Speaker assembly for headworn computer

• US 9,651,787 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2014
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mentor Acquisition One, LLC (Magic Leap, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Osterhout Design Group
• Inventors: Lohse, Robert Michael, Haddick, John D., Osterhout, Ralph F., Shams, Nima L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martinez, Joseph P
• Application Number:
  US14/307,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0169 Supporting or connecting means other than the external walls
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0176 characterised by mechanical features
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/15 Transducers incorporated in visual displaying devices, e.g. televisions, computer displays, laptops

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention relate to speaker assemblies for head worn computers.

Claims

1. A head-worn computer, comprising:

a. a temple portion mechanically secured to a computer display and adapted to position the computer display in front of an eye of a user;

b. the temple portion including a speaker attachment, wherein the speaker attachment is adapted to;

i. securely position a speaker assembly and electrically associate the speaker assembly with electronics internal to the head-worn computer; and

ii. facilitate the user'"'"'s release and re-securing of the speaker assembly with the temple portion; and

c. a sensor circuit that detects when the speaker assembly is detached from the speaker attachment, wherein when the speaker assembly detachment is detected an indication of detachment is generated.

2. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker attachment includes a magnetic element.

3. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker attachment includes a movable mechanical element that secures and unsecures the speaker assembly.

4. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has a form factor adapted to be inserted into an outer ear of the user.

5. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has a form factor adapted to cover at least a portion of an outer ear of the user.

6. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has a form factor adapted to cover an outer ear of the user.

7. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has a form factor adapted to position a speaker under the temple assembly and above an ear of the user.

8. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly has a form factor adapted to position a speaker under the temple assembly and in front of an ear of the user.

9. The head-worn computer of claim 7, wherein the speaker assembly produces an ultrasonic wave of a frequency that is converted to an audio frequency when the ultrasonic wave passes into air.

10. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the speaker assembly includes a vibration system adapted to be controlled by the head-worn computer.

11. The head-worn computer of claim 10, wherein the vibration system includes a piezo circuit.

12. The head-worn computer of claim 11, wherein the vibration system is adapted to provide haptic feedback to the user.

13. The head-worn computer of claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback is associated with a game being presented in the computer display.

14. The head-worn computer of claim 11, wherein the haptic feedback is associated with an application executing on the head-worn computer.

15. The head-worn computer of claim 11, wherein a second vibration system is provided proximate a second ear of the user.

16. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the indication of detachment is a visual indication of detachment displayed on the computer display.

17. The head-worn computer of claim 1, wherein the indication of detachment is an audible indication of detachment transmitted from the head-worn computer.

18. The head-worn computer of claim 17, further comprising a second speaker assembly, wherein the audible indication of detachment is transmitted from the second speaker assembly.