Wireless ear bud system with pose detection

• US 10,715,902 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2019
• Issued: 07/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Perry, Daniel J., Choksi, Maulik V., Sun, Wei-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang V
• Application Number:
  US16/364,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20190222917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/741 using synthesised speech
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

Ear buds may have sensors to gather orientation information such as accelerometer measurements during user movements. A host electronic device may communicate wirelessly with the ear buds and may form part of an ear bud system that supplies the user with coaching and feedback while evaluating user performance of a head movement routine or other exercise routine. During operation, the ear buds may gather accelerometer data in a first reference frame such as a reference frame associated with the ear buds and may use a rotation matrix to rotate the data in the first reference frame into a second reference frame such as a neutral reference frame with a fixed orientation to the earth. The data in the neutral reference frame may be analyzed using a user head pose look-up table to categorize measured user head positions as corresponding to respective user head poses.

Claims

1. An ear bud, comprising:

an ear bud housing;

a speaker in the ear bud housing;

an orientation sensor in the ear bud housing that is configured to obtain sensor measurements; and

control circuitry in the ear bud housing that is configured to evaluate user performance of an exercise routine containing multiple predetermined user head poses based on the sensor measurements.

2. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor is configured to obtain the sensor measurements in a first reference frame and wherein the control circuitry is configured to rotate the sensor measurements in the first reference frame into a second reference frame.

3. The ear bud defined in claim 2 wherein the control circuitry is configured to rotate the sensor measurements from the first reference frame into the second reference frame using a rotation matrix and wherein the control circuitry is configured to calibrate the orientation sensor by computing the rotation matrix upon detection of a quiescent period in the sensor measurements.

4. The ear bud defined in claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is configured to analyze the measurements that have been rotated into the second reference frame to categorize the sensor measurements as corresponding to respective poses among the multiple predetermined user head poses.

5. The ear bud defined in claim 4 wherein the control circuitry is configured to use a look-up table to categorize the sensor measurements as corresponding to respective poses among the multiple predetermined user head poses.

6. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide audible coaching with the speaker during the exercise routine.

7. The ear bud defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide audible feedback with the speaker in response to detection of successful completion of the exercise routine.

8. The ear bud defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide audible feedback with the speaker in response to detection of unsatisfactory performance of the exercise routine.

9. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor comprises an accelerometer.

10. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor comprises a magnetic sensor.

11. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor comprises a gyroscope.

12. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to perform filtering operations while obtaining the sensor measurements.

13. The ear bud defined in claim 12 wherein performing the filtering operations comprises maintaining a running average of an output of the orientation sensor over a predetermined period of time.

14. The ear bud defined in claim 1 wherein the ear bud housing has a main body portion and an elongated stem portion that extends away from the main body portion.

20. The ear bud defined in claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

use the speaker to provide instructions to perform the exercise routine containing the multiple predetermined user head poses.

15. An ear bud, comprising:

a housing having a main body portion and an elongated stem portion that extends away from the main body portion;

a speaker configured to provide sound through an audio port in the main body portion of the housing;

an accelerometer in the housing that is configured to obtain accelerometer data; and

control circuitry in the housing that is configured to categorize user head poses based on the accelerometer data, wherein the accelerometer is configured to obtain the accelerometer data in a first reference frame and wherein the control circuitry is configured to rotate the accelerometer data in the first reference frame into a second reference frame.

16. The ear bud defined in claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is configured to evaluate user performance of an exercise routine containing the user head poses based on the accelerometer data.

17. The ear bud defined in claim 16 wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide audible coaching with the speaker during the exercise routine.

18. An ear bud, comprising:

a speaker;

an accelerometer that is configured to obtain accelerometer measurements; and

control circuitry that is configured to;

evaluate user performance of a head movement routine containing multiple user head poses based on the accelerometer measurements; and

in response to evaluating that one of the user head poses is performed unsatisfactorily, use the speaker to provide audible feedback.

19. The ear bud defined in claim 18 wherein the accelerometer is configured to obtain the accelerometer measurements in a first reference frame and wherein the control circuitry is configured to rotate the accelerometer measurements in the first reference frame into a second reference frame.