In-ear headphone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12284475-B2
Application number	US-202418426155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2024
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A low-profile earbud is disclosed that sits securely within an ear of a user. The earbud includes a protruding portion that passes through a channel defined by the tragus and anti-tragus of the ear. In some embodiments, the protruding portion can take the form of a cable configured to supply power and transfer data to the earbud. In some embodiments, the protruding portion can provide additional space for electrical components and sensors supporting the earbud.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless in-ear headphone comprising:
a device housing that defines an interior cavity;
a nozzle extending away from the device housing and defining an audio port that opens to the interior cavity;
a deformable ear tip having a central opening fitted over the nozzle;
an audio driver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port;
a wireless antenna and wireless circuitry disposed within the device housing, the wireless circuitry configured to establish a wireless communication link with a host device over the wireless antenna;
a microphone;
an active noise cancellation system configured to generate destructive interference waves to counter audio picked up by the microphone;
a button control disposed at an exterior surface of the device housing and configured to receive a user input;
a controller disposed within the device housing and operatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to the button control, wherein the controller is configured to process audio content received from the wireless circuitry and deliver the processed audio content to the audio driver for output through the nozzle, and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust a setting of the in-ear headphone in response to the button control;
a battery disposed in the device housing and configured to provide power to circuitry within the device housing; and
a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along a surface of the device housing and electrically coupled to the battery to enable the battery to be charged from an external power source.

2. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 further comprising an elastomeric boot coupled between the nozzle and the device housing.

3. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 2 wherein the elastomeric boot accommodates relative motion between the nozzle and the device housing.

4. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 3 wherein the elastomeric boot is configured to prevent ingress of contaminates into the nozzle and the device housing.

5. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the nozzle includes at least one ridge to help retain the deformable earbud tip on the nozzle.

6. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 2 wherein the audio driver is disposed proximate to and extends partially within the nozzle.

7. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sensors disposed within the device housing, the plurality of sensors including an accelerometer and a proximity sensor.

8. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the audio driver is disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port is a first audio driver and wherein the wireless in-ear headphone further comprises a second audio driver disposed within the device housing.

9. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 8 wherein the first audio driver is a high frequency audio driver and the second audio driver is a low frequency audio driver.

10. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 9 wherein each of the first and second audio drivers are balanced armature audio drivers.

11. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 further comprising a directional microphone aligned to detect sound emitted from a user's mouth when the wireless in-ear headphone is worn within an ear of the user.

12. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to adjust a volume of the in-ear headphone in response to the button control.

13. A wireless in-ear headphone comprising:
a device housing that defines an interior cavity;
a nozzle extending away from the device housing and defining an audio port that opens to the interior cavity;
a deformable ear tip having a central opening fitted over the nozzle;
an audio driver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port;
a wireless antenna and wireless circuitry disposed within the device housing, the wireless circuitry configured to establish a wireless communication link with a host device over the wireless antenna;
a microphone;
an active noise cancellation system configured to generate destructive interference waves to counter audio picked up by the microphone;
a button control disposed at an exterior surface of the device housing and configured to receive a user input;
a controller disposed within the device housing and operatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to the button control, wherein the controller is configured to process audio content received from the wireless circuitry and deliver the processed audio content to the audio driver for output through the nozzle, and wherein the controller is further configured to initiate a pairing operation in response to the button control;
a battery disposed in the device housing and configured to provide power to circuitry within the device housing; and
a plurality of electrical contacts disposed along a surface of the device housing and electrically coupled to the battery to enable the battery to be charged from an external power source.

14. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 13 further comprising an elastomeric boot coupled between the nozzle and the device housing.

15. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 14 wherein the elastomeric boot accommodates relative motion between the nozzle and the device housing.

16. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 13 wherein the audio driver is disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port is a first audio driver and wherein the wireless in-ear headphone further comprises a second audio driver disposed within the device housing.

17. The wireless in-ear headphone set forth in claim 16 wherein the first audio driver is a high frequency audio driver and the second audio driver is a low frequency audio driver.

18. A wireless in-ear headphone comprising:
a device housing that defines an interior cavity;
a nozzle extending away from the device housing and defining an audio port that opens to the interior cavity;
an audio driver disposed within the device housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio port;
a first microphone aligned to detect sound emitted from a user's mouth when the wireless in-ear headphone is worn within an ear of the user;
a second microphone positioned along an exterior surface of the device housing;
an active noise cancellation system configured to generate destructive interference waves to counter audio picked up by the second microphone;
a wireless antenna and wireless circuitry disposed within the device housing, the wireless circuitry configured to establish a wireless communication link with a host device over the wireless antenna;
a button control disposed at an exterior surface of the device housing and configured to receive a user input;
a controller disposed within the device housing and operatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and the button control, wherein the controller is configured to process audio content received from the wireless circuitry and deliver the processed audio content to the audio driver for output through the nozzle, and wherein the controller is further configured to perform a task on the in-ear headphone in response to the button control; and
a battery disposed in the device housing and configured to provide power to circuitry within the device housing; and
a plurality of electrical contacts

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Trainer Glenn K
• Grinker Scott C
• Huwe Ethan L
• Stanley Craig M

Classifications

• G10K11/178

  by electro-acoustically regenerating the original acoustic waves in anti-phase · CPC title

• G10K11/17873

  using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward · CPC title

• H04R1/1066

  Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · 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