Performing an operation at a headphone system

• US 10,157,037 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Patel, Hiren Harshad, Kulovic, Kemal
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US15/088,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 381370-371, 381376, 381 58, 381 74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in 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 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An on/off head detection system uses magnetic field intensity to determine a configuration, position, and/or orientation of a headphone. In some implementations, the system may determine whether a headphone is on or off a user'"'"'s head. The system includes a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field emitted by a magnetic field source associated with an earpiece of the headphone. A control module determines an intensity of the magnetic field and whether the intensity of the magnetic field satisfies a threshold. An operational mode associated with the headphone or an associated device is performed in response to the intensity of the magnetic field satisfying the threshold.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a first earpiece, a magnetic field emitted by a magnetic field source of an acoustic transducer of a second earpiece of a headphone, wherein the magnetic field source includes a magnet comprising part of a motor structure configured to generate sound and an additional magnet;

determining a change in an intensity of the magnetic field satisfies a threshold indicating a change in position of the headphone;

determining, based at least in part on information obtained from one or more other types of sensors associated with the headphone, the change in position of the headphone; and

in response to the change in position of the headphone determined by the change in the intensity of the magnetic field and the information obtained from the one or more other types of sensors, initiating an operation at the headphone or a device in communication with the headphone, wherein when it is determined that the headphone is on a user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via an audible sound output by the first and second earpieces of the headphone, and when it is determined that the headphone is off the user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via tactile sensation such as a vibration or an audible sound output by the first and second earpieces of the headphone with the sound being optimized for shared listening mode so the sound is more likely to be heard by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation includes a power-on operation, a power-off operation, disabling active noise reduction (ANR), enabling ANR, providing an audio output, pausing the audio output, providing a video output, pausing playback of the video output, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the operation includes processing an audio signal output by the headphone for one or more playback modes by changing at least one of a volume or equalization applied to the audio signal output by the headphone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating a second operation at the headphone or the device in response to a determination that the intensity of the magnetic field has reached a second threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field source comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a time for the headphone to change from a first headphone orientation to a second headphone orientation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the intensity of the magnetic field comprises measuring the magnetic field along three axes.

8. A headphone comprising:

a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field emitted by a magnet comprising part of a motor structure configured to generate sound within the headphone and by an additional magnet; and

a control module configured to;

determine a change in an intensity of the magnetic field satisfies a threshold indicating a change in position of the headphone;

determining based at least in part on information obtained from one or more other types of sensors associated with the headphone, the change in position of the headphone; and

in response to the change in position of the headphone determined by the change in the intensity of the magnetic field and the information obtained from the one or more other types of sensors, perform an operational mode-associated with at least one of the headphone or a device in communication with the headphone, wherein when it is determined that the headphone is on a user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via an audible sound output the headphone, and when it is determined that the headphone is off the user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via tactile sensation such as a vibration or an audible sound output by the headphone with the sound being optimized for shared listening mode so the sound is more likely to be heard by the user.

9. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the control module is further configured to send a signal to the device that corresponds to the operational mode, and wherein the operational mode comprises powering-on the headphone or the device.

10. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the operational mode associated with the headphone or the device comprises changing at least one of a volume and equalization applied to the audio played by the headphone.

11. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the device comprises at least one of a smartphone, a computer, a computer tablet, a first system capable of outputting video, a second system capable of outputting audio, a radio, a television, or a cellular phone.

12. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the control module is further configured to perform a second operational mode in response to a determination that the intensity of the magnetic field has reached a second threshold.

13. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the magnetic field emanates from one or more of a magnet associated with an acoustic transducer of the headphone or a magnet distinct from the acoustic transducer.

14. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the magnetic field emanates from a near field communication (NFC) tag device.

15. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect the magnetic field along three axes.

16. The headphone of claim 8, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect the magnetic field at a periodic interval, and the periodic interval depends on an operating state of the headphone.

17. A headphone system comprising:

a first acoustic transducer;

a second acoustic transducer;

a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field emitted by a magnet comprising part of a motor structure configured to generate sound within the first acoustic transducer or the second acoustic transducer and by an additional magnet;

a control module configured to;

determine a change in an intensity of the magnetic field satisfies a threshold indicating a change in position of the headphone;

determining, based at least in part on information obtained from one or more other types of sensors associated with the headphone, the change in position of the headphone; and

in response to the change in position of the headphone determined by the change in the intensity of the magnetic field and the information obtained from the one or more other types of sensors, perform an operational mode associated with at least one of the headphone or a device in communication with the headphone, wherein when it is determined that the headphone is on a user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via an audible sound output by the first and second earpieces of the headphone, and when it is determined that the headphone is off the user'"'"'s head, a notification of an incoming phone call, message or other notification is provided to the user via tactile sensation such as a vibration or an audible sound output by the first and second earpieces of the headphone with the sound being optimized for shared listening mode so the sound is more likely to be heard by the user.

18. The headphone system of claim 17, wherein the device comprises at least one of a smartphone, a computer, a computer tablet, a first system capable of outputting video, a second system capable of outputting audio, a radio, a television, or a cellular phone.

19. The headphone system of claim 17, wherein the control module is further configured to determine a time for the headphone to change from a first headphone orientation to a second headphone orientation.

20. The headphone system of claim 17, wherein the magnetic field sensor is configured to detect the magnetic field along three axes.

21. The headphone system of claim 17, wherein the control module is further configured to perform a second operational mode associated with the headphone or the device in response to the intensity of the magnetic field reaching a second threshold.

22. The headphone system of claim 21, wherein the control module is further configured to determine whether the intensity of the magnetic field has reached a third threshold, and in response to the intensity of the magnetic field reaching the third threshold, to perform a third operational mode associated with the headphone or the device.