Electronic devices with motion-based orientation sensing
First Claim
1. An electronic device that provides content to a user, comprising:
- ear cups containing speakers;
a grip sensor that gathers grip information indicating which of the user'"'"'s hands is on each ear cup;
a motion sensor that gathers motion information indicating how the electronic device moves; and
control circuitry that controls the speakers based on the grip information and the motion information, wherein the grip sensor comprises a touch sensor that gathers touch input from the user'"'"'s hands, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust a volume of audio that is played through the ear cups based on the touch input, and wherein the control circuitry determines when the electronic device is placed on the user'"'"'s own head and when the electronic device is placed on a different user'"'"'s head based at least partly on the motion information.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. A grip sensor may be used to distinguish between the user'"'"'s left hand and the user'"'"'s right hand. A motion sensor may detect movement as the headphones are placed on the user'"'"'s head or on someone else'"'"'s head. Control circuitry may use grip information and motion information to determine left and right channel assignments.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. An electronic device that provides content to a user, comprising:
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ear cups containing speakers; a grip sensor that gathers grip information indicating which of the user'"'"'s hands is on each ear cup; a motion sensor that gathers motion information indicating how the electronic device moves; and control circuitry that controls the speakers based on the grip information and the motion information, wherein the grip sensor comprises a touch sensor that gathers touch input from the user'"'"'s hands, wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust a volume of audio that is played through the ear cups based on the touch input, and wherein the control circuitry determines when the electronic device is placed on the user'"'"'s own head and when the electronic device is placed on a different user'"'"'s head based at least partly on the motion information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. Headphones that play audio for a user, comprising:
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left and right ear cups having respective left and right speakers with which the audio is played; sensors on the left and right ear cups that sense finger positions on the left and right ear cups as the user grips the ear cups; a motion sensor that detects a motion path of the headphones as the headphones move from a first position to a second position; and control circuitry that determines when the headphones are placed on the user'"'"'s own head and when the headphones are placed on a different user'"'"'s head based at least partly on the motion path of the headphones, wherein the control circuitry is configured to; select an unreversed channel assignment configuration for the audio when the motion path of the headphones is in a first direction relative to the sensed finger positions; and select a reversed channel assignment configuration for the audio when the motion path of the headphones is in a second direction relative to the sensed finger positions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Headphones that are worn by a user, comprising:
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speakers; a motion sensor that gathers motion sensor data; grip sensors that distinguish the user'"'"'s left hand from the user'"'"'s right hand on the headphones; and control circuitry that plays audio through the speakers and is configured to; determine that the headphones are on the user'"'"'s own head when the motion sensor detects motion in a first direction relative to the user'"'"'s left and right hands; determine that the headphones are on another user'"'"'s head when the motion sensor detects motion in a second direction relative to the user'"'"'s left and right hands; and configure the audio based at least partly on whether the user places the headphones on the user'"'"'s own head or on another user'"'"'s head. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification