Earbuds with capacitive touch sensor

• US 10,003,881 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cousins, Benjamin A., Chawan, Arun D., Rich, Zachary C., Aase, Jonathan S., Albonico, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US15/273,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 381380, 381305, 381313, 381311, 381322, 381324, 381328, 381123, 381345
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/24 Etuis for purposes not covered by a single one of groups A45C11/02 - A45C11/22, A45C11/26, A45C11/32 - A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/1069 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/026 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/16 hinged for upward or downward movement cigar or cigarette receptacles A24F15/00; suitcases, ètuis A45C; casings for cosmetic substances with hinged covers A45D40/22; toolboxes B25H3/02; hinges of door or similar type E05D ; boxes for switchboards with hinged covers H02B1/066
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/521 Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 : Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 : Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 : Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 : Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2826 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2857 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 : for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/105 : Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 : Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 : Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 : Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 : Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 : Magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 : Loudspeakers

Abstract

An earbud includes a housing having a touch sensitive region at an exterior surface of the housing. A capacitive sensor insert is disposed within the housing and has metallized circuitry formed on a first surface that is positioned adjacent an interior surface of the housing.

Claims

1. An earbud comprising:

a housing defining a cavity in which one or more electrical components of the earbud are housed, the housing having a touch sensitive region at an exterior surface of the housing and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface;

a capacitive sensor insert including;

a first surface with metallized circuitry formed thereon and positioned within the housing such that the first surface is adjacent the interior surface of the housing; and

one or more acoustic apertures formed through the capacitive sensor insert;

an earbud processor disposed within the housing; and

at least one conductor that electrically couples the capacitive sensor insert to the earbud processor.

2. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the capacitive sensor insert is formed to closely match a shape of the housing.

3. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the metallized circuitry forms at least one self-capacitance sensor which, when touched by a user, loads self-capacitance circuitry that can be detected.

4. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the metallized circuitry includes row and column electrodes that form at least one mutual-capacitance sensor which, when touched by a user, mutual coupling between row and column electrodes is altered and detected.

5. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the capacitive sensor insert is formed from a plastic that includes metallic particulates.

6. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the one or more acoustic apertures allow sound to pass through.

7. The earbud of claim 6 wherein the metallized circuitry at least partially surrounds the one or more acoustic apertures.

8. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the capacitive sensor insert is configured to detect when the earbud is within a user'"'"'s ear.

9. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the capacitive sensor insert is configured to detect a user'"'"'s touch against the exterior surface of the earbud housing.

10. An earbud comprising:

a housing that defines a cavity in which one or more electrical components of the earbud are housed, the earbud housing having a touch sensitive region at an exterior surface of the housing and an interior surface opposite the exterior surface;

a directional sound port formed within the housing;

a speaker assembly disposed within the housing and including a driver unit comprising a magnet, the driver unit aligned to emit sound from the directional sound port;

a capacitive sensor that can sense a user'"'"'s touch on the touch sensitive region, the capacitive sensor comprising a sensor insert having a first surface with metallized circuitry that is positioned adjacent the interior surface and includes one or more acoustic apertures that allow sound from the speaker assembly to pass through; and

a processor coupled to the capacitive sensor and disposed within the cavity.

11. The earbud of claim 10 wherein the first surface of the sensor insert is contoured to closely match a contour of the housing.

12. The earbud of claim 10 wherein the metallized circuitry forms at least one self-capacitance sensor.

13. The earbud of claim 10 wherein the metallized circuitry forms at least one mutual-capacitance sensor.

14. The earbud of claim 13 wherein the metallized circuitry comprises a plurality of row and column electrodes and the capacitive sensor is configured to scan the row and column electrodes sequentially to whether mutual coupling between row and column electrodes has been altered.

15. The earbud of claim 10 wherein the sensor insert is formed from a plastic that includes metallic particulates.

16. An earbud comprising:

a housing that defines an enclosed cavity in which one or more electrical components of the earbud are housed, the earbud housing having a touch sensitive region at an exterior curved surface of the housing and an interior curved surface opposite the exterior curved surface;

a directional sound port formed within the housing;

a speaker assembly disposed within the enclosed cavity and including a driver unit comprising a magnet, the driver unit aligned to emit sound from the directional sound port;

a capacitive sensor configured to sense a user'"'"'s touch on the touch sensitive region, the capacitive sensor including a sensor insert positioned within the enclosed cavity and one or more acoustic apertures aligned with the directional sound port, the sensor insert having a first surface adjacent to and contoured to match the interior curved surface, the first surface including metallized circuitry formed thereon and at least partially surrounding the acoustic aperture; and

a processor coupled to the capacitive sensor and disposed within the enclosed cavity.

17. The earbud of claim 16 wherein the metallized circuitry forms at least one self-capacitance sensor which, when touched by a user, loads self-capacitance circuitry that can be detected by the sensor insert.

18. The earbud of claim 16 wherein the metallized circuitry includes row and column electrodes that form at least one mutual-capacitance sensor which, when touched by a user, mutual coupling between row and column electrodes is altered and detected by the sensor insert.

19. The earbud of claim 18 wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to scan the row and column electrodes sequentially to whether mutual coupling between row and column electrodes has been altered.

20. The earbud of claim 16 wherein the sensor insert is formed from a plastic that includes metallic particulates.