阅读说明：本技术 用于可佩戴音频设备中振动减轻的高顺应性微型扬声器 (High compliance micro-speaker for vibration mitigation in wearable audio devices ) 是由 大石哲郎 赵楚明 盖尔蒙特·里奥斯 于 2020-02-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种音频系统包括被配置成发出声音的扬声器。扬声器被容纳在外壳中,外壳形成位于扬声器的相对侧的前腔和后腔。该外壳包括：至少一个输出端口,其被配置为从前腔输出声音的第一部分；以及至少一个后端口,其被配置为从后腔输出声音的第二部分。声音的第二部分与第一部分实质上异相。音频系统的等效声学容积(Vas)大于前腔的容积的十倍,并且大于后腔的容积的十倍。(An audio system includes a speaker configured to emit sound. The speaker is housed in a housing that forms a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker. The housing includes: at least one output port configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity; and at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity. The second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion. The equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times the volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times the volume of the back cavity.)

1. An audio system, comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound; and

at least a portion of a housing that houses a speaker, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker, and the housing comprising:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, an

At least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of the sound, wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

2. The audio system of claim 1, wherein the speaker is a high compliance speaker comprising a membrane having a mechanical compliance (Cms) of at least 10 millimeters/newton, the membrane configured to produce the emitted sound.

3. The audio system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one rear port is a resistive port configured to attenuate the second part of the sound.

4. The audio system of any preceding claim, and any one or more of the following holds true:

a) wherein the speaker has a rectangular shape; or

b) Wherein the second portion of sound is 180 ° out of phase with the first portion of sound; or

c) Wherein the housing comprises two rear ports; or

d) Wherein the audio component comprises the entire housing and the entire housing is coupled to a frame of a headset; or

e) Wherein the loudspeaker has a force ratio of less than 0.1, wherein the force ratio is equal to a force required to displace a membrane of the loudspeaker by 0.3 millimeters divided by a reference force.

5. A headgear, comprising:

a frame; and

an audio system, comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound; and

at least a portion of a housing coupled to the frame and housing the speaker, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity separated by the speaker, and the housing comprising:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, an

At least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion,

wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the back cavity.

6. The headset of claim 5, wherein the speaker is a high compliance speaker comprising a membrane having a mechanical compliance (Cms) of at least 10 millimeters/newton, the membrane configured to produce the emitted sound.

7. The headset of claim 6, wherein the high compliance speaker has a rectangular shape.

8. The headgear of any one of claims 5-7, wherein the at least one output port faces an interior side of the frame and the at least one rear port faces an exterior side of the frame.

9. The headset of any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein the audio system comprises a plurality of the enclosures coupled to the frame in a speaker array, each enclosure of the plurality of enclosures housing one or more of the speakers.

10. Headgear according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein

The housing is located on a leg of the frame,

the housing has an elongated oval shape,

the housing extends from the leg of the frame in a direction corresponding to the ear of the user,

and the output port is located at a lower portion of the housing, proximate the user's ear, such that the first portion of the sound is directed toward the user's ear.

11. The headset of claim 10, wherein the speaker is located in a lower portion of the housing.

12. The headgear of claim 10 or 11, wherein the high compliance speaker and the front cavity are located in an upper portion of the housing and spaced apart from the output port.

13. The headgear of claim 12, further comprising:

an audio waveguide within the housing connecting the front cavity to the output port, wherein:

a first portion of the sound propagates from the front cavity through the audio waveguide to the output port.

14. The headgear of any one or more of claims 5-13, and any one of the following holds true:

a) wherein the frame forms at least a portion of the housing; or

b) Wherein the second portion of sound is 180 ° out of phase with the first portion of sound.

15. An audio system, comprising:

a speaker configured to emit sound and housed within a housing that is part of a headset, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker, and the housing comprising:

at least one output port configured to output a first portion of the sound from the front cavity, an

At least one rear port configured to output a second portion of the sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of the sound, wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

Background

The present disclosure relates generally to head-mounted (headset) speakers, and more particularly to high compliance (compliance) micro-speakers.

High performance speakers are important components for producing high quality audio for consumer electronics devices. As consumer electronics become smaller, lighter, and more wearable, many design constraints (size, weight, power consumption, etc.) are placed in speakers, while still desiring good audio quality. Therefore, a high-performance speaker that is small in size, light in weight, and low in power consumption is desired.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an audio system comprising: a speaker configured to emit sound; and at least a portion of a housing containing the speaker, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker, and the housing comprising: at least one output port configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity; and at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of sound, wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

Preferably, the loudspeaker is a high compliance loudspeaker comprising a membrane having a mechanical compliance (Cms) of at least 10 mm/newton, the membrane being configured to produce an emitted sound.

Conveniently, the at least one rear port is a resistive port configured to attenuate a second portion of the (dampen) sound.

Preferably, the speaker has a rectangular shape.

Conveniently, the second portion of sound is 180 ° out of phase with the first portion of sound.

Preferably, the housing comprises two rear ports.

Conveniently, the audio assembly comprises the entire housing, and the entire housing is coupled to the frame of the headset.

Preferably, the loudspeaker has a force ratio smaller than 0.1, wherein the force ratio is equal to the force required to displace the membrane of the loudspeaker by 0.3mm divided by the reference force.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a headgear comprising: a frame; and an audio system comprising: a speaker configured to emit sound; and at least a portion of a housing coupled to the frame and housing the speaker, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity separated by the speaker, and the housing comprising: at least one output port configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity; and at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion, wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

Preferably, the loudspeaker is a high compliance loudspeaker comprising a membrane having a mechanical compliance (Cms) of at least 10 mm/newton, the membrane being configured to produce an emitted sound.

Conveniently, the high compliance speaker has a rectangular shape.

Preferably, the at least one output port faces the inside of the frame and the at least one rear port faces the outside of the frame.

Conveniently, the audio system comprises a plurality of enclosures coupled to the frame in a speaker array, each enclosure of the plurality of enclosures housing one or more speakers.

Preferably, the housing is positioned on a leg of the frame, the housing has an elongated oval shape, the housing extends from the leg of the frame in a direction corresponding to the user's ear, and the output port is positioned in a lower portion of the housing proximate the user's ear such that the first portion of the sound is directed toward the user's ear.

Conveniently, the speaker is located in a lower portion of the housing.

The high compliance speaker and the front volume may preferably be located in an upper portion of the housing and spaced from the output port.

Preferably, the headgear further comprises: an audio waveguide within the housing connecting the front cavity to the output port, wherein a first portion of the sound propagates from the front cavity through the audio waveguide to the output port.

Conveniently, the frame forms at least part of the housing.

Preferably, the second portion of sound is 180 ° out of phase with the first portion of sound.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an audio system comprising: a speaker configured to emit sound and housed within a housing that is part of the headset, the housing forming a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker, and the housing comprising: at least one output port configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity; and at least one rear port configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity, and the second portion of sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of sound, wherein an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times a volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times a volume of the rear cavity.

An audio system includes a speaker configured to emit sound, and at least a portion of a housing that houses the speaker. The speaker is a high compliance speaker comprising a transducer with a high mechanical compliance (Cms). According to some embodiments, the transducer may be a diaphragm, also referred to herein as a "membrane", having a high Cms (e.g., greater than 10 mm/N). The speaker may be designed such that vibrations applied to the surrounding structure (e.g., personal audio device) to which the speaker is mounted are mitigated. A housing containing the speaker forms a front cavity and a back cavity on opposite sides of the speaker. The housing includes at least one output port and at least one rear port. The at least one output port is configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity and the at least one rear port is configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity. The second portion of sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion of sound. The equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) of the audio system is greater than ten times the volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times the volume of the back cavity. By combining a high compliance speaker with a housing that includes at least one output port and at least one rear port, the audio system can achieve a high Vas while maintaining a relatively small form factor (e.g., having a physical volume of less than 5 cubic centimeters) and weight (e.g., less than 4 grams) of the housing and speaker.

