Patent Description:
<CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose prior art earpieces.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an earphone as set out in the independent claim <NUM>. Further aspects of the invention are defined in the dependent claims. According to the invention, an earpiece includes an electro-acoustic transducer and a housing. The housing supports the electro-acoustic transducer such that the housing and the electro-acoustic transducer together define a first acoustic volume and a second acoustic volume. The electro-acoustic transducer is arranged such that a first radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the first acoustic volume and such that a second radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the second acoustic volume. A front port couples the first acoustic volume to a space outside the housing, and a rear port couples the second acoustic volume to the space outside the housing. Respective outlet ends of the front port and the rear port combine before exiting the housing via a combined exit volume and an exit port.

Implementations may include or of the following features, or any combination thereof.

In some implementations, the housing defines a nozzle and the first acoustic volume is acoustically coupled to an acoustic passage in the nozzle such that the electro-acoustic transducer is acoustically coupled to a user's ear canal when the earpiece is worn.

In certain implementations, the earpiece includes an ear tip supported on the nozzle and configured to form a tight acoustic seal with a user's ear canal when the earpiece is worn.

In some cases, the housing includes a receptacle for receiving wiring for powering the electro-acoustic transducer.

In certain cases, the exit port is covered with a mesh along an exterior surface of the housing.

In some examples, the exit port comprises a tube.

In certain examples, an outlet end of the tube is covered with a mesh.

In some implementations, the front port is formed integrally with the housing.

In certain implementations, a maximum pressure in the first acoustic volume when the exit port is sealed is between <NUM> dB SPL and <NUM> dB SPL.

In some cases, a maximum pressure in the first acoustic volume when the exit port is sealed is no greater than <NUM> dB SPL.

In certain cases, a hearing aid includes the earpiece, a casing, and wiring coupling the casing to the earpiece. The casing is configured to sit behind a user's pinna when worn.

In some examples, the hearing includes a battery, a microphone, and a sound processor housed in the casing.

In certain examples, the hearing aid also includes electronics housed within the casing and a microphone supported by the housing, and the wiring electrically couples the microphone to the electronics.

In some implementations, the wiring comprises flexible printed circuitry.

In certain implementations, the wiring electrically couples the electro-acoustic transducer to the electronics.

In some cases, the microphone is a feedback microphone arranged for picking up audio at the user's ear canal.

In certain cases, the microphone is a feedforward microphone arranged for picking up ambient noise in a region external to the housing for feedforward noise cancelation.

In some examples, the electronics are configured to execute an active noise cancellation algorithm that uses input from the microphone.

In certain examples, the earpiece includes a battery, a microphone, and a sound processor supported in the housing.

In some implementations, the electro-acoustic transducer includes a diaphragm defining the first and second radiating surfaces, and wherein the diaphragm has a diameter of less than <NUM>.

In certain implementations, the electro-acoustic transducer is a moving coil transducer.

In some cases, the hearing aid includes a battery; a first microphone; a sound processor; a transceiver; a second microphone; and wiring. The battery, the first microphone, the sound processor, and the transceiver are housed in the casing. The second microphone is supported by the housing and the wiring extends between the housing and the casing and electrically couples the second microphone to the sound processor.

In some examples, the sound processor is configured to execute an active noise cancellation algorithm that uses input from the second microphone.

In another aspect, an earpiece includes an electro-acoustic transducer and a housing that supports the electro-acoustic transducer. The housing and the electro-acoustic transducer together defining a first acoustic volume and a second acoustic volume. The electro-acoustic transducer is arranged such that a first radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume, and such that a second radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the rear acoustic volume. A front port couples the first acoustic volume to space outside the housing and a rear port couples the second acoustic volume to the space outside the housing. A valve is provided over the front port and the rear port and arranged such that if the valve closes, it closes off the front port and the rear port separately.

Another aspect features a hearing aid that includes an electro--acoustic transducer, a microphone, and a housing supporting the electro-acoustic transducer and the microphone and sized to sit at least partially within a user's ear canal. The hearing aid also includes electronics, a casing supporting the electronics and configured to sit behind a user's pinna when worn, and wiring extending between the casing to the housing and electrically coupling the electronics to the electro-acoustic transducer and the microphone.

In some implementations, the electronics are configured to execute an active noise cancellation algorithm to produce a signal that causes the electro-acoustic transducer to produce acoustic energy to cancel noise based on input from the microphone.

Another aspect provides a hearing aid that includes an electro-acoustic transducer and a housing supporting the electro-acoustic transducer and sized to sit at least partially with in a user's ear canal. The hearing aid also includes electronics, a casing supporting the electronics and configured to sit behind a user's pinna when worn, wiring extending between the casing to the housing and electrically coupling the electronics to the electro-acoustic transducer, and a microphone supported by the housing. The electronics are configured to execute an active noise cancellation algorithm to produce a signal that causes the electro-acoustic transducer to produce acoustic energy to cancel noise based on input from the microphone.

In some implementations, the electro-acoustic transducer is a full range transducer.

In some cases, the electronics include a transceiver that supports transmission of high-fidelity audio.

In certain cases, the microphone is supported by the housing and the wiring electrically couples the microphone to the electronics.

In some examples, the microphone is a feedback microphone arranged for picking up audio at the user's ear canal.

In certain examples, the microphone is a feedforward microphone arranged to be acoustically coupled to the air adjacent to the user's pinna for feedforward noise cancelation.

In some implementations, the hearing aid also includes a second microphone supported by the casing.

In certain implementations, the second microphone includes a microphone array.

In some cases, the hearing aid is incorporated into a system that also includes a computing device. The computing device is communicatively coupled to the hearing aid and configured to execute a software program that allows a user to adjust one or more features of the hearing aid.

In certain cases, the software program allows a user to adjust signal processing parameters of the hearing aid.

In some examples, the signal processing parameters include filter coefficients for the active noise cancellation algorithm.

Implementation may provide one or more of the following benefits.

Implementations may allow a device, such as an earpiece, to be designed with low occlusion and flat low frequency output that cannot unintentionally produce excessive low frequency pressures due to blocking of its acoustic ports. Some implementations may allow for greater consistency of an earpiece's output regardless of blocking of the ports. In the case of hearing assistance devices, certain implementations described herein may allow the device to be tested according to standardized testing without generating excessive pressures.

It is noted that the drawings of the various implementations are not necessarily to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the disclosure, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention.

With reference to <FIG>, a typical receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid <NUM> includes a behind-the-ear portion <NUM> that includes a battery, a microphone, and a sound processor housed in a casing <NUM> designed to sit behind a user's ear (pinna). This behind-the-ear portion <NUM> of the hearing aid <NUM> has a small wire <NUM> designed to run around the user's ear and into an ear piece <NUM> that is designed to sit in the user's ear canal. The earpiece <NUM> carries a speaker, also known as the "receiver" or "driver.

Conventional RIC style hearing aids often include a compliant tip on the ear piece for engaging the user's ear canal, which help to keep the ear piece in place within the user's ear canal. These ear tips, or "domes," are typically either i) closed - forming a tight acoustic seal with the user's ear canal (see "closed dome <NUM>" of <FIG>); or ii) open - having a number of large apertures 204that allow acoustic energy to move into and out of the user's ear canal (see "open dome <NUM>" of <FIG>).

The closed dome configuration suffers from what is known as the occlusion effect. The occlusion effect amplifies lower-frequency components of the user's own voice due to the acoustic blockage of the ear canal. Vibrations due to the user's voice travel through the head and into the ear canal. When the ear is not occluded, the associated pressure escapes out of the ear; when the ear is occluded, and the pressure cannot escape, low-frequency components are grossly amplified inside the user's ear. Occluding the ear causes an additional problem - blocking of the ear canal prevents higher frequency components of the user's voice from traveling around the head and back in the ear. These two issues result in undesirable own-voice quality, typically perceived as the user's voice being "boomy" or "muffled. " By "own-voice," we refer to the user's perception of their own voice while speaking.

