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Personal acoustic device position determination

  • US 8,699,719 B2
  • Filed: 03/22/2010
  • Issued: 04/15/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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