In some embodiments, the audio system may be part of a personal audio device (e.g., a headset). For example, the audio system may be coupled to a frame of the headset. The audio system has a relatively low resonant frequency, which improves the power efficiency of the audio system and reduces unwanted vibrations in the structure (e.g., the frame of the headset) coupled to the housing and speakers.

According to some embodiments, the total sound emitted from the audio system may have a dipole configuration (dipole configuration) such that a first portion of the sound destructively interferes with a second portion of the sound in the far field, resulting in a low degree of sound leakage into the far field. In this way, the audio system can selectively deliver sound in the near field to the user's ear.

A high compliance speaker including a high Cms membrane may have a rectangular shape. The low resonant frequency and improved power efficiency may be due in part to the shape of the highly compliant speaker. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker may have a different shape. For example, the audio system may include a highly compliant speaker having an elliptical shape.

Brief Description of Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a headgear implemented as an eyewear apparatus in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 2A illustrates a front view of a high compliance speaker including a membrane with high mechanical compliance (Cms) in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 2B illustrates a cross-section along lines I-I' of the high compliance speaker shown in fig. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 3A illustrates an exploded view of a housing containing a rectangular high compliance speaker in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 3B illustrates a back view of the housing shown in fig. 3A integrated into a leg of a frame of a headset in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 3C illustrates a front view of the enclosure shown in fig. 3A and 3B integrated into a leg of a frame of a headset, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-section of a housing containing a high compliance speaker in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 5A illustrates a front view of a housing with an offset configuration that houses a high compliance speaker coupled to a leg of a frame of a headset in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 5B illustrates a back view of the housing shown in fig. 5A with an offset configuration in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 5C illustrates a cross-section along lines I-I' of the housing 510 illustrated in fig. 5A and 5B in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 6A illustrates a front view of a housing with an offset configuration that houses a high compliance speaker coupled to a leg of a frame of a headset in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 6B illustrates a rear view of the housing shown in fig. 6A in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 6C illustrates a cross-section along lines I-I' of the housing 610 illustrated in fig. 6A and 6B in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 7 illustrates power efficiencies for various sound frequencies for an example of an audio system in accordance with one or more embodiments.

Fig. 8 is an example system environment of a headset including an audio system in accordance with one or more embodiments.

The figures depict embodiments of the present disclosure for purposes of illustration only. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles or advantages of the disclosure described herein.

Detailed Description

Overview

Rectangular speakers used in smartphones or other consumer electronics typically have a transducer with a low mechanical compliance (Cms) (e.g., 4mm/N or lower) for converting electrical energy to sound, where the Cms of the transducer is the inverse of the mechanical stiffness of the transducer. When integrated into Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and/or mixed reality (mixed reality) headsets, the performance of these speakers may be poor. For example, conventional speakers with low Cms transducers tend to be heavy, consume high power, produce unwanted vibrations in the headset, and are not effective at producing low frequency audio at high volumes.

While some high performance audio applications use speakers with high Cms transducers, these speakers typically have large form factors and weights. Conventional audio systems using speakers with small form factors may not provide sufficient acoustic output for applications, such as to be used as an on-board speaker for a headset, especially at low frequencies. Furthermore, some applications use features that are not available in such traditional audio systems, such as far-field acoustic cancellation, to provide privacy to the user. Therefore, small form factor speakers with high audio performance (including at low frequencies) are desired.

An audio system is provided that includes one or more audio components and an audio controller (e.g., to control audio content output by the audio system). The one or more audio components include a speaker. According to some embodiments, the speaker may be a high compliance speaker with a transducer in the form of a high Cms membrane. The audio assembly includes at least a portion of a speaker housing (also referred to herein as a "housing"). In some embodiments, the remainder of the housing is part of the device (e.g., a personal audio device) to which the audio components are coupled. A personal audio device is a device worn and/or carried by a user that includes an audio system and is configured to present audio to the user via the audio system. The personal audio device may be, for example, a headset, a cell phone, a table, some other device configured to present audio to a user via an audio system, or some combination thereof. In other embodiments, the audio component includes all of the housing, and the entire housing is coupled to the device (e.g., the headset). The enclosure houses a highly compliant speaker that achieves an equivalent acoustic volume (Vas) higher than a comparably sized audio component including a speaker with a lower Cms transducer. In some embodiments, the audio components have a small form factor (e.g., having a physical volume of less than 5 cubic centimeters) and a low weight of the speaker (e.g., less than 2 grams), which is beneficial for applications such as audio systems for head-mounted devices. In this example, a high compliance speaker may have transducers with Cms greater than 10N/mm and Vas greater than 15 cc. According to some embodiments, the Vas of the audio component may be greater than ten times the physical volume of the acoustic cavity of the housing. For example, if the enclosure has a front acoustic cavity with a volume of 1 cubic centimeter (cc), the Vas of the audio system is 10cc or greater.

It would be advantageous to use audio components in a headset that have high Vas, small form factor, and low weight speakers. According to some embodiments, to provide a comfortable user experience, the audio component may be integrated or coupled into a portion of the frame of the headset. In particular, the housing may be integrated into the leg of the frame. In some embodiments, the housing is integrated into a temple portion (temple section) of the legs of the frame, the temple portion corresponding to a temple region (temple region) on the user's head. The audio components have a small form factor and weight, which may lead to a more comfortable experience for a user of the headset, where the audio components are integrated into the temple portion of the frame without sacrificing audio quality and/or audio volume.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may include or be implemented in conjunction with an artificial reality system. Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some way before being presented to a user, and may include, for example, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Mixed Reality (MR), hybrid reality (hybrid reality), or some combination and/or derivative thereof. In some embodiments, a headset including an audio system is configured for an artificial reality system. The artificial reality content may include fully generated content or content generated in combination with captured (e.g., real world) content. The artificial reality content may include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, and any of them may be presented in a single channel or multiple channels (e.g., stereoscopic video that produces a three-dimensional effect to a viewer). Further, in some embodiments, the artificial reality may also be associated with an application, product, accessory, service, or some combination thereof, that is used, for example, to create content in the artificial reality and/or otherwise used in the artificial reality (e.g., to perform an activity in the artificial reality). An artificial reality system that provides artificial reality content may be implemented on a variety of platforms, including a headset connected to a host computer system, a standalone headset, a mobile device or computing system, or any other hardware platform capable of providing artificial reality content to one or more viewers.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a headgear 100 implemented as an eyewear apparatus in accordance with one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the eyewear device is a near-eye display (NED). In general, the headset 100 may be worn on the face of a user such that content (e.g., media content) is presented using a display component and/or an audio system. However, the headset 100 may also be used so that media content is presented to the user in a different manner. Examples of media content presented by the headset 100 include one or more images, video, audio, or some combination thereof. The headset 100 includes a frame 105 and may include, among other components, a display assembly including one or more display elements 110, a Depth Camera Assembly (DCA), an audio system, and a position sensor 115. Although fig. 1 shows example locations of components of the headset 100 on the headset 100, these components may be located elsewhere on the headset 100, on a peripheral device that is paired with the headset 100, or some combination thereof. Similarly, there may be more or fewer components on the headgear 100 than shown in FIG. 1.

The frame 105 holds the other components of the headgear 100. The frame 105 includes a front that holds one or more display elements 110 and an end piece (e.g., a temple) for attachment to a user's head. The front of the frame 105 rests on top of the nose of the user. The length of the tip may be adjustable (e.g., adjustable temple length) to suit different users. The end pieces may also include portions that curl behind the user's ears (e.g., temple tips, earpieces). The end pieces may also be referred to herein as "legs of the frame".