The open dome (a/k/a "low-occlusion") configuration relieves this occlusion effect, but it introduces another problem. Low-Occlusion in-ear devices typically have a leak path from the ear canal to outside the device and ear canal. This leak reduces product-generated low frequency pressures that can reach the ear. In order to get a flat response in such a configuration, the device must produce excess air compression at low frequencies relative to a more occluding device. For many potential configurations, this leak path can become plugged or sealed, for instance by poor fit, ear wax or foreign material. This can result in the device generating higher pressures in the ear canal than intended by design. These higher pressures may exceed regulatory or safety limits. This disclosure is based, at least in part, on the realization that an earpiece architecture can be designed such that these fault conditions result in smaller increases to the pressure potentially produced by the device.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate an exemplary earpiece <NUM> for a RIC style hearing aid. The earpiece <NUM> includes an earbud <NUM> and an ear tip <NUM>. The earbud <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> that supports an electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> (a/k/a speaker or driver). Together, the housing <NUM> and the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> define a first (front) acoustic volume <NUM> and a second (rear) acoustic volume <NUM>. The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> is arranged such that a first (front) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume <NUM>, and such that a second (rear) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the rear acoustic volume <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> also defines a nozzle <NUM> that is configured to be coupled to the ear tip <NUM>. The front acoustic volume <NUM> is acoustically coupled to an acoustic passage <NUM> in the nozzle <NUM>, e.g., such that the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> can be acoustically coupled to a user's ear canal when the earpiece <NUM> is worn. The housing <NUM> also defines a receptacle <NUM> for receiving wiring for powering the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>.

The ear tip <NUM> is supported on the nozzle <NUM> and includes a pair of front ports; i.e., first and second front ports 320a and 320b, respectively. The housing <NUM> also defines a third front port <NUM> that acoustically couples the front acoustic volume <NUM> to the area external to the housing <NUM>. While three front ports are shown and described, there could be fewer or more ports. The port(s) may consist of an open hole, a screen covered hole, or any other configuration that results in a desired acoustic behavior. In some configurations, the third front port <NUM> proves a small acoustic leak, while the first and second front ports 320a, 320b provide relatively large acoustic leaks. The earpiece <NUM> also includes a rear port <NUM> that couples the rear acoustic volume <NUM> to the space outside the housing <NUM>. The rear port <NUM> primarily serves to reduce the effective stiffness of the rear volume on the driver and prevent overpressure due to environmental changes, while the front port(s) 320a, 320b, <NUM> prevent excess low frequency pressures in the ear canal and reduce occlusion.

In the earpiece <NUM> illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, if the first and second front ports 320a, 320b are sealed, e.g., by improper fit, wax, or foreign material, large pressures could be generated at the ear drum. Also note that some test procedures may dictate that these ports are sealed during testing. If a system has both large leak due to its front ports and large driver output to make up for this leak, doing so will show artificially high pressures during these tests.

<FIG> shows an example comparison for sealed and unsealed front ports 320a, 320b, <NUM> in an earpiece constructed according to <FIG>. Curve <NUM> illustrates the difference in generated pressures per volt when the front ports 320a, 32b, <NUM> are sealed versus when the front ports 320a, 320b, <NUM> are open. As can be seen in <FIG>, there is a significant increase in sound pressure level when the front ports 302a, 320b, and <NUM> are sealed particularly at frequencies below <NUM>.

<FIG> shows another exemplary earpiece <NUM> constructed in accordance with this disclosure. One goal of the configuration illustrates in <FIG> is to help ensure that for any given blocking of the device's acoustic ports, the device performance change does not create potential to generate unintentionally high SPLs. A secondary benefit is that the proposed device would not create un-representatively high pressures during standardized testing.

The earpiece <NUM> includes an earbud <NUM> and an ear tip <NUM>. The earbud <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> that supports an electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> (a/k/a speaker or driver). The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> may be a moving coil transducer. The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> may be a full range microdriver, e.g., having a diaphragm less than <NUM> in diameter, e.g., between <NUM> and <NUM> in diameter, e.g., <NUM> to <NUM> in diameter, such as those described in <CIT>, and/or <CIT>. As used herein "full range" is intended to mean capable of producing frequencies from about <NUM> to about <NUM>.

