# US 11,122,359 B2 · Acoustic output apparatus and method thereof

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- Number: US 11,122,359 B2
- Document ID: US11122359B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/170,920
- Filed: 2021-02-09
- Published: 2021-06-03
- Granted: 2021-09-14
- Earliest claimed: 2019-04-30
- Assignees: Shenzhen Voxtech Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Shenzhen Voxtech Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Lei Zhang; Junjiang Fu; Bingyan Yan; Fengyun Liao; Xin Qi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122359B2

## CPC

- H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type}
- G02C 11/00: Non-optical adjuncts; Attachment thereof (G02C7/16 takes precedence)
- G02C 11/10: {Electronic devices other than hearing aids}
- G06F 3/16: Sound input; Sound output (speech processing G10L)
- G06F 3/162: {Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs}
- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G10L 21/0208: Noise filtering
- G10L 21/038: using band spreading techniques
- H04M 1/03: Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
- H04M 1/035: {Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities}
- H04M 1/6016: {in the receiver circuit}
- H04M 1/78: Circuit arrangements in which low-frequency speech signals proceed in one direction on the line, while speech signals proceeding in the other direction on the line are modulated on a high-frequency carrier signal
- H04R 1/02: Casings; Cabinets {; Supports therefor;} Mountings therein (H04R1/28 takes precedence {; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075})
- H04R 1/026: {Supports for loudspeaker casings}
- H04R 1/028: {associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles}
- H04R 1/10: Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)}
- H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type}
- H04R 1/1025: Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof
- H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)}
- H04R 1/105: {Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)}
- H04R 1/1075: {Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones}
- H04R 1/1083: {Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06)}
- H04R 1/22: for obtaining desired frequency characteristic only {(circuit for combining transducers having different responses H04R3/00; for hearing aids H04R25/407)}
- H04R 1/24: Structural combinations of separate transducers or of two parts of the same transducer and responsive respectively to two or more frequency ranges
- H04R 1/245: {of microphones}
- H04R 1/26: Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges
- H04R 1/28: Transducer mountings or enclosures modified by provision of mechanical or acoustic impedances, e.g. resonator, damping means {(combinations of transducers with horns, i.e. front-loaded horns H04R1/30)}
- H04R 1/2803: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 1/2807: {Enclosures comprising vibrating or resonating arrangements (for the reduction of undesired resonances or vibrations H04R1/2869)}
- H04R 1/2811: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 1/2842: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 1/2857: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 1/2896: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 1/34: by using a single transducer with sound reflecting, diffracting, directing or guiding means {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/402)}
- H04R 1/342: {for microphones}
- H04R 1/345: {for loudspeakers}
- H04R 1/347: {for obtaining a phase-shift between the front and back acoustic wave}
- H04R 1/38: in which sound waves act upon both sides of a diaphragm and incorporating acoustic phase-shifting means, e.g. pressure-gradient microphone
- H04R 1/44: Special adaptations for subaqueous use, e.g. for hydrophone
- H04R 3/00: Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F)
- H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)}
- H04R 3/02: for preventing acoustic reaction {, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453)}
- H04R 3/12: for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)}
- H04R 3/14: Cross-over networks
- H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers
- H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)}
- H04R 5/0335: {Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105)}
- H04R 9/06: Loudspeakers
- H04S 7/304: {For headphones}
- H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
- G02C 11/06: Hearing aids (construction of electric hearing aids H04R25/00)
- G10L 2021/02166: {Microphone arrays; Beamforming}
- H04M 1/6058: {involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone}
- H04R 1/2873: {for loudspeaker transducers}
- H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response
- H04R 2201/103: Combination of monophonic or stereophonic headphones with audio players, e.g. integrated in the headphone
- H04R 2201/401: 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
- H04R 2410/05: Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
- H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
- H04R 2430/03: Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
- H04R 2430/21: Direction finding using differential microphone array [DMA]
- H04R 2430/23: Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former
- H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
- H04R 2499/11: Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
- H04S 2400/11: Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence)
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an acoustic output apparatus. The acoustic output apparatus may include an earphone core including at least one acoustic driver for outputting sound though one or more sound guiding holes set on the acoustic output apparatus, a controller configured to cause the at least one acoustic driver to output sound, a power source assembly configured to provide electrical power to the earphone core, the one or more sensors, and the controller, and an interactive control component configured to allow an interaction between a user and the acoustic output apparatus.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An acoustic output apparatus, comprising:
an earphone core including at least one acoustic driver for outputting sound through one or more sound guiding holes set on the acoustic output apparatus, the at least one acoustic driver comprising a low-frequency acoustic driver that outputs sound from at least two first sound guiding holes and a high-frequency acoustic driver that outputs sound from at least two second sound guiding holes;
one or more sensors configured to detect status information of a user;
a controller configured to cause the at least one acoustic driver to output sound based on the detected status information;
a power source assembly configured to provide electrical power to the earphone core, the one or more sensors, and the controller; and
an interactive control component configured to allow an interaction between the user and the acoustic output apparatus.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interactive control component comprises at least one of:
a button control module, configured to control the acoustic output apparatus based on an instruction input by a user through buttons;
a voice control module, configured to control the acoustic output apparatus based on a voice control instruction received from the user;
a posture control module, configured to control the acoustic output apparatus based on a posture of the user;
an auxiliary control module, configured to control the acoustic output apparatus based on a working state of the acoustic output apparatus; and
an indication control module, configured to indicate a working state of the acoustic output apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 2, wherein the voice control module comprises:
a receiving unit, configured to receive the voice control instruction from the user;
a processing unit, configured to generate an instruction signal based on the voice control instruction;
a recognition unit, configured to identify whether the instruction signal matches a preset signal; and
a control unit, configured to control the acoustic output apparatus based on the instruction signal and a matching result.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of a locating sensor, an orientation sensor, an inertial sensor, an audio sensor, and a wireless transceiver.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more sensors detect a point of interest (POI) that the user is proximate to or facing towards.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the at least one acoustic driver to output sound based on the detected status information of the user.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 6, wherein to cause the at least one acoustic driver to output sound based on the detected status information of the user, the controller is further configured to
determine an audio message related to the POI; and
cause the earphone core to replay the audio message upon the detection of the POI by the one or more sensors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 7, wherein the POI is a virtual audio marker with which the audio message is associated.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
an active noise reduction module configured to generate, according to detected noise, an anti-noise acoustic signal to reduce the detected noise within the output sound.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller causes the low-frequency acoustic driver to output sound in a first frequency range and the high-frequency acoustic driver to output sound in a second frequency range, and the second frequency range including frequencies higher than the first frequency range.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first frequency range and the second frequency range at least in part overlap.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:
an electronic frequency division module configured to decompose a source signal into a low-frequency signal corresponding to the first frequency range and a high-frequency signal corresponding to the second frequency range, wherein the low-frequency signal drives the low-frequency acoustic driver to generate sound, and the high-frequency signal drives the high-frequency acoustic driver to generate sound.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the low-frequency acoustic driver and the at least two first sound guiding holes form a first acoustic route,
the high-frequency acoustic driver and the at least two second sound guiding holes form a second acoustic route, and
the first acoustic route and the second acoustic route have different frequency selection characteristics.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein there is a first distance between the two first sound guiding holes and a second distance between the two second sound guiding holes, the first distance being larger than the second distance.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
a supporting structure configured to carry the low-frequency acoustic driver and the high-frequency acoustic driver and position the at least two first sound guiding holes and the at least two second sound guiding holes away from a position of the user's ears.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least two first sound guiding holes and the at least two second sound guiding holes are disposed on the supporting structure.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein sound output from the at least two first sound guiding holes has reversed phases.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a flexible circuit board configured to connect at least the earphone core and the power source assembly, wherein the flexible circuit board comprises:
one or more bonding pads configured to connect one or more components of the acoustic output apparatus or other bonding pads; or
one or more leads configured to connect the one or more components of the acoustic output apparatus with at least one bonding pad.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The acoustic output apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source assembly includes a body region and a sealing region, a thickness of the body region being greater than a thickness of the sealing region, a side surface of the sealing region and a side surface of the body region having a shape of a stair.