Earbuds with compliant member

• US 10,484,783 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Qian, Phillip, Siahaan, Edward, Wang, Erik L., Stringer, Christopher J., Rohrbach, Matthew Dean, Strongwater, Daniel Max, LeBlanc, Jason J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US16/206,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20190116415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 379430, 381 58, 381 74, 381111, 381309, 381311, 381312, 381370, 381374, 381375, 381379, 381380, 381381, 381382, 381431, 381367, 4555691, 4555752, 600301, 600476, 248 58, 369 3085
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14557 specially adapted to extracorporeal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• 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

This application relates to earbuds configured with one or more biometric sensors. At least one of the biometric sensors is configured to be pressed up against a portion of the tragus for making biometric measurements. In some embodiments, the housing of the earbud can be symmetric so that the earbud can be worn interchangeably in either a left or a right ear of a user. In such an embodiment, the earbud can include a sensor and circuitry configured to determine and alter operation of the earbud in accordance to which ear the earbud is determined to be sitting in.

Claims

1. An earbud, comprising:

an earbud housing defining an audio exit opening;

a speaker disposed within the earbud housing and oriented so that audio emitted by the speaker exits the earbud housing through the audio exit opening; and

a compliant member configured to anchor the earbud to a user'"'"'s ear and having first and second ends coupled to the earbud housing at first and second anchoring locations, respectively, the compliant member comprising a loop of flexible material having first and second portions and a reinforcing member disposed within the first portion of the loop of flexible material such that the first portion of the loop has a higher rigidity than the second portion of the loop.

2. The earbud as recited in claim 1, wherein the first portion of the loop and the second portion of the loop are the same size.

3. The earbud as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant member is formed from an elastomeric material that is less rigid than the reinforcing member.

4. The earbud as recited in claim 3, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a length of spring steel.

5. The earbud as recited in claim 1, wherein the compliant member further comprises a third portion of the loop and wherein another reinforcing member is disposed within the third portion of the loop such that the first and third portions of the loop are more rigid than the second portion of the loop.

6. The earbud as recited in claim 5, wherein the first and third portions of the loop are closer to the earbud housing than the second portion of the loop.

7. An earbud, comprising:

a speaker;

an electrical component electrically coupled to the speaker;

an earbud housing, comprising;

a first housing component enclosing the speaker; and

a second housing component enclosing the electrical component and being removably coupled to the first housing component; and

a compliant member configured to anchor the earbud to a user'"'"'s ear and having first and second ends coupled to the earbud housing at first and second anchoring locations, respectively, the compliant member comprising a loop of flexible material having first and second portions and a reinforcing member disposed within the first portion of the loop of flexible material such that the first portion of the loop has a higher rigidity than the second portion of the loop.

8. The earbud as recited in claim 7, wherein the second housing component comprises a protrusion that engages a channel defined by the first housing component to removably couple the second housing component to the first housing component.

9. The earbud as recited in claim 8, wherein the protrusion is a puzzle shaped protrusion and the second housing component is configured to be decoupled from the first housing component by sliding the puzzle shaped protrusion out of the channel.

10. The earbud as recited in claim 8, wherein the protrusion comprises one or more environmental seals that inhibit intrusion of liquid between the first and second housing components.

11. The earbud as recited in claim 8, wherein the protrusion comprises a locking feature that opposes removal of the second housing component from the first housing component.

12. The earbud as recited in claim 7, wherein the second housing component further comprises a the first and second anchoring locations.

13. The earbud as recited in claim 7, wherein the first housing component comprises a first electrical contact at an exterior surface of the first housing component and the second housing component comprises a second electrical contact at an exterior surface of the second housing component, wherein the first and second electrical contacts form a portion of an electrically conductive pathway that electrically couples the electrical component to the speaker.

14. The earbud as recited in claim 7, wherein the electrical component is selected from the group consisting of a battery, memory, a sensor and a microphone.

15. An earbud, comprising:

an earbud housing defining an audio exit opening;

a speaker disposed within the earbud housing; and

a compliant member configured to anchor the earbud to a user'"'"'s ear, comprising;

a reinforcing member; and

a loop of flexible material having first and second ends coupled to the earbud housing at first and second anchoring locations, the loop of flexible material having a first portion that encloses the reinforcing member and a second portion, the reinforcing member making the first portion of the loop more rigid than the second portion of the loop.

16. The earbud as recited in claim 15, wherein the second portion is farther from the earbud housing than the first portion.

17. The earbud as recited in claim 16, wherein the compliant further comprises a third portion of the loop and another reinforcing member is disposed within the third portion of the loop such that the first and third portions of the loop are more rigid than the second portion of the loop.

18. The earbud as recited in claim 17, wherein the first and third portions of the loop are closer to the earbud housing than the of the loop.

19. The earbud as recited in claim 15, wherein the reinforcing member comprises a length of steel.