WO2017217588A1

WO2017217588A1 - Portable electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2017217588A1
Application number: PCT/KR2016/008916
Authority: WO
Inventors: 강정연; 서상우; 유현선; 김성원; 유태훈
Original assignee: 엘지전자 주식회사
Priority date: 2016-06-17
Filing date: 2016-08-12
Publication date: 2017-12-21
Also published as: KR101790527B1

Abstract

Provided is a portable electronic device comprising: a band portion having a curvature curved in a C shape; a pair of housings located at the left and right ends of the band portion; main boards located inside the housings; a pair of earbuds inserted into the ears of a user and comprising acoustic output elements; a pair of acoustic cables, one end of which is connected to the main board inside the housing and the other of which is coupled to the earbud; and a pair of wire rings comprising a side surface surrounding the band portion and the acoustic cables, wherein the wire rings are shaped like a snowman in which a first circle with the band portion located therein and a second circle with the acoustic cables located therein overlap each other, and wherein a curvature of the first circle is equal to a curvature of a cross-section of the band portion. Accordingly, the portable electronic device has an advantage of improving the shape of the wire rings to rotate naturally according to a direction in which the acoustic cables are pulled, and to facilitate the adjustment of locations of the acoustic cables.

Description

Portable electronic devices

The present invention relates to a portable electronic device that receives a sound signal from the terminal through wireless communication with the terminal and transmits a control signal for controlling the terminal according to the signal received through the user input unit.

The electronic device refers to an acoustic device that receives an acoustic signal from a terminal and transmits sound information collected through a microphone to the terminal. Conventionally, the portable electronic device has a wired method of receiving a sound signal by plugging a terminal into an ear jack of a terminal. However, in recent years, the demand for portable electronic devices having a wireless communication method is increasing in terms of mobility and ease of use.

Portable electronic devices have been developed in consideration of portability, such as a headphone type that fits in a head shape, a type that is worn on an ear, and a type that fits in an ear to be carried on a user's body.

However, portable electronic devices are more stable because they last a long time while wearing them.

Since it is worn on the user's neck, there is a need for a product having excellent waterproof performance since rainwater may flow when sweat or rain enters. When the band part is worn on the neck, there is a problem that the band part is separated from the neck or the wearing position changes as the band part is opened, and thus an improvement is required for a stable fit.

In addition, there is a need for a structure that can be freely moving the sound cable while the sound cable is securely secured to the band portion of the wi-ring for fastening the sound cable and the band portion.

An object of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device having a stable fixing of the acoustic cable to the band portion and the wiring is rotated according to the direction in which the acoustic cable is pulled.

Band section; A pair of housings positioned at left and right ends of the band portion; A main substrate located inside the housing; A pair of earbuds inserted into a user's ear and including a sound output element; A pair of acoustic cables, one end of which is connected to the main board inside the housing and the other of which the earbud is coupled to; And a pair of wirings having an upper surface and a lower surface open and including side surfaces surrounding the band portion and the acoustic cable, wherein the wiring includes a first circle in which the band portion is located and the acoustic cable located. A second circle overlaps the shape of a snowman, and the circumferential curvature of the first circle provides a portable electronic device equal to the curvature of the cross section of the band portion.

The band part may be bent in a C shape, and the curvature in the height direction of the first circle of the wiring may be formed to be the same as the curvature of the C shape of the band part.

The open top and bottom surfaces of the wiring may be formed obliquely to the side surface.

When the first circle of the wiring is disposed to be located outside the C-shaped band portion, the upper surface may be inclined in a direction toward the front when the user wears the band portion on the neck.

Side height of the wiring is uniform, the upper surface and the lower surface of the wiring may be parallel.

An end connected to the band portion of the housing may have an oblique end in a shape corresponding to the inclination of the lower surface of the wiring.

The oblique end of the housing may face the front when the user wears the band portion around the neck.

The wiring may include a first wiring located at one side of the band and a second wiring located at the other side of the band, and the first wiring and the second wiring may have a symmetrical structure.

The housing may be formed with fine concavo-convex on the inner portion of the C-shaped band portion.

The fine irregularities may be a tissue shape of cloth.

A switch generating a signal when pressed; A button hole formed at a position corresponding to the switch of the housing; An elastic button interposed between the button hole and the switch; And a top button positioned on the elastic button and exposed through the button hole.

The top button has a symmetrical structure, and a guide protrusion protruding from one side of the top button; And a guide groove formed at a position corresponding to the guide protrusion of the elastic button.

