Systems, methods, and user interfaces for headphone fit adjustment and audio output control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11184708-B2
Application number	US-202017028936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2019
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A wearable audio output device in a physical environment includes an input device and one or more microphones. While ambient sound from the physical environment is being detected by the microphone(s), the wearable audio output device: while in a first mode, provides a first audio output including one or more pass-through audio components selected so as to increase audio pass-through of the ambient sound; detects an input via the input device; in response to detecting the input, and in accordance with a determination that the input is a first type of gesture, transitions from the first mode to a second mode; and, while in the second mode, provides a second audio output including one or more cancellation audio components selected so as to increase audio cancellation of the ambient sound.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
performing a set of operations at a wearable audio output device, the wearable audio output device comprising a wearable component for use with a single ear of a user, the wearable component configured to be worn on the user's head or in or on the single ear of the user and including an input device and one or more microphones and that is in a physical environment, the set of operations including:
while ambient sound from the physical environment is being detected by the one or more microphones:
while the wearable audio output device is in a first audio output mode, providing a first audio output based at least in part on the ambient sound from the physical environment, wherein the first audio output includes one or more pass-through audio components selected so as to increase audio pass-through of the ambient sound from the physical environment;
detecting a first input via the input device of the wearable component, wherein the first input includes physical interaction with the wearable component that is detected by the input device of the wearable component;
in response to detecting the first input via the input device of the wearable component, and in accordance with a determination that the first input is a first type of gesture, transitioning the wearable audio output device from the first audio output mode to a second audio output mode; and
while the wearable audio output device is in the second audio output mode, providing a second audio output based at least in part on the ambient sound from the physical environment, wherein the second audio output includes one or more cancellation audio components selected so as to increase audio cancellation of the ambient sound from the physical environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first audio output includes:
the one or more pass-through audio components at a first ambient-sound audio level; and
the one or more cancellation audio components at a first audio-cancelling audio level; and

the second audio output includes:
the one or more pass-through audio components at a second ambient-sound audio level that is different from the first ambient-sound audio level; and
the one or more cancellation audio components at a second audio-cancelling audio level that is different from the first audio-cancelling audio level.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wearable audio output device is in communication with an electronic device, and the method includes:
in accordance with a determination that the first input is a second type of gesture, toggling playing, via the wearable audio output device, a first media audio component that is based on first media that is independent of the ambient sound from the physical environment.

4. The method of claim 3 , including:
in accordance with a determination that the first input is a third type of gesture:
in accordance with a determination that the first input is detected while playing, via the wearable audio output device, the first media audio component that is based on the first media, ceasing to play the first media audio component that is based on the first media; and
playing, via the wearable audio output device, a second media audio component that is based on second media that is independent of the ambient sound from the physical environment and that is different from the first media.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
an operation associated with the first type of gesture is configurable using a settings user interface and selected from a first set of operations that includes transitioning a respective audio output mode of the wearable audio output device;
an operation associated with the second type of gesture is configurable using the settings user interface and selected from a second set of operations that includes toggling playing a respective media audio component; and
an operation associated with the third type of gesture is configurable using the settings user interface and selected from a third set of operations that includes ceasing to play a first respective media audio component in combination with playing a second respective media audio component.

6. The method of claim 1 , including:
detecting, at an electronic device with a display and a second input device, a second input via the second input device;
in response to detecting the second input, displaying, on the display of the electronic device, a settings user interface; and
displaying, in the settings user interface, an output-mode affordance for controlling an audio output mode of the wearable audio output device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the output-mode affordance is displayed in the settings user interface in accordance with a determination that the wearable audio output device is in communication with the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the output-mode affordance includes a representation of a first respective audio output mode that is a current audio output mode of the wearable audio output device without including representations of any other audio output modes of the wearable audio output device.

9. The method of claim 8 , including:
detecting, via the second input device, a third input that corresponds to the output-mode affordance;
in response to detecting the third input, displaying respective representations of a plurality of audio output modes of the wearable audio output device;
detecting, via the second input device, a fourth input that corresponds to a representation of a second respective audio output mode that is distinct from the first respective audio output mode; and
in response to detecting the fourth input:
transitioning the wearable audio output device from the first respective audio output mode to the second respective audio output mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first respective audio output mode is distinct from a third audio output mode in which the wearable audio output device provides audio outputs independently of the ambient sound from the physical environment, and the second respective audio output mode is distinct from the third audio output mode.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the first input includes detecting an increase in intensity that satisfies an activation intensity threshold, and the method includes:
in response to detecting the increase in intensity that satisfies the activation intensity threshold, providing an activation audio output;
detecting a decrease in intensity that satisfies a release intensity threshold; and
in response to detecting the decrease in intensity that satisfies the release intensity threshold, providing a release audio output.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable audio output device includes a first wearable audio output component having a first respective input device and a second wearable audio output component having a second respective input device;
detecting a respective input via the input device includes detecting the respective input via the first respective input device of the first wearable audio output component or detecting the respective input via the second respective input device of the second wearable audio output component; and
providing a respective audio output via the wearable audio output device includes providing the respective audio output via the first wearable audio output component and providing the respective audio output via the second wearable audio output component.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the wearable audio output device includes a first wearable audio output component that is in a first position relative to a first e

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Carrigan Taylor G
• Graham David C
• Hulbert Thomas S
• Hatfield Dustin A
• Roper Gemma A
• Bark Karlin Y
• Bloom David H
• Jackson Benjamin G
• Baugh Brenton A
• Aoyagi Shota

Classifications

• H04R2201/105

  Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components · CPC title

• G06F3/04847

  Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials · CPC title

• H04R1/1041 Primary

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

• H04R2460/01

  Hearing devices using active noise cancellation · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title