Wireless ear buds with proximity sensors
First Claim
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1. A wireless ear bud, comprising:
- a housing configured to be placed in a user'"'"'s ear;
a speaker in the housing;
a concha sensor in the housing, wherein the concha sensor emits light that is reflected off of a concha of the user'"'"'s ear and receives the light that is reflected off of the concha of the user'"'"'s ear while the housing is in the user'"'"'s ear, and wherein the concha sensor produces a first output in response to the received light;
a tragus sensor in the housing, wherein the tragus sensor emits light that is reflected off of a tragus of the user'"'"'s ear and receives the light that is reflected off of the tragus of the user'"'"'s ear while the housing is in the user'"'"'s ear, and wherein the tragus sensor produces a second output in response to the received light;
control circuitry in the housing that monitors the first and second outputs, wherein, in response to both the first and second outputs being positive for a predetermined period of time, the control circuitry stops monitoring the first output and only monitors the second output; and
an accelerometer in the housing that is configured to produce an accelerometer output indicative of movement of the housing.
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Abstract
Ear buds are provided that communicate wirelessly with an electronic device. To determine the current status of the ear buds and thereby take suitable action in controlling the operation of the electronic device and ear buds, the ear buds may be provided with sensor circuitry. The sensor circuitry may include proximity sensors. The ear buds may each have a housing with a main body portion that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user and an elongated stem portion that extends from the main body portion. The proximity sensors may include sensors on the main body and sensors on the stem. The proximity sensors may be light-based sensors that emit light that passes through the housing.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A wireless ear bud, comprising:
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a housing configured to be placed in a user'"'"'s ear; a speaker in the housing; a concha sensor in the housing, wherein the concha sensor emits light that is reflected off of a concha of the user'"'"'s ear and receives the light that is reflected off of the concha of the user'"'"'s ear while the housing is in the user'"'"'s ear, and wherein the concha sensor produces a first output in response to the received light; a tragus sensor in the housing, wherein the tragus sensor emits light that is reflected off of a tragus of the user'"'"'s ear and receives the light that is reflected off of the tragus of the user'"'"'s ear while the housing is in the user'"'"'s ear, and wherein the tragus sensor produces a second output in response to the received light; control circuitry in the housing that monitors the first and second outputs, wherein, in response to both the first and second outputs being positive for a predetermined period of time, the control circuitry stops monitoring the first output and only monitors the second output; and an accelerometer in the housing that is configured to produce an accelerometer output indicative of movement of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An ear bud, comprising:
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control circuitry; wireless circuitry that the control circuitry uses to communicate wirelessly with an electronic device; a housing having a main body portion that is configured to be inserted into an ear of a user and a stem portion that extends from the main body portion; a speaker in the main body portion; a first proximity sensor on the main body portion that monitors whether the first proximity sensor is adjacent to the ear; and a second proximity sensor on the stem portion, wherein when the main body portion is in the ear, the first proximity sensor produces a positive output indicating that the first proximity sensor is adjacent to the ear and the second proximity sensor produces a negative output indicating that no external object is adjacent to the second proximity sensor, wherein the control circuitry monitors the outputs of the first and second proximity sensors, and wherein, after the first proximity sensor has produced the positive output and the second proximity sensor has produced the negative output for a predetermined period of time, the control circuitry determines that the main body portion is in the ear and stops monitoring the output of the second proximity sensor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An ear bud, comprising:
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a housing having a main body portion configured to be inserted into an ear of a user and a stem portion that extends from the main body portion; a speaker in the main body portion; control circuitry in the housing; and at least two proximity sensors on the housing, wherein the proximity sensors comprise; a first proximity sensor on the stem portion that emits light away from the user to produce a negative output when the main body portion is inserted into the ear of a user, wherein the control circuitry monitors the first proximity sensor for the negative output; and a second proximity sensor on the main body portion that emits light onto the user to produce a positive output when the main body portion is inserted into the ear of the user, wherein the control circuitry monitors the second proximity sensor for the positive output, and wherein, in response to the first proximity sensor producing the negative output for a predetermined period of time and the second proximity sensor producing the positive output for the predetermined period of time, the control circuitry stops monitoring the first proximity sensor and only monitors the second proximity sensor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification