Patent Application
20170339479
The present technology is related to ear-fitting headphone systems.
Headphone systems typically include two earpieces configured to be respectively worn at or near a user's ears. Each earpiece includes a speaker that converts an audio signal into sound. Because the sound is generated in close proximity to a user's ears, the sound is fully audible to the user while still being inaudible or minimally audible to others around the user. For this reason, headphone systems are well-suited for use in public settings. When in use, the earpieces of a headphone system can be independently supported by a user's ears or collectively supported, such as at opposite respective ends of a headpiece that bridges a user's head. In the former case, conventional features for independently supporting earpieces include ear hooks shaped to extend over a user's ear and earbuds shaped to extend into a user's ear canal. These and other features often increase the security of earpiece positioning at the expense of earpiece comfort and/or compactness.
Earpieces can be wired or wireless. Wired earpieces are earpieces that receive an audio signal and convert the audio signal into sound while being connected to one or more wires, such as wire connecting the earpieces to one another and wires connecting the earpieces to a source of the audio signal. Wireless earpieces are earpieces capable of receiving an audio signal and converting the audio signal into sound without being connected to any such wires. Instead of using wires, wireless earpieces may rely on Bluetooth or a similar wireless communication standard to receive an audio signal. Unlike wired earpieces, wireless earpieces often include a battery and an antenna. Wireless earpieces also typically include more internal circuitry than wired earpieces. Accordingly, wireless earpieces tend to be larger, heavier, and/or more expensive than wired earpieces. A wireless earpiece also may be easier to lose (e.g., after falling out of a user's ear or after being misplaced) than a wired earpiece. For these and/or other reasons, conventional approaches to securing wired earpieces may be inadequate or at least suboptimal in the context of wireless earpieces.
Many aspects of the present technology can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on illustrating clearly the principles of the present technology. For ease of reference, throughout this disclosure identical reference numbers may be used to identify identical, similar, or analogous components or features of more than one embodiment of the present technology.
Ear-fitting headphone systems and related devices, systems, and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can at least partially address one or more problems associated with conventional technologies whether or not such problems are stated herein. For example, ear-fitting headphone systems in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology include wireless earpieces and have innovative features for securing these wireless earpieces to a user's ears. An ear-fitting headphone system in accordance with a particular embodiment of the present technology includes a first wireless earpiece configured to be worn at a first one of a user's ears, and a second wireless earpiece configured to be worn at a second one of the user's ears. The first and second earpieces can be configured to conveniently transition between an independent state in which the earpieces are held in place via respective earbuds, and a tethered state in which the earpieces are held in place via respective earbuds and are tethered to one another. Furthermore, the first and second earpieces can be configured to transition between the independent state and a hooked state and/or between the tethered state and the hooked state. In the hooked state, the first and second earpieces can be hooked onto the user's ears.
In the independent, tethered, and hooked states, the first and second earpieces can be held in place with different respective levels of security and with different respective levels of comfort and compactness. For example, in the independent state, the first and second earpieces can be held in place with a relatively low level of security and with a relatively high level of comfort and compactness. The independent state can be well-suited for certain user preferences and/or use types. In the tethered and hooked states, the earpieces can be held in place with successively higher levels of security and with lower levels of comfort and compactness. The tethered and hooked states can be well-suited for other user preferences and/or use types. Thus, ear-fitting headphone systems in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology are more adaptable to user preferences and/or use types than conventional ear-fitting headphone systems. Embodiments of the present technology can have these and/or other advantages relative to conventional counterparts whether or not such advantages are described herein.
Specific details of ear-fitting headphone systems and related devices, systems, and methods in accordance with several embodiments of the present technology are described herein with reference to
The tether 110 can be flexible and can include a first end portion 116, an opposite second end portion 118, and a flexible string 120 extending therebetween. The first end portion 116 of the tether 110 and the first ear hook 106 can be detachably (e.g., detachably and interlockingly) connectable to the first earpiece 102. Similarly, the second end portion 118 of the tether 110 and the second ear hook 108 can be detachably (e.g., detachably and interlockingly) connectable to the second earpiece 104. In the illustrated embodiment, the first end portion 116 of the tether 110 and the first ear hook 106 are interchangeably connectable to the first earpiece 102. For example, the first earpiece 102 can be configured to be connected to one or the other of the first end portion 116 of the tether 110 and the first ear hook 106 at any given time. Similarly, in the illustrated embodiment, the second end portion 118 of the tether 110 and the second ear hook 108 are interchangeably connectable to the second earpiece 104. For example, the second earpiece 104 can be configured to be connected to one or the other of the second end portion 118 of the tether 110 and the second ear hook 108 at any given time. In other embodiments, the first end portion 116 of the tether 110 and the first ear hook 106 can be connectable to the first earpiece 102 at the same time. In addition or alternatively, the second end portion 118 of the tether 110 and the second ear hook 108 can be connectable to the second earpiece 104 at the same time.
With reference again to
At the first housing 134, the first earpiece 102 can include a first port 148 through which the first ear hook 106 and the tether 110 (e.g., via its first end portion 116) are interchangeably connectable to the first earpiece 102. When the first earpiece 102 is operably positioned at a user's ear with the first earbud 136 and the first housing 134 received, respectively, within the ear canal and the concha of the user's ear, the first port 148 can be at an upper anterior portion of the first housing 134. As described in further detail below, this positioning of the first port 148 can be useful to facilitate placement of the tether 110 and the first ear hook 106 relative to the user's head. The lateral protrusions 132 of the plugs 122-128 can be configured to be interlockingly received within the first port 148. When the lateral protrusion 132 of a given one of the plugs 122-128 is interlockingly received within the first port 148, the corresponding shaft 130 can be at least partially inset into the first port 148. The shafts 130 can be relatively stiff. For example, the shafts 130 of the first and second plugs 122, 124 can be stiffer than the string 120. This can be useful, for example, to reduce or eliminate unintentional detachment of the plugs 122-128 in response to force acting in a direction other than a direction axially aligned with the shafts 130.
