Capacitive on-body detection
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsYao Ding, Kenneth Albanowski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The technology provides a device, such as a wireless earbud, with capacitive sensing capabilities. For instance, the device may include a housing, and a conductive support positioned inside the housing. The device may further include one or more processors configured to measure a combined capacitance of a plurality of electrodes at the conductive support. Based on the combined capacitance, the one or more processors may detect that the conductive support is inserted into an ear. The one or more processors may then operate the device in a first mode based on detecting that the conductive support is inserted into an ear.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a housing;
- a conductive support attached to the housing;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- measure a combined capacitance of a plurality of electrodes, wherein a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located at the conductive support and a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located within the housing;
- detect, based on the combined capacitance, whether the device is inserted incorrectly into an ear;
- generate, based on detecting that the device is inserted incorrectly, an output including an instruction;
- and
- operate the device in a first mode based on detecting that the conductive support is inserted into the ear.
A system, comprising:
- a first earbud, including:
- a first housing;
- a first conductive support attached to the first housing;
- and
- one or more processors configured to:
- measure a first combined capacitance of a first plurality of electrodes at the first conductive support;
- measure a second capacitance of at least one other electrode at the first housing, wherein the at least one other electrode comprises at least one conductive component within the first housing;
- detect, based on the combined capacitance, whether the first conductive support is inserted incorrectly into an ear;
- generate, based on detecting that the first conductive support is inserted incorrectly, an output including an instruction;
- and
- operate the first earbud in a first mode based on detecting that the first conductive support is inserted into the ear.
A method, comprising:
- measuring, by one or more processors, a combined capacitance of a plurality of electrodes, wherein a first electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located at a conductive support attached to a housing of a device and a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located within the housing;
- determining, by the one or more processors based on the combined capacitance, whether the conductive support is inserted incorrectly into an ear;
- generating, based on detecting that the conductive support is inserted incorrectly, an output including an instruction;
- and
- operating, by the one or more processors, the device in a first mode based on determining that the device is inserted into the ear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.