Bone-conduction anvil and diaphragm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609412-B2
Application number	US-201615011995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for the transmission of audio information from a bone-conduction headset to a user. The bone-conduction headset may be mounted on a glasses-style support structure. The bone-conduction transducer may be mounted near where the glasses-style support structure approach a wearer's ears. In one embodiment, an apparatus has a bone-conduction transducer with a diaphragm configured to vibrate based on a magnetic field. The magnetic field being based off an applied electric field. The apparatus may also have an anvil coupled to the diaphragm. The anvil may be configured to conduct the vibration from the bone-conduction transducer. Additionally, the anvil may be coupled to a metallic component. The metallic component may be configured to couple to a magnetic field created by the bone-conduction transducer.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a bone-conduction transducer comprising a diaphragm configured to vibrate in response to a magnetic field generated by the bone-conduction transducer;
a mount coupled to an external surface of the diaphragm;
an anvil configured to contact a surface of the skin of a wearer and to conduct the vibration from the diaphragm;
at least one metallic component located within the anvil and on a top surface of the mount, configured to couple to the magnetic field of the bone-conduction transducer and cause a desired acoustic frequency response for the bone-conduction transducer; and
wherein the mount is located between the diaphragm and the metallic component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metallic component is a magnet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metallic component alters the acoustic impedance of the bone-conduction transducer.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the acoustic impedance of the bone-conduction transducer is chosen based on an acoustic impedance of a human head.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the external surface of the diaphragm forms an external surface of the bone-conduction transducer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bone-conduction transducer is configured to be mounted to a side-arm of a head-mounted structure.

7. A method comprising:
receiving a signal with a bone-conduction transducer, wherein the bone conduction transducer comprises a diaphragm; and
responsive to receiving the signal, the bone conduction transducer creating an electromagnetic field based on the signal and:
coupling the electromagnetic field to a diaphragm; and
coupling the electromagnetic field to a metallic component located within an anvil based on a position of a mount, wherein the anvil is configured to conduct a vibration from the diaphragm, and wherein the at least one metallic component: (i) is coupled to a top surface of the mount, wherein the mount coupled to the external surface of the diaphragm and located between the diaphragm and the metallic component, and (ii) causes a desired acoustic frequency response for the bone-conduction transducer; and
coupling the vibration conducted by the anvil to the posterior of a wearer's ear, where the anvil contacts a surface of the skin of the wearer.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metallic component is a magnet.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the metallic component alters the acoustic impedance of the bone-conduction transducer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the acoustic impedance of the bone-conduction transducer is chosen based on an acoustic impedance of a human head.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the external surface of the diaphragm forms an external surface of the bone-conduction transducer.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bone-conduction transducer is configured to be mounted to a side-arm of a head-mounted structure.

13. An apparatus comprising:
a bone-conduction transducer comprising a diaphragm configured to vibrate in response to a magnetic field generated by the bone-conduction transducer;
an anvil configured to contact a surface of the skin of a wearer and to conduct a vibration from the diaphragm; and
a metallic component coupled within the anvil and on a top surface of a mount, wherein the component is aligned to the mount that is coupled to an external surface of the diaphragm, and wherein the component causes a desired acoustic frequency response for the bone-conduction transducer; and
wherein the mount is located between the diaphragm and the metallic component.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the metallic component is a magnet.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the metallic component alters the acoustic impedance of the bone-conduction transducer.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the diaphragm is configured to vibrate based on a magnetic field produced when a signal is applied to the bone-conduction transducer.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the external surface of the diaphragm forms an external surface of the bone-conduction transducer.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the metallic component is configured to couple to a magnetic field produced when a signal is applied to the bone-conduction transducer.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the bone-conduction transducer is configured to be mounted to a side-arm of a head-mounted structure.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the bone-conduction transducer is further configured having a sheath coupled to a structure.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Dong Jianchun
• Heinrich Mitchell
• Fitch John Stuart
• Martin Matthew
• Kim Eliot

Classifications

• H04R11/02

  Loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/14

  Throat mountings for microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R11/00

  Transducers of moving-armature or moving-core type (acoustic diaphragm of magnetisable material directly coacting with electromagnet H04R13/00) · CPC title

• H04R1/10 Primary

  Earpieces; Attachments therefor {; Earphones; Monophonic headphones (H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033)} · CPC title