The housing has an inner case located inside; And a deco case covering an outer side of the inner case, wherein the elastic button is disposed between the inner case and the deco case, and the top button may be fitted into the button hole.

The portable electronic device according to the present invention has an advantage in that the shape of the wiring is improved to naturally rotate according to the direction in which the acoustic cable is pulled and the position of the acoustic cable is easily adjusted.

In addition, the waterproof structure prevents water from entering the housing.

In addition, the portable audio device can be worn stably without being peeled off well.

Further scope of the applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. However, various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art, and therefore, specific embodiments, such as the detailed description and the preferred embodiments of the present invention, should be understood as given by way of example only.

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a portable electronic device of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view of one side of a portable electronic device according to one embodiment of the present invention;

3 is an exploded perspective view of a housing portion of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a diagram illustrating a combination of a button unit of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cross section of a button unit of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6 and 7 illustrate a wiring and an acoustic cable of a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals regardless of the reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. The suffixes "module" and "unit" for components used in the following description are given or used in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have distinct meanings or roles from each other. In addition, in describing the embodiments disclosed herein, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed herein, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are intended to facilitate understanding of the embodiments disclosed herein, but are not limited to the technical spirit disclosed herein by the accompanying drawings, all changes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be understood to include equivalents and substitutes.

Terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it may be directly connected to or connected to that other component, but it may be understood that other components may be present in between. Should be. On the other hand, when a component is said to be "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in between.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this application, the terms "comprises" or "having" are intended to indicate that there is a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, and one or more other features. It is to be understood that the present invention does not exclude the possibility of the presence or the addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, components, or a combination thereof.

1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the portable electronic device 300 of the present invention includes a control unit 380, a wireless communication unit 385, a sound output unit 340, The sensing unit 375 includes a microphone 360, a user input unit 370, and a power supply unit 390.

The sound output unit 340 is a device for outputting sound in accordance with a sound signal, a representative example is an earbud 341 to be inserted into the ear of the user to transmit the sound.

The microphone 360 processes an external sound signal into electrical voice data. The processed voice data is transmitted to an external terminal or an external server through the wireless communication unit 385. The microphone 360 may implement various noise removing algorithms for removing noise generated in the process of receiving an external sound signal.

The sensing unit 375 is a device for recognizing the state of the portable electronic device 300 itself and the surroundings, and includes an illumination sensor for detecting the brightness of the surroundings, a touch sensor for detecting a touch input, and a tilt of the portable electronic device 300. And a gyro sensor for detecting a position and an earbud switch for detecting whether an ear bud 341 is located at the earbud holder 325.

The user input unit 370 is an input unit for the user to control the portable electronic device 300. The call / play button 371, a button for adjusting the volume, a power button, and an acoustic cable 340 are provided in the housing 320. For example, a storage button to be stored as.

The number of user input units 370 may include only a call button, a pair of volume control buttons, and may further include a play / stop button and a song order change button. The size of the portable electronic device 300 is limited, and the user input unit 370 is often inputted by the user without directly viewing the number of buttons, so that it is difficult to distinguish the function of each button. You can expand the controllable control commands by combining the time and the number of pressing and a plurality of buttons.

Since the portable electronic device 300 maintains a wearing state on the user's body, there is little risk of loss, but a normal terminal may be lost, and when two user input units 370 are simultaneously pressed for a predetermined time, An alarm will sound to find the lost device.

In addition, by activating the voice recording function of the terminal connected via Bluetooth, the voice collected through the microphone 360 of the portable electronic device 300 may be stored in the terminal.

In the related art, only a function related to a call or a function related to playing a sound media can be controlled by the portable electronic device 300, but the portable electronic device 300 of the present invention is characterized in that its control range is extended.

2 is a perspective view of one side of the portable electronic device 300 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The main body of the portable electronic device 300 of the present invention comprises a band portion 310 and a housing 320 and forms a C-shaped curve as shown in FIG. 2. The band portion 310 has a C-shaped inner surface contacting the user's neck.

The band portion 310 has elasticity, deforms within a predetermined range when a force is applied, and returns to its original shape when the force is removed. The housing 320 is coupled to both ends of the band part 310 and positioned at both ends of the C-shaped curve of the portable electronic device 300. Various components such as a main board 381, a wireless communication unit 385, and a battery 391 are inserted into and out of the housing.

