Wireless Earplug with Improved Sensitivity and Form Factor

• US 20180153743A1
• Filed: 08/24/2017
• Published: 06/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Parkins, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,357,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/215 by non-intrusive coupling means, e.g. acoustic couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2209/041 Voice coil arrangements comprising more than one voice coil unit on the same bobbin
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/08 of electromagnetic transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 Magnetic circuit

Abstract

An improved wireless communications earplug for use with a magnetic field transmitter. The wireless earplug has a receiver made of a coil of wire on a magnetic bobbin, mounted in close proximity or in contact with a magnetic case of a speaker. The magnetic case of the speaker serves to increase the magnetic flux through the receiver and improves the efficiency of the earplug. The speaker is acoustically coupled to an eartip, and the earplug may be molded into a custom earplug body.

Claims

1. A wireless communications earplug for use with a magnetic field transmitter, comprising:

a) a receiver comprising a coil of wire wound upon a bobbin of magnetic material; and

b) a speaker having a case, an acoustic output, and an electrical input, the case being at least partially made of magnetic material, the electrical input being coupled to the wire of the receiver,

wherein the bobbin of the receiver is mounted in sufficiently close proximity to the case of the speaker and oriented such that flux lines passing through the speaker also pass through the coil of the receiver.

2. The earplug of claim 1, in which the bobbin of the receiver is mounted within 0.03 inches of the case of the speaker.

3. The earplug of claim 1, further comprising an eartip for insertion into a user'"'"'s ear canal, the eartip being acoustically coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker.

4. The earplug of claim 2, in which the earplug further comprises a molded earshell having a body encasing at least the speaker, and the eartip forms part of the molded earshell.

5. The earplug of claim 1, in which the bobbin of the receiver is in contact with the case of the speaker.

6. The earplug of claim 1, in which the receiver is centered upon the case of the speaker.

7. The earplug of claim 1, in which the acoustic output of the speaker is adjacent to an end of the speaker, and the receiver is mounted upon the case of the speaker at an opposite end from the acoustic object, such that the receiver and the speaker form an L shape.

8. The earplug of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic damping element coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker.

9. The earplug of claim 1, further comprising a passive electronics circuit coupled to the coil and to the speaker.

10. A wireless communications earplug, comprising:

a) a receiver comprising a coil of wire wound upon a bobbin having an axis;

b) a speaker having an acoustic output and an electrical input connected to the coil of wire of the receiver; and

c) an eartip for insertion into a user'"'"'s ear canal, the eartip being acoustically coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein the speaker is located at least partially under the tragus and the receiver is located at least partially in the concha of a human ear, and

wherein the axis of the bobbin is oriented parallel to an axis of a portion of the ear.

11. The earplug of claim 10, in which the earplug further comprises a molded earshell having a body encasing at least the speaker, and the eartip forms part of the molded earshell.

12. The earplug of claim 10, in which the acoustic output of the speaker is adjacent to an end of the speaker, and the receiver is mounted upon the case of the speaker at an opposite end from the acoustic object such that the receiver and the speaker form an L shape.

13. The earplug of claim 10, further comprising an acoustic damping element coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker.

14. The earplug of claim 10, further comprising an equalization circuit connected across the coil and speaker.

15. A communications system comprising:

a) a magnetic field transmitter for transmitting in the audio frequency spectrum;

b) a receiver comprising a coil of wire wound upon a bobbin;

c) a speaker having an acoustic output and an electrical input coupled to the wire of the receiver; and

d) an eartip for insertion into a user'"'"'s ear canal, the eartip being acoustically coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker,

wherein the speaker is located at least partially under the tragus and the receiver is located at least partially in the concha of a human ear, and the speaker is connected to the receiver through passive electrical components.

16. The system of claim 15, in which the earplug further comprises a molded earshell having a body encasing at least the speaker, and the eartip forms part of the molded earshell.

17. The system of claim 15, in which the bobbin of the receiver is in contact with the case of the speaker.

18. The system of claim 15, in which the receiver is centered upon the case of the speaker.

19. The system of claim 15, in which the acoustic output of the speaker is adjacent to an end of the speaker, and the receiver is mounted upon the case of the speaker at an opposite end from the acoustic object such that the receiver and the speaker form an L shape.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising an acoustic damping element coupled to the acoustic output of the speaker.

21. The system of claim 15, further comprising an equalization circuit coupled to the coil and to the speaker.

22. The system of claim 15, in which the magnetic field transmitter comprises a coil of wire having an open center sized to fit around a pinna of a user'"'"'s ear.