Wearable earbud charging band

• US 9,210,498 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2014
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alpha Audiotronics, Inc. (Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Alpha Audiotronics, Inc. (Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaffer, Jonathan Everett
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamid, Ammar
• Application Number:
  US14/538,907
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/74, 381/322, 381/323
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/40 adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083

Abstract

A wearable electronic band configured to contain a plug to engage a power source, and one or more earbud charging receptacles. The band also contains its own rechargeable battery electrically connected to the receptacles and a power source, such as an external source or an induction coil.

Claims

1. A wearable earbud charging system, comprising:

a housing comprising;

one or more earbud receptacles, and a wearable band;

wherein;

each earbud receptacle is configured to receive an earbud and comprises an electrical contact to engage a rechargeable battery of the earbud when the earbud is positioned within the aperture, each earbud comprises a tip configured to contact a user'"'"'s ear and a grip that is larger than the tip and is configured to be grasped by the user, and each earbud receptacle is configured to receive and secure its corresponding earbud so that the earbud'"'"'s tip is within the receptacle and the earbud'"'"'s grip will extend from the receptacle; and

wherein the wearable band comprises;

a charging port, a rechargeable battery, and one or more conductors configured to transfer charge from the charging port to the rechargeable battery and to the electrical contact of each earbud receptacle when the charging port is connected to a power source, and to transfer charge from the rechargeable battery to the electrical contact of each earbud receptacle when the charging port is not connected to a power source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging port comprises a mechanically extendable AC plug or multi-pin connector.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging port comprises a port configured to receive a multi-pin DC cable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each earbud comprises a grip having a shape and a lateral dimension; and

each earbud receptacle comprises a shape and lateral dimension corresponding to that of the grip of each earbud so that when an earbud is placed in one of the earbud receptacles, its earbud grip will extend from the receptacle.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the shape of the grip is circular; and

the shape of each receptacle is cylindrical.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each earbud receptacle comprises a magnet positioned to engage and secure the earbud when the earbud is positioned within the earbud receptacle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrical contacts in each earbud receptacle comprise a magnet that secures the earbud to the receptacle when the earbud is positioned within the receptacle.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the wearable band comprises the form of a wrist bracelet, ankle bracelet, wristband, or armband.

8. A wearable earbud charging system, comprising:

a housing comprising;

one or more earbud receptacles, and a wearable band;

wherein;

each earbud receptacle is configured to receive an earbud and comprises an electrical contact to engage a rechargeable battery of the earbud when the earbud is positioned within the aperture, each earbud comprises a tip configured to contact a user'"'"'s ear and a grip that is larger than the tip and is configured to be grasped by the user, and each earbud receptacle is configured to receive and secure its corresponding earbud so that the earbud'"'"'s tip is within the receptacle and the earbud'"'"'s grip will extend from the receptacle; and

wherein the wearable band comprises;

an induction coil, a rechargeable battery, and one or more conductors configured to transfer charge from the induction coil to the rechargeable battery and to the electrical contact of each earbud receptacle when the induction coil is energized, and to transfer charge from the rechargeable battery to the electrical contact of each earbud receptacle when the induction coil is not energized.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

an induction charging unit comprising a charging unit induction coil, and one or more components configured to electrically connect the induction coil to a power source so that the charging unit induction coil energizes when electrically connected to the power source;

wherein the charging unit is configured to receive the wearable band and transfer charge from the charging unit induction coil to the induction coil of the band when the band is proximate the charging unit.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

each earbud comprises a grip having a shape and a lateral dimension; and

each earbud receptacle comprises a shape and lateral dimension corresponding to that of the grip of each earbud so that when an earbud is placed in one of the earbud receptacles, its earbud grip will extend from the receptacle.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the shape of the grip is circular; and

the shape of each earbud receptacle is cylindrical.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein each earbud receptacle comprises a magnet positioned to engage and secure the earbud when the earbud is positioned within the earbud receiving aperture.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more electrical contacts in each earbud receptacle comprise a magnet that secures the earbud to the earbud receptacle when the earbud is positioned within the earbud receptacle.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein the wearable band comprises the form of a wrist bracelet, ankle bracelet, wristband, or armband.