The one or more display elements 110 provide light to a user wearing the headset 100. As shown, the head-mounted device includes a display element 110 for each eye of the user. In some embodiments, the display element 110 generates image light that is provided to a viewing window (eyebox) of the headset 100. The viewing window is the spatial position occupied by the user's eyes when wearing the headset 100. For example, the display element 110 may be a waveguide display. A waveguide display includes a light source (e.g., a two-dimensional light source, one or more line light sources, one or more point light sources, etc.) and one or more waveguides. Light from a light source is coupled in into one or more waveguides that output light in such a way that: so that there is pupil replication in the viewing window of the headset 100. In-coupling and/or out-coupling of light from one or more waveguides may be accomplished using one or more diffraction gratings. In some embodiments, a waveguide display includes a scanning element (e.g., waveguide, mirror, etc.) that scans light from a light source as the light is coupled inward into one or more waveguides. Note that in some embodiments, one or both of the display elements 110 are opaque and do not transmit light from a localized area around the headset 100. The local area is an area around the headset 100. For example, the local area may be a room inside of the user wearing the head mount device 100, or the user wearing the head mount device 100 may be outside, and the local area is an external area. In this context, the headset 100 generates VR content. Alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of the display elements 110 are at least partially transparent such that light from a localized area may be combined with light from one or more display elements to produce AR and/or MR content.

In some embodiments, the display element 110 does not generate image light, but rather a lens transmits light from a local area to the viewing window. For example, one or both of the display elements 110 may be an uncorrected lens (an over-the-counter lens), or may be a (e.g., single vision, bifocal, and trifocal or progressive) prescription lens to help correct defects in the user's vision. In some embodiments, the display element 110 may be polarized and/or colored to protect the user's eyes from sunlight.

It is noted that in some embodiments, the display element 110 may include additional optics blocks (not shown). The optics block may include one or more optical elements (e.g., lenses, fresnel lenses, etc.) that direct light from the display element 110 toward the viewing window. The optics block may, for example, correct aberrations in some or all of the image content, magnify some or all of the images, or some combination thereof.

The DCA determines depth information for a portion of the local area around the headset 100. The DCA includes one or more imaging devices 120 and a DCA controller (not shown in fig. 1), and may also include an illuminator 125. In some embodiments, illuminator 125 illuminates a portion of the localized area with light. The light may be, for example, structured light in the Infrared (IR) (e.g., dot patterns, bars, etc.), IR flashes to obtain time of flight, etc. In some embodiments, one or more imaging devices 120 capture images of local area portions that include light from illuminator 125. As shown, FIG. 1 shows a single illuminator 125 and two imaging devices 120. In an alternative embodiment, there is no illuminator 125 and no at least two imaging devices 120.

The DCA controller uses the captured image and one or more depth determination techniques to calculate depth information for the local region portion. The depth determination technique may be, for example, direct time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensing, indirect ToF depth sensing, structured light, passive stereo analysis, active stereo analysis (using light added to the texture of the scene by light from the illuminator 125), some other technique to determine the depth of the scene, or some combination thereof.

The audio system provides audio content. The audio system includes a sensor array, a speaker array, and an audio controller 130. However, in other embodiments, the audio system may include different and/or additional components. Similarly, in some cases, the functionality described with reference to components of an audio system may be distributed among the components in a manner different than that described herein. For example, some or all of the functions of the controller may be performed by a remote server.

The speaker array presents sound to the user. The speaker array includes one or more audio components. As shown in fig. 1, the audio system of the headset 100 includes two audio components, one audio component corresponding to the left ear of the user and the other audio component corresponding to the right ear of the user. Each audio assembly includes at least a portion of a housing and a highly compliant speaker. For example, as shown in fig. 1, the audio system of the head mount 100 includes: an audio component coupled to the right side of the frame 105, including a portion of the housing 140a and a high compliance speaker 135a, corresponding to the user's right ear; and another audio component coupled to the left side of the frame 105, which includes a portion of the housing 140b and the high compliance speaker 135b, corresponding to the left ear of the user. Each of the high compliance speakers 135a and 135b (collectively referred to as high compliance speakers 135) is housed in a respective one of the enclosures 140a and 140b (collectively referred to as enclosures 140). In some embodiments, the audio system further comprises an array of tissue transducers (e.g., bone conduction transducers or cartilage conduction transducers). Although the high compliance speaker 135 is shown enclosed in the frame 105, the high compliance speaker 135 may be external to the frame 105. In some embodiments, instead of a separate speaker for each ear, the headset 100 includes a speaker array that includes multiple speakers integrated into the frame 105 to improve the directionality of the presented audio content. The tissue transducer is coupled to the head of the user and directly vibrates the tissue (e.g., bone or cartilage) of the user to produce sound. The number and/or location of the high compliance speakers 135 may be different than that shown in fig. 1.

In fig. 1, each housing 140 is shown integrated into a leg of the frame 105, but according to some embodiments, the housings may be coupled to the frame in different configurations. Each housing 140 includes an output port 150 coupled to the front cavity of the respective housing and two rear ports 155 coupled to the rear cavity of the housing. In other embodiments, the housing may include more than one output port and one or more rear ports. In some embodiments, at least one rear port is a resistive port configured to attenuate a second portion of sound emitted from the rear cavity of the housing 140. In addition to providing dust protection for the respective high compliance speaker, the resistive port may also smooth the frequency response of the respective enclosure. According to some embodiments, the resistive ports may be in the form of a mesh membrane or fabric that covers openings defined in the respective housings. In other embodiments, the at least one rear port is an open port that does not attenuate the second portion of sound. In other embodiments, one or both of the enclosures 140 includes a plurality of rear ports that are a combination of resistive and open ports. According to some embodiments, the high compliance speaker emits sound in response to electronic audio signals received from the controller 120. The controller 120 can provide and send instructions to the audio system to present audio content to the user. The output port 150 is configured to output a first portion of sound from the front cavity of the housing 140 and the two rear ports 155 are configured to output a second portion of sound from the rear cavity of the housing 140.

In some embodiments, each output port 150 faces the inside of the frame 105. The inner side is a direction facing the head of the user wearing the head mount 100. In this case, the two rear ports 155 face the outside of the frame 105. The outer side is the direction away from the head of the user wearing the headgear 100.

An audio component including a high compliance speaker 135 can achieve a high Vas without excessive power consumption relative to the actual size or weight of the audio component, resulting in efficient audio performance. This is advantageous for audio systems used in head-mounted devices, where the audio components may need to be mounted in a relatively small space. Thus, as shown in the example of fig. 1, the audio components may meet the design requirements of various headset configurations without sacrificing audio performance and/or audio volume. According to some embodiments, an audio system may produce sound at a higher volume with the same or less electrical power input than other audio systems of comparable size and weight. For example, according to some embodiments, the audio system may produce sound at a higher volume using the same electrical power input as compared to an audio system of comparable size for embodiments that do not include the enclosure 140 and embodiments of the high compliance speaker 135.

According to some embodiments, the audio system may also be included in or integrated with devices other than a headset. For example, the audio system may be integrated with a mobile device or any other application that requires small, lightweight speakers with relatively efficient audio performance.

The sensor array detects sound within a localized area of the headset 100. The sensor array includes a plurality of acoustic sensors 145. The acoustic sensor 145 captures sound emitted from one or more sound sources in a local area (e.g., a room). Each acoustic sensor is configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic format (analog or digital). The acoustic sensor 145 may be an acoustic wave sensor, a microphone, an acoustic transducer, or similar sensor adapted to detect sound.

In some embodiments, one or more acoustic sensors 145 may be placed in the ear canal of each ear (e.g., acting as a binaural microphone). In some embodiments, the acoustic sensor 145 may be placed on an outer surface of the headset 100, on an inner surface of the headset 100, separate from the headset 100 (e.g., as part of some other device), or some combination thereof. The number and/or location of the acoustic sensors 145 may be different than shown in fig. 1. For example, the number of acoustic detection locations may be increased to increase the amount of audio information collected and the sensitivity and/or accuracy of the information. The acoustic detection location may be oriented such that the microphone is capable of detecting sound in a wide range of directions around the user wearing the headset 100.

