled to the rear side of the speaker plate

120. In the description, the term "front" denotes the direction of the headphone 100 that faces toward the ear and the term "rear" indicates the direction that faces outward from the ear. [36] The speaker plate 120 serves to install the speaker 140 into the receiving space of the headphone housing 110. The speaker plate 120 forms at least one or more holes in a part thereof to pass the audio sound from the speaker 140 to the outside. It should be understood that the holes may be variously formed in terms of shape and structure. [37] The microphone 130 is fixedly installed to the speaker plate 120 and detects sounds, i.e., external noise, input from the outside of the headphone 100. The microphone 130 is generally installed as close as possible to the front of the speaker 140. [38] The speaker 140 is installed within the receiving space of the headphone housing 110 by the speaker plate 120 and placed at the rear side of the microphone 130. The speaker 140 outputs audio sounds according to the input electrical signals.

[39] The attenuation circuit board 150 is placed at the rear side of the speaker 140. The attenuation circuit analyzes the external noise detected by the microphone 130 and generates an attenuation signal to cancel the external noise.

[40] The cover 160 covers the front side of the speaker plate 120 and forms audio sound through-holes which the audio sounds from the speaker 140 pass through. The cover 160 is coupled to the ear pad 170.

[41] The ear pad 170 is a member contacting the ear when a user wears the headphone. It is configured in such a way that a buffering member, such as a ring-type sponge, etc., is covered by an outer skin, such as a synthetic resin, leather, cloth, etc. It fits around the cover 160.

[42] Figure 2A is an enlarged view illustrating portion C in Figure 1 and Figure 2B is a cross-sectional view depicting a part of a pair of protrusions in which a microphone is placed.

[43] As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the speaker plate 120 forms a pair of protrusions

124a and 124b which are spaced apart from each other at a spacing in which a microphone 130 is placed. That is, the microphone 130 is installed in the placement space S formed between the protrusions 124a and 124b. The pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are formed to be protrudent toward the front side with respect to the microphone 130, i.e., the protrusions 124 and 124b are further protruded toward the direction of the ear canal when the user wears the headphone 100.

[44] The protrusions 124a and 124b form holding parts 124a- 1 and 124b- 1, respectively, to prevent the microphone 130 from being removed from the placement space S.

[45] < Application example 1>

[46] When the cover of the headphone is pressed by external factors, such as a pressure of the user's hand, the microphone placed at the rear side of the cover 160 is also pressed and damaged in the conventional art. However, in the present invention, as shown in Figures 2 A and 2B, although the cover 160 of the headphone 100 is pressed by external factors, the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b formed in the speaker plate 120 can prevent the microphone 130 from being damaged. That is, the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b of the speaker plate 120 can mechanically protect the microphone 130 against external factors.

[47] In particular, it is preferable that the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are further protruded toward the front side from the microphone 130, greater than 1 mm so that the user's hand cannot touch the microphone 130, but less than 3 mm so as not to appear more protrudent than the cover 160.

[48] <Application example 2>

[49] Figure 3A and Figure 3B are views describing the state where a microphone collects external noise.

[50] In general, a microphone in the headphone increases the external noise collection as much as possible as it is placed close to the user's ear and thus can enhance the external noise removal efficiency.

[51] Although it is ideal that external noise is collected and removed before it touches the user's eardrum, it is structurally impossible to manufacture headphones with this feature. Accordingly, in the present invention, in order to enhance the external noise collection, the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are formed to be protruded toward the microphone 130.

[52] Referring to Figure 3 A, the microphone 130, fixed to the speaker plate 120 in which a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are not formed, collects external noise. Referring to Figure 3B, the microphone 130, fixed to the speaker plate 120 in which a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are formed, collects external noise.

[53] As shown in Figures 3A and 3B, inaudible external noise is spread in a spherical wave from the sound source N. The microphone 130, fixed to the speaker plate 120 in which a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are not formed, can collect external noise through its area A. On the contrary, the microphone 130, fixed to the speaker plate 120 in which a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are formed, can collect external noise through its area B.

[54] That is, as the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b are formed in the front of the microphone 130, the microphone 130 can collect more external noise, thereby increasing the external noise collection (see the number of the arrows).

[55] In this structure, the microphone 130 collects more external noise entered into the headphone, so that the headphone can increase the external noise removal efficiency.

[56] The following description is a comparison of external noise removal between the above described examples with reference to Figure 4.

[57] Figure 4 is a sound pressure-frequency graph under the same condition, in which A' corresponds to the state of Figure 3 A and B' the state of Figure 3B. Based on a frequency range of 200-300 Hz, the headphone whose speaker plate 120 does not form a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b shows the effect of external noise attenuation of approximately -18 dB. On the contrary, the headphone whose speaker plate 120 forms a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b shows the effect of external noise attenuation of approximately -20 dB.

[58] Consequently, the headphone whose speaker plate 120 forms a pair of protrusions

124a and 124b can attenuate external noise greater about 2 dB than the headphone whose speaker plate 120 does not form a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b. That is, the headphone, whose speaker plate 120 forms a pair of protrusions 124a and 124b, enhances approximately 10% of the external noise removal efficiency. [59] In order to maximally enhance the external noise attenuation efficiency, it is preferable that the pair of protrusions 124a and 124b in the speaker plate 120 are protruded from the microphone 130 to the front by 2 mm, as shown in Figure 2.

[60] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. Industrial Applicability

[61] The present invention can be widely applied to audio systems and audio- system-related industrial fields.

Claims

[1] A noise removal headphone comprising: a headphone housing having a receiving space, whose front is opened, therewithin, wherein "front" denotes the direction of the headphone that faces toward the user's ear and "rear" indicates the direction that faces outward from the user's ear; a speaker for outputting audio sound according to input electrical signals; a speaker plate for mounting the speaker in the receiving space of the headphone housing; a microphone for detecting external noise; and an attenuation circuit for analyzing the external noise detected by the microphone and generating an attenuation signal, wherein: the speaker plate forms a pair of protrusions that are spaced apart from each other at a spacing in which the microphone is place, and the pair of protrusions are further protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone when the microphone is placed in a placement space formed between the protrusions.

[2] The headphone according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the pair of protrusions forms a holding part to prevent the microphone from being removed from the placement space, when the microphone is placed in the placement space. [3] The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the pair of protrusions are protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone, equal to and greater than 1 mm but equal to and less than 3 mm. [4] The headphone according to claim 3, wherein the pair of protrusions are protruded toward the front with respect to the microphone by 2 mm.