Transducer, headphone and method for reducing noise

• US 20070154049A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SLS International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SLS International Incorporated
• Inventors: Levitsky, Igor, Baklaev, Konstantin
• Application Number:
  US11/325,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20070154049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/371
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

A transducer, a headphone and a method reduce noise and/or ambient sounds. The headphone has a microphone, a transducer and/or an electrical circuit for producing and/or for transmitting an anti-noise sound wave and/or a noise compensation signal inside an ear cup of the headphone. The anti-noise sound wave and/or the noise compensation signal cancels, dampens and/or reduces a sound wave of the noise and/or of the ambient sounds inside the ear cup. The transducer produces and/or transmits an audio signal which is received by an ear of a user. The microphone and the transducer are connected to, are attached to and/or are in communication with the electrical circuit within the headphone. The transducer has a double-sided diaphragm with concentric circular corrugations and/or foil spiral conductors on each side of the diaphragm. The microphone inside the ear cup is covered by and/or is connected to a sound absorbing material inside the ear cup of the headphone. An ear cushion having a inner side and an outer side is attached to and/or is connected to the ear cup for receiving an ear of a user. The inner side and the outer side of the ear cushion are made from an acoustically resistive material and an acoustically isolating material.

Claims

1. A transducer for reducing a noise in a cavity of an ear cup of a headphone wherein the transducer is connected to the headphone wherein the transducer extends inward with respect to the cavity of the ear cup wherein the headphone is attachable to an ear of a user, the transducer comprising:

a cap having walls defining an interior of the cap; and

a diaphragm having a first side and a second side wherein the first side is opposite to the second side of the diaphragm wherein the first side has first conductors in a first spiral pattern wherein the first side has first gaps between the first conductors wherein the second side has second conductors in a second spiral pattern wherein the second side has second gaps between the second conductors wherein the first gaps of the first side do not coincide with the second gaps of the second side wherein the diaphragm is inserted into the interior of the cap wherein an audio signal is transmitted by the transducer wherein the audio signal reduces the noise.

2. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the first side or the second side of the diaphragm has a thickness less than twenty-five microns.

3. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the diaphragm has a resonant frequency less than two hundred Hertz.

4. The transducer of claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is planar.

5. The transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

circular corrugations formed in the first side and the second side of the diaphragm wherein the circular corrugations are located concentrically on the diaphragm and further wherein the circular corrugations have more than one radii.

6. The transducer of claim 1 further comprising:

an ultrasonic weld located between the first side of the diaphragm and the second side of the diaphragm wherein the first side is connected to the second side via the ultrasonic weld.

7. A headphone for reducing a noise transmitted from a source remote with respect to the headphone wherein a sound wave corresponds to the noise, the headphone comprising:

an ear cup having walls defining a cavity wherein the ear cup is sized to receive an ear of a user wherein the ear of the user is insertable into the ear cup;

a microphone connected to the ear cup wherein the microphone is located within the cavity of the ear cup;

a cover connected to the microphone wherein the cover is located between the microphone and the cavity of the ear cup wherein the cover is an acoustic filter to the microphone wherein the microphone identifies the sound wave of the noise inside the cavity of the ear cup; and

a first transducer connected to the ear cup wherein the first transducer is connected to the microphone wherein the first transducer transmits an audio signal into the cavity of the ear cup wherein the noise in the cavity is reduced by the audio signal.

8. The headphone of claim 7 further comprising:

an ear cushion attached to the walls of the ear cup wherein the ear cup is retained to the ear of the user via the ear cushion and further wherein the ear cushion is made from an acoustically isolating material and an acoustically resistive material.

9. The headphone of claim 7 further comprising:

an electrical circuit located within the ear cup wherein the electrical circuit connects the first transducer and the microphone wherein the electrical circuit identifies the audio signal for reducing the noise.

10. The headphone of claim 7 further comprising:

a second transducer connected to the ear cup wherein the second transducer extends inward with respect to the cavity of the ear cup wherein the second transducer is connected to the first transducer and the microphone.

11. The headphone of claim 7 wherein the audio signal from the transducer has a polarity which is opposite to the sound wave of the noise.

12. The headphone of claim 7 wherein the transducer is a planar ribbon transducer.

13. The headphone of claim 7 further comprising:

a diaphragm having circular corrugations wherein the diaphragm is located inside the first transducer.

14. A method for reducing a noise wherein the noise is transmitted from a source which is remote with respect to an ear of a user wherein a sound wave corresponds to the noise, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a headphone sized to receive the ear of the user wherein the headphone has walls defining a cavity wherein a planar ribbon transducer is connected to the headphone wherein the planar ribbon transducer wherein the planar ribbon transducer has a diaphragm;

identifying the sound wave of the noise; and

transmitting an anti-noise sound wave into the cavity of the headphone via the planar ribbon transducer wherein the anti-noise sound wave has a polarity which is opposite to the sound wave of the noise.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

canceling the noise via the anti-noise sound wave.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

inserting the ear of the user into the headphone wherein the cavity of the headphone is adjacent to the ear of the user.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

connecting an electrical circuit to the planar ribbon transducer wherein the electrical circuit determines the anti-noise sound wave.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

forming a spiral pattern on a side of the diaphragm of the planar ribbon transducer.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

attaching a microphone to the ear cup of the headphone wherein the microphone receives the sound wave of the noise.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

transmitting an audio sound to the ear of the user via the transducer of the headphone.

21. A headphone for reducing a noise transmitted from a source wherein the source is remote with respect to the headphone wherein a sound wave corresponds to the noise, the headphone comprising:

an ear cup having walls defining a cavity wherein the ear cup is sized to receive an ear of a user wherein the noise is transmitted into the cavity of the ear cup;

means for identifying the sound wave of the noise wherein the means for identifying the sound wave connects to the ear cup;

means for filtering the sound wave of the noise inside the cavity of the ear cup wherein the means for filtering the sound wave covers the means for identifying the sound wave of the noise; and

means for generating an audio signal within the cavity of the ear cup wherein the means for generating an audio signal is in communication with the means for identifying the sound wave wherein the audio signal reduces the noise.

22. The headphone of claim 21 further comprising:

an electrical circuit connecting the means for identifying the sound wave of the noise to the means for generating the audio signal within the cavity of the ear cup wherein the electrical circuit is located within the ear cup.

23. The headphone of claim 21 further comprising:

means for retaining the ear cup to the ear of the user wherein means for retaining the ear cup is attached to the walls of the ear cup.

24. The headphone of claim 21 further comprising:

an ear cushion attached to the walls of the ear cup wherein the ear cushion is made from an acoustically isolating material and an acoustically resistive material.

25. The headphone of claim 21 further comprising:

a planar ribbon transducer attached to ear cup wherein the planar ribbon transducer is connected to the means for identifying the sound wave of the noise.

26. The headphone of claim 21 wherein the means for filtering the sound wave of the noise inside the cavity of the ear cup is made from a sound absorbing material.

27. The headphone of claim 21 further comprising:

a diaphragm having circular corrugations wherein the diaphragm is connected to the ear cup and the means for generating an audio signal within the cavity of the ear cup.