Earbud case with charging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097913-B2
Application number	US-201615273671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A case for a pair of earbuds includes a housing having cavities to receive the pair of earbuds and charging circuitry that is configured to initiate charging of the pair of earbuds when an earbud detector detects that the earbuds are inserted within the cavities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A case for a pair of earbuds, the case comprising:
a housing having one or more cavities configured to receive the pair of earbuds;
a lid attached to the housing and operable between a closed position where the lid is aligned over the one or more cavities and an open position where the lid is displaced from the one or more cavities; and
a first pair of electrical contacts that interface to a first earbud of the pair of earbuds;
a second pair of electrical contacts that interface to a second earbud of the pair of earbuds;
a charging system including:
a case battery;
an earbud detector configured to detect when an earbud of the pair of earbuds is placed in a cavity of the one or more cavities; and
charging circuitry configured to initiate charging of the earbud when the earbud detector detects that the earbud is placed into the cavity; and

data communications circuitry configured to transmit firmware data to the pair of earbuds;
wherein the earbud detector, the charging circuitry and the data communications circuitry are operatively coupled to the pair of earbuds through the first and second pairs of electrical contacts.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a first cavity configured to receive a first earbud in the pair of earbuds and a second cavity sized and shaped to receive a second earbud in the pair of earbuds; and the earbud detector includes a first earbud sensor configured to detect when the first earbud is placed in first cavity and a second earbud sensor configured to detect when the second earbud is placed in the second cavity.

3. The case of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second earbud sensors detect insertion of the respective earbud by detecting a magnetic field generated by the respective earbud.

4. The case of claim 3 wherein the charging circuitry is configured to initiate charging of the first earbud when the first earbud sensor detects the first earbud within the first cavity and to initiate charging of the second earbud when the second earbud sensor detects the second earbud within the second cavity.

5. The case of claim 3 wherein the earbud detector detects one or more electrical characteristics of the first and the second earbuds, respectively, when the first and the second earbuds are placed in their respective cavities.

6. The case of claim 5 wherein the earbud detector periodically applies a voltage to the first pair of electrical contacts to detect the first earbud and periodically applies a voltage to the second pair of electrical contacts to detect the second earbud.

7. The case of claim 1 wherein the charging circuitry initiates charging of the earbud by turning on earbud charging circuitry.

8. The case of claim 1 further comprising a first plurality of charge level indicators that visually indicate a charge level of the case battery disposed within the case and a second plurality of charge level indicators that visually indicate a charge level of one or more rechargeable batteries within the pair of earbuds.

9. The case of claim 1 further comprising a pairing input mechanism disposed on the case and operatively coupled to circuitry within the case that sends a signal to at least one earbud in the pair of earbuds to place the earbud into a pairing mode.

10. The case of claim 1 further comprising a connector configured to interface with a power source that supplies power to the case to charge the case battery.

11. The case of claim 10 wherein the connector is also configured to provide a data communication path between the power source and a case processor within the case such that data can be transferred from the power source to the case processor.

12. A case for a pair of earbuds, each earbud having an ear interface portion, a stem, an earbud battery and a wireless radio, the case comprising:
a housing having a first cavity configured to receive a first earbud in the pair of earbuds and a second cavity configured to receive a second earbud in the pair of earbuds;
a lid attached to the housing and operable between a closed position where the lid conceals the pair of earbuds within the case and an open position that allows a user to remove the pair of earbuds from the case; and
a charging system including:
a case battery;
a first connector configured to interface to a power source for charging the case battery;
a second connector configured to couple to each of the first and second earbuds, the second connector having at least one contact positioned in the first cavity and at least one contact positioned in the second cavity;
an earbud detector configured to detect when an earbud is placed in either of the first or second cavities; and
charging circuitry configured to initiate charging of an earbud when the earbud detector detects insertion of the earbud within either the first cavity or the second cavity and configured to cease charging the earbud when the earbud detector detects the earbud is removed from the cavity;

data communications circuitry configured to transmit firmware data to the pair of earbuds;
wherein the earbud detector, the charging circuitry and the data communications circuitry are operatively coupled to the pair of earbuds through the second connector.

13. The case of claim 12 wherein each of the first and second earbuds include an earbud connector at a distal end of the stem, the earbud connector having a power contact and a ground contact.

14. The case of claim 12 wherein the second connector couples power and ground connections of the charging circuitry to each earbud when the first and the second earbuds are placed within the first and the second cavities, respectively.

15. The case of claim 12 wherein the earbud detector detects insertion of an earbud within either the first or second cavity by detecting a magnetic field generated by the earbud.

16. The case of claim 12 wherein the charging circuitry initiates charging of the pair of earbuds by detecting an electrical characteristic of the pair of earbuds through the second connector.

17. The case of claim 12 further comprising a user input device disposed at an exterior surface of the case, the user input device operable by a user to place a wireless radio of one of the pair of earbuds into a pairing mode.

18. The case of claim 12 wherein the charging circuitry initiates charging of an earbud by turning on earbud charging circuitry.

19. A case for transporting and charging a portable listening device that includes a rechargeable battery and a pair of listening device contacts, the case comprising:
a housing configured to receive the portable listening device;
a lid attached to the housing and operable between a closed position where the lid conceals the portable listening device within the case and an open position where the lid is displaced from the housing such that a user can remove the portable listening device from the case;
first and second case contacts configured to couple to the pair of listening device contacts when the listening device is placed within the housing;
detector circuitry configured to generate a detect signal when the listening device is placed in the housing and to generate a removal signal when the listening device is removed from the housing;
charging circuitry configured to supply charging current to the rechargeable battery in response to receiving the detect signal; and
data communications circuitry configured to transmit firmware data to the listening device;
wherein the detector circuitry, the charging circuitry and

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Zörkendörfer Rico L
• Panecki Lee M
• Mcpeak James L
• CHANDRAMOHAN Chandrahas Aralaguppe
• Wagman Daniel C
• Rich Zachary C
• Kasar Darshan R

Classifications

• H04R2201/105

  Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A45C11/00 Primary

  Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 (specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48) · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title