Malleable earpiece for electronic devices

Abstract

An earpiece for reproducing audio has multiple drivers, including a bone conduction bass driver and an air conduction treble driver, attached to the ends of a malleable, yet stiff, tubing. The bass driver is placed behind or over the ear to provide a high quality bass output while the treble driver is placed so as to extend in proximity to the user's ear canal. The malleable, yet stiff, tubing enables a user to bend the earpiece and thereby position the earpiece comfortably and securely around the user's ear and to optimally position the drivers in the desired positions around the user's ear. The tubing also allows the earpiece, when not in use, to be reshaped for easy storage or to be worn as an accessory. The earpiece may also include one or more microphones with the treble and/or bass drivers.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An earpiece, comprising:
 (a) a first speaker driver configured to be positioned behind a user's ear and on skin of the user so as to perform bone conduction via a mastoid bone of the user to reproduce a first range of frequencies of an audio signal that are below a first predetermined value using bone conduction of sound;   (b) a second speaker driver configured to be positioned away from the first speaker driver and outside of the user's ear canal when worn and electrically connected to the first speaker driver to reproduce a second range of frequencies of the audio signal that are above a second predetermined value which is the same as or greater than the first predetermined value using air conduction of sound; and   (c) a malleable tubing, connecting the first and second speaker drivers, that enables the first and second speaker drivers to be adjusted to fit on the user's ear.   
     
     
         2 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the first speaker driver is included with a first assembly, and wherein the first assembly further comprises:
 (i) a digital signal processor or a passive crossover having an audio input for inputting the received audio signal to be reproduced by the earpiece, a first audio output to output a first part of the audio signal to the first speaker driver that is operatively connected to the digital signal processor, and a second audio output to output a second part of the audio signal to a second speaker driver that uses air conduction; and   (ii) a power input or a power source for powering the earpiece.   
     
     
         3 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 6 kHz. 
     
     
         4 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 2 kHz. 
     
     
         5 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the earpiece is configured to reproduce relaxing sounds, including audio comprising Solfeggio frequencies stored at the earpiece, during reproduction of another audio signal on the earpiece. 
     
     
         6 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein at least the first speaker driver is embedded within a pair of eyeglasses or a strap that is connectable to the pair of eyeglasses or to a headset. 
     
     
         7 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the earpiece comprises a connector to connect the earpiece to a pair of eyeglasses of the user to secure the earpiece in place on the user's ear when the eyeglasses are worn by the user such that the first speaker driver is positioned behind the user's ear and on skin of the user so as to perform bone conduction via the mastoid bone of the user and the second speaker driver is positioned away from the first speaker driver and outside of the user's ear canal so as to perform air conduction. 
     
     
         8 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (d) a connector for connecting the earpiece with a wired connection or wirelessly to an electronic device such that the user can listen with the earpiece to the audio signal that is reproduced by the electronic device.   
     
     
         9 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising a microphone for the user to communicate with or via the electronic device. 
     
     
         10 . The earpiece of  claim 9 , wherein the microphone is positioned along a section of the malleable tubing away from the first and second speaker drivers. 
     
     
         11 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first speaker driver or the second speaker driver operates as a microphone. 
     
     
         12 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the earpiece is reshapable into a non-earpiece shape for storage when the earpiece is not in use. 
     
     
         13 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the earpiece is configured to be reshapable into a bracelet and comprises connectors to connect the earpiece to form the bracelet. 
     
     
         14 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the earpiece is configured to be reshapable into a necklace and comprises connectors to connect the earpiece to form the necklace. 
     
     
         15 . The earpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the malleable tubing further comprises one or more designs, patterns, displays, or decorative lights. 
     