Together, the housing <NUM> and the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> define a first (front) acoustic volume <NUM> and a second (rear) acoustic volume <NUM>. The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> is arranged such that a first (front) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> produces acoustic energy in the front acoustic volume <NUM>, and such that a second (rear) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> produces acoustic energy in the rear acoustic volume <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> also defines a nozzle <NUM> that is configured to be coupled to the ear tip <NUM>. The front acoustic volume <NUM> is acoustically coupled to an acoustic passage <NUM> in the nozzle <NUM>, e.g., such that the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> can be acoustically coupled to a user's ear canal when the earpiece <NUM> is worn. The housing <NUM> also defines a receptacle <NUM> for receiving wiring for powering the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may be formed of, e.g., molded form, a hard plastic such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polycarbonate/ Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (PCB/ABS), polyetherimide (PEI), or stereolithography (SLA) resin).

In the illustrated example, the ear tip <NUM> is in the shape of a hollow cylinder with a hollow passage <NUM> that is configured to receive the nozzle <NUM> of the earbud <NUM>. The ear tip <NUM> is configured to fit at least partially within a person's ear canal. The ear tip <NUM> includes a body <NUM> that is configured to receive and/or be mounted onto the earbud <NUM>. The body <NUM> includes a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM> opposite the first end <NUM>. The body <NUM> further includes inner wall <NUM> extending between the first end <NUM> and the second end <NUM>. The inner wall <NUM> defines and surrounds the hollow passage <NUM> which can be configured to conduct sound waves. The body <NUM> also includes an outer wall <NUM> connected to the inner wall <NUM> at the first end <NUM>. The outer wall <NUM> extends away from the inner wall <NUM> toward the second end <NUM>. In the illustrated example, the outer wall <NUM> is dome-like in shape; however other shapes, such as frustoconical, are contemplated. Additionally, implementations where the ear tip is supported by the housing <NUM> without the inclusion of a nozzle <NUM> are contemplated. In the example illustrated in <FIG>, the ear tip <NUM> is of the closed type with no ports or apertures so that a tight acoustic seal is formed with the user's ear canal. In the example illustrated in <FIG>, the ear tip <NUM> is of the closed type with no ports or apertures so that a tight acoustic seal is formed with the user's ear canal.

While an ear tip <NUM> in the shape of a hollow cylinder has been shown and described, the ear tip <NUM> is not limited to any particular shape and other shapes are contemplated.

The body <NUM> can be made of any suitable soft, flexible materials, including, for example, silicone, polyurethane, polynorbornene (e.g., Norsorex® material available from D-NOV GmbH of Vienna, Austria), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), and/or fluoroelastomer. In some implementations, the inner wall <NUM> and the outer wall <NUM> can be formed of different materials, e.g., in an additive manufacturing or two-shot molding process. In some cases, the inner wall <NUM> may be formed of a higher durometer material, e.g., to ensure good coupling to the nozzle <NUM>, and the outer wall <NUM> may be formed of a lower durometer material, e.g., for compliance (to ensure a good acoustic seal) and comfort. Alternatively, or additionally, one or more parts of the ear tip may be custom molded to fit an individual's ears from a substantially rigid material. Furthermore, some implementations may not include an ear tip. In such cases, one or more parts of the earbud may be custom molded, e.g., from a substantially rigid material, to fit an individual's ears.

The earpiece <NUM> includes a front port <NUM> coupling the front acoustic volume <NUM> to space outside the housing <NUM>, and a rear port <NUM> that couples the rear acoustic volume <NUM> to the space outside the housing <NUM>. The rear port <NUM> primarily serves to reduce the effective stiffness of the rear volume on the driver and prevent overpressure due to environmental changes, while the front port <NUM> prevents excess low frequency pressures in the ear canal and reduces occlusion.

In some examples, the front port may be implemented in the form of a tube. The front port tube may be formed integrally with the housing <NUM>. Alternatively, or additionally, the front port tube may be made of metal, e.g., stainless steel. The front port tube may include a metal tube seated inside a wall of the front acoustic volume <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may be made of plastic, and the front port tube may be heat-staked to the plastic. The tube may be substantially straight or may be curved along its length. As used herein "diameter" is intended to cover a diameter of a circle for a circular cross-section as well as an equivalent diameter for a non-circular cross-section, e.g., square, rectangular, or substantially semi-circular cross-sections. Alternatively, the front port may be in the form of a hole, e.g., an open hole or a mesh covered hole.

