Earbud charging case

• US 9,602,907 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• 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): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/838,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20150373448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

An electronic device housing includes one or more sidewalls configured to at least partially cover a face of a mobile electronic device, an aperture configured to receive an earbud, and an electrical connection such as a coil configured to engage with a power source and the earbud. When the earbud is positioned within the aperture and the power source is engaged with the electrical coil, the electrical connection will charge the earbud. An additional electrical connection may simultaneously charge the mobile electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic device housing, comprising:

one or more sidewalls configured to partially or fully cover a face of a mobile electronic device;

an aperture configured to receive an earbud;

a first electrical connection configured to engage a power source with a power input port of the mobile electronic device; and

a charging circuit configured to engage the power source with the earbud;

so that when the earbud is positioned within the aperture and the power source is engaged simultaneously with the first electrical connection and the charging circuit, simultaneous charge of the earbud and the mobile electronic device is enabled.

2. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a magnet positioned to magnetically retain the earbud in the aperture.

3. The housing of claim 2, further comprising:

an additional aperture configured to receive an additional earbud; and

an additional electrical connection configured to engage the power source with the additional earbud;

wherein the additional aperture comprises an additional magnet positioned to magnetically retain the additional earbud in the additional aperture; and

wherein when the additional earbud is positioned within the additional aperture and the power source is also engaged with the additional electrical connection, the simultaneous charge of the first earbud and the mobile electronic device also includes a charge of the additional earbud.

4. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a port configured to receive a power input cable from the power source.

5. The housing of claim 4, further comprising a charging device that comprises a cable that is configured to connect to the port and to plug into a computing device and convey charge and data to the housing from the computing device.

6. The housing of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a base portion for an electronic device case, and the base portion also comprises a plug configured to be connected to a mobile electronic device.

7. The housing of claim 6, wherein the plug is oriented in a direction that is perpendicular to an orientation of the aperture.

8. The housing of claim 1, wherein:

the power source comprises a plug configured to receive a charging cord;

the charging circuit comprises an induction coil; and

the induction coil is positioned so that when the earbud is positioned within the aperture and the induction coil is energized, energy will transfer from the induction coil to the earbud.

9. The housing of claim 1, wherein:

the power source comprises an induction charging unit; and

the aperture is in conductive communication with an induction coil that, when placed within range of the induction charging unit, will transform an electromagnetic field received from the induction charging unit into electric current and transfer the current to the charging circuit.

10. The housing of claim 9, wherein the induction charging unit is external to the housing.

11. The housing of claim 1, wherein:

the power source comprises a battery that is a component of the housing;

the charging circuit comprises an induction coil; and

the induction coil is configured to transform current received from the battery into an electromagnetic field that will charge the earbud.

12. The housing of claim 1, wherein:

the power source comprises a battery that is a component of the housing; and

the housing also comprises an induction coil that is configured to transform an electromagnetic field received from an external induction charging unit into electric current and transfer the current to the battery.

13. The housing of claim 1, wherein:

the housing also comprises the earbud;

the power source comprises an induction charging unit that is external to the housing; and

the earbud comprises a coil that is configured to receive an electromagnetic field from the induction charging unit.

14. The housing of claim 1:

further comprising a magnet positioned to magnetically retain the earbud in the aperture;

wherein the charging circuit comprises an induction coil; and

wherein the power source comprises an induction charging unit.

15. An electronic device housing, comprising:

one or more sidewalls configured to at least partially cover a face of a mobile electronic device;

an aperture configured to receive an earbud;

a charging circuit having an electrical coil configured to engage with a power source and the earbud, so that when the earbud is positioned within the aperture and the power source is engaged with the charging circuit, the charging circuit will charge the earbud; and

an electrical contact configured to engage the power source with the mobile electronic device, so that when mobile electronic device is within the housing and the power source is engaged simultaneously with the charging circuit and the electrical contact, the mobile device and the earbud will be simultaneously charged.

16. The housing of claim 15, further comprising a magnet positioned to magnetically retain the earbud in the aperture.

17. The housing of claim 15, wherein:

the power source comprises an external induction charging unit; and

when the housing is placed within range of the external induction charging unit, the electrical coil will transform an electromagnetic field received from the external induction charging unit into electric current and transfer the current to the earbud.

18. The housing of claim 15, wherein:

the power source comprises a battery that is a component of the housing; and

the charging circuit is configured to transform current received from the battery into an electromagnetic field that will charge the earbud.

19. The housing of claim 15, wherein:

the power source comprises a battery that is a component of the housing; and

the housing also comprises an induction coil that is configured to transform an electromagnetic field received from an external induction charging unit into electric current and transfer the current to the battery.

20. The housing of claim 15, wherein the power source comprises a battery that is a component of the housing.

21. The housing of claim 15:

further comprising a magnet positioned to magnetically retain the earbud in the aperture; and

wherein the power source comprises an induction charging unit that is external to, or a component of, the housing.