Earbuds with biometric sensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9699546-B2
Application number	US-201514856298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

This application relates to earbuds configured with one or more biometric sensors. At least one of the biometric sensors is configured to be pressed up against a portion of the tragus for making biometric measurements. In some embodiments, the housing of the earbud can be symmetric so that the earbud can be worn interchangeably in either a left or a right ear of a user. In such an embodiment, the earbud can include a sensor and circuitry configured to determine and alter operation of the earbud in accordance to which ear the earbud is determined to be positioned within.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An earbud, comprising: a housing defining an opening proximate a first end of the housing; a speaker disposed within the housing and oriented so that audio emitted by the speaker exits the housing through the opening defined by the housing; a biometric sensor positioned along an exterior surface of the housing at the first end of the housing and an elastomeric loop pivotally coupled to a second end of the housing by a hinge at each end of the elastomeric loop.

2. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first end is positioned on an opposite end of the housing from the second end.

3. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein when the earbud is positioned for use within an ear of a user, the elastomeric loop engages the concha of the ear to compress the biometric sensor against a surface of the tragus of the ear.

4. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the earbud has a symmetric geometry that allows the earbud to be worn and operated interchangeably in either ear of a user.

5. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the biometric sensor is positioned along an exterior surface of the housing at the first end of the housing and selected from the group consisting of a heart rate sensor, a GSR (galvanic skin response) sensor, an electrocardiogram (EKG) sensor, an impedance cardiography (ICG) sensor and a temperature sensor.

6. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric loop is removable and wherein the removable elastomeric loop includes contacts that electrically couple the housing with the elastomeric loop when the removable elastomeric loop is attached to the housing.

7. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric loop is pivotally coupled to two different locations on the housing.

8. The earbud as recited in claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric loop is at least partially reinforced by spring steel.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Qian Phillip
• Siahaan Edward
• Wang Erik L
• Stringer Christopher J
• Rohrbach Matthew Dean
• Strongwater Daniel Max
• Leblanc Jason J

Classifications

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• H04R2201/109

  Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears · CPC title

• H04R1/1091 Primary

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• H04R2460/03

  Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title