Audio controller 130 processes information from the sensor array describing the sounds detected by the sensor array. Audio controller 130 may include a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. Audio controller 130 may be configured to generate direction of arrival (DOA) estimates, generate acoustic transfer functions (e.g., array transfer functions and/or head related transfer functions), track the location of sound sources, form beams in the sound source direction, classify sound sources, generate sound filters for high compliance speakers 135, or some combination thereof.

The position sensor 115 generates one or more measurement signals in response to movement of the headset 100. The position sensor 115 may be located on a portion of the frame 105 of the headset 100. The position sensor 115 may include an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). Examples of the position sensor 115 include: one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, another suitable type of sensor to detect motion, one type of sensor for error correction of the IMU, or some combination thereof. The position sensor 115 may be located external to the IMU, internal to the IMU, or some combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the headset 100 may provide synchronized localization and mapping (SLAM) of the position of the headset 100 and updates to the model of the local area. For example, the headset 100 may include a passive camera component (PCA) that generates color image data. PCA may include one or more RGB cameras that capture images of some or all of a local area. In some embodiments, some or all of the imaging devices 120 of the DCA may also be used as PCA. The image captured by the PCA and the depth information determined by the DCA may be used to determine parameters of the local region, generate a model of the local region, update a model of the local region, or some combination thereof. In addition, the position sensor 115 tracks the position (e.g., position and pose) of the headset 100 within the room. Additional details regarding the components of the headgear 100 are discussed below in connection with fig. 8.

Some embodiments of the headset 100 and audio system have different components than those described herein. For example, the housing 140 may include ports of different configurations, e.g., ports having different numbers, shapes, types, and/or sizes. The example of an audio system shown in fig. 1 includes two housings 140 (each housing accommodating a high compliance speaker) corresponding to the left and right ears for rendering stereo sound. In some embodiments, the audio system includes a speaker array that includes a plurality of housings 140 (e.g., more than two) coupled to the frame 105 of the headset 100. In this case, each housing houses one or more high compliance speakers. Similarly, in some cases, functionality may be distributed among components in a manner different than that described herein. In addition, the size or shape of the components may vary.

High compliance speaker

Fig. 2A illustrates a front view of a high compliance speaker 210, the high compliance speaker 210 including a membrane having a high Cms, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The high compliance speaker 210 is an embodiment of the high compliance speaker 135. According to some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 has a rectangular shape, corresponding to a rectangular prism. In the example shown in fig. 2A, the surface of the high Cms membrane 220 also has an approximately rectangular shape. In a further embodiment, as shown in fig. 2A, the high Cms membrane 220 has an approximate 2D shape corresponding to a rectangle with rounded corners. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 and the high Cms membrane 220 may have other shapes than those shown in fig. 2A and 2B.

The rectangular shape of the high compliance speaker 210 may meet various design requirements. For example, the high compliance speaker 210 may be used in the temple region of the legs of a headset (e.g., an eyeglass form factor), as shown in fig. 1. As such, the high compliance speaker 210 may desirably be rectangular in shape to conform to the shape of the temple region.

In other embodiments, the high Cms membrane 220 has an elliptical shape. In a further embodiment, the body of the high compliance speaker 210 also has a shape corresponding to an ellipse, such as a shape approximating an elliptical prism. According to some embodiments, using an elliptically shaped high Cms membrane 220 may more easily suppress undesirable resonant modes of the high compliance speaker 210 while still maintaining a shape that is effective for designs requiring non-circular speakers. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 and the high Cms membrane 220 have other shapes to match the design requirements of various applications of the audio system. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 may have a different overall shape than the high Cms membrane 220. For example, the high compliance speaker 210 may have a rectangular shape while the high Cms membrane 220 has an elliptical shape. According to some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 and the high Cms membrane 220 each may have a shape other than a rectangular shape or an elliptical shape.

Further, the high compliance speaker 210 may have a small size suitable for various design requirements, such as for integration with a headgear. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 is a speaker with a total area of the high Cms membrane 220 of less than 200 square millimeters. According to some embodiments, the high Cms membrane 220 can have different dimensions.

Fig. 2B illustrates a cross-section along lines I-I' of the high compliance speaker 210 shown in fig. 2A in accordance with one or more embodiments. According to some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 includes components, such as circuit elements, not shown in fig. 2B. In response to receiving the electrical audio signal, the high compliance speaker 210 actuates the high Cms membrane 220, generating sound waves (i.e., emitted sound) corresponding to the received electrical audio signal. According to some embodiments, the actuated Cms membrane 220 can be displaced, as depicted in fig. 2B. In response to an electrical audio signal, a high Cms membrane (e.g., a membrane having a Cms greater than 10mm/N) has a greater membrane displacement than a low Cms membrane. In some embodiments, the high Cms membrane 220 has a lower stiffness than the low Cms membrane such that the amount of energy required to displace the high Cms membrane 220 is lower than the amount of energy required to displace the low Cms membrane. Furthermore, the high Cms membrane 220 can generally have a greater displacement amplitude of the high Cms membrane 220 than an identically sized speaker having a low Cms membrane. According to some embodiments, an audio system including a high compliance speaker 210 coupled with the housing 140 may have a high Vas relative to the dimensions of the housing 140.

According to some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 may have a low resonant frequency relative to a same size speaker with a low Cms membrane, in part due to the low stiffness of the high Cms membrane 220. The lower resonance frequency enables the audio system to have a larger bandwidth and better performance at low frequencies than an audio system with a higher resonance frequency. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 has a resonant frequency of the fundamental node that is less than 200 Hz. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 has a resonant frequency of the fundamental node in the range of 100-200 Hz.

Furthermore, the high compliance speaker 210 has improved power efficiency when packaged in an embodiment of the housing 140 compared to other speakers. In a highly compliant speaker 210, the proportion of electrical energy that is converted to acoustic energy is higher compared to a comparable speaker using a low Cms membrane and/or a housing having a sealed back cavity (e.g., omitting a back port in the housing). This is due in part to the reduction of undesirable vibrations in the audio system and in devices and/or structures coupled to the audio system. For example, the acceleration of unwanted vibrations caused by the audio system may be 10 times lower than the acceleration caused by an equally sized speaker system using a low compliance speaker or using a housing without features of the housing 140. Unwanted vibrations may occur in the speaker itself, the housing, structures coupled to the audio system (e.g., the frame of the headset), and some combination thereof.

To generate sound, the high compliance speaker 210 may be actuated by relatively small electromagnetic forces, which further minimizes structural vibrations coupled to the structure of the audio system (e.g., the frame of the artificial reality glasses and the headset). According to some embodiments, the force ratio of the high compliance speaker 210 may be less than 0.1. The force ratio is equal to the force required to displace the membrane of the loudspeaker by 0.3mm divided by the reference force value, where the reference force is 0.33N. In some embodiments, the acceleration ratio of the high compliance speaker may be less than 0.1. The acceleration ratio is equal to the amount of acceleration the membrane of the loudspeaker experiences in order to be displaced by 0.3mm divided by a reference acceleration of 0.000183m/s²。

Furthermore, the power consumption of the high compliance speaker 210 is a small fraction of typical rectangular speakers (such as those found in smartphones). For applications (e.g. speakers for head-mounted devices and/or glasses), it is strongly desired to reduce the vibrations to eliminate unwanted tactile sensations felt by the user.

The high compliance speaker 210 has a reduced weight, which reduces the overall weight of the headset that includes the audio system. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker weighs 2 grams or less. The two high compliance speakers 210 (corresponding to the left and right speakers to obtain audio sound) may weigh approximately 17% less than the typical rectangular speakers found in smartphones. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 210 has a height dimension in the range of 10-11mm, a length dimension in the range of 18-20mm, and a depth dimension in the range of 2-4 mm. In some embodiments, the two high compliance speakers 210 total less than 4 grams in weight (each weighing less than 2 grams).