The independent, tethered, and hooked states can be well-suited for use of the headphone system 100 in different settings. For example, the independent state may be well-suited for use in home and office settings when accidental detachment of the first and second earpieces 102 is both unlikely and of little consequence (e.g., because a detached one of the first and second earpieces 102, 104 can be easily retrieved and replaced). The tethered state may be well-suited for mild activity (e.g., walking) in public settings when accidental detachment of the first and second earpieces 102 is unlikely, but would be of greater consequence (e.g., because a detached one of the first and second earpieces 102, 104 would not be easy to retrieve and replace). Finally, the hooked state may be well-suited for strenuous activity (e.g., jogging) in public settings when accidental detachment of the first and second earpieces 102 would be likely in the absence of the first and second ear hooks 106, 108. In addition or alternatively, the independent, tethered, and hooked states can accommodate the preferences of particular users. For example, users who find ear hooks to be uncomfortable may choose to use the first and second earpieces 102 in the tethered state even when engaging in strenuous activity in public settings.
As shown in
While the first and second earpieces 102, 104 are connected via the tether 110, the method 200 can include positioning the tether 110 relative to the first and second ears (block 210). For example, the method 200 can include positioning a first portion of the tether 110 at a superior portion of a postauricular space adjacent to the first ear, and positioning a second portion of the tether 110 at a superior portion of a postauricular space adjacent to the second ear. The method 200 can then include replacing the first and second earpieces 102, 104 at the first and second ears, respectively, a first time (block 212). Replacing the first and second earpieces 102, 104 can include positioning the first and second earbuds 136, 154 within ear canals of the first and second ears, respectively, and positioning the first and second housings 134, 152 within conchas of the first and second ears, respectively. Next, the method 200 can include listening to sound a second time (block 214) via the first and second earpieces 102, 104 while the first earpiece 102 is in the tethered state at the first ear, and while the second earpiece 104 is in the tethered state at the second ear. The method 200 can further include engaging in a second activity (block 216) while listening to sound the second time. The second activity can be one that is more likely than the first activity to cause displacement of the first and second earpieces 102, 104 from their corresponding operable positions at the first and second ears.
After listening to sound the second time and engaging in the second activity, the method 200 can include removing the first and second earpieces 102, 104 from the first and second ears a second time (block 218). Next, the method 200 can include disconnecting the tether 110 (block 220). For example, the first and second plugs 122, 124 can be withdrawn from the first and second ports 148, 156, respectively. In at least some cases, this includes pulling the shafts 130 of the first and second plugs 122, 124 such that the lateral protrusions 132 of the shafts 130 deform and uncouple from interlocking engagement with corresponding recesses within the first and second ports 148, 156, respectively. After the tether 110 has been disconnected, the method 200 can include connecting the first and second ear hooks 106, 108 to the first and second earpieces 102, 104, respectively (block 222), such as by inserting the third and fourth plugs 126, 128 into the first and second ports 148, 156, respectively. In at least some cases, this interlocks the third plug 126 and the first port 148, and interlocks the fourth plug 128 and the second port 156.
Once the first and second ear hooks 106, 108 have been connected to the first and second earpieces 102, 104, respectively, the method 200 can include positioning the first and second ear hooks 106, 108 relative to the first and second ears (block 224). For example, the method 200 can include positioning a portion of the first ear hook 106 at the superior portion of the postauricular space adjacent to the first ear, and positioning a portion of the second ear hook 108 at the superior portion of the postauricular space adjacent to the second ear. The method 200 can then include replacing the first and second earpieces 102, 104 at the first and second ears, respectively, a second time (block 226). Next, the method 200 can include listening to sound a third time (block 228) via the first and second earpieces 102, 104 while the first earpiece 102 is in the hooked state at the first ear, and while the second earpiece 104 is in the hooked state at the second ear. The method 200 can further include engaging in a third activity (block 230) while listening to sound the third time. The third activity can be one that is more likely than the first activity and/or more likely that the second activity to cause displacement of the first and second earpieces 102, 104 from their corresponding operable positions at the first and second ears.
This disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present technology to the precise forms disclosed herein. Although specific embodiments are disclosed herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible without deviating from the present technology, as those of ordinary skill in the relevant art will recognize. In some cases, well-known structures and functions have not been shown and/or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the embodiments of the present technology. Although steps of methods may be presented herein in a particular order, in alternative embodiments the steps may have another suitable order. Similarly, certain aspects of the present technology disclosed in the context of particular embodiments can be combined or eliminated in other embodiments. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments may have been disclosed in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages or other advantages disclosed herein to fall within the scope of the present technology.
Throughout this disclosure, the singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Similarly, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only a single item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of two or more items, then the use of “or” in such a list is to be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in the list, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Additionally, the terms “comprising” and the like may be used herein to mean including at least the recited feature(s) such that any greater number of the same feature(s) and/or one or more additional types of features are not precluded. Directional terms, such as “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “back,” “vertical,” and “horizontal,” may be used herein to express and clarify the relationship between various elements. It should be understood that such terms do not denote absolute orientation. Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar formulations means that a particular feature, structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulations herein are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, various particular features, structures, operations, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments of the present technology.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/337,803, filed May 17, 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62337803 | May 2016 | US |
