Earbuds with biometric sensing
First Claim
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1. An earbud, comprising:
- an earbud housing;
a sensor coupled to the earbud housing and configured to generate data related to the position of the earbud housing within an ear of a user of the earbud;
a microphone array disposed within the earbud housing and including a first microphone and a second microphone; and
circuitry configured to determine from at least the data whether the earbud is inserted in a user'"'"'s left ear or inserted in the user'"'"'s right ear and to adjust-an operational state of the microphone array in accordance with which of the left or right ear the circuitry determines the earbud is inserted in.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This application relates to earbuds configured with one or more biometric sensors. At least one of the biometric sensors is configured to be pressed up against a portion of the tragus for making biometric measurements. In some embodiments, the housing of the earbud can be symmetric so that the earbud can be worn interchangeably in either a left or a right ear of a user. In such an embodiment, the earbud can include a sensor and circuitry configured to determine and alter operation of the earbud in accordance to which ear the earbud is determined to be sitting in.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An earbud, comprising:
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an earbud housing; a sensor coupled to the earbud housing and configured to generate data related to the position of the earbud housing within an ear of a user of the earbud; a microphone array disposed within the earbud housing and including a first microphone and a second microphone; and circuitry configured to determine from at least the data whether the earbud is inserted in a user'"'"'s left ear or inserted in the user'"'"'s right ear and to adjust-an operational state of the microphone array in accordance with which of the left or right ear the circuitry determines the earbud is inserted in. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An earbud, comprising:
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a housing defining an interior cavity and a sound port exiting the interior cavity and including first and second opening extending through the housing to the interior cavity; a speaker disposed in the interior cavity and aligned with the sound port; a microphone array disposed within the interior cavity, the microphone array including a first microphone associated with the first opening and a second microphone associated with the second opening; one or more sensors coupled to the housing and configured to generate sensor data; and a processor disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to receive the sensor data from the one or more sensors, the processor being configured to determine from the sensor data whether the earbud is inserted in a user'"'"'s left ear or inserted in the user'"'"'s right ear and adjust an operational state of the microphone array accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An audio device, comprising:
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a speaker; a wireless transceiver; a sensor configured to measure an orientation of the audio device in an ear of a user; a microphone array; an energy storage device providing power for the audio device; and an earbud housing enclosing the speaker, the microphone array, the wireless transceiver, the sensor and the energy storage device a processor configured to determine which ear of a user of the audio device is inserted in based at least upon the orientation of the audio device measured by the sensor and to change an operational state of the microphone array accordingly. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification