Personal acoustic device position determination
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling a personal acoustic device comprising:
- performing a first test of whether at least a first earpiece of the personal acoustic device is in position adjacent an ear of a user while in a normal power mode;
performing a second test of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user while in a deeper low power mode;
awaiting at least an interval of time between instances of performing the second test while in the deeper low power mode;
entering the normal power mode in response to an indication from the second test that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; and
entering the deeper low power mode in response to a lack of indication that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user from plural instances of performing the first test over a first period of time,wherein;
the first earpiece comprises;
a casing defining a cavity structured to be acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of a user when the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user;
an outer microphone disposed on the casing so as to be acoustically coupled to an environment external to the casing; and
an inner microphone positioned within the cavity; and
the first test comprises;
altering an outer signal output by the outer microphone by imposing a transfer function that alters a sound represented by the outer signal in a manner similar to the manner in which a sound propagating from the environment external to the casing to the cavity is modified either (i) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of being positioned in the vicinity of an ear, or (ii) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of not being positioned in the vicinity of an ear; and
comparing a signal level of an inner signal output by the inner microphone to a signal level of the altered outer signal to determine whether or not the cavity is acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of the user as an indication of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user.
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for determining an operating state of an earpiece of a personal acoustic device and/or the entirety of the personal acoustic device through tests to determine the current operating state, wherein the tests differ depending on a current power mode of the personal acoustic device, and wherein at least one lower power test is employed during at least one lower power mode.
84 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of controlling a personal acoustic device comprising:
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performing a first test of whether at least a first earpiece of the personal acoustic device is in position adjacent an ear of a user while in a normal power mode; performing a second test of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user while in a deeper low power mode; awaiting at least an interval of time between instances of performing the second test while in the deeper low power mode; entering the normal power mode in response to an indication from the second test that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; and entering the deeper low power mode in response to a lack of indication that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user from plural instances of performing the first test over a first period of time, wherein; the first earpiece comprises; a casing defining a cavity structured to be acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of a user when the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; an outer microphone disposed on the casing so as to be acoustically coupled to an environment external to the casing; and an inner microphone positioned within the cavity; and the first test comprises; altering an outer signal output by the outer microphone by imposing a transfer function that alters a sound represented by the outer signal in a manner similar to the manner in which a sound propagating from the environment external to the casing to the cavity is modified either (i) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of being positioned in the vicinity of an ear, or (ii) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of not being positioned in the vicinity of an ear; and comparing a signal level of an inner signal output by the inner microphone to a signal level of the altered outer signal to determine whether or not the cavity is acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of the user as an indication of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of controlling a personal acoustic device comprising:
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performing a first test of whether at least a first earpiece of the personal acoustic device is in position adjacent an ear of a user while in a normal power mode; performing a second test of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user while in a deeper low power mode; awaiting at least an interval of time between instances of performing the second test while in the deeper low power mode; entering the normal power mode in response to an indication from the second test that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; and entering the deeper low power mode in response to a lack of indication that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user from plural instances of performing the first test over a first period of time, wherein; the first earpiece comprises; a casing defining a cavity structured to be acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of a user when the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; an outer microphone disposed on the casing so as to be acoustically coupled to an environment external to the casing; and an inner microphone positioned within the cavity; and the first test comprises; altering an input signal output by the inner microphone by imposing a first transfer function that alters a sound represented by the inner signal in a manner that reverses a second transfer function to which a sound propagating from the environment external to the casing to the cavity is modified either (i) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of being positioned in the vicinity of an ear, or (ii) at a time when the ear piece is in the operating state of not being positioned in the vicinity of an ear; and comparing a signal level of an outer signal output by the inner microphone to a signal level of the altered inner signal to determine whether or not the cavity is acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of the user as an indication of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of controlling a personal acoustic device comprising:
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performing a first test of whether at least a first earpiece of the personal acoustic device is in position adjacent an ear of a user while in a normal power mode; performing a second test of whether at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user while in a deeper low power mode; awaiting at least an interval of time between instances of performing the second test while in the deeper low power mode; entering the normal power mode in response to an indication from the second test that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; and entering the deeper low power mode in response to a lack of indication that at least the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user from plural instances of performing the first test over a first period of time, wherein; the first earpiece comprises; a casing defining a cavity structured to be acoustically coupled to an ear canal of an ear of a user when the first earpiece is in position adjacent an ear of the user; an outer microphone disposed on the casing so as to be acoustically coupled to an environment external to the casing; and an inner microphone positioned within the cavity; and the first test comprises; analyzing a difference between a first transfer function representing the manner in which a sound emanating from an acoustic noise source in the environment external to the casing changes as it propagates from the noise source to the inner microphone and a second transfer function representing the manner in which the sound changes as it propagates from the noise source to the outer microphone by deriving a third transfer function that is at least indicative of the difference between the first and second transfer functions. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification