Earpiece with App Environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018014108-A1
Application number	US-201715641808-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 5, 2017
Priority date	Jul 7, 2016
Publication date	Jan 11, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An earpiece includes an earpiece housing, a processor disposed within the earpiece housing, a memory operatively connected to the processor and disposed within the earpiece housing, and a plurality of software applications stored within the memory. The earpiece is configured to allow a user of the earpiece to select one of the plurality of software applications to run using the processor as a foreground application and allows for receiving user input into the foreground application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An earpiece comprising:
an earpiece housing; a processor disposed within the earpiece housing: a memory operatively connected to the processor and disposed within the earpiece housing; a plurality of software applications stored within the memory; wherein the earpiece is configured to allow a user of the earpiece to select one of the plurality of software applications to run using the processor as a foreground application.

2 . The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece is further configured to receive user input from the user into the foreground application.

3 . The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a microphone and wherein the user input comprises voice input received from the user using the microphone.

4 . The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising an inertial sensor operatively connected to the processor and wherein the user input is in the form of movement of the user detected with the inertial sensor.

5 . The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the earpiece is further configured to download an additional software application to the memory using a wireless transceiver disposed within the earpiece housing.

6 . A method for controlling an earpiece comprising:
installing a plurality of different software applications within an earpiece; receiving a selection of one of the plurality of different software applications from a user through a user interface of the earpiece; executing the one of the plurality of different software applications based on the selection in a foreground mode of operation for the earpiece.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving user input from the user of the earpiece through the user interface and receiving the user input into the one of the plurality of different software applications in the foreground mode of operation.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the user input comprises voice input received at a microphone of the earpiece.

9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the user input comprises movement of the user received at an inertial sensor of the earpiece.

10 . The method of claim 7 wherein the user input comprises a gesture received at a gestural control interface of the earpiece.

Assignees

• Bragi GmbH

Inventors

• Dragicevic Darko
• Boesen Peter Vincent

Classifications

• H04M1/05

  specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast · CPC title

• G06F2200/1636

  Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing · CPC title

• G06F1/1698

  the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone (details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266) · CPC title

• G06F1/1694

  the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title