Electronic devices with motion-based orientation sensing

• US 10,306,367 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2018
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Jonathan R., Sunshine, Daniel D., Minoo, Jahan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Odunukwe, Ubachukwu A
• Application Number:
  US16/153,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20190052965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 235 Days
• Field of Search: 381123, 381 74, 381309
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• 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 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.

Claims

1. An electronic device that provides audio to a user, comprising:

ear cups containing speakers;

a grip sensor on each ear cup that detects locations of the user'"'"'s fingers on each ear cup;

a motion sensor that detects a motion path of the ear cups relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer; and

control circuitry that plays audio through the ear cups in accordance with left and right channel assignments, wherein the control circuitry determines the left and right channel assignments based on the motion path of the ear cups relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the grip sensor detects touch input from the user'"'"'s fingers.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the touch input comprises multi-touch gesture input.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein the touch input comprises tap input.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the ear cups comprise fabric.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the grip sensor is formed from conductive yarns in the fabric.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 6 wherein the conductive yarns form a capacitive touch sensor array.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

play the audio in accordance with a first left and right channel assignment when the motion path is in a first direction relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers; and

play the audio in accordance with a second left and right channel assignment when the motion path is in a second direction relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8 wherein the first left and right channel assignment is an unreversed channel assignment and the second left and right channel assignment is a reversed channel assignment.

10. Headphones that play audio for a user, comprising:

left and right ear cups having respective left and right speakers with which the audio is played;

capacitive sensors on the left and right ear cups that receive user input from the user'"'"'s fingers, wherein the capacitive sensors 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, wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer; and

control circuitry that;

determines left and right channel assignments based on the sensed finger positions and the motion path; and

adjusts a volume of the audio in response to the user input from the user'"'"'s fingers.

11. The headphones defined in claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

play the audio in accordance with a first left and right channel assignment when the motion path is in a first direction relative to the sensed finger positions; and

play the audio in accordance with a second left and right channel assignment when the motion path is in a second direction relative to the sensed finger positions.

12. The headphones defined in claim 10 wherein the left and right ear cups comprise fabric.

13. The headphones defined in claim 12 wherein the capacitive sensors comprise conductive yarns in the fabric.

14. Earphones that play audio for a user, comprising:

left and right speaker housings having respective left and right speakers with which the audio is played;

touch sensors on the left and right speaker housings that detect locations of the user'"'"'s fingers on the left and right speaker housings;

a motion sensor that detects movement of the earphones; and

control circuitry that determines left and right channel assignments based on the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers and based on the movement of the earphones, wherein the control circuitry is configured to;

play the audio in accordance with an unreversed channel assignment when the movement is in a first direction relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers; and

play the audio in accordance with a reversed channel assignment when the movement is in a second direction relative to the locations of the user'"'"'s fingers.

15. The earphones defined in claim 14 wherein the touch sensors comprise capacitive touch sensors.

16. The earphones defined in claim 15 wherein the left and right speaker housings comprise fabric.

17. The earphones defined in claim 16 wherein the touch sensors comprise conductive yarns in the fabric.