In some cases, the rear port <NUM> may be implemented in the form of a tube. The tube may be formed integrally with the housing <NUM>. Alternatively, or additionally, the tube may be made of metal, e.g., stainless steel. The tube may include a metal tube seated inside a wall of the rear acoustic volume <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may be made of plastic, and the tube may be heat-staked to the plastic. Alternatively, the rear port may be implemented in the form of a hole, e.g., an open hole or a screen covered hole. The tube may be substantially straight or may be curved along its length. As used herein "diameter" is intended to cover a diameter of a circle for a circular cross-section as well as an equivalent diameter for a non-circular cross-section, e.g., square, rectangular, or substantially semi-circular cross-sections.

Notably, an inlet end of the front port <NUM> is internal to the earpiece <NUM> such that the only way to block it external to the earpiece <NUM> is to block the nozzle <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM>. This can be desirable, since blocking the nozzle <NUM> may prevent any artificially high product-generated sound pressures from entering the ear. Also note that respective outlet ends of the rear port <NUM> and the front port <NUM> combine before exiting the product via a combined exit volume <NUM> and an exit port <NUM>. This means that neither can be plugged without plugging the other. In a plugged condition, the exit port impedance will increase, which will acoustically short circuit the front and rear acoustic volumes <NUM>, <NUM>, reducing the pressure at the ear relative to that which would have occurred by plugging only the front port <NUM>. This can be designed to also result in reduced maximum pressures. In some implementations, the maximum pressure in the front acoustic volume <NUM> when the exit port <NUM> is sealed (blocked) is between <NUM> dB SPL and <NUM> dB SPL. In some cases, the maximum pressure in the front acoustic volume <NUM> when the exit port <NUM> is sealed is no greater than <NUM> dB SPL.

The exit port <NUM> may take various forms such as a mesh (e.g., metal screen) covered hole <NUM> (<FIG>), an open hole <NUM> (<FIG>), a tube <NUM> (<FIG>), or a plurality of holes, e.g., a plurality of mesh covered or open holes <NUM> (<FIG>). The outlet end of the tube <NUM> of <FIG> may or may not be covered with a mesh. The exit volume size and exit port impedance may be tuned to provide a desired performance under open and sealed conditions. Furthermore, while a single exit port is shown, the exit may include a multitude of openings.

<FIG> shows an example comparison (difference curve) for a sealed and an unsealed exit port <NUM> in an earpiece constructed according to <FIG>. Curve <NUM> illustrates the difference in generated pressures per volt when the exit port <NUM> is sealed versus when the exit port <NUM> is open. Note the small difference between the sealed and unsealed cases, relative to that shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary hearing aid <NUM> that includes the earpiece <NUM> of <FIG> and a behind-the-ear portion <NUM> designed to sit behind a user's ear (pinna). The behind-the-ear portion <NUM> includes a casing <NUM> that houses electronics <NUM> including a sound processor <NUM>, a battery <NUM> for powering the electronics <NUM>, and a microphone <NUM>. In some cases, the microphone <NUM> may include a plurality of microphones that may be configured in an array. The sound processor <NUM> receives signals from the microphone <NUM> and performs one or more processing operations including beam steering, null forming, gain, compression, and/or active noise cancellation (e.g., feedforward active noise cancellation).

The electronics <NUM> may also include a transceiver circuit <NUM>. The transceiver circuit <NUM> may transmit and receive wireless signals, including receive streaming audio (e.g., high fidelity audio) for rendering by the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>. The transceiver circuit <NUM> may communicate wirelessly with a data source such as a smartphone or any other suitable digital audio playing device, such as a laptop or personal computer, that stores and/or plays digital audio files. The transceiver circuit <NUM> may alternatively or additionally be configured to communicate with a second, companion hearing aid, e.g., for transmitting digital audio content between the two hearing aids, e.g., for stereo playback or beamforming. The transceiver circuit <NUM> may communicate, e.g., with the data source or a second, companion hearing aid, using any suitable wireless communication protocol, including Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi (e.g., IEEE <NUM> alb/g/n), WiMAX (IEEE <NUM>), Zigbee, UWB, NFMI, or any other suitable wireless communication protocol.