The housing 320 is manufactured by injection molding a polymer material, and may use a plastic product having strength such as polystyrene. It may contain, in part, release materials such as metal, glass, leather, and the like.

Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) used in the band portion 310 is elastic and easily deformed and restored to its original shape when the force is removed, and the coefficient of friction of the surface is closely adhered to the user's body.

The shape memory alloy may be inserted into the band part 310 to restore the original shape back to the original shape even when the band part 310 is opened at both ends. In addition, by forming a thickness of the shape memory alloy thicker than the conventional one can be modified only to a force of a predetermined size or more to prevent the user from accidentally detached from the neck during wearing.

The housing 320 may be formed of a rigid polystyrene (PS) material to protect internal parts and at the same time, a polyurethane coating may be applied to the surface of the housing 320 to be in close contact with the user's body. Coating the surface of the housing 320 to form a unitary appearance of the portable electronic device 300, both the band portion 310 and the housing 320 is in close contact with the user's skin and shaken according to the user's movement Does not have a good fit.

Since the portable electronic device 300 worn on the body is easy to be exposed to moisture such as sweat, adding a waterproof function may increase durability. It is possible to form a rib covering the gap between the upper case and the lower case or to prevent water from seeping through the waterproof member. Even if a separate waterproof member is not interposed, a polyurethane coating may be in close contact between the upper case and the lower case.

The C-shaped portable electronic device 300 may be worn on a user's neck and carried. The sensor 375 may be provided at the band 310 to detect whether the user is worn. For example, a displacement sensor for detecting a change in curvature may be provided to sense that the user opens the end of the portable electronic device 300 when worn. In this case, since the curvature of the band unit 310 is gently changed, it is determined that the user intends to use the portable electronic device 300, and the power of the portable electronic device 300 is turned on or synchronized with an external terminal.

In order to more accurately determine whether the user is worn or carried out while carrying, the curvature after the curvature of the band part 310 is greatly changed in the displacement sensor may be considered together. If the curvature of the band portion 310 is significantly changed to the first size and then the curvature is fixed to the curvature of the second size that is gentler than the state that the portable electronic device 300 is mounted, the user of the portable electronic device 300 to the neck It can be judged that it is worn.

In addition to the displacement sensor, the user has a sensor such as a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, or a heart rate sensor on a wearing surface that contacts the neck when the user wears the temperature, and the brightness is dark, and when the heart rate is detected, the user judges that the user wears it. Then, the portable electronic device 300 may be turned on or the wireless communication unit 385 may be activated to synchronize with an external terminal.

Alternatively, the switch may be physically pressed to generate an ON signal when the user presses the switch to protrude, and if the switch is kept ON for a predetermined time, the power of the portable electronic device 300 may be turned ON or may be synchronized with an external terminal. Can be.

The sensor and the switch may be provided with a plurality of values to combine the plurality of values to determine the correct fit.

As the sound output unit, the earbud 341 may be spaced apart from the housing 320 because the earbud 341 is inserted into and used by the user's ear, and is connected through the housing 320 and the sound cable 345. One end of the acoustic cable 345 is connected to the main board located inside the housing 320, and the other end thereof is connected to the earbud 341. The controller transmits the sound signal received through the wireless communication unit to the earbud 341 via the sound cable 345.

When the user inserts the earbud 341 in the ear, the distance between the earbud 341 and the housing 320 depends on the user's body size, and if the acoustic cable 345 is too long, there is a problem of distance, too If it is short, it cannot be used by a person with a wide gap between the ear and the shoulder.

In addition, when the user rotates the head to the left or right or up and down while inserting the earbud (341) in the ear, the length of the sound cable 345 is too short because it may feel uncomfortable, but formed in a sufficient length, The portion may have a wiring 315 to be secured to the band portion.

The wiring 315 is a ring-shaped member that surrounds the band portion 310 and the acoustic cable 345. As the wiring 315 moves along the band portion 310, the earbuds 341 move from the housing 320. The distance that can be separated is adjusted. That is, when the wiring 315 is moved away from the housing 320, the length that the acoustic cable 345 can extend is shortened, and when the wiring 315 is moved in the direction closer to the housing 320, the acoustic cable is moved. 345 extends this extendable length.

It may be attached to and detached from the housing 320 of the portable electronic device 300. When the user does not listen to music or make a phone call, the earbud 341 may be coupled to the earbud holder 325 of the housing 320 to carry the earbud 341.

