Earbud case with pairing button

• US 10,681,446 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2019
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chawan, Arun D., Stiehl, Kurt, Cousins, Benjamin A., Aase, Jonathan S., Azmi, Yacine, Choiniere, Paul, Slabaugh, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US16/430,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20190289381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/24 Etuis for purposes not covered by a single one of groups A45C11/02 - A45C11/22, A45C11/26, A45C11/32 - A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/1069 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/026 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/16 hinged for upward or downward movement cigar or cigarette receptacles A24F15/00; suitcases, ètuis A45C; casings for cosmetic substances with hinged covers A45D40/22; toolboxes B25H3/02; hinges of door or similar type E05D ; boxes for switchboards with hinged covers H02B1/066
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/521 Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 : Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 : Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 : Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 : Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2826 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2857 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 : for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/105 : Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components
• 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 2460/09 : Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 : Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning 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 9/025 : Magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 : Loudspeakers

Abstract

An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.

Claims

1. A case for a pair of earbuds, the case comprising:

a housing having a pair of cavities configured to receive the pair of earbuds;

electrical contacts arranged to interface to the pair of earbuds when the pair of earbuds are received within the pair of cavities;

a charging system including a case battery and charging circuitry coupled to at least one of the electrical contacts and the case battery and configured to charge the pair of earbuds when each earbud of the pair of earbuds is positioned within its respective cavity; and

data communications circuitry configured to transmit a signal through at least one of the electrical contacts to at least one earbud of the pair of earbuds in response to a user depressing a button at an exterior surface of the case, the signal causing the at least one earbud to enter a pairing sequence with a separate electronic device.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein the electrical contacts include a first and a second electrical contact positioned in a first cavity of the pair of cavities, and a third and a fourth electrical contact positioned in a second cavity of the pair of cavities.

3. The case of claim 1 further comprising earbud detector circuitry coupled to the electrical contacts and configured to generate a detection signal when an earbud of the pair of earbuds is coupled to the electrical contacts.

4. The case of claim 3 further comprising a processor that instructs the data communications circuitry to transmit the signal in response to the processor receiving the detection signal and receiving a notification that the user depressed the button.

5. The case of claim 1 wherein the case further comprises a lid attached to the housing, the lid operable between a closed position where the lid covers the pair of cavities and an open position that exposes the pair of cavities.

6. The case of claim 5 wherein the case further comprises a lid sensor configured to detect when the lid is in the closed position and when the lid is in the open position.

7. The case of claim 6 further comprising sensor circuitry coupled to the lid sensor and configured to turn on a wireless radio of the at least one earbud of the pair of earbuds when the at least one earbud is coupled to the electrical contacts and the lid sensor detects the lid is moved from the closed position to the open position.

8. The case of claim 6 wherein the data communications circuitry is further configured to transmit the signal after the lid sensor detects the lid in the open position.

9. A case for an earbud, the case comprising:

a housing having a cavity configured to receive the earbud;

electrical contacts arranged to interface to the earbud when the earbud is received within the cavity;

a lid attached to the housing and operable between a closed position where the lid is aligned over the cavity and an open position where the lid is displaced from the cavity;

a lid sensor configured to detect when the lid is in the closed position and when the lid is in the open position;

circuitry coupled to the lid sensor and configured to turn on a wireless radio contained within the earbud when the lid sensor detects the lid is moved from the closed position to the open position; and

data communications circuitry configured to transmit a signal through at least one of the electrical contacts to the earbud in response to a user depressing a button at an exterior surface of the case, the signal causing the earbud to enter a pairing sequence with a separate electronic device.

10. The case of claim 9 wherein the data communications circuitry transmits the signal when the wireless radio within the earbud is on.

11. The case of claim 9 further comprising a charging system including a case battery, and charging circuitry configured to charge the earbud when the earbud is positioned in the cavity.

12. The case of claim 9 wherein the electrical contacts include a first and a second electrical contact positioned in the cavity.

13. The case of claim 9 further comprising earbud detector circuitry coupled to the electrical contacts and configured to generate a detection signal when the earbud is positioned within the cavity and coupled to the electrical contacts.

14. The case of claim 13 further comprising a processor that instructs the data communications circuitry to transmit the signal in response to the processor receiving the detection signal and receiving a notification that the user depressed the button.

15. The case of claim 9 wherein the data communications circuitry is further configured to transmit the signal after the lid sensor detects the lid in the open position.

16. A case for a portable listening device, the case comprising:

a housing having a cavity configured to receive the portable listening device;

electrical contacts arranged to interface to the portable listening device when the portable listening device is received within the cavity;

a lid attached to the housing and operable between a closed position where the lid is aligned over the cavity and an open position where the lid is displaced from the cavity;

a lid sensor configured to detect when the lid is in the closed position and when the lid is in the open position;

circuitry coupled to the lid sensor and configured to turn on a wireless radio contained within the portable listening device when the lid sensor detects the lid is moved from the closed position to the open position;

a charging system including a case battery and charging circuitry coupled to at least one of the electrical contacts and the case battery and configured to charge the portable listening device when the portable listening device is positioned within the cavity; and

data communications circuitry configured to transmit a signal through at least one of the electrical contacts to the portable listening device in response to a user depressing a button at an exterior surface of the case, the signal causing the portable listening device to enter a pairing sequence with a separate electronic device.

17. The case of claim 16 wherein the data communications circuitry transmits the signal when the wireless radio within the portable listening device is on.

18. The case of claim 16 wherein the electrical contacts include a first and a second electrical contact positioned in the cavity.

19. The case of claim 16 further comprising earbud detector circuitry coupled to the electrical contacts and configured to generate a detection signal when the portable listening device is positioned within the cavity and coupled to the electrical contacts.

20. The case of claim 19 further comprising a processor that instructs the data communications circuitry to transmit the signal in response to the processor receiving the detection signal and receiving a notification that the user depressed the button.