Thermal Aware Headphones

• US 20140129010A1
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: GARG, Dinesh K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,864,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus obtains a measure of a mammalian body temperature. The measure is based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device. The apparatus concludes a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature. The apparatus initiates a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device;

concluding a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature; and

initiating a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure is obtained from a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a single body temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a running average of a plurality of body temperatures sensed over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a combination of a plurality of body temperatures sensed from a plurality of temperature sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second threshold is obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the first user device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises means for obtaining an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor associated with either of the first user device and the second user device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the second threshold is provided by a first ambient temperature sensing source, and further comprising confirming the accuracy of the second threshold based on a temperature provided by a second ambient temperature sensing source.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device;

means for concluding a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature; and

means for initiating a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for obtaining comprises a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measure corresponds to a single body temperature.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the measure corresponds to a running average of a plurality of body temperatures sensed over a period of time.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for obtaining comprises a plurality of temperature sensors and the measure corresponds to a combination of a plurality of body temperatures sensed from the plurality of temperature sensors.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment, wherein the second threshold is obtained from the ambient temperature sensing source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the first user device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises means for obtaining an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor associated with either of the first user device and the second user device.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second threshold is provided by the ambient ambient temperature sensing source, and further comprising means for confirming the accuracy of the second threshold based on a temperature provided by a second ambient temperature sensing source.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a processing system configured to;

obtain a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device;

conclude a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature; and

initiate a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

22. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for;

obtaining a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device;

concluding a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature; and

initiating a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a temperature sensor that obtains a measure of a mammalian body temperature; and

a processor that concludes a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an ambient temperature sensing source that provides the ambient temperature.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising a receiver that receives the ambient temperature from an ambient temperature sensing source remote from the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor outputs a control signal when the criterion is satisfied, the control signal for initiating a control of a media player.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising a transmitter that transmits the control signal to the media player.

30. An apparatus, comprising:

a media player;

a receiver that receives a control signal when a measure of a mammalian body temperature is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature; and

a controller that controls the media player in response to the control signal.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising an ambient temperature source that provides the ambient temperature.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

34. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver that receives a measure of a mammalian body temperature; and

a processor that concludes a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising an ambient temperature sensing source that provides the ambient temperature.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a media player, wherein the processor outputs a control signal when the criterion is satisfied, the control signal for initiating a control of the media player.