The transceiver circuit <NUM> may also enable communication with a software application running on a computing device, such as a smart phone. The software application may be used for self-tuning to allow a user to adjust DSP filters to tune audio (either high fidelity audio coming from an audio data source or audio delivered from the microphone <NUM> (e.g., a microphone array).

The electronics <NUM> may further include an audio amplifier, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, e.g., for converting an analog microphone signal to digital form, a digital-to-analog (D/A) converter, e.g., for converting a digital audio signal to analog form for transduction by the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>, and a microcontroller for controlling operation of the various electronic components.

This behind-the-ear portion <NUM> of the hearing aid <NUM> includes wiring <NUM> designed to run around the user's ear and into the earpiece <NUM>. The wiring <NUM> may include a plurality of wires carried in a common conduit (e.g., a sheath or tube) that runs between the earpiece and the behind-the-ear portion. The wiring <NUM> powers the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>. The wiring <NUM> may also be used to couple the electronics <NUM> to a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedback microphone) supported in the housing <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM>. The wiring <NUM> may include flexible printed circuitry; i.e., one or more flexible printed circuits and/or the wiring <NUM> may be coupled to one or more flexible printed circuits within the housing <NUM>.

The microphone <NUM> is arranged for picking up audio at the user's ear canal. Input from the microphone <NUM> may be fed back to the sound processor <NUM> for feedback active noise cancelation. The microphone <NUM> may be supported by the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> such as described in <CIT>.

In some implementations, the hearing aid <NUM> may alternatively, or additionally, include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedforward microphone) supported by (e.g., support on or within) the housing <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM> and arranged to be acoustically coupled to the air adjacent to the user's pinna. Input from the microphone <NUM> may be fed back to the sound processor <NUM> via the wiring <NUM> for feedforward active noise cancelation.

<FIG> show a system <NUM> including the hearing aid <NUM> of <FIG> and a computing device <NUM> (e.g., a smart phone). The hearing aid <NUM> and the computing device <NUM> may communicate wirelessly over a wireless network 804a via respective transceivers. As described above, the computing device <NUM> may be configured to provide audio to the hearing aid <NUM>. The computing device <NUM> may also be used for selecting audio content for playback, transport control, e.g., play/pause, and/or volume or equalization control. In some implementations, the computing device <NUM> may execute a software program that allows a user to adjust signal processing parameters for the hearing aid, such as described in <CIT>.

In some cases, the system <NUM> may include a second, companion hearing aid <NUM>'. The computing device <NUM> may be configured to communicated wirelessly with the second hearing aid <NUM>' either directly (e.g., via a wireless network 804b) or via the (first) hearing aid <NUM>. Furthermore, the hearing aids <NUM>, <NUM>' may be configured to communicate wirelessly with each other, e.g., for sharing audio data or control information over a wireless network 804c.

With reference to <FIG>, the computing device <NUM> includes a processor <NUM>, memory <NUM>, an input/output device such as a display <NUM>, a communication interface <NUM>, and a transceiver <NUM>, among other components.

In addition, an external interface <NUM> may be in communication with processor <NUM>, so as to enable near area communication of device <NUM> with other devices.

Such expansion memory <NUM> may provide extra storage space for device <NUM> or may also store applications or other information for device <NUM>. Specifically, expansion memory <NUM> may include instructions to carry out or supplement the processes described above and may include secure information also. Thus, for example, expansion memory <NUM> may be provide as a security module for device <NUM> and may be programmed with instructions that permit secure use of device <NUM>.

The information carrier is a computer- or machine-readable medium, such as the memory <NUM>, expansion memory <NUM>, memory on processor <NUM>, or a propagated signal that may be received, for example, over transceiver <NUM> or external interface <NUM>.

Such sound may include sound from voice telephone calls, may include recorded sound (e.g., voice messages, music files, and so forth) and may also include sound generated by applications operating on device <NUM>.

It may also be implemented as part of a smartphone <NUM>, personal digital assistant, tablet computer, or other similar mobile device.

In the example described above, with respect to <FIG>, the ear tip <NUM> is of the closed type with no ports or apertures so that a tight acoustic seal is formed with the user's ear canal. However, in some implementations, the ear tip may include pressure equalization ports or apertures provided that any ports in the ear tip are much smaller than the pressure equalization port in the housing.

