Open ear audio device with bone conduction speaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE50033-E
Application number	US-202016879963-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	May 21, 2020
Priority date	Nov 12, 2018
Publication date	Jul 2, 2024
Grant date	Jul 2, 2024

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for an open ear audio device outputting audio using an external audio speaker, bone conduction speaker, or both an external audio speaker and bone conduction speaker. In an aspect, sound is output using either the audio speaker or the bone conduction speaker based on the type of sound. Audio the user desires to keep private are configured to be output using the bone conduction speaker. In an aspect, the audio device simultaneously outputs a first sound using the audio speaker and a second sound using the bone conduction speaker. The user receives both streams of audio and selects which sound to focus on. In an aspect, the audio device determines how to output audio based on the SPL of the user's environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wearable acoustic device comprising:
an external speaker;
a bone conduction transducer; and
at least one processor coupled to the external speaker and the bone conduction transducer configured to:
detect a sound to be output by the acoustic device;
determine based on a type or level of the sound whether to operate in a first public mode or a second private mode, wherein in the first public mode the sound is output by the acoustic device via the external speaker, and in the second private mode the sound is output by the acoustic device via the bone conduction transducer, wherein:
a user of the wearable acoustic device configures sound to be output in the first public mode or the second private mode based, at least, in part, on the type of the sound,
the sound is output in the second private mode when a sound pressure level (SPL) of an external sound exceeds a configurable SPL threshold amount, and
the type of the sound comprises any combination of: a voice phone call from a user's personal device, music, podcast, alert from an application running on the user's personal device, alarm, output from a virtual personal assistant, and informational audio; and

output the sound via based on the determination.

2. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the bone conduction transducer contacts a temple region of the user wearing the acoustic device.

3. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the bone conduction transducer contacts an area behind an ear of the user wearing the acoustic device.

4. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the bone conduction transducer contacts skin covering the skull of the user wearing the acoustic device.

5. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the sound comprises the voice phone call; and
the at least one processor is configured to determine to operate in the second private mode, wherein the voice phone call is output by the bone conduction transducer and is not output by the external speaker.

6. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the sound comprises informational audio; and
the at least one processor is configured to determine to operate in the second private mode, wherein the informational audio is output by the bone conduction transducer and is not output by the external speaker.

7. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the sound comprises music output; and
the at least one processor is configured to determine to operate in the first public mode, wherein the music is output by the external speaker and is not output by the bone conduction transducer.

8. The wearable acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the sound is further configured to be output in the first public mode or the second private mode based on the user's environment.

9. A wearable acoustic device comprising:
an external speaker; a bone conduction transducer; and at least one processor coupled to the external speaker and the bone conduction transducer configured to: output audio via the external speaker; receive an audio input relating to a point of interest in a vicinity of a user wearing the acoustic device; and simultaneously output the audio via the external speaker and the audio input via the bone conduction transducer.

10. The wearable acoustic device of claim 9 , wherein:
the audio output via the external speaker comprises music; and the audio input relating to a point of interest comprises directions guiding a user of the wearable acoustic device to a physical location.

11. The wearable acoustic device of claim 10 , wherein the wearable acoustic device comprises one of: around-the-ear headphones, around-the-neck headphones, acoustic eye-glasses, or a protective hard hat.

12. The wearable acoustic device of claim 9 , wherein the bone conduction transducer contacts skin of a user wearing the acoustic device.

13. A wearable acoustic device comprising:
an external speaker;
a bone conduction transducer;
a microphone; and
at least one processor coupled to the external speaker and the bone conduction transducer, the at least one processor configured to:
output audio via the external speaker and the bone conduction transducer;
detect, via the microphone, a sound pressure level (SPL) of an external sound exceeds a configurable SPL threshold amount;
in response to the detected SPL of the external sound exceeding the configurable SPL threshold amount, output the audio via the bone conduction transducer, wherein outputting the audio via the bone conduction transducer comprises increasing an intensity of the audio signal output by the bone conduction transducer to be greater than the SPL of the external sound by a configurable amount.

14. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein in response to the detected SPL of the external sound exceeding the configurable SPL threshold amount, the at least one processor is further configured to:
cause the external speaker to enter a power-saving state.

15. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein in response to the detected SPL of the external sound exceeding the configurable SPL threshold amount, the at least one processor is further configured to:
stop outputting the audio via the external speaker.

16. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein in response to the detected SPL of the external sound exceeding the configurable SPL threshold amount, the at least one processor is configured to:
output via the external speaker and the bone conduction transducer a warning message to alert a user of the wearable acoustic device.

17. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
detect, via the microphone, a second SPL of the external sound is less than or equal to the configurable SPL threshold amount; and
in response to the second SPL, output the audio signal via the external speaker.

18. The wearable acoustic device of claim 17 , wherein in response to the second SPL, the at least one processor is further configured to:
stop outputting the audio via the bone conduction transducer.

19. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein the wearable acoustic device comprises a protective hard hat.

20. The wearable acoustic device of claim 13 , wherein the bone conduction transducer contacts skin of a user wearing the wearable acoustic device.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Patil Naganagouda
• Smith Matthew Christopher
• Bruser Ilissa Brooke
• Mukhopadhaya Maya Antara

Classifications

• H04R2460/07

  Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title