Open ear audio device with bone conduction speaker

USRE50033E1 · kind E1 · reissue

Assignee

• Bose Corporation · US

Inventors

• Naganagouda B. Patil · Ashland, US
• Matthew Christopher Smith · Seattle, US
• Ilissa Brooke Bruser · Framingham, US
• Maya Antara Mukhopadhaya · Brookline, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 21, 2020
• Grant date: Jul 2, 2024
• Expiry date: May 21, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC —): General

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for an open ear audio device outputting audio using an external audio speaker, bone conduction speaker, or both an external audio speaker and bone conduction speaker. In an aspect, sound is output using either the audio speaker or the bone conduction speaker based on the type of sound. Audio the user desires to keep private are configured to be output using the bone conduction speaker. In an aspect, the audio device simultaneously outputs a first sound using the audio speaker and a second sound using the bone conduction speaker. The user receives both streams of audio and selects which sound to focus on. In an aspect, the audio device determines how to output audio based on the SPL of the user's environment.