Identification of cushioning members in personal audio devices

US11240585B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Apple Inc. · US

Inventors

• Jeffrey J. Terlizzi · San Francisco, US
• Kathleen A. Bergeron · Los Gatos, US
• Ali N. Ergun · Sunnyvale, US
• Dustin A. Hatfield · Los Gatos, US
• Ethan L. Huwe · Perham, US
• Todd P. Marco · San Jose, US
• Jason J. LeBlanc · Castro Valley, US
• Robert D. Zupke · San Jose, US
• Michael B. Minerbi · San Francisco, US
• Prathamesh R. Bhagwat · San Francisco, US
• Daniel R. Bloom · Alameda, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 16, 2020
• Grant date: Feb 1, 2022
• Expiry date: Sep 16, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R2460/15
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A personal audio device (e.g., headphones, earphones) can have an earpiece (e.g., an ear cup or earbud) with a removable cushioning member (e.g., headphone cushions or ear tips for earbuds). The cushioning member can include an identification tag that encodes identification data for the cushioning member. When the cushioning member is attached to the earpiece, the identification tag is brought into proximity with a tag sensor in the earpiece and the earpiece can read the identification tag to determine identification data for the cushioning member. The identification data can be used to modify a behavior of the earpiece and/or of a host device communicably coupled to the earpiece.