Mobile telephone

• US 8,521,239 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2012
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Hosoi, ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hosoi, Hiroshi, Tanaka, Masahide, Hosoi, Yoji, Morimoto, Masashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US13/489,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/66.11, 4555751-5754
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/06 Hearing aids construction of hearing aids H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0258 for a headset device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A mobile telephone includes a cartilage conduction unit for making contact with the ear cartilage. The cartilage conduction unit is provided to at least one of two corner parts at an upper side of the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone can include a surface of an outer wall and a cartilage conduction vibration source arranged inward from the surface of the outer wall, the vibration of the cartilage conduction vibration source being transmitted to the surface of the outer wall, wherein when the surface of the outer wall is brought into contact with at least a part of the ear cartilage around the entrance part to the external auditory meatus without making contact with the auricular helix, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an at least 10 dB increase compared to the non-contact state.

Claims

1. A mobile telephone comprising a cartilage conduction unit to transmit vibration to ear cartilage through direct contact therewith,

the cartilage conduction unit being located at at least one of two corner parts at an upper side of the mobile telephone,

wherein when the cartilage conduction unit is brought into contact with at least one part of the ear cartilage around an entrance part to the external auditory meatus without making contact with the auricular helix, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 10 dB over that in the non-contact state, and the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus changes by at least 5 dB increase due to a change in contact pressure;

and, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.

2. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 wherein the cartilage conduction unit is located at each of the two corner parts at the upper side of the mobile telephone.

3. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 wherein a corner part of a chassis of the mobile telephone is the cartilage conduction unit, and vibration of the cartilage conduction vibration source is transmitted to the corner part by having one part of a cartilage conduction vibration source supported on the inside of the chassis in the vicinity of the corner part, and by causing another part thereof to vibrate unrestrictedly inside the chassis.

4. The mobile telephone according to claim 3 wherein the cartilage conduction vibration source is supported by the cartilage conduction unit so that a primary vibration direction of the cartilage conduction vibration source is perpendicular to any one of an upper surface, side surface, or front surface of the chassis of the mobile telephone.

5. The mobile telephone according to claim 3 wherein a circuit for the cartilage conduction vibration source is supported inside the chassis and is integrated with the cartilage conduction vibration source.

6. The mobile telephone according to claim 3 wherein a part of the cartilage conduction vibration source to which an electrical terminal is not provided is supported inside the chassis, and another part to which the electrical terminal is provided is made to vibrate unrestrictedly.

7. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 wherein a part of a cartilage conduction vibration source is supported inside an elastic body, and an exterior of the elastic body is arranged at a corner part of a chassis of the mobile telephone as the cartilage conduction unit.

8. The mobile telephone according to claim 2 wherein each of two end parts of a cartilage conduction vibration source is respectively supported inside a pair of elastic bodies, and an exterior of each of the pair of elastic bodies is respectively arranged at two corner parts at the upper side of the mobile telephone as the cartilage conduction units.

9. The mobile telephone according to claim 8 wherein an elastic body is arranged at each of two corner parts at the lower side of the mobile telephone and are configured, together with the pair of elastic bodies arranged at the two corner parts at the upper side of the mobile telephone, so as to attenuate a collision from an external unit with the four corners of the mobile telephone.

10. The mobile telephone according to claim 8 wherein the cartilage conduction vibration source is supported so that a primary vibration direction thereof is orthogonal to any one of a front surface or an upper surface of the chassis.

11. The mobile telephone according to claim 2 comprising a pair of elastic bodies arranged at two corner parts at the upper side of the mobile telephone as the cartilage conduction units, and a pair of cartilage conduction vibration sources provided to the pair of elastic bodies, respectively.

12. The mobile telephone according to claim 11 wherein the pair of cartilage conduction vibration sources provided to the pair of elastic bodes can be controlled independently of each other.

13. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 wherein a cartilage conduction vibration source is held by the cartilage conduction unit so as not to make contact with a chassis of the mobile telephone;

and an anti-vibration material is interposed between the cartilage conduction unit and the chassis of the mobile telephone.

14. The mobile telephone according to claim 13 wherein the cartilage conduction unit is constituted of a hard material, and the anti-vibration material is an elastic body.

15. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 comprising:

an audio input unit;

a phase inverter for phase-inverting audio information inputted from the audio input unit; and

a controller for outputting, from the cartilage conduction unit, the audio information phase-inverted by the phase inverter.

19. The mobile telephone according to claim 1 comprising:

a cartilage conduction vibration source for conducting vibration to the cartilage conduction unit, the cartilage conduction vibration source being provided to the interior of a chassis of the mobile telephone; and

an elastic body integrally affixed to the exterior of the chassis to cover the same.