The housing 320 may include a power button for turning on / off a power, a button for reproducing or calling, a direction key for adjusting a sound, etc. (the direction key is used to control playback of a previous song or a next song of a song. May be used). The button may use a dome key that is physically pressed or a touch key that senses a change in capacitance.

The location of the touch key is not limited, and the surface of the housing 320 may be used in various ways. When the touch key is implemented on the surface of the housing 320, the touch key position and function may be displayed by using an LED on a portion where the touch key is implemented on the surface of the housing 320. The earbud 341 is inserted into the ear of the user and transmits a sound, and the earbud 341 is connected to the main board 381 through an acoustic cable 345. The main board 381 controls the earbuds 341 to output sound in accordance with the sound signal.

3 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the housing 320 of the portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The housing 320 of the portable electronic device 300 of the present invention includes a first case 320a and a second case 320b that are coupled at the top and bottom, respectively, as shown in FIG. In order to prevent the water from flowing into the interior further includes a decoration case (320c, 320d, 320e, 320f) to cover the outside of the first case (320a) and the second case (320b). The

deco cases

320c, 320d, 320e, and 320f may cover a portion of the first case 320a and the second case 320b, and the circumferences of the first case 320a and the second case 320b. It may cover all of them.

Since the

decor cases

320c, 320d, 320e, and 320f are portions exposed to the outside of the portable electronic device 300, they may have different colors, different materials, and different surfaces in consideration of design elements.

For example, only the

deco cases

320e and 320f covering the upper and lower sides and the

deco cases

320c and 320d covering the left and right sides or the

deco cases

320e and 320f covering the upper side may use a metal material. have. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the portable electronic device 300 is processed in a worn state by processing the surface to form a fine concavo-convex 321 such as tissue of a cloth on the surface of the decor case 320c of the part touching the user's body. Can be fixed to prevent movement easily.

The button 371 for reproducing / calling of the present invention is located in a direction facing the front when the user wears, that is, the upper surface of the housing 320. The button 371 is connected to the inside and the outside through a button hole 322 formed in the housing 320.

4 is a view showing the combination of the button 371 of the portable electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a button of the portable electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention ( It is sectional drawing which shows the cross section of 371).

The button 371 is located at the bottom of the top button 3711 and the top button 3711 exposed to the outside through the button hole 322, and is larger than the size of the top button 3711 and is made of an elastic material such as silicone. ). The elastic button 3715 is interposed between the top button 3711 and the switch 388 positioned on the main board 381, and when the top button 3711 is pressed, a protrusion protruding from the lower portion of the elastic button 3715 is applied to the switch ( 388) can be used to generate a signal.

Since the top button 3711 generally has a symmetrical structure such as a circle or a square, it may not be easily distinguished from left and right and up and down. The protruding guide protrusion 3712 and the elastic button 3715 may further include a guide groove 3713 formed at a position corresponding to the guide protrusion 3712.

6 and 7 illustrate a wiring 315 and an acoustic cable 345 of the portable electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wiring 315 is a cylindrical member having a predetermined height and opened inwards, and includes a first circle 315a into which the band part 310 is inserted and a second circle 315b into which the acoustic cable 345 is inserted. It has an inner face of a snowman shape.

In the first circle 315a of the present invention, the band part 310 is inserted and may move along the band part 310. At this time, the curvature of the circumferential direction of the first circle 315a of the wiring 315 may be formed to be the same as the curvature of the cross section of the band portion 310, and the curvature of the height direction of the inner surface of the wiring 315 may be The band portion 310 may be formed to have the same curvature as the C shape.

As described above, since the shape memory alloy inserted into the band portion 310 of the present invention has a larger rigidity than the conventional one, the shape memory alloy can easily maintain the original curvature without being easily deformed, so that the inner surface of the wiring 315 has the band portion 310. If the curvature is similar to the curvature of the C-shaped) it is easy to move along the band portion (310).

The inner side of the wiring 315 to the band portion 310 and the acoustic cable 345 by dividing the first circle 315a into which the band 310 is inserted and the second circle 315b into which the acoustic cable 345 is inserted. While being in close contact with each other and stably coupled, the curvature in the circumferential direction of the wiring 315 and the curvature in the height direction have a curvature corresponding to the band portion 310, so that the wiring 315 moves along the band portion 310. It is easy.

Referring to FIG. 6, when the user pulls the acoustic cable 345 outward of the C-shaped band part 310 (a), when pulling in the upper direction (b), and when the C-shaped band part 310 is pulled inward ( c) is shown.

