Power management for wireless earpieces utilizing sensor measurements

• US 10,154,332 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Hirsch, Eric Christian, Boesen, Peter Vincent, Lackus, Matthias, Steiner, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Quynh
• Application Number:
  US15/391,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 381 57
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/21 the extracted parameters being power information
• 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 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• 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

Abstract

A system, method and wireless earpieces for managing power utilized by a pair of wireless earpieces. Ambient light conditions and noise levels in an environment of the pair of wireless earpieces are determined. The low power settings are activated for the pair of wireless earpieces in response to determining the ambient light conditions are below a light threshold or the noise levels are below a noise threshold; signal activity is below an activity threshold.

Claims

1. A method for managing power utilized by a pair of wireless earpieces, comprising:

determining ambient light conditions and noise levels in an environment of the pair of wireless earpieces;

determining by the pair of wireless earpieces whether the ambient light conditions are below a light threshold;

determining by the pair of wireless earpieces whether the noise levels are below a noise threshold; and

activating low power settings for the pair of wireless if conditions are below the light threshold or the noise levels are below the noise threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the light threshold indicates that the environment includes low light.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise threshold indicates that the environment is low noise.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient light conditions are determined by one or more photodetectors of the pair of wireless earpieces.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise levels are determined by one or more microphones of the pair of wireless earpieces.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the light threshold and the noise threshold are set by a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pair of wireless earpieces communicate with a wireless device to receive the ambient light conditions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

training the wireless earpieces to determine the light threshold and the noise threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating full power settings in response to the ambient light conditions and the noise levels being above the light thresholds and the noise thresholds, respectively.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a full power settings in response to user input to activate the full power settings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient light conditions and the noise levels are determined for each of the pair of wireless earpieces separately, and wherein each of the pair of wireless earpieces that is below the light threshold or the noise threshold utilizes the low power settings.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a speaker output is decreased in response to activating the low power settings.

13. A wireless earpiece, comprising:

a frame for fitting in an ear of a user;

a logic engine controlling functionality of the wireless earpiece;

a speaker in communication with the logic engine communicating audio signals to the user;

a plurality of sensors sensing ambient light conditions and noise levels in an environment of the wireless earpiece;

a transceiver communicating with at least a wireless device;

wherein the logic engine determines ambient light conditions and noise levels in an environment of the pair of wireless earpieces, determines whether the ambient light conditions are below a light threshold, determines whether the noise levels are below a noise threshold, and activates a low power setting for the wireless earpieces if the conditions are below the light threshold or the noise levels are below the noise threshold.

14. The wireless earpiece of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least one photodetector for detecting one or more signal thresholds are determined utilizing the plurality of sensors of the wireless earpiece to determine whether the pair of wireless earpieces are being worn by the user.

15. The wireless earpiece of claim 13, wherein a volume of the speaker is decreased in response to activating the low power settings.

16. The wireless earpiece of claim 13, wherein the light threshold and the noise threshold are set by a user.

17. The wireless earpiece of claim 13, wherein the logic engine activates full power settings in response to the ambient light conditions and the noise levels being above the light thresholds and the noise thresholds, respectively.

18. The wireless earpiece of claim 13, wherein the logic engine trains the wireless earpieces to determine the light threshold and the noise threshold.

19. A wireless earpiece comprising:

a processor for executing a set of instructions; and

a memory for storing the set of instructions, wherein the set of instructions are executed to;

determine ambient light conditions in an environment of the wireless earpiece;

determine and noise levels in the environment of the wireless earpiece;

activate low power settings for the wireless earpiece in response to determining the ambient light conditions are below a light threshold;

activate low power settings for the wireless earpiece in response to determining the noise levels are below a noise threshold;

wherein a volume of a speaker is decreased in response to activating the low power settings;

wherein the light threshold and the noise threshold are set by a user.

20. The wireless earpieces of claim 19, wherein the set of instructions are further executed to:

activate the full power settings in response to the ambient light conditions and the noise levels being above the light thresholds and the noise thresholds, respectively.