Portable listening device with sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021274273-A1
Application number	US-202117306683-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 3, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 2, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A portable listening device comprising:
a speaker; a wireless antenna; an in-ear sensor; a rechargeable battery; one or more electrical contacts arranged to couple power to the rechargeable battery; and a housing including a nozzle that forms an acoustic port arranged to direct sound generated by the speaker into an ear canal of a user.

2 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the housing at least partially encloses the speaker, the wireless antenna, the in-ear sensor and the rechargeable battery.

3 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the in-ear sensor is arranged to detect when the portable listening device is positioned at least partially within a user's ear.

4 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to the speaker, the wireless antenna and the in-ear sensor.

5 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the in-ear sensor includes a pair of in-ear sensors.

6 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is arranged to transceive data with a separate electronic device.

7 . The portable listening device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical contacts are arranged to interface with mating electrical contacts of a case that receives the portable listening device and is configured for recharging the rechargeable battery.

8 . A portable listening device comprising:
a speaker; a wireless antenna arranged to transceive data with a separate electronic device; an in-ear sensor arranged to detect when the portable listening device is at least partially received by a user's ear; a rechargeable battery arranged to supply power to the speaker, the wireless antenna and the in-ear sensor; one or more electrical contacts arranged to couple power to the rechargeable battery; and a housing including a nozzle that forms an acoustic port arranged to direct sound generated by the speaker into an ear canal of the user's ear.

9 . The portable listening device of claim 8 , wherein the housing at least partially encloses the speaker, the wireless antenna, the in-ear sensor and the rechargeable battery.

10 . The portable listening device of claim 8 , wherein the in-ear sensor includes a pair of in-ear sensors.

11 . The portable listening device of claim 8 , wherein the housing including an in-ear portion that interfaces with at least a portion of the user's ear and an out-of-ear portion arranged to be disposed at least partially outside of the user's ear.

12 . The portable listening device of claim 11 , wherein the out-of-ear portion includes a convex-shaped region curving outward, away from the user's ear.

13 . The portable listening device of claim 8 , wherein the electrical contacts are arranged to interface with mating electrical contacts of a case that receives the portable listening device and is configured for recharging the rechargeable battery.

14 . A portable listening device comprising:
a speaker; a wireless antenna; an in-ear sensor; a rechargeable battery; one or more electrical contacts arranged to couple power to the rechargeable battery; and a housing arranged to at least partially enclose the speaker, the rechargeable battery, the wireless antenna and the in-ear sensor, the housing including a tube-shaped distal end region arranged to direct sound generated by the speaker into an ear canal of a user.

15 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the housing at least partially encloses the speaker, the wireless antenna, the in-ear sensor and the rechargeable battery.

16 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the in-ear sensor is arranged to detect when the portable listening device is positioned at least partially within a user's ear.

17 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the rechargeable battery is electrically coupled to the speaker, the wireless antenna and the in-ear sensor.

18 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the in-ear sensor includes a pair of in-ear sensors.

19 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the antenna is arranged to transceive data with a separate electronic device.

20 . The portable listening device of claim 14 , wherein the electrical contacts are arranged to interface with mating electrical contacts of a case that receives the portable listening device and is configured for recharging the rechargeable battery.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chawan Arun D
• Stiehl Kurt
• Cousins Benjamin A
• Aase Jonathan S
• Azmi Yacine
• Choiniere Paul
• Slabaugh Scott W

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

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H04R1/1025 Primary

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title