While implementations have been described that include a single rear port and a single front port that are coupled to a common exit port, some implementations may include plural pairs of rear ports and front ports, e.g., with each pair coupled to a corresponding exit port. For example, <FIG> illustrates an earpiece <NUM> that includes a first front port <NUM> and a first rear port <NUM> whose outlets are combined in a first exit volume <NUM> before exiting the earpiece <NUM> via a first exit port <NUM>, as well as a second front port <NUM> and a second rear port <NUM> whose outlets are combined in a second exit volume <NUM> before exiting the earpiece <NUM> via a second exit port <NUM>. The front ports <NUM>, <NUM> acoustically couple the front acoustic volume <NUM> to the area external to the housing <NUM> and the rear ports <NUM>, <NUM> acoustically couple the rear acoustic volume <NUM> to the area external to the housing <NUM>. As in the implementations described above, the exit ports <NUM>, <NUM> may or may not be covered with a mesh and may or may not include a tube(s). The use of plural exit ports may reduce the likelihood of a complete seal, but still helps to mitigate pressure increases if either one or both of the exit ports are sealed. It is also possible to have multiple front ports and/or multiple rear ports combining into the same exit volume. Where multiple port paths are used, they may be either identical or different in dimension/acoustic impedance.

The earpiece <NUM> may also include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedback microphone) acoustically coupled to the first acoustic volume <NUM> for picking up audio in the user's ear canal. The earpiece <NUM> may alternatively, or additionally, include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedforward microphone) supported by the housing <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM> for picking up ambient noise for feedforward noise cancellation.

With reference to <FIG>, in another implementation, an earpiece <NUM> could be made by eliminating the exit volume and having a valve <NUM> over the front port <NUM> and the rear port <NUM>, such that if the valve <NUM> closes, it closes off the front port <NUM> and the rear port <NUM> separately. In this case, the front and rear acoustic volumes <NUM>, <NUM> would not acoustically short circuit. Instead, sealing of the mass port <NUM> would increase the stiffness of the system such that the acoustic pressure in the ear or in a <NUM>^<NUM> coupler would be reduced relative to the sealed case shown in <FIG>, but not as much as in the sealed case shown in <FIG>. The earpiece <NUM> may include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedback microphone) acoustically coupled to the first acoustic volume <NUM> for picking up audio in the user's ear canal. The earpiece <NUM> may alternatively, or additionally, include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedforward microphone) supported by the housing <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM> for picking up ambient noise for feedforward noise cancellation.

While implementations have been described which use a moving coil type electro-acoustic transducer, some implementations may utilize a balanced armature driver. For example, some implementations may utilize a vented balanced armature driver that delivers acoustic output radiated from a first side of a diaphragm through a nozzle coupled to a first acoustic volume of an earpiece, and vents acoustic energy radiated from a second side of the diaphragm into a second acoustic volume of the earpiece.

Some implementations may include multiple balanced armatures. One example includes two (<NUM>) counterbalanced balanced armatures in a single housing, with two diaphragms. Respective front sides of the diaphragms combine internal to the housing and are acoustically coupled via an opening or nozzle to the front acoustic volume. The rear sides of the diaphragms are separated in the housing and vent separately into the rear acoustic volume.

Although implementations of earpieces for RIC style hearing aids have been shown and described above, the coupling of rear and front ports may be beneficial to other applications including earpieces for: in-ear hearing aids, e.g., completely-in-the-canal (CIC), in-the-canal (ITC), or in-the-ear (ITE) style hearing aids; and headphones, e.g., wired or wireless headphones, and in-ear or around-ear headphone styles.

Furthermore, while implementations have been described in which an earpiece includes an earbud and an ear tip coupled to the earbud, <FIG> illustrates another implementation of an earpiece <NUM> that includes an earbud <NUM> without an ear tip. The earbud <NUM> is configured to engage a user's ear canal directly to form an acoustic seal therebetween. The earbud <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> that supports an electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> (a/k/a speaker or driver). Together, the housing <NUM> and the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> define a first (front) acoustic volume <NUM> and a second (rear) acoustic volume <NUM>. The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> is arranged such that a first (front) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume <NUM>, and such that a second (rear) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the rear acoustic volume <NUM>.

