Thermal aware headphones

• US 9,864,730 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2013
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Garg, Dinesh K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Application Number:
  US13/769,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20140129010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product are provided. The apparatus obtains a measure of a mammalian body temperature. The measure is based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second device remote from a first device. The apparatus concludes a criterion is satisfied when the measure is less than a first threshold corresponding to an expected body temperature and the measure approaches a second threshold corresponding to an ambient temperature. The apparatus initiates a control of the first user device when the criterion is satisfied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second user device remote from a first user device;

concluding criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate; and

initiating a control of the first user device when the criteria are satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure is obtained from a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a single body temperature.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a running average of a plurality of body temperatures sensed over a period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measure corresponds to a combination of a plurality of body temperatures sensed from a plurality of temperature sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the first user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor associated with either of the first user device and the second user device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second threshold temperature is provided by a first ambient temperature sensing source, and further comprising confirming the accuracy of the second threshold temperature based on a temperature provided by a second ambient temperature sensing source.

10. An apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second user device remote from a first user device;

means for concluding criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate; and

means for initiating a control of the first user device when the criteria are satisfied.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for obtaining comprises a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measure corresponds to a single body temperature.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the measure corresponds to a running average of a plurality of body temperatures sensed over a period of time.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for obtaining comprises a plurality of temperature sensors and the measure corresponds to a combination of a plurality of body temperatures sensed from the plurality of temperature sensors.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the first user device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source is a temperature sensor associated with the second user device.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises means for obtaining an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor associated with either of the first user device and the second user device.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the second threshold temperature is provided by the ambient temperature sensing source, and further comprising means for confirming the accuracy of the second threshold temperature based on a temperature provided by a second ambient temperature sensing source.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

obtain a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second user device remote from a first user device;

conclude criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate; and

initiate a control of the first user device when the criteria are satisfied.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising code to:

obtain a measure of a mammalian body temperature, the measure based on at least one body temperature sensed at a second user device remote from a first user device;

conclude criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate; and

initiate a control of the first user device when the criteria are satisfied.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a temperature sensor that obtains a measure of a mammalian body temperature; and

a processor that concludes criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold-temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising the ambient temperature sensing source that provides the ambient temperature.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a receiver that receives the ambient temperature from an ambient temperature sensing source remote from the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor outputs a control signal when the criteria are satisfied, the control signal for initiating a control of a media player.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a transmitter that transmits the control signal to the media player.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a media player;

a receiver configured to receive a control signal when criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied, the criteria being satisfied when a measure of a mammalian body temperature is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate; and

a controller configured to control the media player in response to the control signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising the ambient temperature source that provides the ambient temperature.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a measure of a mammalian body temperature; and

a processor that concludes criteria defined by a first threshold temperature corresponding to an expected body temperature and a second threshold temperature obtained from an ambient temperature sensing source associated with an ambient environment are satisfied when the measure is less than the first threshold temperature and the measure approaches the second threshold temperature, wherein the measure approaches the second threshold temperature when the measure is within a predetermined range of the second threshold temperature, or when a rate of change of the measure exceeds a predetermined rate.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising the ambient temperature sensing source that provides the ambient temperature.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source comprises an ambient temperature sensor associated with an ambient environment.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the ambient temperature sensing source obtains an ambient temperature independent of a temperature sensor.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a media player, wherein the processor outputs a control signal when the criteria are satisfied, the control signal for initiating a control of the media player.