Wearable speaker and reproduction apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10986442-B2
Application number	US-201716344186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 16, 2016
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A wearable speaker includes a pair of speaker boxes that are attached on both ends of an attached band and a speaker unit and a passive radiator that are attached on each of the speaker boxes. The attached band is a neck hanging unit that is attachable on a neck of a user of the wearable speaker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wearable speaker, comprising:
a pair of speaker boxes, wherein one speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes is attached on each end of an attached band;
a speaker unit on a first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes;
a passive radiator on a second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes, wherein
the first surface is opposite to the second surface; and

a sound guiding unit configured to convert a radiation direction of a sound reproduced from the speaker unit, wherein
the sound guiding unit includes a wall unit and a sound guiding space formed by the wall unit,
a part of the wall unit tilts from a third surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes to a fourth surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes,
a length of the sound guiding space in a height direction decreases from the third surface to the fourth surface based on the tilt of the wall unit from the third surface to the fourth surface,
the sound guiding space that faces the speaker unit has a maximum length in the height direction, and
the third surface is opposite to the fourth surface.

2. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein
the attached band has a U-shape,
the first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes faces outside with respect to an ear of a listener in an attached status,
in the attached status the attached band is hung on a neck of the listener, and
the second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes faces inside with respect to the ear of the listener in the attached status.

3. The wearable speaker according to claim 2 , wherein
the speaker unit is on a position of the first surface,
the position of the first surface deviates in a first direction from a center position of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes based on the listener in the attached status,
the passive radiator is on a position of the second surface, and
the position of the second surface deviates in a second direction from the center position based on the listener in the attached status.

4. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein
the sound guiding unit further includes an aperture,
the sound guiding space is connected with a sound radiation surface of the speaker unit,
and
the aperture is on a fifth surface different from each of the third surface and the fourth surface and is configured to radiate the sound from the sound guiding space.

5. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein the tilt of the wall unit has a curved surface.

6. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein the wall unit includes a hole.

7. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein
the attached band is a neck hanging unit that is attachable on a neck of a listener of the wearable speaker.

8. The wearable speaker according to claim 1 , wherein
the wearable speaker is configured to adjust a magnitude of a vibration produced based on an operation of the passive radiator.

9. A reproduction apparatus, comprising:
a signal processing unit configured to process an audio signal; and
a wearable speaker that includes:
a pair of speaker boxes, wherein one speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes is attached on each end of an attached band;
a speaker unit on a first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes;
a passive radiator on a second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes, wherein
the first surface is opposite to the second surface; and
a sound guiding unit configured to convert a radiation direction of a sound reproduced from the speaker unit, wherein
the sound guiding unit includes a wall unit and a sound guiding space formed by the wall unit,
a part of the wall unit tilts from a third surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes to a fourth surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes,
a length of the sound guiding space in a height direction decreases from the third surface to the fourth surface based on the tilt of the wall unit from the third surface to the fourth surface,
the sound guiding space that faces the speaker unit has a maximum length in the height direction, and
the third surface is opposite to the fourth surface.

10. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the signal processing unit is accommodated in one of speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ohura Yoshikazu

Classifications

• H04R1/345 Primary

  for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/02

  Casings; Cabinets {; Supports therefor;} Mountings therein (H04R1/28 takes precedence {; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075}) · CPC title

• H04R1/026

  Supports for loudspeaker casings · CPC title

• H04R3/12

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• H04R1/36

  by using a single aperture of dimensions not greater than the shortest operating wavelength · CPC title