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US 2022/0091569 A1Published application
Wearable Acoustic Device with Through-Enclosure Pressure and Barometric Sensing
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsRobert K. Montgomery II, Chin San Han, Pablo A. Escobar, Zijing Zeng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An interface pressure sensor includes a fluid pressure sensor disposed in a volume defined by a shear wall. The volume is enclosed, and the fluid pressure sensor is encapsulated by, an infill material. The infill material defines a sensing surface that, when pressed, can impart a force that is detectable by the fluid pressure sensor.
Claims25
A wearable electronic device comprising:
- an enclosure defining an exterior surface;
- an interface pressure sensor comprising:
- a shear wall formed from a rigid material and defining a module volume;
- and
- a microelectromechanical barometric pressure sensor disposed within the module volume;
- and
- an infill encapsulating the microelectromechanical barometric pressure sensor within the module volume, the infill defining a sensing surface that defining at least a portion of the exterior surface of the enclosure;
- and
- a processor communicably coupled to the interface pressure sensor and configured to receive, as input, output of the interface pressure sensor and, in response:
- change an operational mode of the wearable electronic device;
- or
- determine a health parameter of a wearer of the wearable electronic device.
9 more elements
An electronic device configured to be worn in contact with an ear of a user, the wireless earbud comprising:
- an enclosure defining:
- a first portion at least partially enclosing a speaker, and configured to interface with a skin surface of the ear;
- and
- a second portion extending from the first portion;
- an interface pressure sensor within the first portion and defining a sensing surface;
- a processor in communication with the interface pressure and configured to receive input from the interface pressure sensor and, in response, determine a health parameter of the user.
3 more elements
A biometric sensor for an earbud electronic device, the biometric sensor comprising:
- a sidewall defining a volume;
- a microelectromechanical pressure sensor disposed within the volume;
- an application specific integrated circuit conductively coupled to the microelectromechanical pressure sensor and configured to sample an electrical property of the microelectromechanical pressure sensor and to correlate one or more samples of the electrical property to a biometric characteristic of a wearer of the earbud electronic device;
- and
- an infill enclosing the microelectromechanical pressure sensor and the application specific integrated circuit within the volume, the infill defining a sensing surface;
- wherein:
- the electrical property sampled by the application specific integrated circuit corresponds to a magnitude of pressure applied normal to sensing surface.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.