Abstract: A module for containing an earpiece for an audio device, the earpiece having at least one protruding electrical contact. The module comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion being opposable and forming a cavity sized to accommodate an earpiece. The module further comprises at least one electrical contact within the cavity, on one of the first portion and the second portion. The electrical contact is positioned to engage a protruding electrical contact of the earpiece positioned within the cavity.

Abstract: A device for preventing the tangling of cords associated with in-ear earphones is disclosed. The device includes an annular portion and a sectioned membrane disposed interior to the annular portion. The annular portion is formed of an elastomeric material. The sectioned membrane includes a plurality of separate sections where each section is configured to be displaced independently of another section. The sectioned membrane is configured to grip a cord associated with a pair of in-ear earphones.

Abstract: An earbud headset, a handset including the same, and methods of operating the headset and handset are provided. In one embodiment, an earbud headset includes a speaker portion that is retractable into and extendable from a base portion, thereby allowing for a thin profile form factor. Advantageously, the earbud headset allows for more convenient storage and/or integration with a handset such that a user may carry the handset and headset much like a single item.

Abstract: An exemplary earphone set includes a shell, a speaker received in the shell, and an in-ear cap and an in-concha cap. The shell includes a sound tube having a first locking structure formed on an outer circumferential wall thereof. Each of the in-ear cap and the in-concha cap includes an inner tube having a second locking structure formed on an inner circumferential wall thereof, and a casing extending from a front end of the inner tube towards the shell. The first locking structure is detachably lockable with the second locking structure of one of the in-ear cap and the in-concha cap as selected by a user.

Abstract: An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Abstract: An earpiece (100) and a method (300) personalized voice operable control can include capturing (302) an ambient sound from an Ambient Sound Microphone (111) to produce an electronic ambient signal (426), delivering (304) audio content (402) to an ear canal (131) by way of an Ear Canal Receiver (125) to produce an acoustic audio content (404) and capturing (306) in the ear canal an internal sound (402) from an Ear Canal Microphone (123) to produce an electronic internal signal (410). The electronic internal signal includes an echo of the acoustic audio content and a spoken voice generated by a wearer of the earpiece. The Method also includes detecting (312) the spoken voice in the electronic internal signal in the presence of the echo, and controlling (314) a voice operation of the earpiece when the spoken voice is detected.

Abstract: An earphone receiving assembly for receiving an earphone includes a main body surrounding an accommodating space for receiving the earphone and defining an opening communicating with the accommodating space, a cover releasably locked in the opening, and a releasing assembly. The releasing assembly includes a fastening member secured to the main body and a rotating member rotatably assembled to the fastening member. The cover is slidably assembled to the rotating member. When the cover is released from being locked within the opening, the rotating member rotates and lifts the cover from the opening to expose the earphone.

Abstract: Electronic devices are provided with housing components that have improved aesthetics. One or more holes may be formed through an extruded portion of the housing.

Abstract: An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.

Abstract: There is provided an auditory canal earphone comprising a housing (120) for receiving an electroacoustic transducer and a sound guide unit (130) on the housing (120) for feeding audio signals produced by the sound transducer into an auditory canal of a user of the auditory canal earphone. The sound guide unit (130) has an outside (136). The auditory canal further has at least one ear adaptor (200) with an inside wall (220) for at least partial placement over the sound guide unit (130) and an outside wall (210) for sealing off the auditory canal. The auditory canal earphone further has a tube (400) between the outside (136) of the sound guide unit (130) and the inside wall (220) of the ear adaptor (200).

Abstract: An earphone includes a front housing, a tuning element, a rear housing and a loudspeaker. The front housing has a hollow sound tube, a sealed cover and a sealed barrel. The sealed cover defines a tuning hole. The sealed barrel defines a leaking hole connecting between the tuning hole and an external space of the earphone. The tuning element rotatably mounted to the front housing has a tuning pillar inserted in the tuning hole. The tuning pillar defines a tuning fillister. The rear housing is assembled forward to the front housing for locating the loudspeaker between the front housing and the rear housing. A sound cavity is formed among the front housing, the rear housing and the loudspeaker, and is communicated with the tuning fillister. A relative position of the tuning fillister and the leaking hole is capable of being modulated by means of rotating the tuning element.

