EARPHONE REMOVAL DETECTION

• US 20130345842A1
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Karakaya, Elif, Nicholson, John Weldon, Hunt, John Miles, Wang, Song
• Application Number:
  US13/532,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20130345842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of 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 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 aspect provides a method, including: detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user; generating a signal in response to detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect a user; and in response to the generated signal, halting an application on a device providing audio to the first earphone and second earphone. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user;

generating a signal in response to detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect a user; and

in response to the generated signal, halting an application on a device providing audio to the first earphone and second earphone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated signal is interpreted as a mic-short-to ground signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user further comprises:

detecting that an acoustic characteristic of the first earphone indicates that the first earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to a user; and

detecting that an acoustic characteristic of the second earphone indicates that the second earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the acoustic characteristic is frequency based.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the acoustic characteristic is amplitude based.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the acoustic characteristic is based on comparing sound samples derived from a microphone positioned to sample external audio and from a microphone positioned to sample internal audio.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user further comprises:

detecting that a biometric characteristic of the first earphone indicates that the first earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to a user; and

detecting that a biometric characteristic of the second earphone indicates that the second earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the biometric characteristic is based on a lack of detectable pulse.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the biometic characteristic is one or more of temperature based and lack of skin contact based.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated signal is a visual based detection signal generated by one or more additional devices.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated signal is a visual based detection signal generated by one or more additional devices.

11. An information handling device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory operatively coupled with the one or more processors that stores instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising;

detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user;

generating a signal in response to detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect a user; and

in response to the generated signal, halting an application on a device providing audio to the first earphone and second earphone.

12. The information handling device of claim 11, wherein the generated signal is interpreted as a mic-short-to ground signal.

13. The information handling device of claim 11, wherein detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user further comprises:

detecting that an acoustic characteristic of the first earphone indicates that the first earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to a user; and

detecting that an acoustic characteristic of the second earphone indicates that the second earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to the user.

14. The information handling device of claim 13, wherein the acoustic characteristic is frequency based.

15. The information handling device of claim 13, wherein the acoustic characteristic is amplitude based.

16. The information handling device of claim 13, wherein the acoustic characteristic is based on comparing sound samples derived from a microphone positioned to sample external audio and from a microphone positioned to sample internal audio.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user further comprises:

detecting that a biometric characteristic of the first earphone indicates that the first earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to a user; and

detecting that a biometric characteristic of the second earphone indicates that the second earphone is not positioned in a listening position with respect to the user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the biometic characteristic is one or more of lack of detectable pulse, temperature based and lack of skin contact based.

20. A program product, comprising:

a storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising;

program code configured to detect that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect to a user;

program code configured to generate a signal in response to detecting that a first earphone and a second earphone are not both positioned in a listening position with respect a user; and

program code configured to, in response to the generated signal, halt an application on a device providing audio to the first earphone and second earphone.