Integration of Sensors into Earphones

• US 20170034615A1
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Published: 02/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Turner, Jonathan D., Mankodi, Harsh Anilkant, DeCubellis, Kyle, Orescanin, Marko, Ting, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,057,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• 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 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

An in-ear earphone includes a body shaped to fit in the wearer'"'"'s ear, a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer, an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle, and a sensor coupled to the nozzle. The sealing structure includes a thin sheet of material forming a hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor, and the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and sensor are arranged such that when the earphone is located in the wearer'"'"'s ear, the sensor faces the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the tragus with minimal air gaps between the sensor, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

Claims

1. An in-ear earphone, comprising:

a body shaped to fit in the wearer'"'"'s ear;

a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer;

an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle; and

a sensor coupled to the nozzle;

wherein

the sealing structure comprises a thin sheet of material forming a hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor; and

the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and sensor are arranged such that when the earphone is located in the wearer'"'"'s ear, the sensor faces the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the tragus with minimal air gaps between the sensor, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

2. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer'"'"'s ear, and an inner surface that contacts the sensor module, the outer surface and the inner surface being polished such that light passing through the sealing structure is not scattered or reflected by the outer and inner surfaces.

3. The earphone of claim 2, wherein the body and the sealing structure are formed of a single piece, the entire surface of which is polished.

4. The earphone of claim 1, wherein

the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and

the sealing structure is formed of a soft plastic that transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

5. The earphone of claim 4, wherein the body and the sealing structure are formed of a single piece, the entirety of which transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

6. The earphone of claim 1, wherein

the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at first and second predetermined wavelengths, wherein the first wavelength is one of infrared or ultraviolet, and the second wavelength is typically visible to humans, and

the earphone controls the sensor to emit light at the second wavelength when the earphone is not located in an ear.

7. The earphone of claim 1, wherein

the sensor includes an emitter that emits light and a contact sensor, and

the sensor is configured to only emit light when the contact sensor is activated.

8. The earphone of claim 1, wherein

the sensor contributes to the formation of the acoustic seal by applying pressure to the sealing structure and, through the sealing structure, to ear tissue in the vicinity of the ear where the sealing structure forms the seal.

9. The earphone of claim 1, wherein

when the earphone is placed in an ear,

the sensor is aligned with the tragus of the ear;

the concha presses against the body which thereby presses the sensor and the sealing structure against the tragus, such that the sealing structure is in contact with both the sensor and the tragus; and

the sealing structure seals the entrance to the ear canal.

10. An in-ear earphone, comprising:

an ear-canal sealing structure configured to form an acoustic seal to a wearer'"'"'s ear canal; and

a sensor;

wherein

the sensor contributes to the formation of the acoustic seal by applying pressure to the sealing structure and, through the sealing structure, to ear tissue, in the vicinity of the ear where the sealing structure forms the seal.

11. The earphone of claim 10, wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer'"'"'s ear, and an inner surface that contacts the sensor, the outer surface and the inner surface being polished such that light passing through the sealing structure is not scattered or reflected by the outer and inner surfaces.

12. The earphone of claim 10, wherein

the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and

the sealing structure is formed of a soft plastic that transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

13. A sensor assembly for use with an in-ear earphone, comprising:

a sensor circuit having one or more apertures through which light is radiated or collected;

a housing surrounding the sensor circuit;

an ear interface for the in-ear earphone, the ear interface comprising;

a body shaped to fit in the lower concha of a wearer'"'"'s ear;

a nozzle extending from the body, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves from the earphone to the ear canal of the wearer; and

an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle, comprising a thin layer of material forming a hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor circuit;

electronic terminals for coupling the sensor circuit to a circuit external to the sensor assembly; and

a mounting feature for mechanically coupling the sensor assembly to a nozzle of an earphone.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein

when the sensor assembly is mounted on an earphone which is placed in an ear,

the sealing structure is in contact with both the sensor and the ear;

and

the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the ear.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 13, wherein

the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and apertures are arranged such that when the sensor assembly is mounted on an earphone which is placed in an ear, the apertures face the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the apertures and the tragus with no air gaps between the apertures, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

16. The sensor assembly of claim 15, wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer'"'"'s ear, and an inner surface that contacts the sensor, the outer surface and the inner surface being polished such that light passing through the sealing structure is not scattered or reflected by the outer and inner surfaces.

17. The earphone of claim 15, wherein

the sensor circuit includes an emitter that emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and

the sealing structure is formed of a soft plastic that transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

18. An in-ear earphone, comprising:

a body shaped to fit in the lower concha of a wearer'"'"'s ear;

a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of a user;

an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle; and

a sensor coupled to the nozzle;

wherein

the sealing structure comprises a thin layer of material forming a hollow, generally frusto-conical shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor; and

when the earphone is placed in the wearer'"'"'s ear,

the sensor is aligned with the tragus of the ear;

the concha presses against the body which thereby presses the sensor and the sealing structure against the tragus, such that the sealing structure is in contact with both the sensor and the tragus; and

the sealing structure seals the entrance to the ear canal.