Earbuds
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsPhillip Qian, Edward Siahaan, Erik L. Wang, Christopher J. Stringer, Matthew Dean Rohrbach, Daniel Max Strongwater, Jason J. LeBlanc
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims18
An earbud, comprising:
- an earbud housing;
- first and second microphones configured to monitor external environmental sound input;
- a biometric sensor configured to measure a biometric parameter of a user;
- a third microphone responsive to output from the biometric sensor and configured to monitor voice input from the user of the earbud;
- and
- a processor configured to process the voice input from the user and to change an operating state of the third microphone from an off state to an on state based on the measured biometric parameter of the user.
An earbud, comprising:
- an earbud housing;
- first and second biometric sensors coupled to the earbud housing and configured to measure biometric parameters of a user;
- first and second microphones configured to monitor external environmental sound input;
- a third microphone responsive to output from the first and second biometric sensors and configured to monitor voice input from the user of the earbud;
- and
- a processor configured to compare biometric parameters measured by the biometric sensors to change a state of the third microphone from an off state to an on state.
An earbud, comprising:
- a housing;
- a speaker disposed within the housing;
- first and second microphones configured to monitor external environmental sound input;
- a biometric sensor disposed within the housing and exposed at least in part at an exterior surface of the housing, the biometric sensor being configured to measure a biometric parameter of a user;
- a third microphone responsive to output from the biometric sensor and configured to monitor voice input from a user of the earbud;
- and
- a processor configured to process the voice input from the user and to change an operating state of the third microphone from an off state to an on state based on the measured biometric parameter of the user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.