HEADPHONES AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING HEADPHONES

Abstract

Headphones include a left loudspeaker element; a right loudspeaker element; and a holder for holding the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element, such that the loudspeaker elements can be attached to the ears, wherein the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element includes: a first sound converter; a second sound converter, wherein the first sound converter is implemented such that the first sound converter provides directed emission in the direction of an ear in the operating position of the headphones, and the second sound converter is implemented such that the second sound converter provides no or less directed emission than the first sound converter in the direction of the ear in the operating position of the headphones.

Claims

1. Headphones, comprising: a left loudspeaker element; a right loudspeaker element; and a holder for holding the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element, such that the loudspeaker elements can be attached to the ears, wherein the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element comprises: a first sound converter; a second sound converter, wherein the first sound converter is implemented such that the first sound converter provides directed emission in the direction of an ear in the operating position of the headphones, and the second sound converter is implemented such that the second sound converter provides no or less directed emission than the first sound converter in the direction of the ear in the operating position of the headphones.

2. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the first sound converter can be excited with a first control signal, wherein the second sound converter can be excited with a second control signal, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are different to one another or comprise a left stereo channel and a right stereo channel each.

3. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the first sound converter comprises a first main emission direction in the direction of the ear, wherein the second sound converter comprises a second main emission direction comprising an angle between 45 and 135 to the first main emission direction.

4. Headphones according to claim 3, wherein the angle between the first main emission direction and the second main emission direction is between 80 and 100 .

5. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element are implemented as supraaural or circumaural headphone earpieces, wherein both the first sound converter and the second sound converter are arranged in each headphone earpiece.

6. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element comprise a headphone earpiece comprising an enclosure whose depth is between 2.5 and 3.5 cm and whose width or diameter is between 5 cm and 10 cm.

7. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element comprises a headphone earpiece, the headphone earpiece comprising an absorption material, and wherein the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element is implemented to at least partly absorb direct sound emitted by the second sound converter by the absorption material of the headphone earpiece of the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element.

8. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the second sound converter comprises a reverberator to reverberate an electrical signal that controls the second sound converter, before the same is converted into acoustic energy by the second sound converter.

9. Headphones according to claim 1, wherein the first sound converter is implemented to put surrounding air into a first amount of translation or vibration and a second amount of rotation, and wherein the second sound converter is implemented to put the surrounding air into a third amount of translation or vibration and a fourth amount of rotation, wherein the third amount of translation or vibration is zero or less than the first amount of translation or vibration, and wherein the second amount of rotation is zero or less than the fourth amount of rotation.

10. Headphones according to claim 1, comprising a connecting cable and a plug or socket, wherein the connecting cable and the plug or socket are implemented to provide two separate and different control signals for the first sound converters and the second sound converters of the two loudspeaker elements; or comprising a wireless interface, wherein the wireless interface is implemented to provide two separate and different control signals for the first sound converters and the second sound converters of the two loudspeaker elements.

11. Method for producing a loudspeaker, comprising: connecting a left loudspeaker element with a right loudspeaker element by using a holder, such that the loudspeaker elements can be attached to the ears, wherein the left loudspeaker element or the right loudspeaker element comprises: a first sound converter; a second sound converter, wherein the first sound converter is implemented such that the first sound converter provides directed emission in the direction of an ear in the operating position of the headphones, and the second sound converter is implemented such that the second sound converter provides no or less directed emission than the first sound converter in the direction of the ear in the operating position of the headphones.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be detailed subsequently referring to the appended drawings, in which:

[0022] FIG. 1a is a schematic illustration of headphones according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG. 1b is a detailed illustration of a loudspeaker element of FIG. 1a;

[0024] FIG. 1c is an illustration analogous to FIG. 1b, but with connectivity or signal routing to the individual sound converters of the loudspeaker elements;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a cross-section through a loudspeaker element according to an embodiment of the present invention with standard sound converter and perpendicularly arranged bending wave converter (Manger converter);

[0026] FIG. 3a is a lateral sectional view of the bending wave converter of FIG. 2;

[0027] FIG. 3b is a rear view of the bending wave converter of FIG. 2 or FIG. 3a;

[0028] FIG. 4 is an illustration of the signal generating or signal rendering chain for generating the stereo signals for the first sound converter and the second sound converter; and

[0029] FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the three different sound intensities translation, rotation and vibration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0030] FIG. 1a shows headphones with a holder 2 for holding a left loudspeaker element or first loudspeaker element 3 and a right loudspeaker element or second loudspeaker element 4. The left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element comprise, as shown in FIG. 1b, a first sound converter 3a and a second sound converter 3b. The first sound converter 3a and the second sound converter 3b are controlled by different control signals 5a, 5b, and the two sound converters are implemented such that the first sound converter provides directed emission in the direction of the human ear to which the loudspeaker element can be attached, and that the second converter 3b provides no or less directed emission than the first converter in the direction of the human ear.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1a, the loudspeaker includes a connecting cable 10a with a connecting plug 10b or a connecting socket, or additionally or alternatively a wireless interface 10c. The cable with the plug or the socket or the wireless interface are implemented such that same provide two separate and different control signals for the first sound converter and the second sound converter of the two loudspeaker elements. Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 1c, the first control signal for the first (directed) sound converter 5a is a two-channel signal, namely a signal for the left channel and a signal for the right channel, when the same leaves a signal interface 11 which is a connection between audio amplifier and loudspeaker element. Then, typically within the headphones, the two channel signal branches into a left channel for the left loudspeaker element 3 (two separate left channels for the sound converter in 3) and a right channel for the right loudspeaker element 4 (two separate right channels for the sound converter in 4).

[0032] In an embodiment, the first sound converter is a single converter or a single converter array. The first sound converter is implemented such that the same comprises a frequency range greater than 50 kHz and advantageously even greater than 90 kHz, such that frequencies up to 50 or 90 kHz or even 100 kHz are emitted with amplitudes that are equal to or greater than half of a maximum amplitude in the frequency range of, for example, 0 to 20 kHz or 0 to 50 or 0 to 90 kHz or 100 kHz.

[0033] The first sound converter 3a is implemented as standard sound converter, wherein a standard sound converter is a sound converter of the group of electromagnetic, electrodynamic, isodynamic or orthodynamic or magnetostatic sound converters, balanced armature sound converters, electrostatic sound converters or piezoelectric sound converters. Normally, typical common headphone converters can be used.

[0034] In order to ensure good rotation generation with high efficiency, the second sound converter 3b of FIG. 1b is implemented as Manger converter or bending wave converter with a partly or completely circumferentially clamped membrane. Bending wave converters typically have a membrane which does not have to be particularly stiff, in contrast to other loudspeaker structure types, but is flexible and has high inner attenuation. Above that, the edge of the membrane is typically terminated with its characteristic impedance, such that no reflections occur on the edge. Further variations of the bending wave converter are known under the name Distributed Mode Loudspeaker (DML). Here, stiff light plates that are excited by so-called exciters are used for construction. With the bending wave converter, basically any surface can be used as membrane.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a loudspeaker element, which can either be the loudspeaker element 3 or the loudspeaker element 4. The first sound converter 3a is schematically illustrated as electrodynamic sound converter. The second sound converter 3b is illustrated as bending wave converter. The bending wave converter has a diameter between 3 and 5 cm. The first (conventional) sound converter has a depth of 0.5 to 1.5 cm and typically a depth of 1 cm and a width of (in square or rectangular implementations) or a diameter (in circular implementation) of 4.8 to 9.8 cm. The whole loudspeaker element includes a headphone earpiece 14 illustrated in cross-section having a width (in rectangular or square implementation) or a diameter (with circular implementation) of 5 to 10 cm and a depth of 3 cm. The first sound converter 3a emitted in a directed manner is arranged further apart from the ear in the ear piece 14, and the bending wave converter 3b is arranged between the conventional converter and the ear shown schematically at 12 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the first sound converter has a first main emission direction in the direction of the ear as illustrated by arrow 13. In contrast, the main emission direction of the second sound converter 3b is out of the drawing plane or into the drawing plane, i.e. perpendicular to the sound emission direction 13 of the conventional converter. This arrangement is advantageous due to the most efficient sound generation. Alternatively, the angle can also be between 45 and 135 between the main emission directions of the second converter 3b and the first converter 3a and most advantageously the angle is between 80 and 100 . The loudspeaker can be implemented as supraaural or circumaural loudspeaker, i.e. with a supraaural or circumaural headphone earpiece, wherein in FIG. 2 a circumaural headphone earpiece 14 is illustrated. In any case, both sound converters are arranged within the headphone earpiece, independent of whether the same is supraaural or circumaural. However, it is advantageous to use a circumaural headphone earpiece as shown in FIG. 2, since then the headphone earpiece can be implemented in an attenuating manner, such that the direct sound emitted in the emission direction of the bending wave converter 3b or the second sound converter 3b first impinges on the earpiece 14 and is attenuated there, such that merely indirect sound or the rotation generated by the sound converter reaches the ear 12. On the other hand, the directly emitted sound of the standard converter 3a is not attenuated by the absorption material of the headphone earpiece 14 but passes through the bending wave converter 3b or along the same into the ear 12 of the user of the headphones.

[0036] The first sound converter 3a is implemented such that the same generates the translation/vibration and transports the same to the ear 12, while the second sound converter is implemented such that it generates the rotation which then reaches the ear 12 from the area enclosed by the headphone.

[0037] FIG. 3a shows the bending wave converter 3b illustrated in top view in FIG. 2 in lateral cross-section. Thus, the membrane 30 actuated by an actuator mechanism 31 can be seen, wherein the actuator mechanism 31 is controlled by an amplifier 32 obtaining the audio signal which is to be output. The amplifier can be arranged within the headphones or also outside the headphones, for example as audio amplifier in a music system. Above that, the bending wave converter of FIG. 3a comprises a membrane carrier 33, which is, for example, arched, i.e. dome shaped, but can also have any other shape for holding the membrane 30 and the actuator 31. A top view from the rear onto the bending wave converter is shown in FIG. 3b in order to illustrate the membrane carrier 33 in more detail. The same comprises ridges 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d connecting an external membrane holder 33a to an actuator holder 33f. While four ridges are illustrated in FIG. 3b, two, three or more than four ridges can also be used. In any case, it is advantageous to select a relatively open structure so that the arrangement of the bending wave converter directly between the standard converter 3a and the ear 12, as shown in FIG. 2, presents as little attenuation as possible for the sound energy emitted by the standard converter 3a. On the front, the sound energy simply passes the standard converter since the same is implemented at a right angle to the standard converter in this specific array, and on the rear side the sound energy merely has to pass through the dome-like membrane holder 33, which, however, is not problematic, since the same is an open structure with ridges 33a to 33d.

[0038] It should be noted that the bending wave converter 3b does not necessarily have to be implemented perpendicularly to the standard converter, but can also be implemented horizontally to the standard converter or in any position which the bending wave converter assumes when the membrane is rotated along an axis defined by arrow 13. In other words, the arrangement of the two sound converters is such that the first sound converter puts the surrounding air into a first amount of translation or vibration and a second amount of rotation. Further, the second sound converter is implemented or arranged to put the surrounding air into a third amount of translation or vibration and a fourth amount of rotation. The third amount is zero or (at least) less than the first amount. Further, the second amount is zero or (at least) less than the fourth amount. This means that the standard converter mainly generates directed sound energy and the second sound converter 3b mainly generates rotational energy. The standard converter is implemented as dynamic sound converter basically structured like a loudspeaker. An angular coil (also referred to as moving coil) is adhered on the rear of the membrane, which moves in an air gap of a permanent ring magnet. This converter provides high reproduction quality, is mechanically very robust, necessitates only little operating voltage and has a significantly lower purchase price compared to electrostatic converters.

[0039] In a method for producing the headphones, a holder for holding the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element is connected to the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element, wherein the left loudspeaker element and the right loudspeaker element each comprise the first sound converter and the second sound converter, which emit in a differently directed manner or where the second sound converter is implemented and arranged to generate a significant amount of rotational energy in the headphone volume.

[0040] In the following, generation of the different signals will be discussed with reference to FIG. 4.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows different microphone sets 100, 102. Each microphone set 100, 102 includes a number of microphones, for example 10 or even more than 20 individual microphones. Thus, the first detection signal includes 10 or 20 or more individual microphone signals. This also applies for the second detection signal. These microphone signals are then typically mixed down within the mixers 104, 106 to obtain respectively mixed signals with a respective lower number of individual signals. When, for example, the first detection signal had 20 individual signals and the mixed signal has 5 individual signals, each mixer performs a downmix from 20 to 5. Above that, as shown in FIG. 4, a specific placement of the microphone sets 102, 100 with respect to an audio scene 124 is performed. The microphones are mainly placed above or on the side of the audio scene 124, as illustrated in 102 in order to detect the second detection signal with lower quality or lower directivity. On the other hand, the microphones of the first microphone set 100 are positioned in front of the audio scene 124 or between the audio scene 124 and a typical listener position in order to detect the directed sound energy emitted by the audio scene 124.

[0042] The mixed signals are either stored separately, as illustrated at 108, and/or transmitted to a reproduction system via a transmission path 110, in order to be processed by processors 112, 114, wherein these processors are, for example, amplifiers, mixers and/or binaural processors in order to provide the signal to the first sound converter, which will typically be a stereo signal with two channels, and the signal to the second sound converter, which will also be a stereo signal with two channels. As illustrated in FIG. 4 at 115, the processors 112, 114 can also perform reverberation, wherein this reverberation is particularly advantageous for the rotation signal, but not for the directed signal.

[0043] Thus, the inventive headphones are implemented to generate all three transmission mechanisms translation, vibration and rotation or to transmit the same to the ear. For transmitting translation and vibration, standard sound converters having an extended high-frequency range, possibly up to 100 kHz, are advantageous. Also, several converters can be used for individual frequency ranges for transmitting the whole spectrum. For transmitting rotation, a separate sound converter, namely the second sound converter of FIG. 1b is used.

[0044] While this invention has been described in terms of several advantageous embodiments, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and compositions of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.