16. A mobile telephone comprising:

a cartilage conduction unit for making contact with ear cartilage;

an audio input unit;

a phase inverter for phase-inverting audio information inputted from the audio input unit; and

a controller for outputting, from the cartilage conduction unit, the audio information having been phase-inverted by the phase inverter,

wherein when the cartilage conduction unit is brought into contact with at least one part of the ear cartilage around an entrance part to the external auditory meatus without making contact with the auricular helix, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 10 dB over that in the non-contact state, and the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus changes by at least 5 dB increase due to a change in contact pressure; and

, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.

17. A mobile telephone comprising a cartilage conduction unit to transmit vibration to ear cartilage through direct contact therewith,

the cartilage conduction unit being located at at least one of two corner parts at an upper side of the mobile telephone,

the mobile telephone further comprising:

a cartilage conduction vibration source for the cartilage conduction unit;

a sound source signal output unit for outputting a sound source signal; and

an equalizer for correcting the frequency characteristic in consideration of the frequency characteristic specific to cartilage conduction in regard to the cartilage conduction vibration source being driven by the sound source signal of the sound source signal output unit;

the vibration of the cartilage conduction vibration source being transmitted to the cartilage conduction unit.

18. A mobile telephone comprising a cartilage conduction unit to transmit vibration to ear cartilage through direct contact therewith,

the cartilage conduction unit being located at at least one of two corner parts at an upper side of the mobile telephone,

the mobile telephone further comprising:

a telephone function unit;

a cartilage conduction vibration source for the cartilage conduction unit;

an application processor for controlling the telephone function unit;

a power management unit for supplying a plurality of different voltages to the telephone function unit;

a drive circuit for driving the cartilage conduction vibration source on the basis of power supplied from the power management unit; and

a controller for controlling the power management unit and the drive circuit on the basis of an instruction from the application processor;

the power management unit, the drive circuit, and the controller being configured as a single-chip integrated circuit.

20. A mobile telephone comprising:

a cartilage conduction unit for making contact with ear cartilage;

an audio input unit;

a phase inverter for phase-inverting audio information inputted from the audio input unit; and

a controller for outputting, from the cartilage conduction unit, the audio information having been phase-inverted by the phase inverter,

the mobile telephone further comprising;

a cartilage conduction vibration source for the cartilage conduction unit;

a sound source signal output unit for outputting a sound source signal; and

an equalizer for correcting the frequency characteristic in consideration of the frequency characteristic specific to cartilage conduction in regard to the cartilage conduction vibration source being driven by the sound source signal of the sound source signal output unit;

the vibration of the cartilage conduction vibration source being transmitted to the cartilage conduction unit.

21. A mobile telephone comprising:

a surface of an outer wall; and

a cartilage conduction vibration source arranged inward from the surface of the outer wall, wherein when the vibration of the cartilage conduction vibration source is transmitted to the surface of the outer wall, and the surface of the outer wall is brought into contact with at least a part of the ear cartilage around the entrance part to the external auditory meatus without making contact with the auricular helix, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 10 dB over that in the non-contact state.

24. The mobile telephone according to claim 21, wherein the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus changes by at least 5 dB increase due to a change in contact pressure.

25. The mobile telephone according to claim 24, wherein, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.

26. The mobile telephone according to claim 21, wherein, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.

22. A mobile telephone comprising:

a telephone function unit;

a cartilage conduction unit for making contact with ear cartilage;

a cartilage conduction vibration source for the cartilage conduction unit;

an application processor for controlling the telephone function unit;

a power management unit for supplying a plurality of different voltages to the telephone function unit;

a drive circuit for driving the cartilage conduction vibration source on the basis of power supplied from the power management unit; and

a controller for controlling the power management unit and the drive circuit on the basis of an instruction from the application processor;

the power management unit, the drive circuit, and the controller being configured as a single-chip integrated circuit,

wherein the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus changes by at least 5 dB increase due to a change in the contact pressure, and

wherein, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.

23. A mobile telephone comprising:

a cartilage conduction unit for making contact with ear cartilage;

an audio input unit;

a phase inverter for phase-inverting audio information inputted from the audio input unit; and

a controller for outputting, from the cartilage conduction unit, the audio information having been phase-inverted by the phase inverter,

the mobile telephone further comprising;

a telephone function unit;

a cartilage conduction vibration source for the cartilage conduction unit;

an application processor for controlling the telephone function unit;

a power management unit for supplying a plurality of different voltages to the telephone function unit;

a drive circuit for driving the cartilage conduction vibration source on the basis of power supplied from the power management unit; and

a controller for controlling the power management unit and the drive circuit on the basis of an instruction from the application processor;

the power management unit, the drive circuit, and the controller being configured as a single-chip integrated circuit,

wherein the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus changes by at least 5 dB increase due to a change in the contact pressure, and

wherein, when the entrance part of the external auditory meatus is occluded by an increase in contact pressure, the sound pressure inside the external auditory meatus at about 1 cm from the entrance part of the external auditory meatus has an increase of at least 20 dB over that in the non-contact state.