Wireless ear buds with proximity sensors
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsAshley N. Saulsbury, Travis J. McQueen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ear buds are provided that communicate wirelessly with an electronic device. To determine the current status of the ear buds and thereby take suitable action in controlling the operation of the electronic device and ear buds, the ear buds may be provided with sensor circuitry. The sensor circuitry may include proximity sensors. The ear buds may each have a housing with a main body portion that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user and an elongated stem portion that extends from the main body portion. The proximity sensors may include sensors on the main body and sensors on the stem. The proximity sensors may be light-based sensors that emit light that passes through the housing.
Claims22
A wireless ear bud, comprising:
- a housing having a main body portion and a stem portion extending from the main body portion;
- a speaker in the main body portion;
- a first sensor in the main body portion that produces a first sensor output;
- a second sensor in the stem portion that produces a second sensor output;
- and
- control circuitry that:
- determines whether the ear bud has been placed in a user's ear using the first and second sensor outputs;
- and
- determines whether the ear bud has been removed from the user's ear using the first sensor output without using the second sensor output.
An ear bud, comprising:
- control circuitry;
- wireless circuitry that the control circuitry uses to communicate wirelessly with an electronic device;
- a housing having a first portion that is configured to be inserted into an ear of a user and a second portion that extends from the first portion;
- a speaker in the first portion;
- a first proximity sensor in the first portion;
- and
- a second proximity sensor in the second portion, wherein the control circuitry determines that the ear bud has been placed in a user's ear when the first proximity sensor is covered and when the second proximity sensor is uncovered.
A wireless ear bud, comprising:
- a housing;
- a speaker in the housing;
- a first light-based sensor that produces a first output indicating whether the first light-based sensor is covered or uncovered;
- a second light-based sensor that produces a second output indicating whether the second light-based sensor is covered or uncovered;
- and
- control circuitry that determines that the ear bud has been placed in a user's ear when the first light-based sensor is covered and when the second light-based sensor is uncovered.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.