Loudspeaker shell

Fig. 3A illustrates an exploded view 300 of a housing 310 that houses a rectangular high compliance speaker 320 in accordance with one or more embodiments. The rectangular high compliance speaker 320 is an embodiment of the high compliance speaker 210. Housing 140 is an embodiment of housing 310. The housing 310 is integrated into the legs 330 of the frame of the headgear. The legs 330 of the frame may be part of an embodiment of the headgear 100.

The housing 310 forms a front chamber and a back chamber on opposite sides of the rectangular high compliance speaker 320. The front 340 of the housing includes an output port 350, the output port 350 configured to output a first portion of the sound emitted from the rectangular high compliance speaker 320 from the front cavity. In some embodiments, the front 340 of the housing includes a plurality of output ports. The rear portion 360 of the housing includes one or more rear ports configured to output a second portion of the emitted sound from the rear cavity. As shown, the rear portion 360 of the housing includes two rear ports 370a and 370b (collectively referred to as rear ports 370).

The rear portion 360 of the housing, including the two rear ports 370, is part of the frame of the headset such that the legs 330 of the frame and the rear portion 360 of the housing form one continuous body. In other embodiments, the front portion 340 of the housing is part of the frame of the headset. In the example shown in fig. 3A, the front 340 of the housing (including the output port 350) is a separate part that can be detached and reattached to the rear 360 of the housing. In an alternative embodiment, the rear portion 360 of the housing and the front portion 340 of the housing are different components that may be separated and reattached to each other. 3A-3C, housing 310 is shown with one output port 350 and two rear ports 370, but the number and configuration of output ports and rear ports may be different according to some embodiments.

The rectangular high compliance speaker 320 may be housed by the housing 310 integrated into the legs 320 of the frame in a manner that is optimal for the space and size constraints of the frame. The shape of the high compliance speaker in the audio system may be configured to optimize the audio performance of the audio system for the size and spatial limitations of the frame of the headset.

In some embodiments, the housing 310 comprises the same material used to form the legs 330 of the frame. In other embodiments, the housing 310 comprises a different material than the leg 330 used to form the frame.

A rectangular high compliance speaker 320 is housed by the housing 310 and is positioned in the space between the rear 360 of the housing and the front 340 of the housing. The housing 310 forms a back volume and a front volume, with a rectangular high compliance speaker 320 separating the back volume from the front volume. Output port 350 is coupled to the front cavity and two rear ports 370 are coupled to the rear cavity. The housing 310 may include additional components in addition to the accessories shown in fig. 3A-3C, such as ports for electrical components and wiring. In other embodiments, the audio system including the housing 310 has a different configuration than the frame of the headset.

Fig. 3B illustrates a back view 301 of the housing 310 shown in fig. 3A integrated into a leg 330 of a frame of a headgear in accordance with one or more embodiments. The rear portion 350 of the housing including the two rear ports 370 may correspond to a direction away from the user's ear. In other embodiments, the rear port 340 may be located in a different location or have a different shape than shown in FIG. 3A.

In some embodiments, the two rear ports 370 are resistive ports configured to attenuate a second portion of the sound emitted from the rear cavity of the housing 310. For example, using a resistive port may provide directionality to the overall sound emanating from the audio system such that more sound is heard from a particular direction than from another direction. In some embodiments, the sound emitted from the audio system is greater in a direction corresponding to the user's ear. In other embodiments, the two rear ports 370 are open ports that do not attenuate the first portion of sound. In other embodiments, the housing 310 may include a plurality of rear ports 340 that are a combination of open and resistive ports.

Fig. 3C illustrates a front view 302 of the housing 310 shown in fig. 3A and 3B integrated into a leg 330 of a frame of a headgear in accordance with one or more embodiments. The front view 302 shows the legs 330 of the frame and the housing 310 from a view opposite to the view shown in the back view 301 of fig. 3A. According to some embodiments, output port 350 is located at a lower portion of front portion 340 of the housing, the location of output port 350 corresponding to a user's ear. Although output port 350 in fig. 3A-3B is located on front 340 of the housing, other embodiments include other configurations in which output port 350 is located in a different portion of housing 310 than that shown in fig. 3A-3C. In some embodiments, the output port 330 may be configured to direct a first portion of the sound to an ear of a user wearing the headset.

The emitted sound (including the first portion of sound and the second portion of sound) may include audio content intended only for a user wearing the headset. In some embodiments, the emitted sound is intended for the user to hear, but is not intended to be heard by individuals other than the user, for example, where the privacy of the user is of concern.

In some embodiments, the two rear ports 370 enable sound to be emitted from the enclosure in a dipole configuration including a first portion of sound and a second portion of sound. The two rear ports 370 allow a second portion of the sound to emanate outwardly from the rear cavity of the housing 310 in a rearward direction. The at least one rear port is configured to emit a second portion of sound from the rear cavity. The second portion of the sound is substantially out of phase with the first portion that emanates outwardly from the output port 350 in a forward direction.

In some embodiments, the second portion of sound has a phase shift of 180 ° relative to the first portion of sound, resulting in dipole sound emission as a whole. In this way, the sound emitted from the audio system undergoes dipole acoustic cancellation in the far field, wherein a first portion of the sound emitted from the front cavity interferes and cancels out with a second portion of the sound emitted from the rear cavity in the far field, and the leakage of the emitted sound into the far field is low. This is desirable for applications where the privacy of the user is of concern and where it is undesirable for sound to be emitted to people other than the user. For example, since the ear of the user wearing the headset is in the near field of the sound emitted from the audio system, the user can exclusively hear the emitted sound.

The housing 310 has a small form factor (e.g., the total volume of the housing may be less than 5cc), and the housing 310 may be more easily integrated into, for example, an artificial reality headset than housings for audio systems having larger dimensions. According to some embodiments, the housing 310 is integrated into a temple portion of the leg 320 of the frame. The temple portion corresponds to a temple region on the user's head such that when the user wears the headset, the temple portion of the headset is positioned proximate the user's temple region. According to some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3A-3C, output port 350 directs a first portion of sound from the temple region down to the user's ear.

Anterior and posterior chambers

Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-section 400 of a housing containing a high compliance speaker 450 in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown in fig. 4, the housing is an embodiment of a housing 310. According to some embodiments, the cross-section 400 may be along a centerline of an embodiment of the housing 310. The cross-section 400 shows a front chamber 410 and a rear chamber 420 formed by a front 430 of the housing and a rear 440 of the housing. The housing houses a highly compliant speaker 450 that separates the front chamber 410 from the back chamber 420. The high compliance speaker 450 includes a high Cms membrane 460 facing the front cavity 410. The high compliance speaker 450 is an embodiment of the high compliance speaker 210.

The front 430 of the housing includes an output port 470 that is coupled to the front cavity 410. The output port 470 outputs a first portion of the sound emitted by the high compliance speaker 450 from the front volume 410. The rear portion 440 of the housing includes a rear port 480 coupled to the rear cavity 420. The rear port 480 outputs a second portion of the sound emitted by the high compliance speaker 450 from the rear chamber 420.

To meet design requirements for integrating an audio system into a device such as a headset, the front and back cavities may have a relatively small volume (e.g., 5 cubic centimeters or less). In some embodiments, the rear chamber and the front chamber each have a volume of 1cc or less. For example, the rear chamber and/or the front chamber may each have a volume in a range between 0.3-0.4 cc. In some embodiments, the volumes of both the front chamber 410 and the back chamber 420 are substantially the same. In other embodiments, the volume of the front chamber 410 is different than the volume of the back chamber 420. In other embodiments, the front cavity 410 may have a shape that is significantly different from the shape of the back cavity 420.

The combination of an embodiment of the high compliance speaker 210 and an embodiment of the enclosure 140 (including one or more output ports coupled to the front volume and one or more rear ports coupled to the rear volume) results in a Vas of the audio system that is greater than ten times the volume of the front volume and greater than ten times the volume of the rear volume. For example, the Vas of the audio system may be at least 100 times the volume of the front volume and at least 100 times the volume of the back volume. In this case, as shown in fig. 4, an example of an audio system having a front chamber 410 having a physical volume of 0.3cc and a rear chamber 420 having a physical volume of 0.3cc may have a Vas of 30cc or more. The high Vas of the audio system is due in part to the high compliance of the combined speaker with the high Cms membrane and housing with the at least one rear port. In some examples, a high compliance speaker may have an air volume displacement of greater than 60 cubic millimeters. In contrast, an audio system using a high compliance speaker housed in a housing and the housing having an output port only in a forward direction without a back volume and/or a back port coupled to the back volume would have a lower compliance than a comparably sized audio system including at least one back port as disclosed herein.

Offset arrangement

Fig. 5A illustrates a front view 500 of a housing 510 with an offset configuration housing a high compliance speaker, the housing 510 coupled to legs 520 of a frame of a headset, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The housing 510 is an embodiment of the housing 140 having an offset configuration. The housing 510 having an offset configuration has an elongated oval shape that extends downwardly from the legs 520 of the frame in a direction corresponding to the ear of the user. The elongated elliptical shape may correspond to an elliptical prism. In other embodiments, the housing 510 has another shape. For example, the housing 510 may have a rectangular shape extending downward in a direction corresponding to the ear of the user.

In some embodiments, a portion of the housing 510 may be a different component than the rest of the housing 510, which may be detached and reattached to the rest of the housing 510. In other embodiments, the housing 510 forms a continuous body. The housing 510 may be coupled to the legs 520 of the frame as an accessory. Alternatively, at least a portion of the housing 510 may be integrated as part of the frame of the headgear.

According to some embodiments, the offset configuration may result in the output port 530 of the housing 510 being closer to the user's ear than the output port 330 of the housing 310 shown in fig. 3. According to some embodiments, the housing 510 includes a plurality of output ports 530. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker is located in a lower portion of the housing 510, as shown in fig. 5A-5C. According to some embodiments, an audio system including the housing 510 may achieve a higher perceived volume than the housing 310 by positioning the output port 530 near the user's ear (e.g., within 5 mm), while also achieving the same improved audio performance and acoustic dipole emission as an audio system having the housing 310.

Fig. 5B illustrates a back view 501 of the housing 510 having the offset configuration shown in fig. 5A in accordance with one or more embodiments. The rear view 501 shows the legs 520 and the housing 510 of the frame from a view opposite that shown in the front view 500 of fig. 5A. The housing 510 includes a rear port 540 coupled to a rear cavity of the housing. In some embodiments, the housing 510 may include a plurality of rear ports 540. As with the housing 410, the combination of the output port 530 and the rear port 540 provide a dipole configuration for sound emanating from the audio system.

Fig. 5C illustrates a cross-section 502 along lines I-I' of the housing 510 illustrated in fig. 5A and 5B in accordance with one or more embodiments. The high compliance speaker 550 is an embodiment of the high compliance speaker 550 and includes a high Cms membrane 560 facing the front cavity 570. The housing 510 forms a front cavity 570 coupled to the output port 530 and a rear cavity 580 coupled to the rear port 540. The high compliance speaker 550 is located in the lower portion of the housing 510 between the front cavity 570 and the rear cavity 580. In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 550 separates the front cavity 570 and the back cavity 580, as shown in fig. 5C. The high Cms membrane 560 shown in fig. 5C does not directly face the output port 530, but in other embodiments the high Cms membrane 560 may directly face the output port 530.

In some embodiments, the high compliance speaker 550 has a rectangular shape, as with the high compliance speaker 210 shown in fig. 2A. In other embodiments, the high compliance speaker 550 has an elliptical shape. In a further embodiment, the high compliance speaker 550 has an elliptical shape corresponding to the shape of the housing 510.

In some embodiments, the housing 510 may have a different configuration than that shown in fig. 5A-5C, including a different number and location of output ports 530 and rear ports 540. Although fig. 5A-5C illustrate the housing 510 having one output port 530 and one rear port 540, the housing 510 may include one or more output ports 530 and/or one or more rear ports 540, according to some embodiments.

Fig. 6A illustrates a front view 600 of a housing 610 with an offset configuration housing a high compliance speaker, the housing 610 coupled to legs 620 of a frame of a headset, in accordance with one or more embodiments. The housing 610 is an embodiment of the housing 510 having an offset configuration. The housing 610 includes the same components and elongated oval shape as the housing 510, but the high compliance speaker is located on top of the high compliance speaker. Similar to the housing 510 shown in fig. 5A-5C, the housing 610 includes an output port 630 coupled to the front cavity of the housing 610. In some embodiments, the housing 610 includes a plurality of output ports 630.

Fig. 6B illustrates a back view 601 of the housing 610 shown in fig. 6A in accordance with one or more embodiments. The rear view 601 shows the legs 620 and the housing 610 of the frame from a view opposite that shown in the rear view 600 of fig. 6A. Similar to the housing 510 shown in fig. 5A-5C, the housing 610 includes a rear port 640 coupled to a rear cavity of the housing 610. As such, in some embodiments, the housing 610 shares the same advantages as the housing 510, including high audio performance and dipole configuration of the sound being emitted. In some embodiments, the housing 610 includes a plurality of rear ports 640.

Fig. 6C illustrates a cross-section along lines I-I' of the housing 610 illustrated in fig. 6A and 6B in accordance with one or more embodiments. The housing 610 houses a high compliance speaker 650 having a high Cms membrane 660 facing the front cavity 670. The housing 610 forms a front cavity 670 coupled to the output port 630 and a rear cavity 680 coupled to the rear port 640. A high compliance speaker 650 is located in an upper portion of the housing 610.

In some embodiments, output port 630 is positioned spatially separated from forward cavity 670. As shown in fig. 6C, the output port 630 may be located in a lower portion of the housing 610, while the high compliance speaker 650 and the front volume 670 are located in an upper portion of the housing 610. In this case, housing 610 can also form an acoustic waveguide 690 connecting front cavity 670 to output port 630. Acoustic waveguide 690 couples front cavity 670 with output port 630 and provides a path for a first portion of sound emitted from high compliance speaker 650 to travel from front cavity 670 to output port 630, where it is output at output port 630. Acoustic waveguide 690 directs sound to a location of output port 630 that is, for example, closer to the user's ear than the location of high compliance speaker 650. In other embodiments, acoustic waveguide 690 directs sound to a different output location. As shown in fig. 6C, high Cms membrane 660 does not directly face acoustic waveguide 690, but in some embodiments, high Cms membrane 660 may directly face a portion of acoustic waveguide 690.

In some embodiments, the housing 610 may include different components and configurations than those shown in fig. 6A-6C. For example, output port 630 can also be located in an upper portion of housing 610, with acoustic waveguide 690 omitted from housing 610. Although fig. 6A-6C illustrate the housing 610 having one output port 630 and one rear port 640, the housing 610 may include multiple output ports 630 and/or multiple rear ports 640, according to some embodiments. Similarly, housing 610 can have a different number of acoustic waveguides 690 and/or acoustic waveguides 690 of different shapes and sizes. Further, similar to acoustic waveguide 690, housing 610 can include an acoustic waveguide connecting back cavity 680 to a back port.

The housing 610 having the offset configuration may have improved power efficiency over the housing 310 shown in fig. 3A-3C and 4 because the offset configuration allows the output port 630 of the housing to be located closer to the ear of the user wearing the headset, thereby reducing the power required to drive the audio system. The enclosure with the offset configuration may also have audio performance benefits of the enclosure 310 such as low far field leakage of sound and high Vas of the audio system due to the dipole configuration of the sound emanating from the enclosure.

