Acoustic transducer, wearable sound device and manufacturing method of acoustic transducer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022014838-A1
Application number	US-202117344980-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 11, 2021
Priority date	Jul 11, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An acoustic transducer is configured to perform an acoustic transformation. The acoustic transducer is disposed within a wearable sound device or to be disposed within the wearable sound device. The acoustic transducer includes at least one anchor structure, a film structure and an actuator. The film structure is disposed within a first layer and anchored by the anchor structure disposed within a second layer. The actuator is disposed on the film structure, and the actuator is configured to actuate the film structure to form a vent temporarily. The film structure partitions a space into a first volume to be connected to an ear canal of a wearable sound device user and a second volume to be connected to an ambient of the wearable sound device. The ear canal and the ambient are to be connected via the vent temporarily opened when the film structure is actuated.

First claim

1 . An acoustic transducer, disposed within a wearable sound device or to be disposed within the wearable sound device, configured to perform an acoustic transformation, the acoustic transducer comprising:
at least one anchor structure; a film structure disposed within a first layer and anchored by the at least one anchor structure disposed within a second layer; and an actuator disposed on the film structure, the actuator configured to actuate the film structure to form a vent temporarily; wherein the film structure partitions a space into a first volume to be connected to an ear canal of a wearable sound device user and a second volume to be connected to an ambient of the wearable sound device; wherein the ear canal and the ambient are to be connected via the vent temporarily opened when the film structure is actuated.

2 . The acoustic transducer of claim 1 , wherein the film structure disposed within the first layer comprises a membrane, and the membrane is configured to perform the acoustic transformation.

3 . The acoustic transducer of claim 2 , wherein the membrane performing the acoustic transformation is configured to be actuated to form the vent, a slit is formed within the membrane, and the vent is formed because of the slit.

4 . The acoustic transducer of claim 3 , wherein a portion of the film structure by the slit makes no physical contact with any other component within the acoustic transducer.

5 . The acoustic transducer of claim 3 , wherein
the slit divides the membrane into a first membrane portion and a second membrane portion; the first membrane portion is actuated to have a first displacement; the second membrane portion is actuated to have a second displacement; over a segment of the slit, a difference between the first displacement of the first membrane portion and the second displacement of the second membrane portion is larger than a thickness of the membrane, and the vent is formed over the segment of the slit.

6 . The acoustic transducer of claim 1 , wherein the film structure comprises:
a first flap disposed within the first layer, the first flap comprising:
a first end anchored by a first anchor structure of the at least one anchor structure; and
a second end configured to perform a first up-and-down movement to form the vent.

7 . The acoustic transducer of claim 6 , wherein the film structure comprises:
a second flap disposed within the first layer, the second flap comprising:
a first end anchored by a second anchor structure of the at least one anchor structure; and
a second end opposite to the second end of the first flap and configured to perform a second up-and-down movement to form the vent.

8 . The acoustic transducer of claim 7 , wherein the film structure disposed within the first layer comprises a membrane configured to perform the acoustic transformation, and the membrane comprises the first flap and the second flap.

9 . The acoustic transducer of claim 1 , wherein the wearable sound device further comprises a housing structure, and the space divided into the first volume and the second volume is formed within the housing structure.

10 . The acoustic transducer of claim 1 , wherein the wearable sound device further comprises:
a sensing device configured to generate a sensing result; wherein whether the vent is formed is determined according to the sensing result.

11 . The acoustic transducer of claim 10 , wherein
the vent is to be opened when a sensed quantity indicated by the sensing result crosses a certain threshold with a first polarity; the vent is to be closed when the sensed quantity crosses the certain threshold with a second polarity opposite to the first polarity.

12 . The acoustic transducer of claim 10 , wherein a degree of opening of the vent is to be monotonically related to a sensed quantity indicated by the sensing result.

13 . The acoustic transducer of claim 10 , wherein the sensing device comprises a proximity sensor, a sensed quantity indicated by the sensing result represents a distance between an object and the proximity sensor, and a degree of opening of the vent is to be correlated to the distance sensed.

14 . The acoustic transducer of claim 10 , wherein the sensing device comprises a motion sensor, a sensed quantity indicated by the sensing result represents a motion of the wearable sound device, and a degree of opening of the vent is to be correlated to the motion sensed.

15 . The acoustic transducer of claim 1 , comprising a membrane configured to perform the acoustic transformation, wherein
the wearable sound device comprises a driving circuit configured to generate a driving signal to actuate the membrane; the driving circuit comprises a frequency response equalizer; the frequency response equalizer is enabled when the vent is opened; the frequency response equalizer is disabled when the vent is closed.

16 . A manufacturing method for an acoustic transducer, comprising:
providing a wafer, wherein the wafer comprises a first layer and a second layer; forming and patterning an actuating material formed on a first side of the wafer; patterning the first layer of the wafer, so as to form a trench line; and removing a first part of the second layer of the wafer; wherein a second part of the second layer forms at least one anchor structure, and the patterned first layer forms a film structure anchored by the at least one anchor structure; wherein a slit is formed within and penetrates through the film structure because of the trench line; wherein the film structure is configured to be actuated to form a vent temporarily, and the vent is formed because of the slit; wherein the film structure partitions a space into a first volume to be connected to an ear canal and a second volume to be connected to an ambient of a wearable sound device; wherein the ear canal and the ambient are to be connected via the vent temporarily opened.

17 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , wherein an insulating layer is formed between the first layer and the second layer within the wafer, and the manufacturing method comprises:
removing a part of the insulating layer, such that the slit penetrates through the film structure.

18 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , wherein the first layer comprises single crystal silicon, and the wafer is a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer.

19 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , wherein the first layer comprises poly-crystalline silicon, and the wafer is a polysilicon on insulator (POI) wafer.

20 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , wherein the first layer is directly formed on the second layer.

21 . The manufacturing method of claim 20 , wherein the first layer comprises an insulation layer.

22 . The manufacturing method of claim 21 , wherein the insulation layer comprises silicon dioxide.

23 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , comprising:
forming and patterning a first conductive layer between the actuating material and the first layer of the wafer; wherein the patterned first conductive layer functions as a first electrode for an actuator.

24 . The manufacturing method of claim 16 , comprising:
forming and patterning a second conductive layer on the actuating material; wherein the patterned second conductive layer functions as a second electrode for an actuator.

25 . The manufacturing method of claim 24 , comprising:
forming a

Assignees

• Xmems Labs Inc

Inventors

• Liang Jemm Yue
• Lo Chiung C
• Lim Martin George
• Chen Wen-Chien
• Housholder Michael David
• Hong David

Classifications

• H04R1/1041

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

• H04R1/1075 Primary

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1091 Primary

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• H04R2201/003

  Mems transducers or their use · CPC title

• H04R31/00

  Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor {(manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182)} · CPC title