Speaker assembly for headworn computer

• US 10,634,922 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2018
• Issued: 04/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haddick, John D., Lohse, Robert Michael, Shams, Nima L., Osterhout, Ralph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US16/130,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20190250411A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to speaker assemblies for head worn computers, including speaker assemblies in a temple portion of a head-worn computer.

Claims

1. A wearable head device comprising:

a display;

a side arm comprising a temple portion;

a speaker assembly coupled to the temple portion; and

one or more coupling detection circuits,

wherein;

the speaker assembly is configured to house one or more of a first speaker having a first configuration and a second speaker having a second configuration, the second configuration different from the first configuration,

the speaker assembly is further configured to permit replacement of the first speaker with the second speaker,

the speaker assembly is further configured to permit replacement of the second speaker with the first speaker,

the one or more coupling detection circuits are configured to detect whether the speaker assembly is physically coupled to the temple portion; and

the display is in communication with one or more processors configured to concurrently present visual content to a user via the display and audio content to the user via the speaker assembly.

2. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein replacement of the first speaker with the second speaker comprises placing the second speaker in electronic communication with the one or more processors and replacement of the second speaker with the first speaker comprises placing the first speaker in electronic communication with the one or more processors.

3. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein replacement of the first speaker with the second speaker comprises magnetically coupling the second speaker to the temple portion and magnetically decoupling the first speaker from the temple portion and replacement of the second speaker with the first speaker comprises magnetically coupling the first speaker to the temple portion and magnetically decoupling the second speaker from the temple portion.

4. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable head device further comprises a selection switch,

replacement of the first speaker with the second speaker comprises decoupling the first speaker from the speaker assembly in response to the wearable head device receiving first input via the selection switch, and

replacement of the second speaker with the first speaker comprises decoupling the second speaker from the speaker assembly in response to the wearable head device receiving second input via the selection switch.

5. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to permit the user to hear an audio signal from the speaker assembly concurrently with hearing an environmental audio signal from an environment of the wearable head device.

6. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to not protrude below the temple portion when the wearable head device is worn by the user.

7. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein:

the speaker assembly further comprises a haptic actuator in communication with the one or more processors, and

the one or more processors are further configured to present a haptic signal to the user via the haptic actuator, concurrently with presenting visual content to a user via the display and presenting audio content to the user via the speaker assembly.

8. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to be inserted in an outer ear of the user.

9. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to be positioned below the temple portion and above an ear of the user when the wearable head device is worn by the user.

10. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to be positioned below the temple portion and in front of an ear of the user when the wearable head device is worn by the user.

11. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to cover substantially all of the user'"'"'s outer ear when the wearable head device is worn by the user.

12. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly is further configured to project an audio signal away from the user when the wearable head device is worn by the user.

13. The wearable head device of claim 12, wherein:

the wearable head device further comprises a microphone;

the one or more processors are further configured to, in response to receiving a speech signal via the microphone, cause the speaker assembly to project the audio signal away from the user; and

the audio signal comprises a language translation of the speech signal.

14. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein each of the first configuration and the second configuration comprises one or more of an ear bud configuration, an ear phone configuration, a headphone configuration, a headset configuration, an external ear speaker configuration, and an open ear configuration.

15. The wearable head device of claim 14, wherein the first configuration comprises an ear bud configuration and the second configuration comprises an open ear configuration.

16. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein the first configuration comprises a speaker accessory and the second configuration does not comprise the speaker accessory.

17. The wearable head device of claim 1, wherein:

the wearable head device further comprises a movable mechanical element,

replacement of the first speaker with the second speaker comprises moving the movable mechanical element to disengage the first speaker from the speaker assembly, and

replacement of the second speaker with the first speaker comprises moving the movable mechanical element to disengage the second speaker from the speaker assembly.