Abstract: An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Abstract: An in-ear audio device has a casing on which is disposed one or more bags are positioned to be filled with fillable material during a customization process in which a test sound is acoustically output into an ear canal by an acoustic driver of the in-ear audio device while the one or more bags are being filled, and a microphone acoustically coupled to the ear canal is employed to detect sounds within the ear canal that are indicative of the frequency response of the acoustic output of the acoustic driver to determine when the degree of sealing of the ear canal by the one or more bags is sufficient to achieve a desired quality of frequency response.

Abstract: Apparatuses that provide a bone-conduction speaker arranged to be located behind the ear are described herein. An exemplary apparatus may include: (a) a glasses-style support structure comprising a front section and at least one side section; (b) at least one bone-conduction speaker; and (c) a member having a proximate end and a distal end, wherein the proximate end is attached to the at least one side section, and wherein the at least one bone-conduction speaker is attached to the member at or near the distal end; wherein the member is arranged on the at least one side section such that when the glasses-style support structure is worn the member: (a) extends to the anterior of the at least one side section and (b) locates the bone-conduction speaker posterior to an ear.

Abstract: An earphone microphone is constituted of a main unit and an insert portion which are united in an L-shape. Two receivers are attached to the external surface of the main unit and exposed externally of a user's ear, while one receiver is attached to a distal end of the insert portion that is inserted into a user's external auditory canal and disposed opposite to a user's eardrum. A signal processor produces a difference signal between the output signals of two receivers exposed externally of the user's ear. The difference signal is subjected to high-pass filtering and subsequently added to the output signal of the receiver disposed inside the user's external auditory canal, thus producing a sound signal representing a user's sound. The sound signal includes a sufficient number of frequency components (e.g. frequency components higher than 3 kHz) prerequisite for discriminating the user's sound.

Abstract: An earphone comprises: a magnetostrictive element which is composed of a magnetostrictive material and has a column-like shape, the magnetostrictive element expanding and contracting due to magnetostrictive effect; a coil wound around the magnetostrictive element, the coil converting an electrical signal into a change in magnetic field; and an elastic portion which is composed of an elastic body having magnetism, the elastic portion including: a first elastic portion to which one of ends of the magnetostrictive element is joined; a second elastic portion to which the other end of the magnetostrictive element is joined; and a beam portion having a column-like shape and being provided in parallel to the magnetostrictive element between the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion and being integrally formed with the first elastic portion and the second elastic portion.

Abstract: The earphone of the Present Disclosure includes a driver for converting electric signals into sound waves, a cord connected to the driver, an elastic holder, a housing and an earpiece. The elastic holder integrally possesses a cylindrical driver housing portion for inserting the driver, and a cord housing portion for housing the end portion of the cord. The housing possesses a cylindrical main body for inserting at least the driver housing portion of the elastic holder, and a sound conduit provided in the end portion of the main body. The earpiece is fitted into the ear canal.

Abstract: A negative pressure earphone includes a main body, a cover portion, a silica gel earplug, a filtering net and a moving coil sound unit. The silica gel earplug is fitted to the protruding end of the main body. The filtering net is provided on the opening of the protruding end and the moving coil sound unit is disposed inside the main body. The cover portion is fitted to the other end of the main body. A sealing framework portion is disposed inside the main body and the moving coil sound unit is fitted to the sealing framework portion. A negative pressure portion is disposed on the sealing framework portion. The negative pressure earphone of the present invention is structurally simple and water resistant and does not have to have an opening in its cover portion.

Abstract: An earphone includes a front housing, a tuning element, a rear housing and a loudspeaker. The front housing has a hollow sound tube, a sealed cover and a sealed barrel. The sealed cover defines a tuning hole. The sealed barrel defines a leaking hole connecting between the tuning hole and an external space of the earphone. The tuning element rotatably mounted to the front housing has a tuning pillar inserted in the tuning hole. The tuning pillar defines a tuning fillister. The rear housing is assembled forward to the front housing for locating the loudspeaker between the front housing and the rear housing. A sound cavity is formed among the front housing, the rear housing and the loudspeaker, and is communicated with the tuning fillister. A relative position of the tuning fillister and the leaking hole is capable of being modulated by means of rotating the tuning element.

Abstract: An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Abstract: An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Abstract: An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Abstract: A bone conduction device including a coupling configurable to form a coupling with a bone, a transducer module configurable to vibrate in accordance with one or more operational characteristics of the device; and a sensor module configurable to adjust the one or more operational characteristics in response to one or more of a reorientation of a portion of the device and a movement of the portion relative to the coupling.

