Magnetic earphones holder

• US 9,167,329 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snik LLC
• Original Assignee: Snik LLC
• Inventors: Honeycutt, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/734,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20130216085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 381/378, 381/374, 381/379, 381/311, 381/334, 381/364, 379/441
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like

Abstract

An earphones holder is used to affix a headset to clothing and/or other items. The earphones holder comprises a magnet which removably couples with a magnetically attractable portion of a set of earphones. In some embodiments, the earphones holder further comprises an electronic device controller which controls the operation of an electronic device. The controller is configured to send a signal to an electronic device activation circuit which operates the electronic device based upon a coupling status of the earbuds with the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces of the earphones holder body. In some embodiments, the electronic device controller controls the operation of an electronic device. The controller is configured to send a signal to an electronic device activation circuit which operates the electronic in a manner dependent upon a signal from the holder body.

Claims

1. A system for holding a set of earphones comprising:

a. a holder body comprising one or more magnets;

b. a set of earphones comprising a magnetically attractable surface for removably coupling with the one or more magnets; and

c. an electronic device controller coupled to receive an activation signal when one or more of the set of earphones are decoupled from one of the one or more magnets, wherein the electronic device controller receives a deactivation signal when one or more of the set of earphones are coupled to one of the one or more magnets.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the holder body is a closure mechanism that releasably couples a first portion of an article to a second portion of the article.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the holder body is one or more of snaps, a button, a releasable clip, zipper, and a hook and loop fastening system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the holder body is an accessory item comprising one or more of a necklace, a broach, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a sunglass lanyard.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetically attractable surface is non-removable.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetically attractable surface is removable.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more additional magnets.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising one or more grooves for releasably holding a cord of the set of earphones.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetically attractable surface is attached to the cord of the earphones.

10. An earphones holder comprising:

a. a holder body;

b. one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces configured to magnetically couple to one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces coupled to one or more earphones; and

c. an electronic device controller coupled to receive an activation signal when one or more of the earphone magnetically attractable surfaces are decoupled from one of the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces, wherein the electronic device controller receives a deactivation signal when one or more of the earphone magnetically attractable surfaces are coupled to one of the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces.

11. The earphones holder of claim 10 wherein the holder body comprises a zipper puller, a snap fastener, an adornment, a buckle attachment, or an item of jewelry.

12. The earphones holder of claim 10 wherein the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces comprise one or more magnets.

13. The earphones holder of claim 12 wherein the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces are configured for removably coupling with a metal part of an earbud.

14. The earphones holder of claim 10 wherein the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces are built into or embedded within the body.

15. The earphones holder of claim 10 wherein the holder body comprises one or more grooves for releasably holding a cord of a set of earphones.

16. A method of securing a set of earphones comprising:

a. coupling a magnetically attractable surface to a set of earphones;

b. coupling the magnetically attractable surface to a magnet coupled to an additional article in order to secure the earphones;

c. sending an activation signal to an electronic device when the magnetically attractable surface is decoupled from the magnet; and

d. sending a de-activation signal to an electronic device when the magnetically attractable surface is coupled to the magnet.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the additional article comprises a zipper puller, a snap fastener, an adornment, a buckle attachment, or an item of jewelry.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the additional article is an accessory item comprising one or more of a necklace, a broach, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a sunglass lanyard.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces comprises one or more magnets.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the one or more magnetically surfaces are built into or embedded within the additional article.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the additional article comprises one or more grooves for releasably holding a cord of a set of earphones.

22. An earphones holder comprising:

a. a holder body;

b. one or more magnetically attractable surfaces attached to the holder body,

c. an earbud engagement detector; and

d. an electronic device controller for controlling an electronic device coupled to the earphones, wherein a magnet of the earphones removably couples with the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces, further wherein the electronic device controller sends an activation signal to the electronic device when the earbud engagement detector detects that the magnet of the earphones has been decoupled from the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces.

23. The earphones holder of claim 22 wherein the earphones holder body comprises a mechanism for attaching the earphones holder to an additional article.

24. The earphones holder of claim 23 wherein the mechanism is a clip.

25. The earphones holder of claim 22 wherein the earphones holder body comprises a zipper puller, a snap fastener, an adornment, a buckle attachment, or an item of jewelry.

26. The earphones holder of claim 22 wherein the holder body comprises one or more recesses for removably coupling with a body of the earphones.

27. The earphones holder of claim 22 further comprising a groove for releasably receiving a cord of the set of headphones.

28. A system for holding a set of earphones comprising:

a. an earphones holder body comprising;

i. a groove for holding a headset cord;

ii. one or more magnetically attractable surfaces;

iii. an electronic device controller configured to activate and/or deactivate an electronic device by sending a signal to an electronic device activation circuit;

iv. an earbud engagement detector; and

b. a set of earphones comprising one or more magnets coupled to the earphones;

wherein the electronic device controller sends a signal to the electronic device activation circuit to activate the electronic device when the earphones are decoupled from the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces of the earphones holder body.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces comprise one or more magnets.

31. The system of claim 28 wherein the holder body further comprises a mechanism for attaching to an additional article.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the mechanism is a clip.

33. The system of claim 28 wherein the holder body comprises a zipper puller, a snap fastener, an adornment, a buckle attachment, or an item of jewelry.