Embodiments of the audio system have the advantage of a small form factor while maintaining improved audio performance. The combination of a highly compliant speaker and housing provides the advantage of a large Vas for audio systems with relatively small form factors and cavity volumes. In some embodiments, the audio system has a Vas greater than 30 cc. In some embodiments, the air volume displacement of the high compliance speaker is greater than 60 cubic millimeters. The audio system has better performance in terms of volume, power efficiency, bandwidth, and unwanted vibration of the device integrated with the audio system than conventional rectangular speakers used in devices such as smartphones or tablets.

Due in part to the low resonant frequency of the high compliance speaker, the audio system may have superior power efficiency at low frequencies and less unwanted vibration of the audio system and any devices or structures coupled to the audio system compared to similarly sized speaker systems using low compliance speakers. Fig. 7 illustrates power efficiencies for various sound frequencies for an example of an audio system in accordance with one or more embodiments. Curve 710 illustrates the power efficiency for various sound frequencies for an audio system having a high compliance speaker in combination with an embodiment of the enclosure 140. Curve 720 shows the power efficiency for various sound frequencies for a similarly sized audio system with low compliance speakers. As shown in fig. 7, the audio system with the high compliance speaker is significantly higher for low frequencies, especially at frequencies below 1 kHz.

Furthermore, according to some embodiments, due to the dipole configuration of the emitted sound, the audio system emits sound with dipole acoustic cancellation, resulting in a relatively low degree of sound leakage into the far field. In some embodiments, the audio system has less leakage of sound into the far field than an example of an audio system with a low compliance speaker. In particular, for certain frequencies (e.g., above 3kHz), examples of audio systems exhibit less leakage of sound into the far field than examples of audio systems with low compliance speakers.

Another advantage of audio systems is the form factor and weight. According to some embodiments, a conventional audio system capable of achieving the same Vas may have a greater weight and size than an audio system including a highly compliant speaker and housing. For example, an embodiment of the enclosure may have a size of 12mm by 20mm by 8mm, and the weight of two high compliance speakers used in the audio system may be less than 4 grams. In this example, the audio system may have a Vas greater than 20 cc. A conventional audio system implementing Vas-like will have a physical volume greater than 20 cc.

Example System Environment

Fig. 8 is an example system environment of a headset including an audio system in accordance with one or more embodiments. The system 800 may operate in an artificial reality environment. The system 800 shown in fig. 8 includes a headset 805 and an input/output (I/O) interface 810 coupled to a console 815. The headset 805 may be an embodiment of the headset 100. Although fig. 8 illustrates an example system 800 including one headset 805 and one I/O interface 810, in other embodiments any number of these components may be included in the system 800. For example, there may be multiple headsets 805 each having an associated I/O interface 810, each headset 805 and I/O interface 810 communicating with console 815. In alternative configurations, different and/or additional components may be included in system 800. Further, in some embodiments, the functionality described in connection with one or more of the components shown in fig. 8 may be distributed among the components in a different manner than that described in connection with fig. 8. For example, some or all of the functionality of the console 815 is provided by the headset 805.

In some embodiments, the headset 805 may correct or enhance the vision of the user, protect the user's eyes, or provide images to the user. The head-mounted device 805 may be glasses that correct a user's vision deficiencies. The headgear 805 may be sunglasses that protect the user's eyes from the sun. The headgear 805 may be safety glasses that protect the user's eyes from impact. The headset 805 may be a night vision device or infrared goggles to enhance the user's night vision. Alternatively, the headset 805 may not include a lens and may simply be a frame with an audio system 820 that provides audio (e.g., music, radio, podcasts) to the user.

In some embodiments, the headset 805 may be a head mounted display that presents content to a user, the content including an augmented view of a physical reality environment with computer-generated elements (e.g., two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) images, 2D or 3D video, sound, etc.). In some embodiments, the presented content includes audio presented via the audio system 820, the audio system 300 receives audio information from the headset 805, the console 815, or both, and presents audio data based on the audio information. In some embodiments, the headset 805 presents virtual content to the user based in part on the real environment surrounding the user. For example, the virtual content may be presented to a user of the eyewear device. The user may be physically in a room, and the virtual walls and virtual floor of the room are rendered as part of the virtual content. In the embodiment of fig. 8, the headset 805 includes an audio system 820, an electronic display 825, an optics block 830, a position sensor 835, a Depth Camera Assembly (DCA)840, and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) 845. Some embodiments of the headgear 805 have different components than those described in connection with fig. 8. In addition, the functionality provided by the various components described in conjunction with fig. 8 may be distributed differently among the components of the headset 805 in other embodiments, or may be captured in a separate component remote from the headset 805.

The audio system 820 includes one or more audio components and an audio controller. For example, the audio system may include one or more audio components coupled to the left side of the frame of the headset 805 and one or more audio components coupled to the right side of the frame of the headset 805. Each audio component includes one or more high compliance speakers configured to emit sound. Each audio component may also include at least a portion of a housing that houses one of the one or more high compliance speakers. In some embodiments, the housing houses a plurality of high compliance speakers. In some embodiments, the remainder of the housing is part of the frame of the headset 805. In other embodiments, the audio components comprise all of the housing, and the entire housing is coupled to the frame of the headset 805.

The audio component may be an embodiment of an audio component that includes a portion of each enclosure 140 and the high compliance speaker 135. As described above with respect to fig. 1, the housing of the audio assembly may include at least one output port coupled to a front cavity formed by the housing and at least one rear port coupled to a rear cavity formed by the housing, wherein the speaker separates the front cavity from the rear cavity. The output port is configured to emit a first portion of sound emitted by the high compliance speaker and the rear port is configured to emit a second portion of sound emitted by the high compliance speaker, wherein the first portion of sound is substantially out of phase with the second portion of sound. The audio system achieves a Vas greater than ten times the volume of the front cavity and greater than ten times the volume of the back cavity. The audio system 820 includes an audio controller that can generate instructions that cause the speaker assembly to emit audio content. Note that in some embodiments, some or all of the audio controller is part of the console 815.

The electronic display 825 displays 2D or 3D images to the user according to data received from the console 815. In various embodiments, electronic display 825 comprises a single electronic display or multiple electronic displays (e.g., a display for each eye of the user). Examples of electronic display 825 include: a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, an active matrix organic light emitting diode display (AMOLED), some other display, or some combination thereof.

Optics block 830 amplifies the image light received from electronic display 825, corrects optical errors associated with the image light, and presents the corrected image light to a user of headset 805. Electronic display 825 and optics block 830 may be embodiments of display element 110. In various embodiments, optics block 830 includes one or more optical elements. Example optical elements included in the optical block 830 include: an aperture, a fresnel lens, a convex lens, a concave lens, a filter, a reflective surface, or any other suitable optical element that affects image light. Furthermore, the optical block 830 may include a combination of different optical elements. In some embodiments, one or more optical elements in optical block 830 may have one or more coatings, such as a partially reflective coating or an anti-reflective coating.

The magnification and focusing of image light by optics block 830 allows electronic display 825 to be physically smaller, lighter in weight, and consume less power than larger displays. Further, the magnification may increase the field of view of the content presented by electronic display 825. For example, the field of view of the displayed content is such that the displayed content is presented using substantially all of the user's field of view (e.g., about 110 degrees diagonal), and in some cases all of the user's field of view. Further, in some embodiments, the amount of magnification may be adjusted by adding or removing optical elements.

In some embodiments, the optical block 830 may be designed to correct one or more types of optical errors. Examples of optical errors include barrel or pincushion distortion, longitudinal chromatic aberration, or lateral chromatic aberration. Other types of optical errors may also include spherical aberration, chromatic aberration (chromatic aberration) or errors due to lens field curvature (lens field curvature), astigmatism or any other type of optical error. In some embodiments, the content provided to electronic display 825 for display is pre-distorted, and optics block 630 corrects for distortion when optics block 630 receives content-based generated image light from electronic display 825.

