Integration of sensors into earphones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10057675-B2
Application number	US-201514812672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2015
Priority date	Jul 29, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An in-ear earphone includes a body shaped to fit in the wearer's ear, a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer's ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer, an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle, and a sensor coupled to the nozzle. The sealing structure includes a thin sheet of material forming a hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor, and the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and sensor are arranged such that when the earphone is located in the wearer's ear, the sensor faces the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the tragus with minimal air gaps between the sensor, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An in-ear earphone, comprising:
a body shaped to fit in the wearer's ear;
a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer's ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer;
an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle; and
a sensor coupled to the nozzle;
wherein
the sealing structure comprises a thin sheet of material forming an open hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor, extending over and spaced apart from at least the sensor when the earphone is not seated in the wearer's ear; and
the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and sensor are arranged such that when the earphone is located in the wearer's ear, the sensor faces the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and contacts the sensor to provide optical coupling between the sensor and the tragus with minimal air gaps between the sensor, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

2. The earphone of claim 1 , wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer's ear, and an inner surface that contacts the sensor module, the outer surface and the inner surface being polished such that light passing through the sealing structure is not scattered or reflected by the outer and inner surfaces.

3. The earphone of claim 2 , wherein the body and the sealing structure are formed of a single piece, the entire surface of which is polished.

4. The earphone of claim 1 , wherein
the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and
the sealing structure is formed of a soft plastic that transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

5. The earphone of claim 4 , wherein the body and the sealing structure are formed of a single piece, the entirety of which transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

6. An in-ear earphone, comprising:
a body shaped to fit in the wearer's ear;
a nozzle extending from the body towards the ear canal of the wearer's ear, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer;
an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle; and
a sensor coupled to the nozzle;
wherein
the sealing structure comprises a thin sheet of material forming an open hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor when the earphone is not seated in the wearer's ear; and
the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and sensor are arranged such that when the earphone is located in the wearer's ear, the sensor faces the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the tragus with minimal air gaps between the sensor, the sealing structure, and the tragus, and
the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at first and second predetermined wavelengths, wherein the first wavelength is one of infrared or ultraviolet, and the second wavelength is typically visible to humans,
the earphone controls the sensor to emit light at the first wavelength when the earphone is located in an ear, and
the earphone controls the sensor to emit light at the second wavelength when the earphone is not located in an ear.

7. The earphone of claim 1 , wherein
the sensor includes an emitter that emits light and a contact sensor, and
the sensor is configured to only emit light when the contact sensor is activated.

8. The earphone of claim 1 , wherein
the sensor contributes to the formation of the acoustic seal by applying pressure to the sealing structure and, through the sealing structure, to ear tissue in the vicinity of the ear where the sealing structure forms the seal.

9. The earphone of claim 1 , wherein
when the earphone is placed in an ear,
the sensor is aligned with the tragus of the ear;
the concha presses against the body which thereby presses the sensor and the sealing structure against the tragus, such that the sealing structure is in contact with both the sensor and the tragus; and
the sealing structure seals the entrance to the ear canal.

10. An in-ear earphone, comprising:
an ear-canal sealing structure configured to form an acoustic seal to a wearer's ear canal, comprising a thin sheet of material forming an open hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor, extending over and spaced apart from at least the sensor when the earphone is not seated in the wearer's ear; and
a sensor;
wherein
the sensor contributes to the formation of the acoustic seal by applying pressure to the sealing structure at the point that the sealing structure extends over the sensor and, through the sealing structure, to ear tissue, in the vicinity of the ear where the sealing structure forms the seal.

11. The earphone of claim 10 , wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer's ear, and an inner surface that contacts the sensor, the outer surface and the inner surface being polished such that light passing through the sealing structure is not scattered or reflected by the outer and inner surfaces.

12. The earphone of claim 10 , wherein
the sensor includes an emitter that emits light at a predetermined wavelength, and
the sealing structure is formed of a soft plastic that transmits light having the predetermined wavelength and attenuates light having at least some other wavelengths.

13. A sensor assembly for use with an in-ear earphone, comprising:
a sensor circuit having one or more apertures through which light is radiated or collected;
a housing surrounding the sensor circuit;
an ear interface for the in-ear earphone, the ear interface comprising:
a body shaped to fit in the lower concha of a wearer's ear;
a nozzle extending from the body, the nozzle including an acoustic passage to conduct sound waves from the earphone to the ear canal of the wearer; and
an ear canal sealing structure extending from the nozzle, comprising a thin layer of material forming an open hollow shape surrounding the nozzle and sensor circuit, extending over and spaced apart from at least the sensor when not seated in the wearer's ear, and contacting the sensor to provide optical coupling between the sensor and ear when seated in the wearer's ear;

electrical contacts for coupling the sensor circuit to a circuit external to the sensor assembly; and
a mounting feature for mechanically coupling the sensor assembly to a nozzle of an earphone.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 13 , wherein
when the sensor assembly is mounted on an earphone which is placed in an ear,
the sealing structure is in contact with both the sensor and the ear; and
the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the sensor and the ear.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 13 , wherein
the body, nozzle, sealing structure, and apertures are arranged such that when the sensor assembly is mounted on an earphone which is placed in an ear, the apertures face the tragus of the ear, and the sealing structure simultaneously forms an acoustic seal to the entrance to the ear canal and provides optical coupling between the apertures and the tragus with no air gaps between the apertures, the sealing structure, and the tragus.

16. The sensor assembly of claim 15 , wherein the sealing structure has an outer surface that contacts skin of the wearer's ea

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Mankodi Harsh Anilkant
• Decubellis Kyle
• Orescanin Marko
• Ting Michael D
• Turner Jonathan D

Classifications

• H04R1/1091 Primary

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• A61B5/6843

  Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• A61B5/6817

  Ear canal · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title