When the band 310 is pulled outward, the second circle 315b is positioned outside the band 310, and when pulled inward of the band 310, the second circle 315b is positioned inside the band 310. . That is, the cross section curvature of the band 310 and the circumferential curvature of the first circle 315a of the wiring 315 are the same, so that the wiring 315 is easily connected to the band 310 according to the direction in which the acoustic cable 345 is pulled. You can rotate the center of the axis.

In addition, when the user adjusts the length of the acoustic cable 345, moving the wiring 315 along the band 310 is also the curvature of the C-shaped curve of the band 310 and the curvature of the wiring 315 in the height direction You can move smoothly because it is the same.

The wiring 315 of the present invention may have a form inclined such that the upper side surface of the wiring 315 is exposed to the front side when the user is wearing. That is, the side of the wiring 315 and the open upper surface and the open lower surface may form an oblique form without forming a right angle.

As shown in FIG. 7, the end portion 323 of the housing 320 connected to the band 310 corresponding to the beveled shape is also formed to have an inclined surface such that the wiring 315 abuts on the end portion of the housing 320. In this case, the second circle 315b of the wiring 315 faces outward and may be seated at the end of the housing 320.

Since the wiring 315 has an inclined surface, the guiding ring on the left side and the wiring 315 on the right side are not the same and may have a symmetrical structure.

As described above, the portable electronic device according to the present invention improves the shape of the wiring 315 and naturally rotates according to the direction in which the acoustic cable 345 is pulled, and the position of the acoustic cable is easily adjusted.

In addition, the waterproof structure prevents water from flowing into the housing, and the portable audio device can be worn stably without being peeled off.

The above detailed description should not be construed as limiting in all respects but should be considered as illustrative. The scope of the invention should be determined by reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the equivalent scope of the invention are included in the scope of the invention.

Claims

Band section;

A pair of housings positioned at left and right ends of the band portion;

A main substrate located inside the housing;

A pair of earbuds inserted into a user's ear and including a sound output element;

A pair of acoustic cables, one end of which is connected to the main board inside the housing and the other of which the earbud is coupled to; And

The upper and lower surfaces are open, and includes a pair of wiring including a side portion surrounding the band portion and the acoustic cable,

The wiring is a snowman shape in which a first circle in which the band part is located and a second circle in which the acoustic cable is located overlap, and the circumferential curvature of the first circle is the same as that of the cross section of the band part.
The method of claim 1,

The band portion is bent in a C shape,

The curvature in the height direction of the first circle of the wiring is the same as the curvature of the C-shape of the band portion.
The method of claim 1,

The open top and bottom surfaces of the wiring are oblique to the side surface.
The method of claim 3,

When the first circle of the wiring is arranged to be located outside the C-shaped band portion, the upper surface is a portable electronic device, characterized in that inclined in the direction toward the front when the user wears the band portion on the neck.
The method of claim 3,

The lateral height of the wiring is uniform,

The upper and lower surfaces of the wiring is parallel to the portable electronic device.
The method of claim 3,

An end connected to the band portion of the housing has a beveled end in a shape corresponding to the inclination of the lower surface of the wiring.
The method of claim 6,

The beveled end of the housing is a portable electronic device, characterized in that the user facing the front when wearing the band portion on the neck.
The method of claim 1,

The wiring is

A first wiring located on one side of the band and a second wiring located on the other side of the band,

Portable electronic device, characterized in that the first wiring and the second wiring has a symmetrical structure.
The method of claim 1,

The housing is a portable electronic device, characterized in that fine irregularities are formed in the inner portion of the C-shaped band portion.
The method of claim 9,

The fine iron is a portable electronic device, characterized in that the tissue shape of the cloth.
The method of claim 1,

A switch generating a signal when pressed;

A button hole formed at a position corresponding to the switch of the housing;

An elastic button interposed between the button hole and the switch; And

A portable electronic device comprising a top button positioned on an upper portion of the elastic button and exposed through the button hole.
The method of claim 11,

The top button has a symmetrical structure,

A guide protrusion protruding from one side of the top button; And

And a guide groove formed at a position corresponding to the guide protrusion of the elastic button.
The method of claim 11,

The housing has an inner case located inside;

A deco case covering an outer side of the inner case,

The elastic button is disposed between the inner case and the decor case,

The top button is a portable electronic device, characterized in that fitted in the button hole.