Bone conduction speaker for head-mounted wearable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10582295-B1
Application number	US-201615385757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 20, 2016
Priority date	Dec 20, 2016
Publication date	Mar 3, 2020
Grant date	Mar 3, 2020

Abstract

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) includes a bone conduction speaker (BCS) to provide audio output to a user wearing the HMWD. The BCS may be mounted within a recess of a temple of the HMWD. During wear a portion of the BCS is in physical contact with a head of the user. In one implementation, a head contact piece may be mounted to the side of the BCS that is proximate to the head. The head contact piece is contoured to maximize the contact area with the head, and may have a cross section that is approximately wedge shaped, with a thicker portion of the wedge proximate to the front of the HMWD. The BCS may include low damping elements to provide protection to the BCS from damage and improve performance, as well as high damping elements to reduce the transfer of vibrations from the BCS to the temple.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a front frame comprising a first hinge and a second hinge;
a first temple connected to the first hinge, wherein the first temple comprises a first speaker recess;
a second temple connected to the second hinge, wherein the second temple comprises a second speaker recess;
a first bone conduction speaker mounted within the first speaker recess;
a second bone conduction speaker mounted within the second speaker recess; and
wherein the first bone conduction speaker and the second bone conduction speaker each comprises:
an outer plate having a centrally located pillar;
a piezoelectric element having a center that is in contact with the centrally located pillar;
a first low damping element arranged between the outer plate and the piezoelectric element other than the centrally located pillar;
a high damping element in contact with at least a portion of a perimeter of the piezoelectric element;
an inner plate in contact with the high damping element;
a second low damping element arranged between the piezoelectric element and the inner plate other than the high damping element; and
an adhesive material between at least a portion of the inner plate and one of the first speaker recess or the second speaker recess.

2. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first head contact piece coupled to the first bone conduction speaker;
a second head contact piece coupled to the second bone conduction speaker; and
wherein the first head contact piece and the second head contact piece each comprises:
an elastomeric member that is wedge shaped in cross section, the elastomeric member having a thickest point proximate to the front frame and a thinnest point distal to the front frame.

3. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the first low damping element and the second low damping element comprise an acoustic foam and the high damping element comprises a high damping rubber.

4. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a first structure of the head-mounted wearable device having a recess;
a bone conduction speaker device mounted within the recess, the bone conduction speaker device comprising:
an outer plate;
an electrically moveable element in contact with at least a portion of the outer plate;
a low damping element arranged between the outer plate and at least a portion of the electrically moveable element, wherein the low damping element broadens a resonance peak of the electrically moveable element; and
a high damping element in contact with the at least a portion of a perimeter of the electrically moveable element.

5. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the high damping element is adhered to a surface of the recess.

6. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the high damping element is in contact with the at least a portion of the perimeter of the electrically moveable element and not in contact with a central area of the electrically moveable element; and
the bone conduction speaker device further comprising:
an inner plate in contact with the high damping element; and
wherein the inner plate is affixed to a surface within the recess.

7. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the electrically moveable element comprises one or more of a piezoelectric material, an electromagnetic coil, or an electroactive polymer.

8. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , the bone conduction speaker device further comprising a cap proximate to or integral with the outer plate.

9. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the high damping element is in contact with the at least a portion of the perimeter of the electrically moveable element; and
the bone conduction speaker device further comprising:
an inner plate in contact with the high damping element, the inner plate proximate to or integral with a base of the bone conduction speaker device.

10. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the low damping element comprises one or more pieces of acoustic foam.

11. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 10 , wherein the high damping element comprises one or more pieces of a high damping rubber.

12. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the outer plate is constructed of at least one or more of metal, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or ceramic.

13. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the outer plate further comprises a pillar that is in contact with the electrically moveable element.

14. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the bone conduction speaker device is affixed to a bottom of the recess and further comprising a gap between one or more walls of the recess and one or more sides of the bone conduction speaker device.

15. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a head contact piece coupled to the outer plate, the head contact piece comprising a wedge having a thickest point proximate to a front of the head-mounted wearable device and a thinnest point distal to the front.

16. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 15 , further comprising:
one or more of a magnet or magnetically receptive material configured to magnetically retain the head contact piece in a position that is proximate to the outer plate.

17. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 15 , further comprising:
electronics configured to deliver a signal to the electrically moveable element that causes movement of the electrically moveable element; and
one or more wires that provide an electrical connection between the electronics and the electrically moveable element.

18. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a bone conduction speaker comprising:
an outer plate having one or more pillars;
a piezoelectric element that is in contact with the one or more pillars;
a first low damping element comprising an acoustic foam and arranged between the outer plate and the piezoelectric element;
a high damping element in contact with at least a portion of a perimeter of the piezoelectric element, wherein the high damping element reduces vibrations between the bone conduction speaker and one or more components of the head-mounted wearable device;
an inner plate in contact with the high damping element; and
a second low damping element arranged between the piezoelectric element and the inner plate.

19. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a wedge shaped member affixed to the outer plate, wherein the wedge shaped member comprises an elastomer.

20. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 18 , wherein the second low damping element comprises a second acoustic foam and the high damping element comprises a high damping rubber.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Zhong Xuan
• Yang Jung Sik
• Xu Zhen
• Jeong Chun Sik
• Dong Jianchun
• Zhang Han

Classifications

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R2201/107

  Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication · CPC title

• H04R5/033

  Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• G02B27/0176

  characterised by mechanical features · CPC title