Wearable speaker and reproduction apparatus

• US 10,986,442 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2017
• Issued: 04/20/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohura, Yoshikazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Suthers, Douglas J
• Application Number:
  US16/344,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20190320258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 381334, 381 74, 381309, 381 87, 381335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2834 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/36 by using a single aperture of dimensions not greater than the shortest operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/02 Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers

Abstract

A wearable speaker includes a pair of speaker boxes that are attached on both ends of an attached band and a speaker unit and a passive radiator that are attached on each of the speaker boxes. The attached band is a neck hanging unit that is attachable on a neck of a user of the wearable speaker.

Claims

1. A wearable speaker, comprising:

a pair of speaker boxes, wherein one speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes is attached on each end of an attached band;

a speaker unit on a first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes;

a passive radiator on a second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes, wherein

the first surface is opposite to the second surface; and

a sound guiding unit configured to convert a radiation direction of a sound reproduced from the speaker unit, wherein

the sound guiding unit includes a wall unit and a sound guiding space formed by the wall unit,

a part of the wall unit tilts from a third surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes to a fourth surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes,

a length of the sound guiding space in a height direction decreases from the third surface to the fourth surface based on the tilt of the wall unit from the third surface to the fourth surface,

the sound guiding space that faces the speaker unit has a maximum length in the height direction, and

the third surface is opposite to the fourth surface.

2. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein

the attached band has a U-shape,

the first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes faces outside with respect to an ear of a listener in an attached status,

in the attached status the attached band is hung on a neck of the listener, and

the second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes faces inside with respect to the ear of the listener in the attached status.

3. The wearable speaker according to claim 2, wherein

the speaker unit is on a position of the first surface,

the position of the first surface deviates in a first direction from a center position of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes based on the listener in the attached status,

the passive radiator is on a position of the second surface, and

the position of the second surface deviates in a second direction from the center position based on the listener in the attached status.

4. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein

the sound guiding unit further includes an aperture,

the sound guiding space is connected with a sound radiation surface of the speaker unit,

and

the aperture is on a fifth surface different from each of the third surface and the fourth surface and is configured to radiate the sound from the sound guiding space.

5. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein the tilt of the wall unit has a curved surface.

6. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein the wall unit includes a hole.

7. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein

the attached band is a neck hanging unit that is attachable on a neck of a listener of the wearable speaker.

8. The wearable speaker according to claim 1, wherein

the wearable speaker is configured to adjust a magnitude of a vibration produced based on an operation of the passive radiator.

9. A reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a signal processing unit configured to process an audio signal; and

a wearable speaker that includes;

a pair of speaker boxes, wherein one speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes is attached on each end of an attached band;

a speaker unit on a first surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes;

a passive radiator on a second surface of each speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes, wherein

the first surface is opposite to the second surface; and

a sound guiding unit configured to convert a radiation direction of a sound reproduced from the speaker unit, wherein

the sound guiding unit includes a wall unit and a sound guiding space formed by the wall unit,

a part of the wall unit tilts from a third surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes to a fourth surface of the respective speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes,

a length of the sound guiding space in a height direction decreases from the third surface to the fourth surface based on the tilt of the wall unit from the third surface to the fourth surface,

the sound guiding space that faces the speaker unit has a maximum length in the height direction, and

the third surface is opposite to the fourth surface.

10. The reproduction apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

the signal processing unit is accommodated in one of speaker box of the pair of speaker boxes.