# US 10,873,798 B1 · Detecting through-body inputs at a wearable audio device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,873,798 B1 - Document ID: US10873798B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/055,068 - Filed: 2018-08-04 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-11 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Benjamin G. Jackson; Brenton A. Baugh; David H. Bloom; Gemma A. Roper; Karlin Y. Bark; Thomas S. Hulbert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10873798B1 ## CPC - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - H04R 1/025: {Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture} - H04R 1/46: Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope (throat mountings H04R1/14) - H04R 5/02: Spatial or constructional arrangements of loudspeakers - H04R 2201/401: 2D or 3D arrays of transducers - H04R 2225/61: Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The present disclosure describes systems, devices, and techniques related to a wearable audio device, such as an earbud or other device that is configured to detect inputs and change the operation of the wearable audio device in accordance with the inputs. In some embodiments, the wearable audio device is disposed in a structure and detects signals propagating through or within the structure. Various inputs may cause one or more signals to propagate through or within the structure, outside the structure, or some combination thereof. The wearable audio device may determine whether a detected signal was generated by an input and, if so, change its operation in accordance with the input. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wearable audio device, comprising: an enclosure; a sealing component coupled to the enclosure and configured to engage an ear of a user, thereby forming a sealed passage between an ear canal of the ear and the enclosure; a vibration sensor disposed in the enclosure and configured to: detect, at the ear of the user, a first vibration transmitted from a first region of a head of the user other than the ear, through the head of the user and to the ear; provide a first detection output in response to detecting the first vibration; detect, at the ear of the user, a second vibration transmitted from a second region of the head of the user other than the ear, through the head of the user and to the ear; and provide a second detection output in response to detecting the second vibration; an audio output device acoustically coupled to the ear canal by the sealed passage and configured to provide an audio output; and a processing unit operably coupled to the vibration sensor and the audio output device and configured to: receive the first detection output and the second detection output from the vibration sensor; determine that the first vibration was generated by a first gesture input received at the first region; in response to determining that the first vibration was generated by the first gesture input, adjust the audio output in accordance with the first gesture input; determine that the second vibration was generated by a second gesture input, different from the first gesture input, received at the second region; and in response to determining that the second vibration was generated by the second gesture input, adjust the audio output in accordance with the second gesture input. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wearable audio device of claim 1, wherein: the sealing component is disposed around at least a portion of the enclosure and formed of an elastically deformable material; the audio output device is disposed in the enclosure; and the processing unit is disposed in the enclosure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wearable audio device of claim 1, wherein the sealing component is disposed around at least a portion of the enclosure and formed of an elastically deformable material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The wearable audio device of claim 1, wherein: the wearable audio device further comprises an input device disposed in the enclosure and configured to: detect an acoustic signal propagating outside a body of the user; and provide a third detection output in response to detecting the acoustic signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The wearable audio device of claim 4, wherein: the processing unit is further configured to determine that the acoustic signal was generated by the first input gesture. ### Claim 6 A method for receiving inputs at a wearable audio device, comprising: detecting, by a first input device of the wearable audio device positioned at a first location in an outer ear of a user, a vibration propagating through a body of the user; detecting, by a second input device of the wearable audio device, an acoustic signal propagating outside the body of the user; determining, by a processing unit of the wearable audio device, that the vibration and the acoustic signal were generated by an input action on a head of the user at a second location different from the first location; and in response to determining that the vibration and the acoustic signal were generated by the input action, adjusting an output of the wearable audio device in accordance with the input action. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the input action is at least one of tapping on the head of the user or swiping on the head of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein: the output of the wearable audio device is an audio output; the input action is a tap on the head of the user; and adjusting the audio output comprises pausing the audio output. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein: the output of the wearable audio device is an audio output; the input action is a swipe on the head of the user; and adjusting the audio output comprises at least one of increasing or decreasing a volume of the audio output. ### Claim 10 A system for receiving electronic device inputs, comprising: a first input device positioned at a first location and configured to provide a first detection output in response to detecting a signal propagating through a human body; a second input device positioned at a second location and configured to provide a second detection output in response to detecting the signal propagating through the human body; a processing unit operably coupled to the first and second input devices and configured to: analyze the first and second detection outputs to determine that the signal was generated by an input action received on the human body at a third location different from the first location and the second location; and determine a time delay between a first time the signal is detected at the first input device and a second time the signal is detected at the second input device; and determine an estimated location of the input action based on the time delay; and an audio output device operably coupled to the processing unit and configured to provide an audio output, wherein: the processing unit is further configured to adjust the audio output in accordance with the estimated location of the input action. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the first input device, the processing unit, and the audio output device are disposed in a first wearable audio device; and the second input device is disposed in a second wearable audio device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein: the first wearable audio device is disposed in a first ear of a user; the second wearable audio device is disposed in a second ear of the user; and the third location is on or near a head of the user. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein: the first input device is coupled to a first ear canal of the first ear; and the second input device is coupled to a second ear canal of the second ear. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the first input device comprises one of: an audio input device configured to detect an acoustic signal propagating through the human body; or a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration signal propagating through the human body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein: the signal is a first signal; and the system further comprises a third input device comprising at least one of and optical sensor or a camera, the third input device configured to provide a third detection output in response to detecting a second signal propagating outside the human body; and the processing unit is further configured to: analyze the third detection output to determine that the second signal was generated by the input action; and determine the estimated location of the input action based at least in part on the third detection output.