Pressure Equalization Systems and Methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016150310-A1
Application number	US-201414548490-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 20, 2014
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus include an earpiece including a chamber. The chamber has a passageway. The apparatus includes a valve configured to relieve acoustic pressure in the chamber. The valve control assembly is configured to control the valve based on acoustic pressure in the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A headphone apparatus comprising:
a speaker having a diaphragm; an earpiece including a chamber, the chamber having a passageway, wherein the chamber is configured to be at least partially bounded by the diaphragm and an ear of a user when the earpiece is worn by the user; a valve in the earpiece configured to relieve acoustic pressure in the chamber; and a valve control assembly configured to control the valve based on sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a two-position valve having an at-rest state and an actuated state, wherein in the at-rest state, the valve is configured to seal the passageway, and wherein in the actuated state, the valve is configured to enable passage of air through the passageway.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve control assembly is configured to control an opening of the valve by an amount proportional to the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the passageway is in an inner earpiece barrier that separates the chamber from a second chamber of the earpiece.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a housing of the earpiece includes an equalization port between the second chamber and an ambient environment, wherein, when open, the valve is configured to enable passage of air between the chamber and the second chamber, and wherein the equalization port is configured to enable the air to flow between the second chamber and the ambient environment.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the valve control assembly is configured to determine whether the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber satisfies a threshold, wherein the valve control assembly is configured to open the valve when the sensed acoustic pressure satisfies the threshold, and wherein the valve control assembly is configured to close the valve when the sensed acoustic pressure does not satisfy the threshold.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber satisfying the threshold indicates an over-pressure disturbance.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a sensor to provide, to the valve control assembly, a first signal corresponding to the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the valve control assembly further comprises a valve actuator associated with the valve, and wherein the valve control assembly is configured to actuate the valve actuator based on the first signal.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the valve actuator comprises a solenoid, a piezoelectric member, a shape memory actuator, or a combination thereof.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the valve control assembly includes circuitry coupled to the sensor to receive the first signal and coupled to the valve actuator, wherein the circuitry includes a comparator configured to output a first control signal when the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber satisfies the threshold and a second control signal when the sensed acoustic pressure in the chamber does not satisfy the threshold.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the valve actuator is an electrically driven actuator, wherein the valve control assembly is configured to energize the electrically driven actuator when the comparator outputs the first control signal, and wherein the valve control assembly is configured to not energize the electrically driven actuator when the comparator outputs the second control signal.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry further comprises a rectifier and a low pass filter, the rectifier coupled to the sensor to receive the first signal and coupled to the low pass filter, the low pass filter coupled to the comparator.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry further comprises an envelope follower including a full-wave peak detector, the full-wave peak detector having an attack time and a decay time, wherein the decay time is longer than the attack time.

15 . A method, comprising:
sensing acoustic pressure within a chamber of an earpiece, wherein the earpiece includes a valve associated with a passageway, wherein the valve is located within the earpiece, and wherein the chamber is configured to be at least partially bounded by a diaphragm of a speaker located within the earpiece and by an ear of a user when worn by the user; and regulating acoustic pressure within the chamber by controlling passage of a fluid through the passageway based on the sensed acoustic pressure.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein regulating the pressure includes opening the valve by an amount proportional to the sensed acoustic pressure.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein regulating the acoustic pressure includes determining whether the sensed acoustic pressure satisfies a threshold.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling passage of the fluid includes opening the valve in response to determining that the sensed acoustic pressure satisfies the threshold.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein controlling passage of the fluid includes closing the passageway by closing the valve in response to determining that the sensed acoustic pressure does not satisfy the threshold.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the threshold is indicative of an over-pressure disturbance.

21 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining whether the sensed acoustic pressure satisfies the threshold includes receiving a first signal from a sensor disposed within the earpiece, processing the first signal, and comparing the processed first signal to a signal corresponding to the threshold.

22 . A headphone apparatus comprising:
a speaker having a diaphragm; an earpiece including a chamber, the chamber having a passageway, wherein the chamber is configured to be at least partially bounded by the diaphragm and an ear of a user when the earpiece is worn by the user; and a passive valve in the earpiece configured to open responsive to an over-pressure disturbance.

23 . The headphone apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the passive valve is a check valve, and wherein when open, the check valve is configured to enable passage of air from the chamber through the passageway into an ambient environment.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Bakalos Pericles

Classifications

• H04R2201/105

  Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components · CPC title

• H04R5/033

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

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H04R1/1008

  Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type · CPC title