The DCA840 captures data describing depth information for a local area around the headset 805. In one embodiment, the DCA840 may include a structured light projector, an imaging device, and a controller. The imaging device may be an embodiment of the imaging device 120. The structured light projector may be an embodiment of illuminator 125. The captured data may be an image of structured light projected onto the local area by the structured light projector captured by the imaging device. In one embodiment, the DCA840 may include a controller and two or more cameras oriented to capture portions of the local area in a stereoscopic manner. The captured data may be images of local areas captured stereoscopically by two or more cameras. The controller calculates depth information of the local area using the captured data. Based on the depth information, the controller determines absolute position information of the headset 805 within the local area. The DCA840 may be integrated with the headset 805 or may be located in a local area external to the headset 805.

The IMU 845 is an electronic device that generates data indicative of the location of the headset 805 based on measurement signals received from the one or more location sensors 835. One or more position sensors 835 may be an embodiment of position sensor 115. The position sensor 835 generates one or more measurement signals in response to movement of the headset 805. Examples of position sensor 835 include: one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, another suitable type of sensor to detect motion, one type of sensor for error correction of the IMU 845, or some combination thereof. The position sensor 835 may be located outside the IMU 845, inside the IMU 845, or some combination of the two.

Based on the one or more measurement signals from the one or more location sensors 835, the IMU 845 generates data indicative of an estimated current location of the headset 805 relative to an initial location of the headset 805. For example, position sensor 835 includes multiple accelerometers that measure translational motion (forward/backward, up/down, left/right) and multiple gyroscopes that measure rotational motion (e.g., pitch, yaw, and roll). In some embodiments, the IMU 845 performs fast sampling of the measurement signals and calculates an estimated current position of the headset 805 from the sampled data. For example, the IMU 845 integrates the measurement signals received from the accelerometer over time to estimate a velocity vector, and integrates the velocity vector over time to determine an estimated current location of a reference point on the headset 805. Alternatively, the IMU 845 provides the sampled measurement signals to the console 815, and the console 610 parses the data to reduce errors. The reference point is a point that may be used to describe the position of the headset 805. The reference point may be generally defined as a point in space or a location related to the orientation and position of eyewear device 805.

The IMU 845 receives one or more parameters from the console 815. As discussed further below, one or more parameters are used to keep track of the headset 805. Based on the received parameters, the IMU 845 may adjust one or more IMU parameters (e.g., sampling rate). In some embodiments, the data from the DCA840 causes the IMU 845 to update the initial location of the reference point so that it corresponds to the next location of the reference point. Updating the initial position of the reference point to the next calibrated position of the reference point helps to reduce the cumulative error associated with the estimated current position of the IMU 845. The accumulated error (also referred to as drift error) causes the estimated position of the reference point to "drift" away from the actual position of the reference point over time. In some embodiments of the headset 805, the IMU 845 may be a dedicated hardware component. In other embodiments, the IMU 845 may be a software component implemented in one or more processors.

The I/O interface 810 is a device that allows a user to send action requests and receive responses from the console 815. An action request is a request to perform a particular action. For example, the action request may be an instruction to begin or end the capture of image or video data, an instruction to begin or end the production of sound by the audio system 820, an instruction to begin or end a calibration process of the headset 805, or an instruction to perform a particular action within an application. The I/O interface 810 may include one or more input devices. Example input devices include a keyboard, mouse, game controller, or any other suitable device for receiving and transmitting an action request to the console 815. The action request received by the I/O interface 810 is transmitted to the console 815, and the console 815 performs an action corresponding to the action request. In some embodiments, as further described above, the I/O interface 815 includes an IMU 845 that captures calibration data indicating an estimated location of the I/O interface 810 relative to an initial location of the I/O interface 810. In some embodiments, the I/O interface 810 may provide haptic feedback to the user according to instructions received from the console 815. For example, when an action request is received, or when the console 815 transmits instructions to the I/O interface 810 that cause the I/O interface 810 to generate haptic feedback when the console 815 performs an action, haptic feedback is provided.

The console 815 provides content to the headset 805 for processing in accordance with information received from one or more of the headset 805 and the I/O interface 810. In the example shown in fig. 8, the console 815 includes application storage 850, a tracking module 855, and an engine 860. Some embodiments of the console 815 may have different modules or components than those described in conjunction with fig. 8. Similarly, the functionality described further below may be distributed among the components of the console 815 in a manner different than that described in conjunction with FIG. 8.

The application store 850 stores one or more applications for execution by the console 815. An application is a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, generate content for presentation to a user. The content generated by the application may be responsive to input received from the user via the movement of the headset 805 or the I/O interface 810. Examples of applications include: a gaming application, a conferencing application, a video playback application, a calibration process, or other suitable application.

The tracking module 855 calibrates the system environment 800 using one or more calibration parameters and may adjust the one or more calibration parameters to reduce errors in the position determination of the headset 805 or the I/O interface 810. The calibration performed by the tracking module 855 also takes into account information received from the IMU 845 in the headset 805 and/or the IMU 845 included in the I/O interface 810. Additionally, if tracking of the headset 805 is lost, the tracking module 855 may recalibrate some or all of the system environment 800.

The tracking module 855 uses information from the one or more sensor devices 835, the IMU 845, or some combination thereof to track movement of the headset 805 or the I/O interface 810. For example, the tracking module 855 determines the location of a reference point of the headset 805 in the map of the local area based on information from the headset 805. The tracking module 855 may also use data from the IMU 845 indicating the location of the headset 805 or data from the IMU 845 included in the I/O interface 810 indicating the location of the I/O interface 810 to determine the location of a reference point of the headset 805 or a reference point of the I/O interface 810, respectively. Additionally, in some embodiments, the tracking module 855 may use the partial data from the IMU 845 indicating the location of the headset 805 to predict a future location of the headset 805. The tracking module 855 provides the estimated or predicted future location of the headset 805 or the I/O interface 810 to the engine 860.

Engine 860 also executes applications within system environment 800 and receives position information, acceleration information, velocity information, predicted future position, audio information, or some combination thereof, of headset 805 from tracking module 855. Based on the received information, the engine 860 determines content to provide to the headset 805 for presentation to the user. For example, if the received information indicates that the user has looked to the left, the engine 860 generates content for the headset 605 that mirrors (mirror) the user's movement in the virtual environment or in an environment that augments the local area with additional content. Additionally, engine 860 performs actions within applications executing on console 815 in response to action requests received from I/O interface 810 and provides feedback to the user that the actions were performed. The feedback provided may be visual or auditory feedback via the headset 805, or tactile feedback via the I/O interface 810.

Additional considerations

The foregoing description of embodiments of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above disclosure.

Some portions of the present description describe embodiments of the disclosure in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are commonly used by those skilled in the data processing arts to convey the substance of their work effectively to others skilled in the art. These operations, while described functionally, computationally, or logically, are understood to be implemented by computer programs or equivalent electrical circuits, microcode, or the like. Moreover, it has also proven convenient at times, to refer to these arrangements of operations as modules, without loss of generality. The described operations and their associated modules may be embodied in software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.

Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein may be performed or implemented using one or more hardware or software modules, alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, the software modules are implemented using a computer program product comprising a computer readable medium containing computer program code, the computer program code executable by a computer processor for performing any or all of the steps, operations, or processes described.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may also relate to apparatuses for performing the operations herein. The apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, and/or it may comprise a general purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium, or in any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions, which may be coupled to a computer system bus. Moreover, any computing system referred to in the specification may include a single processor, or may be an architecture that employs a multi-processor design to increase computing power.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may also relate to products produced by the computing processes described herein. Such products may include information obtained from computing processes, where the information is stored on non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage media and may include any embodiment of a computer program product or other combination of data described herein.

Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based thereupon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the disclosure, which is set forth in the following claims.