Abstract: An earphone device with a bass adjusting function is provided. The earphone device includes an accommodating portion and an extension segment. The accommodating portion has an inner chamber for accommodating a speaker. The extension segment which is hollow-shaped and has a first space and a second space therein, and the first space is in communication with the inner chamber of the accommodating portion, and when a portion of the extension segment is adjusted from a first position to a second position, the first space, the second space, and the inner chamber of the accommodating portion are in communication, so as to increase a volume of the back chamber of the speaker.

Abstract: A headphone including a housing that includes a speaker unit, and a protruding portion, provided at a specified area of one surface of the housing, that outputs playback sound generated from the speaker unit. When being worn on the head, the one surface of the housing comes in to contact with an outward facing surface of an auricle surrounding a cavity of a concha, and the protruding portion is inserted in to the cavity of the concha.

Abstract: An earpiece with structure for positioning and retaining the earpiece and with structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal to provide passive noise attenuation. The positioning and retaining structure engages features of the lateral surface of the ear. The structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal includes a conical structure.

Abstract: A system may include a personal electronic device having a housing and an ultra-wide band transceiver disposed within the housing. The system may also include a stereophonic system for sending audio information to a right ear and a left ear of a user, the stereophonic system having a second ultra-wideband transceiver. The ultra-wideband transceiver of the personal electronic device and the second ultra-wideband transceiver of the stereophonic system are adapted for providing audio communications therebetween. The stereophonic system may include a switch for switching between the plurality of personal electronic devices. The switch may be implemented in software or hardware.

Abstract: A bone conduction device, comprising: a sound input element configured to receive an acoustic sound signal; an electronics module configured generate an electrical signal representing said acoustic sound signal; and a transducer configured to generate motion of a mass component based on said electrical signal so as to generate one or more mechanical forces resulting in one or more of motion and vibration of a recipient's skull thereby causing sound perception, wherein one or more of the size and shape of said mass component is selectable at least partially based on a desired mechanical force to be generated by said transducer.

Abstract: A headphone set is equipped with left- and right-ear headphone units. Each unit includes a housing body having a first plane section and a second plane section that faces the first section, the sections being almost perpendicular to a cross section of a cavum conchae of a user's ear when the housing body is fit in the cavum conchae, a speaker and a microphone aligned between the sections, the speaker being located at the first section side, the microphone being located at the second section side. A sound output section is provided at the first section, to give off sounds output by the speaker to an outer space of the housing body. A sound pick-up hole is provided at the second section, through which the outer space communicates with an inner space of the housing body created between a sound pick-up section of the microphone and the second section.

Abstract: An earphone includes an earphone casing inside which a sound path that guides sound to a sound discharging hole is formed, and an acoustic transducer disposed inside the earphone casing. The acoustic transducer includes an accommodation casing having accommodated therein a yoke on which paired magnets disposed so as to face each other are mounted, a coil to which a driving current is supplied, an armature provided with a vibrating part vibrating when the driving current is supplied to the coil, the vibrating part being disposed between the paired magnets, and a diaphragm coupled to the vibrating part of the armature, a sound output hole is formed on a surface that faces a vibration surface of the diaphragm in the accommodation casing, and the acoustic transducer has the sound output hole disposed in the earphone casing so that the sound output hole is acoustically coupled to the sound path.

Abstract: A light weight and comfortable ear mount for a personal audio-set is disclosed. The ear mount conforms with the antihelix of a wearer's ear, thereby operating substantially as a compression spring between the wearer's antihelix and tragus, to operably secure the personal audio-set in place. In a preferred embodiment, the ear-mount is substantially kidney-shaped and includes an opening to prevent the total occlusion of the ear canal by the personal audio-set. Alternatively, the ear-mount includes a loop of material sized to operably engage the antihelix of the wearer's ear. The ear-mount is preferably reversible to allow it to be placed in either the wearer's left or right ear.

Abstract: Provided is a high-accuracy embedded audiphone. A transducer (34) made of a giant magnetostrictive element is provided in an intracorporeal unit (3) that is embedded in a skull (5). An audible sound modulation transmission signal (S1), which is amplitude-modulated by a sound collection signal generated in an extracorporeal unit (2), is transmitted from an extracorporeal transmitter coil (31) to an intracorporeal receiver coil (32) provided in the intracorporeal unit (3) with the help of a transmission magnetic flux (33). Moreover, because of an induced electromotive force of the intracorporeal receiver coil (32), the transducer (34) expands and contracts. Therefore, it is possible to highly accurately conduct an audible sound signal through bone with no power source or demodulation circuit provided in the intracorporeal unit (3).

