Magnetic earphones holder

• US 10,524,038 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2015
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snik LLC
• Original Assignee: Snik LLC
• Inventors: Honeycutt, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/853,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20160007111A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like

Abstract

A set of earphones enable a user to automatically activate and/or deactivate an electronic device. The earphones comprise an electronic device controller which controls the operation of an electronic device. The controller is configured to send a signal to an electronic device activation circuit which operates the electronic device based upon a coupling status of the earbuds with the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces and/or one or more magnets. The earphones are usable with an electronic device that is able to be customized to blend in with its background such as when worn with specific clothing.

Claims

1. A set of earphones comprising:

a. a first earbud comprising a first magnet on an outside back surface of the first earbud;

b. a second earbud comprising a second magnet on an outside back surface of the second earbud and for removably coupling with the first magnet;

c. an earbud engagement detector for detecting an engagement of the first magnet with the second magnet, wherein the earbud engagement detector is built into a body of one of the first earbud and the second earbud; and

d. an electronic device controller coupled to the earbud engagement detector and for separately initiating a signal to transmit audio from a separately housed electronic device when a magnetic decoupling is detected as the first magnet is decoupled from the second magnet and initiating a signal to stop transmitting audio from the separately housed electronic device when a magnetic coupling is detected as the first magnet is coupled to the second magnet, and wherein the electronic device controller is built into a body of one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

2. The set of earphones of claim 1, wherein the electronic device controller separately sends an activation signal and a deactivation signal to the separately housed electronic device.

3. The set of earphones of claim 2, wherein media selection and volume to the earphones is controlled at the electronic device.

4. The set of earphones of claim 2, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a phone, a tablet and a watch.

5. The set of earphones of claim 2, wherein the signal comprises a wireless signal.

6. The set of earphones of claim 1, wherein the earphones are wireless earphones.

7. The set of earphones of claim 1, comprising an ambient noise detector configured to detect a noise above an established background level.

8. The set of earphones of claim 7, wherein the ambient noise detector sends a signal to the electronic device controller which operates the electronic device based upon the signal from the ambient noise detector.

9. The set of earphones of claim 1, comprising a translator that is able to detect an external phrase that is spoken in a certain language.

10. The set of earphones of claim 9, wherein the translator sends a signal to the controller, which processes the signal from the translator and sends a signal to the electronic device which is able to translate the detected phrase and send a signal to the earphones to play the translated phrase back through the earbuds.

11. An earphones system comprising:

a. a first earbud comprising a first magnet on an outside back surface of the first earbud;

b. a second earbud comprising a second magnet on an outside back surface of the second earbud and for removably coupling with the first magnet;

c. an earphones engagement detector for detecting a coupling of the first magnet with the second magnet, wherein the earphones engagement detector is built into a body of one of the first earbud and the second earbud; and

d. an electronic device controller coupled to the earphones engagement detector wherein the electronic device controller sends a signal to a separately housed electronic device activation circuit to deactivate the electronic device when a magnetic coupling is detected as the first magnet is coupled with the second magnet causing audio to stop being played in the first earbud and the second earbud and wherein the electronic device controller sends a signal to an electronic device activation circuit to activate the electronic device when a magnetic decoupling is detected as the first magnet is decoupled from the second magnet causing audio to be played in the first earbud and the second earbud, and wherein the electronic device controller is built into a body of one of the first earbud and the second earbud.

12. The earphones system of claim 11, wherein a coupling of the first magnet with the second magnet indicates that the earphones are not being used.

13. The earphones system of claim 11, wherein the electronic device controller sends an activation signal to activate the electronic device if the first magnet is decoupled from the second magnet.

14. The earphones system of claim 11, further comprising a control apparatus for controlling media played through the earphones.