Electronic Devices With Configurable Capacitive Proximity Sensors

• US 20180288515A1
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Published: 10/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2017
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Jonathan R., Bunney, Jr., Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,291,976 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/241 by relative movement of capacitor electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/955 using a capacitive detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with ear cups having speakers for playing audio to a user. Capacitive proximity sensor electrodes having acoustic openings may overlap the speakers. The capacitive proximity sensor electrodes may include electrodes that are arranged in a ring. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes to measure ear patterns of a user when the headphones are being worn on the head of the user. The control circuitry may include switching circuitry that allows the electrodes to be dynamically combined to form electrodes of enlarged area to enhance detection range or to form separate electrodes to enhance spatial resolution.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a controller; and

a capacitive proximity sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor includes;

electrodes;

switching circuitry coupled to the electrodes; and

a capacitive sensing circuit coupled to the electrodes and the switching circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the switching circuitry to dynamically combine at least one set of the electrodes to form at least one corresponding unitary electrode of enhanced size.

2. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a speaker, wherein at least some of the electrodes are arranged in an array overlapping the speaker.

3. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 2 wherein at least some of the electrodes have acoustic openings configured to pass sound from the speaker.

4. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 3 wherein the capacitive proximity sensor includes a substrate having openings aligned with the acoustic openings of the electrodes.

5. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the electrodes include reference electrodes on a first side of the substrate and sense electrodes on an opposing second side of the substrate.

6. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein the second side of the substrate faces the speaker and wherein the wearable electronic device further comprises at least one layer of fabric configured to allow the sound from the speakers to pass.

7. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 6 further comprising a mesh layer interposed between the layer of fabric and the substrate.

8. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 5 wherein at least some of the sense electrodes are arranged in a ring.

9. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to recognize left ear sensor measurement patterns and right ear sensor measurement patterns in sensor measurements gathered with the capacitive proximity sensor.

10. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the controller is configured to gather capacitive proximity sensor measurements with the capacitive proximity sensor at least partly in response to information from the accelerometer.

11. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising first and second ear cups having first and second respective speakers, wherein at least some of the electrodes are in the first ear cup.

12. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising at least one layer of fabric overlapping the electrodes.

13. The wearable electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the electrodes are formed on a substrate having substrate openings and have electrode openings that overlap the substrate openings, the wearable electronic device further comprising a speaker configured to emit sound that passes through the substrate openings, electrode openings, and the layer of fabric.

14. Headphones, comprising:

first and second ear cups;

a structure that couples the first and second ear cups;

control circuitry; and

capacitive proximity sensor electrodes in the first and second ear cups, wherein the control circuitry is configured to dynamically combine at least a selected number of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes to form at least one corresponding unitary electrode.

15. The headphones defined in claim 14 further comprising:

a first speaker in the first ear cup that is overlapped by a first set of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes; and

a second speaker in the second ear cup that is overlapped by a second set of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes, wherein at least some of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes in the first and second sets of capacitive proximity sensor electrodes have acoustic openings.

16. The headphones defined in claim 15 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the control circuitry is configured to use the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes to make ear pattern measurements in response to detection of motion with the accelerometer.

17. The headphones defined in claim 16 wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust left and right audio channel assignments for the first and second speakers based on information from the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes.

18. Headphones, comprising:

first and second speakers;

control circuitry; and

capacitive proximity sensor electrodes overlapping at least one of the first and second speakers, wherein the control circuitry is configured to operate in;

a first mode in which at least some of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes are combined by the control circuitry to enlarge sensor electrode area and enhance detection range; and

a second mode in which fewer of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes are combined than in the first mode to enhance detection spatial resolution.

19. The headphones defined in claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to operate in a third mode in which fewer of the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes are combined than in the second mode.

20. The headphones defined in claim 19 further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the control circuitry is configured to make ear pattern measurements with the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes in the first mode in response to detection of motion with the accelerometer.

21. Apparatus, comprising:

a controller; and

a proximity sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the proximity sensor includes;

an array of proximity sensor elements; and

switching circuitry coupled to the sensor elements, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the switching circuitry to dynamically combine at least one set of the sensor proximity sensor element to enhance proximity detection range, wherein the proximity sensor elements comprise elements selected from the group consisting of;

optical sensor elements and inductive sensor elements.

22. Apparatus, comprising:

a controller;

fabric; and

a capacitive proximity sensor coupled to the controller and overlapped by the fabric, wherein the capacitive proximity sensor includes;

electrodes;

switching circuitry coupled to the electrodes; and

a capacitive sensing circuit coupled to the electrodes and the switching circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the switching circuitry to dynamically combine at least one set of the electrodes to form at least one corresponding unitary electrode of enhanced size.