Abstract: An earpiece including an external surface having a first fixed configuration disposable within the outer ear and having a passage adapted for retention of an in ear device, the earpiece heatable to achieve a moldable condition which allows reconfiguration of the external surface by engagement with the outer ear to dispose the external surface in a second fixed configuration in greater conformity to the outer ear.

Abstract: An earphone comprises an earphone body, containing a speaker, and a projection, extending from a first surface of the earphone body, for location in the entrance to the user's ear canal. The earphone body comprises a sound outlet in the first surface, for allowing sounds generated by the speaker to leave the earphone body. The projection extends from the first surface of the earphone body, adjacent to the sound outlet, and contains a sound inlet port, connected to a microphone for detecting sounds entering the ear canal. A noise cancellation system includes noise cancellation circuitry, for applying a frequency dependent filter characteristic and applying a gain to an input signal representing ambient noise, at least one of the frequency dependent filter characteristic and the gain being adaptive. The earphone then has an ambient noise microphone, and an error microphone connected to the sound inlet port.

Abstract: A headphone having a waveguider is disclosed which can control the amount of air flowing into the headphone. The headphone includes: a housing having a receiving space therein and at least one or more air inlets at one side thereof, in which the housing is opened at the front side thereof a speaker placed in the receiving space, for generating audio sounds according to input electrical signals; a cover for closing the front side of the housing, the cover forming a plurality of audio sound through-holes through which the audio sounds from the speaker pass; and a waveguider slidably and rotatably installed to the housing. The waveguider includes a kernel part protrudently formed, for guiding the audio sounds passing through the cover to the inner ear, and an opening/closing part for closing at least one or more air inlets according to a rotation angle thereof to control the amount of air that instantly flows into the housing.

Abstract: Earbud headphones configured for use with a portable media player that include a main body portion with an extended curvature configuration. In one example implementation, the earbud headphones include a speaker housing and an extension that form a gap between the speaker housing and the extension. A user can secure a portion of the user's outer ear in the gap (i.e., between the extension and speaker housing), such that the earbud is securely and comfortably held in place within a user's ear. Additionally, the earbud headphones can be interchangeable, such that a user can customize the size, fit, and style of the earbud headphone.

Abstract: An earphone 1, which adopts the drum air power system the invention, includes at least a drum 5 composed of a drum-shaped casing 2, a front head 3 located on the front part of the casing 2, a rear head 4 located on the rear part of the casing 2, an inner-drum space 5a defined by the casing 2, the front head 3, and the rear head 4. Earphone 1 also comprises a driver unit 6 installed inside the drum 5 and equipped with an external sound conducting part 6a and an internal sound conducting hole 6b. The front head 3 and the rear head 4 resonate in response to driving by the driver unit 6 so that the low pitch sounds B and C are output in addition to the full range sound formed from the external sound conducting part 6a. This structure lowers the minimum resonance frequency and increases the sound pressure.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for signal transmission via body conduction are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received data and/or audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Data and/or audio signals may be encoded and transmitted or received along or through the user's body to an oral appliance contained within or along the user's mouth. Alternatively, information may be transmitted between various other devices over the user's body aside from an oral appliance. The encoded signals may be decoded and the auditory signals may be transmitted via vibrational conductance to the user.

Abstract: An earphone with fixing function includes an earphone housing having a holding portion and an earplug sleeved around the holding portion. The earplug has a sleeving portion, a fixing portion and an abutting portion. The fixing portion extended from a periphery of the sleeving portion has an arm portion and a jamming portion. One end of the arm portion is fixed on the sleeving portion and the other end of the arm portion is bent and extended to form the jamming portion.

Abstract: An eartip made of a resilient body with an eartip core inside the open center of the body, and a tether attached to the eartip core at an attachment region along the length of the core. A free end of the tether extends outward from the eartip, allowing a wearer to remove the eartip from their ear by pulling on the tether.

Abstract: A speech signal processing apparatus includes a control signal output unit configured to receive as an input signal either one of a first speech signal corresponding to a sound uttered by a user and a second speech signal corresponding to a sound output from an eardrum of the user when the user utters a sound, and output a control signal corresponding to a noise level of the input signal, and a speech signal output unit configured to output either one of the first speech signal and the second speech signal according to the control signal.

