Audio Player with Monophonic Mode Control

• US 20100183175A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jae Han, Tamchina, Phillip George, Chen, Shaohai
• Granted Patent: US 8,600,085 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/309
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 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

An audio player includes an audio headset having two earpieces. A playback circuit provides one of a stereophonic program and a monaural program to the audio headset. The monaural program may be created by mixing channels of the stereophonic program. A mode control is coupled to the playback circuit and to the audio headset. The mode control detects when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear and causes the playback circuit to deliver the monaural program to the audio headset.

Claims

1. An audio player comprising:

an audio headset including two earpieces;

a playback circuit coupled to the audio headset, the playback circuit providing one of a stereophonic program and a monaural program to the audio headset;

a mode control coupled to the playback circuit and to the audio headset, the mode control detecting when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear and causing the playback circuit to deliver the monaural program to the audio headset.

2. The audio player of claim 1, wherein the playback circuit provides the monaural program to the audio headset by mixing channels of the stereophonic program.

3. The audio player of claim 1, wherein the mode control detects when both of the two earpieces are adjacent the listener'"'"'s ears and causes the playback circuit to deliver the stereophonic program to the audio headset.

4. The audio player of claim 1, wherein the mode control further provides a user selection to continue delivering the monaural program to the audio headset even if the mode control detects that both of the two earpieces are adjacent the listener'"'"'s ears, the mode control providing the user selection when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear.

5. The audio player of claim 1, wherein the mode control detects when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear using a signal from a sensor, each earpiece including at least one sensor selected from an impedance sensor, a touch sensor, a proximity sensor, and a pressure sensor.

6. The audio player of claim 1, wherein each of the two earpieces are designed to be inserted into an ear canal of a listener and provide a signal when inserted into the ear canal, and the mode control uses the signal to detect when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

7. The audio player of claim 1, wherein each of the two earpieces are designed to be inserted into an ear canal of a listener, the playback circuit senses a change in an impedance of an audio driver element for each of the two earpieces when inserted into the ear canal of the listener, and the mode control uses the change in the impedance to detect when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

8. The audio player of claim 7, wherein the playback circuit senses a difference in the impedance of each of the two earpieces when inserted into ear canals of two listeners, and the mode control causes the playback circuit to deliver the monaural program to the audio headset responsive to the difference in the impedances.

9. A method of controlling an audio player, the method comprising:

connecting an audio headset including two earpieces to an audio output jack on the audio player;

detecting when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear; and

delivering a monaural program to the audio headset if at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising mixing channels of a stereophonic program to produce the monaural program.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising delivering a stereophonic program to the audio headset if both of the two earpieces are adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a user selection to continue delivering the monaural program to the audio headset regardless of positions of the two earpieces with respect to the listener'"'"'s ears.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a signal from each of the two earpieces when each earpiece is inserted into an ear canal of the listener.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear includes at least one of detecting a change in impedance, sensing touch, sensing proximity, and detecting a change in pressure.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising sensing a change in an impedance of an audio driver element for each of the two earpieces when inserted into an ear canal of the listener.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising sensing a difference in the impedance of each of the two earpieces when inserted into ear canals of two listeners, and delivering the monaural program to the audio headset responsive to the difference in the impedances.

17. An audio player comprising:

means for connecting an audio headset including two earpieces to the audio player;

means for detecting when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear; and

means for delivering a monaural program to the audio headset if at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

18. The audio player of claim 17, further comprising means for mixing channels of a stereophonic program to produce the monaural program.

19. The audio player of claim 17, further comprising means for delivering a stereophonic program to the audio headset if both of the two earpieces are adjacent the listener'"'"'s ear.

20. The audio player of claim 17, further comprising means for providing a user selection to continue delivering the monaural program to the audio headset regardless of positions of the two earpieces with respect to the listener'"'"'s ears.

21. The audio player of claim 17, further comprising means for providing a signal from each of the two earpieces when each earpiece is inserted into an ear canal of the listener.

22. The audio player of claim 17, wherein the means for detecting when at least one of the two earpieces is not adjacent a listener'"'"'s ear includes at least one of means for detecting a change in impedance, means for sensing touch, means for sensing proximity, and means for detecting a change in pressure.

23. The audio player of claim 17, further comprising means for sensing a change in an impedance of an audio driver element for each of the two earpieces when inserted into an ear canal of the listener.

24. The audio player of claim 23, further comprising means for sensing a difference in the impedance of each of the two earpieces when inserted into ear canals of two listeners, and delivering the monaural program to the audio headset responsive to the difference in the impedances.