     
         16 . A set of earpieces, comprising a first earpiece for a right ear and a second earpiece for a left ear, each of the first and second earpieces comprising:
 (a) a first speaker driver configured to be positioned behind a user's ear and on skin of the user so as to perform bone conduction via a mastoid bone of the user to reproduce a first range of frequencies of an audio signal that are below a first predetermined value using bone conduction of sound;   (b) a second speaker driver configured to be positioned away from the first speaker driver and outside of the user's ear canal when worn and electrically connected to the first speaker driver to reproduce a second range of frequencies of the audio signal that are above a second predetermined value which is the same as or greater than the first predetermined value using air conduction of sound; and   (c) a first malleable tubing, connecting the first and second speaker drivers, that enables the first and second speaker drivers to be adjusted to fit on the user's ear;   wherein the set of earpieces further comprise a second malleable tubing to connect together the set of earpieces such that the second malleable tubing is electrically connected via a first electrical connector at a first end of the second malleable tubing to the first earpiece of the set of two earpieces and a second electrical connector is connected at a second end of the second malleable tubing to the second earpiece of the set of earpieces.   
     
     
         17 . The set of earpieces of  claim 16 , wherein the set of earpieces are paired and used as headphones. 
     
     
         18 . The set of earpieces of  claim 16 , wherein the second malleable tubing is threadable through a piece of clothing and wherein the first and second electrical connectors are releasable from the second malleable tubing. 
     
     
         19 . The set of earpieces of  claim 16 , wherein the first speaker driver of each of the first and second earpieces is included with a first assembly, and wherein the first assembly of each earpiece further comprises:
 (i) a digital signal processor or a passive crossover having an audio input for inputting the received audio signal to be reproduced by the earpiece, a first audio output to output a first part of the audio signal to the first speaker driver that is operatively connected to the digital signal processor, and a second audio output to output a second part of the audio signal to a second speaker driver that uses air conduction; and   (ii) a power input or a power source for powering the earpiece.   
     
     
         20 . The set of earpieces of  claim 16 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 6 kHz. 
     
     
         21 . The set of earpieces of  claim 16 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 2 kHz. 
     
     
         22 . A set of earpieces, comprising a first earpiece for a right ear and a second earpiece for a left ear, each of the first and second earpieces comprising:
 (a) a first speaker driver configured to be positioned behind a user's ear and on skin of the user so as to perform bone conduction via a mastoid bone of the user to reproduce a first range of frequencies of an audio signal that are below a first predetermined value using bone conduction of sound;   (b) a second speaker driver configured to be positioned away from the first speaker driver and outside of the user's ear canal without completely covering the user's ear canal when worn and electrically connected to the first speaker driver to reproduce a second range of frequencies of the audio signal that are above a second predetermined value which is the same as or greater than the first predetermined value using air conduction of sound thereby allowing the user to hear ambient sounds; and   (c) a first malleable tubing, connecting the first and second speaker drivers, that enables the first and second speaker drivers to be adjusted to fit on the user's ear;   wherein the set of earpieces further comprise a second malleable tubing to connect together the set of earpieces such that the second malleable tubing is connected via a first connector at a first end of the second malleable tubing directly to the first earpiece of the set of earpieces and a second connector is connected directly at a second end of the second malleable tubing to the second earpiece of the set of earpieces, and wherein the first and second earpieces are releasable from the second malleable tubing, and   wherein the first and second earpieces are configured to be connectable and reshapable into a necklace, and   wherein at least one of the first and second earpieces comprises a third connector that is configured to connect the first and second earpieces to form the necklace.   
     
     
         23 . The set of earpieces of  claim 22 , wherein the first connector comprises a first electrical connector to electrically connect the first end of the second malleable tubing directly to the first earpiece of the set of earpieces and wherein the second connector comprises a second electrical connector to electrically connect the second end of the second malleable tubing to the second earpiece of the set of earpieces. 
     
     
         24 . The set of earpieces of  claim 22 , wherein the first speaker driver of each of the first and second earpieces is included with a first assembly, and wherein the first assembly of each earpiece further comprises:
 (i) a digital signal processor or a passive crossover having an audio input for inputting the received audio signal to be reproduced by the earpiece, a first audio output to output a first part of the audio signal to the first speaker driver that is operatively connected to the digital signal processor, and a second audio output to output a second part of the audio signal to a second speaker driver that uses air conduction; and   (ii) a power input or a power source for powering the earpiece.   
     
     
         25 . The set of earpieces of  claim 22 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 6 kHz. 
     
     
         26 . The set of earpieces of  claim 22 , wherein the first predetermined value is in a range of from 1 kHz to 2 kHz.