Wearable Computing Device with Indirect Bone-Conduction Speaker

Abstract

Exemplary wearable computing systems may include a head-mounted display that is configured to provide indirect bone-conduction audio. For example, an exemplary head-mounted display may include at least one vibration transducer that is configured to vibrate at least a portion of the head-mounted display based on the audio signal. The vibration transducer is configured such that when the head-mounted display is worn, the vibration transducer vibrates the head-mounted display without directly vibrating a wearer. However, the head-mounted display structure vibrationally couples to a bone structure of the wearer, such that vibrations from the vibration transducer may be indirectly transferred to the wearer's bone structure.

1 . A wearable-computing system comprising:
 one or more optical elements;   a support structure comprising a front section and at least one side section, wherein the support structure is configured to support the one or more optical elements;   an audio interface configured to receive an audio signal; and   at least one vibration transducer located on the at least one side section, wherein the at least one vibration transducer is configured to vibrate the at least one side section based on the audio signal;   wherein the support structure is configured such that when worn, a first portion of the at least one side section has an inner wall that contacts the wearer so as to vibrationally couple to a bone structure of the wearer;   wherein the vibration transducer is located on a second portion of the at least one side section having an inner wall that does not contact the wearer, such that when the support structure is worn, the vibration transducer vibrates the support structure without directly vibrating a wearer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second portion of the at least one side section is proximate to a connection between the at least one side section and the front section. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a head-mounted display (HMD) that includes the support structure, the one or more optical elements, and a touchpad interface located on at least one of the side sections of the support structure. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more optical elements comprise one or more graphic displays. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure is configured, when worn, to provide, a separation distance between the vibration transducer and the wearer such that the vibration transducer does not directly transfer vibration to the wearer's bone structure. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one coupler located on the inner wall of the first portion of the at least one side section such that the at least one coupler contacts the wearer, wherein the at least one coupler are configured to enhance the vibrational coupling of the support structure to the bone structure of the wearer. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one coupler is configured to contact a wearer at a given location, wherein the given location comprises at least one of: (a) a location on the back of the wearer's ear, (b) a location on or above the wearer's nose, (c) a location near the wearer's temple, (d) a location on the wearer's eyebrow, and (a) a location on the wearer's neck. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one coupler is configured to contact a wearer at a mastoid of the wearer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is attached to an outer wall of the at least one side section. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is partially embedded in an outer wall of the at least one side section. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is enclosed within the at least one side section. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is partially embedded in an inner wall of the at least one side section. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vibration transducer is attached to an inner wall of the at least one side section. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the audio interface comprises at least one of: (a) an interface to an internal audio playback device, (b) an interface to an auxiliary audio playback device, and (c) a microphone interface. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side section comprises a first side section and a second side section, and wherein the vibration transducer is included on only the first side section. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one side section comprises a first side section and a second side section, and wherein the at least one vibration transducer comprises a first vibration transducer located on the first side section and a second vibration transducer located on the second side section. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the first vibration transducer is configured to vibrate a first portion of the support structure based on a first audio signal, and wherein the second vibration transducer is configured to vibrate a second portion of the support structure based on a second audio signal. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising at least one vibration dampener configured to: (a) substantially reduce vibration of the second portion of the support structure by the first vibration transducer and (b) substantially reduce vibration of the first portion of the support structure by the second vibration transducer. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 :
 wherein the first vibration transducer is configured to vibrate at least a portion of the first side section based on a first audio signal, and wherein the second vibration transducer is configured to vibrate at least a portion of the second side section based on a second audio signal;   wherein the at least one vibration dampener comprises a first vibration dampener vibrationally coupled to the first side section and a second vibration dampener vibrationally coupled to the second side section, wherein the first vibration dampener is configured to substantially isolate the vibrational coupling of the first vibration transducer to the first side section from other portions of the support structure, and wherein the second vibration dampener is configured to substantially isolate the vibrational coupling of the second vibration transducer to the second side section from other portions of the support structure.   
     
     
         20 . A wearable-computing system comprising:
 a support structure comprising a front section and at least one side section, wherein the support structure is configured to support the one or more optical elements;   a means for receiving an audio signal; and   a means for vibrating at least a portion of the support structure based on the audio signal, wherein the means for vibrating is located on the at least one side section;   wherein the support structure is configured such that when worn, a first portion of the at least one side section has an inner wall that contacts the wearer so as to vibrationally couple to a bone structure of the wearer; and   wherein the means for vibrating is located on a second portion of the at least one side section having an inner wall that does not contact the wearer, such that when the support structure is worn, the means for vibrating vibrates the support structure without directly vibrating a wearer,   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , further comprising means for coupling the support structure to the wearer, wherein the means for coupling is located on the inner wall of the first portion of the at least one side section such that the at least one coupler contacts the wearer, and wherein the means for coupling is configured to enhance the vibrational coupling of the support structure to the bone structure of the wearer. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for coupling is configured to contact the wearer at a given location, wherein the given location comprises at least one of: (a) a location behind the wearer's ear, (b) a location on or above the wearer's nose, (c) a location near the wearer's temple, and (d) a location near the wearer's eyebrow. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the means for coupling is configured to contact the wearer at a mastoid of the wearer.