Abstract: The disclosed methods and devices incorporate a novel expandable bubble portion which provides superior fidelity to a listener while minimizing listener fatigue. The expandable bubble portion may be expanded through the transmission of low frequency audio signals or the pumping of a gas to the expandable bubble portion. In addition, embodiments of the acoustic device may be adapted to consistently and comfortably fit to any ear, providing for a variable, impedance matching acoustic seal to both the tympanic membrane and the audio transducer, respectively, while isolating the sound-vibration chamber within the driven bubble. This reduces the effect of gross audio transducer vibration excursions on the tympanic membrane and transmits the audio content in a manner which allows the ear to utilize its full inherent capabilities.

Abstract: In an ear tip and an ear phone including the same, the ear tip includes a cylindrical hollow shaft having a sound conduit through which audio signals are transferred into a user's ear, an external sheet extending from an end portion of the hollow shaft and enclosing the hollow shaft such that a gap space is provided between the hollow shaft and the external sheet, and a reinforce member protruded from the external sheet toward the hollow shaft in the gap space and reinforcing a strength of the external sheet to thereby resist against an axial external force applied along the hollow shaft. Accordingly, the external sheet is prevented from being turned inside out by the axial external force.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a host and an earphone. The host includes a application module, the earphone includes at least one speaker, and at least one vibrator. The host generates a first vibration signal according to an original audio signal from the application module, and sends the original audio signal and the first vibration signal to the earphone. The earphone generates a second vibration signal according to the original audio signal, sends the first vibration signal and the second vibration signal to the at least one vibrator, and sends the original audio signal to the at least one earphone speaker. The electronic device may also generate audio signals according to an original vibration signal from the application module.

Abstract: The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain dynamic three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth.

Abstract: An earphone connector having a plug provided with a cylindrical inserted portion and a locking claw that protrudes from the side surface of the inserted portion, and a receptacle provided with a fitting indentation that encloses at least the front-end portion of the inserted portion and an insertion opening formed in a fitting surface that communicates with the fitting indentation. The insertion opening includes a cylindrical portion through which the inserted portion passes and an indentation through which the locking claw passes. A spring member in contact with the locking claw is disposed within the fitting indentation, so that when the inserted portion is inserted into the insertion opening, the locking claw passes through the indentation and is enclosed within the interior of the fitting indentation and the inserted portion is rotated. The spring force of the spring member causes a moment that further rotates the inserted portion to act on the locking claw.

Abstract: A in-ear monitor is provided that is coupleable to an external audio source and that may be configured as a custom fit IEM or configured to accept a removable eartip, the in-ear monitor including at least two drivers and at least two concentric sound delivery tubes that acoustically couple the audio output from each of the drivers to the acoustic output surface of the in-ear monitor.

Abstract: This acoustic headset (2) comprises: two lateral acoustic modules (4, 6) comprising a mechanical bone excitation transducer (20, 22) which is capable of transmitting the sound signal to the auditory nerve by bone conduction, a flexible upper curved member (8) and a rigid rear curved member (10) for connecting the acoustic modules (4, 6). Each acoustic module (4, 6) comprises: a plate (16, 18) for lateral abutment against the sides of the skull, an articulation (24, 26) between the abutment plate (16, 18) and the transducer (20, 22), a spring for return movement, in terms of rotation about the axis of articulation (24, 26), of the transducer (20, 22) relative to the plate (16, 18) towards a rest position.

Abstract: This includes systems and methods for noise cancellation and power management in a wireless headset. The wireless headset can perform noise cancellation by using two or more omni-directional microphones to generate a noise canceling “cone.” Audio signals received outside of the cone can be filtered out. An accelerometer can be used to determine the location of the wireless headset and the system can then properly position the cone to face the user's voice and filter out other audio signals. Additionally, by monitoring the ambient noise, the system can save power by turning off the noise cancellation system when the amount of ambient noise is below a threshold value.

Abstract: A diaphonic valve utilizing the principle of the Synthetic Jet is disclosed herein. A diaphonic valve pump is provided for the inflation of an in-ear balloon. More complex embodiments of the present invention include stacks of multiple synthetic jets generating orifices as well as an oscillating, thin polymer membrane. In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a novel application is provided for the creation of static pressure to inflate or to deflate an inflatable member (balloon). In addition, sound can be utilized to inflate or deflate an inflatable member in a person's ear for the purpose of listening to sound.