The housing <NUM> also defines a nozzle <NUM> that is configured to engage a user's ear canal directly to form an acoustic seal therebetween. The front acoustic volume <NUM> is acoustically coupled to an acoustic passage <NUM> in the nozzle <NUM>, e.g., such that the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> can be acoustically coupled to a user's ear canal when the earpiece <NUM> is worn. The housing <NUM> may also define a receptacle (not shown) for receiving wiring for powering the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM>. In some cases, the housing <NUM> may also support a microphone, a battery, and/or a sound processor.

The earpiece <NUM> includes a front port <NUM> coupling the front acoustic volume <NUM> to the space outside the housing <NUM>, and a rear port <NUM> that couples the rear acoustic volume <NUM> to the space outside the housing <NUM>. As in the implementation discussed above with respect to <FIG>, respective outlet ends of the rear port <NUM> and the front port <NUM> combine before exiting the product via a combined exit volume <NUM> and an exit port <NUM>. The exit port <NUM> may take various forms such as a tube, a mesh, or a hole. The earpiece <NUM> may include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedback microphone) acoustically coupled to the first acoustic volume <NUM> for picking up audio in the user's ear canal. The earpiece <NUM> may alternatively, or additionally, include a microphone <NUM> (e.g., a feedforward microphone) supported by the housing <NUM> of the earpiece <NUM> for picking up ambient noise for feedforward noise cancellation.

<FIG> illustrates a configuration that may be useful for an in-the-ear type hearing aid, <FIG> illustrates an alternative arrangement of an earpiece <NUM>' that may be beneficial for an in-the-canal or completely-in-canal configuration. In that regard, the configuration of <FIG> relocates the exit port <NUM> from a surface of the housing <NUM> adjacent the nozzle <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>) to a surface of housing <NUM> that is opposite the nozzle <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an earpiece <NUM> for an around-ear headphone. The earpiece <NUM> includes an ear cup <NUM> and a circumaural cushion <NUM>. The ear cup <NUM> includes a housing <NUM> that supports an electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> (a/k/a speaker or driver). Together, the housing <NUM> and the electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> define a first (front) acoustic volume <NUM> and a second (rear) acoustic volume <NUM>. The electro-acoustic transducer <NUM> is arranged such that a first (front) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the front acoustic volume <NUM>, and such that a second (rear) radiating surface of the transducer <NUM> radiates acoustic energy into the rear acoustic volume <NUM>. The housing <NUM> may be formed of a rigid material, such as plastic, e.g., ABS plastic. The circumaural cushion <NUM> is configured to circumferentially surround a user's ear and to provide an acoustic seal between the front acoustic volume <NUM> and the user's head when the device is worn. The circumaural cushion <NUM> may be formed of a foam.

The earpiece <NUM> includes a front port <NUM> coupling the front acoustic volume <NUM> to space outside the housing <NUM>, and a rear port <NUM>. that couples the rear acoustic volume <NUM> to the space outside the housing <NUM>. As in the implementations described above, respective outlet ends of the rear port <NUM> and the front port <NUM> may be combined together before exiting the product via a combined exit volume <NUM> and an exit port <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates an exemplary pair of headphones <NUM> that incorporates the ear cup <NUM> of <FIG>. The headphones <NUM> include a pair of earpieces <NUM>, constructed in accordance with <FIG>, and a band <NUM> that mechanically couples the two earpieces <NUM> together. The ear cups <NUM> (two shown) may be coupled to the band via yokes <NUM> that allow for articulation of the earpieces <NUM> relative the band <NUM>.

A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that additional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the inventive concepts described herein.

Claim 1:
An earpiece (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprising:
an electro-acoustic transducer (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
a housing (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) supporting the electro-acoustic transducer such that the housing and the electro-acoustic transducer together define a first acoustic volume (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and a second acoustic volume (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), the electro-acoustic transducer being arranged such that a first radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the first acoustic volume and such that a second radiating surface of the transducer radiates acoustic energy into the second acoustic volume;
a front port (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) coupling the first acoustic volume to a space outside the housing; and
a rear port (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) coupling the second acoustic volume to the space outside the housing,
characterized in that respective outlet ends of the rear port and the front port combine before exiting the housing via a combined exit volume (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and an exit port (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>).