34. The system of claim 28 wherein the holder body comprises an accessory item comprising one or more of a necklace, a broach, a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a sunglass lanyard.

35. The system of claim 28 wherein the holder body further comprises one or more recesses for removably coupling with a body of the earphones.

30. A system for holding a set of earphones comprising:

a. an earphones holder body comprising;

i. a groove for holding a headset cord;

ii. one or more magnetically attractable surfaces;

iii. an electronic device controller configured to activate and/or deactivate an electronic device by sending a signal to an electronic device activation circuit;

iv. an earbud engagement detector; and

b. a set of earphones comprising one or more magnets coupled to the earphones;

wherein the electronic device controller sends a signal to the electronic device activation circuit to deactivate the electronic device when the earphones are coupled with the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces of the earphones holder body.

36. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

a. detecting an engagement status of a magnetic surface of an earbud with a magnetically attractable surface of an earphones holder;

b. sending an activation signal to an electronic device when the magnetic surface of the earbud is decoupled with the magnetically attractable surface of the earphones holder;

c. sending a deactivation signal to the electronic device when the magnetic surface of the earbud is coupled to the magnetically attractable surface of the earphones holder; and

d. operating the electronic device based upon the engagement status of the earbud.

37. A system for holding a set of earphones comprising:

a. a holder body;

b. one or more magnetically attractable surfaces attached to the holder body for removably coupling with a magnetic surface of a set of earphones;

c. a touch sensor;

d. a touch sensor detector; and

e. an electronic device controller for controlling an electronic device by sending an activation signal when the magnetic surface of the set of earphones is decoupled from the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces, wherein the system wirelessly communicates with the electronic device.

38. The system of claim 37 further comprising an earbud engagement detector.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the touch sensor detector receives a signal from the touch sensor and sends a signal to the electronic device controller.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the touch sensor detector sends a signal to the electronic device controller that the touch sensor has been tapped, double-tapped, or swiped.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the electronic device controller sends a signal to an electronic device to operate the electronic device based upon the signal from the touch sensor detector.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the touch sensor detector sends a signal to the electronic device to activate or deactivate the electronic device.

43. An earphones holder for communicating with an electronic device comprising:

a. an earphones holder body comprising;

i. a touch sensor; and

ii. one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces for removably coupling with one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces coupled to a set of earphones,

wherein the touch sensor controls an electronic device coupled to the earphones holder and further wherein an activation signal is sent to the electronic device when one of the one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces are decoupled from one of the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces, wherein the electronic device is wirelessly coupled to the earphones holder.

44. The earphones holder of claim 43 wherein the set of earphones is coupled to an earphones jack of the earphones holder.

45. The earphones holder of claim 43 further comprising an earbud engagement detector.

46. The earphones holder of claim 43 wherein the touch sensor is tapped, double-tapped, or swiped in order to control the electronic device.

47. The earphones holder of claim 43 further comprising an attachment mechanism for attaching to an additional article.

48. The earphones holder of claim 47 wherein the attachment mechanism is a clip.

49. A method of operating an electronic device comprising:

a. touching a touch sensor located on an earphones holder body comprising one or more magnets for removably coupling with one or more magnetically attractable surfaces coupled to a set of earphones;

b. sending a signal to a touch sensor detector;

c. sending a signal to an electronic device based upon the signal sent to the touch sensor detector;

d. sending an activation signal to the electronic device when one of the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces are decoupled from one of the one or more magnets; and

e. sending a deactivation signal to the electronic device when one of the one or more magnetically attractable surfaces are coupled to one of the one or more magnets.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein the touch sensor is tapped, double-tapped, or swiped.

51. The method of claim 49 wherein the touch sensor detector receives a signal from the touch sensor and sends a signal to an electronic device controller.

52. The method of claim 49 wherein the electronic device is operated by touching the touch sensor.

53. An earphones holder for communicating with an electronic device comprising:

a. an earphones holder body comprising;

i. a touch sensor; and

ii. one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces for removably coupling with one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces coupled to a set of earphones,

wherein the touch sensor controls an electronic device coupled to the earphones holder and further wherein an activation signal is sent to the electronic device when one of the one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces are decoupled from one of the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces, wherein a deactivation signal is sent to the electronic device when one of the one or more earphone magnetically attractable surfaces are coupled to one of the one or more holder magnetically attractable surfaces.

54. An earphones holder comprising:

a. a holder body;

b. one or more magnets attached to the holder body;

c. an earbud engagement detector; and

d. an electronic device controller for controlling an electronic device coupled to the earphones, wherein a metal portion of the earphones removably couples with the one or more magnets, further wherein the electronic device controller sends an activation signal to the electronic device when the earbud engagement detector detects that the metal portion of the earphones has been decoupled from the one or more magnets.

55. An earphones holder comprising:

a. a holder body;

b. one or more holder magnets or magnetically attractable surfaces coupled to the holder body; and

c. an electronic device controller for sending an activation signal to an electronic device, wherein one or more earphones magnets or magnetically attractable surfaces removably couple with the one or more holder magnets or magnetically attractable surfaces, further wherein the electronic device controller sends the activation signal to the electronic device when magnetic connection is broken between the one or more earphones magnets or magnetically attractable surfaces and the one or more holder magnets or magnetically attractable surfaces.