Electronic device and headset with speaker seal evaluation capabilities

• US 8,401,200 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tiscareno, Victor, Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Sander, Wendell B., Beauchamp, Christopher Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUTHERS, DOUGLAS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US12/622,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20110116643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/59, 381/74, 381/94.1, 381/60, 381/56, 381/312, 381/317, 455/570, 455/114.2, 455/575.2
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

Electronic devices and accessories for electronic devices such as headsets are provided. The electronic devices may produce audio output. The headsets may include earbuds with speakers that play the audio output for a user while the earbuds are located in the user'"'"'s ears. Circuitry in an electronic device and a headset may be used in evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed to the user'"'"'s ears. In response to seal quality measurements, informative messages can be generated for the user, overall earbud volume may be increased, balance adjustments may be made to correct for mismatched balance between left and right earbuds, equalization settings may be adjusted, and noise cancellation circuitry settings can be changed. Electrical impedance measurements and acoustic measurements can be used in evaluating seal quality.

Claims

1. An electronic audio device for use with a pair of earbuds, each earbud having a respective microphone and a respective speaker located therein, comprising:

noise cancellation circuitry to be coupled to the respective microphones and speakers; and

control circuitry to evaluate a seal quality of each earbud to the user'"'"'s ear based on seal quality measurements made while driving a signal into the respective speaker located in the earbud and then to adjust the noise cancellation circuitry according to the evaluated seal quality.

2. The accessory defined in claim 1 further comprising a cable that plugs into an electronic device to receive audio signals that are used to drive the signal into the respective speaker located in each earbud.

3. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is to evaluate the seal quality by driving test tones through the speakers.

4. The audio device defined in claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is to evaluate the seal quality of an earbud by measuring a current that reflects an impedance value associated with the respective speaker, while driving the test tone through the respective speaker.

5. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is to evaluate the seal quality by making acoustic measurements using the microphones.

6. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the noise cancellation circuitry is to disable a noise cancellation level when the seal quality is low and activate a noise cancellation level when the seal quality is adequate.

7. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is to vary a further parameter responsive to the evaluated seal quality, wherein the further parameter is one of a sound volume, equalization, and balance between the speakers.

8. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is to signal a warning message to be displayed in response to the evaluated seal quality.

9. The audio device defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is to evaluate the seal quality by measuring an amount of noise cancellation being performed by the earbud.

10. A method for using an electronic device that provides audio for a user through a pair of speakers that are contained in earbuds that are located in the user'"'"'s ears, comprising:

with circuitry located at least partly in the electronic device, driving signals into the speakers in the earbuds;

with the circuitry, evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed to the user'"'"'s ears based at least partly on seal measurements made by driving the signals into the speakers; and

using the circuitry in adjusting noise cancellation circuitry.

11. The method defined in claim 10 wherein evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed comprises making current measurements that reflect impedance values associated with the speakers.

12. The method defined in claim 11 wherein the signals comprise test tones and wherein making the current measurements comprises making the current measurements while driving the test tones into the speakers.

13. The method defined in claim 10 wherein evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed comprises making acoustic measurements with microphones in the earbuds.

14. The method defined in claim 13 wherein the signals comprise test tones at frequencies less than 15 Hz and wherein making the acoustic measurements comprises using the microphones in the earbuds to make acoustic measurements while driving the test tones at frequencies less than 15 Hz into the speakers.

15. The method defined in claim 10 wherein adjusting the noise cancellation circuitry comprises inhibiting noise cancellation operations in the speakers when the seal measurements indicate that seal quality between the earbuds and the user'"'"'s ears is less than a given seal quality level.

16. A method for using an electronic device that provides audio for a user through a pair of speakers that are contained in earbuds that are located in the user'"'"'s ears, comprising:

with circuitry located at least partly in the electronic device, driving signals into the speakers in the earbuds;

with the circuitry, evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed to the user'"'"'s ears based at least partly on seal measurements made by driving the signals into the speakers; and

displaying a warning message on a display in the electronic device in response to the seal measurements.

17. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising:

using the circuitry in adjusting volume levels in the speakers based at least partly on the seal measurements.

18. The method defined in claim 16 further comprising:

using the circuitry in making equalization adjustments for the earbuds based at least partly on the seal measurements.

19. A method for using an accessory that has earbuds and noise cancellation circuitry and that uses the noise cancellation circuitry to play audio for a user through a pair of speakers that are contained in the earbuds while the earbuds are located in the user'"'"'s ears, comprising:

with circuitry located at least partly in the accessory, evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed to the user'"'"'s ears based at least partly on seal measurements made using the noise cancellation circuitry; and

with the circuitry, taking action in response to the seal quality.

20. The method defined in claim 19 wherein taking action comprises inhibiting noise cancellation operations in the accessory when the seal measurements indicate that seal quality between the earbuds and the user'"'"'s ears is less than a given seal quality level.

21. The method defined in claim 20 further comprising:

supplying noise signals to the noise cancellation circuitry using at least one microphone that is associated with at least one of the earbuds.

22. The method defined in claim 19 wherein evaluating how well the earbuds are sealed to the user'"'"'s ears comprises:

measuring an amount of noise cancellation being performed in the earbuds; and

determining a level of seal quality based on the measured amount of noise cancellation being performed in the earbuds.