# US 11,910,145 B2 · Power management of the modular ear-cup and ear-bud > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,145 B2 - Document ID: US11910145B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/349,875 - Filed: 2021-06-16 - Published: 2021-10-07 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-21 - Assignees: Nura Holdings Pty Ltd - Applicants: Nura Holdings Pty Ltd - Inventors: Luke John Campbell; Dragan Petrovic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910145B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/1008: {Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type} - G10K 11/17885: {additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech} - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - H04R 1/1025: Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof - H04R 1/1083: {Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06)} - H04R 5/033: Headphones for stereophonic communication {(details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10)} - G10K 2210/1081: Earphones, e.g. for telephones, ear protectors or headsets - H02J 7/345: {using capacitors as storage or buffering devices} - 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) - G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract Introduced here is a wearable audio system including modular ear-cup and ear-bud that can be attached and detached to the user together, or independently of each other. Further, the modular ear-cup and ear-bud can operate together, or independently of each other. The wearable audio system can perform active noise cancellation by measuring noise inside the ear-cup and/or the ear-bud, computing the noise canceling sound, and forwarding the noise canceling sound to a speaker inside the ear-cup and/or the ear-bud. The wearable audio system can be wirelessly charged while operating, thus allowing the user to continuously listen to music more than previously possible. The wearable audio system can optimize power consumption by redistributing power intensive tasks to power sources with the highest amount of power. Further, the ambient sound outside the ear-cup can be measured and played by the speakers in the earbud allowing the user to hear the surrounding environment. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a wireless ear-bud to wirelessly receive a first audio and to emit the first audio, the wireless ear-bud comprising a first power source having a power capacity less than needed for a potentially desired usage of the wireless ear-bud; and an ear-cup having at least two functions, the ear-cup substantially surrounding the wireless ear-bud, the ear-cup comprising a second power source configured to wirelessly transfer power to the first power source while the wireless ear-bud is operating and to enable the first power source of the wireless ear-bud to provide the power needed for the potentially desired usage of the wireless ear-bud, a first function of the ear-cup comprising a wireless power transfer and a second function of the ear-cup comprising emitting an audio. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the first power source comprising a capacitor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the second power source comprising a battery. ### Claim 4 A method comprising: enabling a wireless audio device to operate for a duration of a potentially desired usage by: wirelessly transferring power, by a dual function member, to the wireless audio device while the wireless audio device is consuming power and enabling the wireless audio device to operate for the duration of the potentially desired usage, the dual function member comprising a first function and a second function, the first function comprising wirelessly transferring power to the wireless audio device, and the second function different from the first function. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, comprising: modulating the power transmitted to the wireless audio device using at least one of a frequency modulation, an amplitude modulation or a phase modulation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, comprising: monitoring the power of the wireless audio device; and when the power of the wireless audio device is below a predefined threshold, the wireless audio device to activate a power source associated with the dual function member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, comprising: upon receiving a request from the wireless audio device for more power, choosing a power source among a plurality of power sources based on a distance between the power source in the plurality of power sources and the wireless audio device or based on an amount of power contained within each power source in the plurality of power sources. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a wireless audio device; and a dual function member comprising a power source configured to wirelessly transfer power to the wireless audio device while the wireless audio device is consuming power and to enable the wireless audio device to operate for a duration of a potentially desired usage, a first function of the dual function member comprising wirelessly transferring power to the wireless audio device and a second function of the dual function member different from the first function. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the wireless audio device comprising a wireless ear-bud. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the wireless audio device to obtain a hearing profile associated with a user and to modify an audio based on the hearing profile associated with the user. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the dual function member comprising an ear-cup associated with a headphone. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the dual function member comprising a wearable accessory. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the power source to transmit the power along with a data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, an encoding member to perform an amplitude modulation, a frequency modulation or a phase modulation of the power to transmit the power along with a data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the wireless audio device to monitor an amount of power associated with the wireless audio device, and when the amount of power of the wireless audio device is below a predefined threshold, the wireless audio device to activate the power source of the dual function member. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, comprising upon receiving a request from the wireless audio device to activate the power source, the dual function member to choose the power source among a plurality of power sources based on a distance to the wireless audio device or based on an amount of power contained within the power source in the plurality of power sources. ### Claim 17 A method comprising: determining a first amount of power remaining in a first power source associated with a wearable audio system and a second amount of power remaining in a second power source associated with the wearable audio system; comparing the first amount of power and the second amount of power; and based on the comparison, distributing a task between the first power source and the second power source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, comprising: obtaining a hearing profile associated with a user, the hearing profile correlating a received frequency and a received amplitude to a perceived frequency and a perceived amplitude; and sending a power intensive task to modify an audio based on the hearing profile to a processor associated with the first power source. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the wearable audio system comprises a headphone or an ear-bud. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, a power intensive task comprising a wireless communication with a remote device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, said distributing the task comprising: determining a first power amount needed for a first task and a second power amount needed for a second task; and when the first power amount is greater than the second power amount, sending the first task to a processor associated with the first power source. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first power source is associated with a first ear-bud, the second power source is associated with a second ear-bud, and a third power source is associated an ear-cup, the method comprising: determining a third amount of power remaining in the third power source associated with the ear-cup; comparing the first amount of power, the second amount of power, and the third amount of power; and when the third amount of power is greater than the second amount of power and the first amount of power, sending a power intensive task to a processor associated with the third power source.