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US 11,910,147 B2Granted
Wireless earbud charging
AssigneeSonos, Inc.
InventorHilmar Lehnert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Examples described herein relate to a charging system for wireless earbuds involving charging adapters that are attachable to the wireless earbuds. In some implementations, the charging adapter is attachable to an external surface of an earbud using a magnetic or mechanical interface that align electrodes of the charging adapter with electrodes on the wireless headset, allowing an internal battery of the earbud to draw current and charge from the charging adapter while the earbud is in-ear. Then, when the internal battery is and recharged using a charging case or wall charger, the charging adapter can be detached from the earbud.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a first charging adapter comprising one or more first adapter batteries;
- a second charging adapter comprising one or more second adapter batteries;
- a first earbud, the first earbud comprising:
- a first IEEE 802.15-compatible interface;
- a first internal battery;
- a first audio driver;
- a housing carrying the first IEEE 802.15-compatible interface and the first internal battery, wherein the housing of the first earbud comprises:
- a first portion insertable into a first ear canal, the first portion carrying the first audio driver;
- and
- a second portion comprising:
- a magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach the first charging adapter externally to the housing of the first earbud and (ii) align electrodes of the first charging adapter to first electrodes of the first earbud;
- and
- second electrodes;
- and
- a first controller carried in the housing of the first earbud and configured to cause the first internal battery to charge from the first charging adapter when the first charging adapter is attached to the magnetic interface, wherein the first internal battery draws current from the one or more first adapter batteries of the first charging adapter via the electrodes of the magnetic interface and the electrodes of the first charging adapter during charging from the first charging adapter;
- a second earbud, the second earbud comprising:
- a second IEEE 802.15-compatible interface;
- a second internal battery;
- a second audio driver;
- a housing carrying the second IEEE 802.15-compatible interface and the second internal battery, wherein the housing of the second earbud comprises:
- a first portion insertable into a second ear canal, the first portion carrying the second audio driver;
- and
- a second portion comprising:
- a magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach the second charging adapter externally to the housing of the second earbud and (ii) align electrodes of the second charging adapter to first electrodes of the first earbud;
- and
- second electrodes;
- and
- a second controller carried in the housing of the second earbud and configured to cause the second internal battery to charge from the second charging adapter when the second charging adapter is attached to the magnetic interface, wherein the second internal battery draws current from the one or more second adapter batteries of the second charging adapter via the electrodes of the magnetic interface and the electrodes of the second charging adapter during charging from the second charging adapter.
25 more elements
A wearable playback device comprising:
- a first earbud, the first earbud comprising:
- a first IEEE 802.15-compatible interface;
- a first internal battery;
- a first audio driver;
- a housing carrying the first IEEE 802.15-compatible interface and the first internal battery, wherein the housing of the first earbud comprises:
- a first portion insertable into a first ear canal, the first portion carrying the first audio driver;
- and
- a second portion comprising:
- a first magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach a first charging adapter externally to the housing of the first earbud and (ii) align electrodes of the first charging adapter to first electrodes of the first earbud;
- and
- a second magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach the first earbud to a charging case and (ii) align second electrodes of the first earbud to first electrodes of the charging case;
- and
- a first controller carried in the housing of the first earbud and configured to cause the first internal battery to charge from the first charging adapter when the first charging adapter is attached to the first magnetic interface, wherein the first internal battery draws current from one or more adapter batteries of the first charging adapter via the electrodes of the first magnetic interface and the electrodes of the first charging adapter during charging from the first charging adapter;
- a second earbud, the second earbud comprising:
- a second IEEE 802.15-compatible interface;
- a second internal battery;
- a second audio driver;
- a housing carrying the second IEEE 802.15-compatible interface and the second internal battery, wherein the housing of the second earbud comprises:
- a first portion insertable into a second ear canal, the first portion carrying the second audio driver;
- and
- a second portion comprising:
- a first magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach a second charging adapter externally to the housing of the second earbud and (ii) align electrodes of the second charging adapter to first electrodes of the first earbud;
- and
- a second magnetic interface that is configured to (i) attach the second earbud to the charging case and (ii) align second electrodes of the second earbud to second electrodes of the charging case;
- and
- a second controller carried in the housing of the second earbud and configured to cause the second internal battery to charge from the second charging adapter when the second charging adapter is attached to the second magnetic interface, wherein the second internal battery draws current from one or more adapter batteries of the second charging adapter via the electrodes of the second magnetic interface and the electrodes of the second charging adapter during charging from the second charging adapter.
23 more elements
A method to be performed by a wearable playback device comprising a first earbud, the method comprising:
- detecting attachment of a first charging adapter to the first earbud via a first magnetic interface of the first earbud, wherein the first magnetic interface is carried by a housing of first earbud;
- causing an internal battery of the first earbud to charge from the first charging adapter when the first charging adapter is attached to the first magnetic interface of the first earbud;
- detecting attachment of the first earbud to a charging case via a second magnetic interface of the first earbud, wherein the second magnetic interface is carried by the housing of the first earbud;
- and
- causing the internal battery of the first earbud to charge from the charging case when the second magnetic interface of first earbud is attached to the charging case.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.