Ear Bud Retraction Module Having Optimal Microphone Placement

Abstract

A retractable ear bud module has a housing with an ear bud cable retractable mounted in the housing. The ear bud cable has at least one ear bud and a microphone, and a fixed end attached to a circuit board including a wireless receiver mounted. The wireless receiver electronically connects with the ear bud cable to transfer audio signals from the electronic device to the ear bud and from the microphone to the wireless receiver. A spool, mounts in the housing to retract and dispense the ear bud cable. In order to avoid entanglement of the microphone in the spool and housing, the microphone is integrated with the ear bud in one embodiment, is collocated with the ear bud in an alternate embodiment, and is distanced by no more than two inches from the ear bud in another embodiment.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.