Earphone assemblies with magnets for anchoring to a user

Earphone assemblies with magnets are provided to anchor the assemblies to a user during use.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This can relate to earphone assemblies and, more particularly, to earphone assemblies with magnets for anchoring to a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Earphone assemblies are often worn by users that are exercising or performing other activities. However, such active use often dislodges an earphone assembly from its functional position with respect to a user's ear.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Earphone assemblies with magnets are provided for anchoring to a user during use.

As an example, an earphone assembly for use by a user's ear may be provided that may include a hook member including a functional component, a body, an audio output component positioned at least partially within the body, a first magnet physically coupled to the body, and a second magnet, wherein, when the body is positioned against the user's ear in a functional position that is operative to direct sound from the audio output component into the user's ear, the first magnet and the second magnet are operative to be positioned on opposite sides of a wall of the ear and are operative to be magnetically attracted to one another via the wall for holding the body in the functional position, and wherein a first end of the hook member is physically coupled to the body, a second end of the hook member is a free end, the second magnet is coupled to the hook member adjacent the second end of the hook member, and the functional component includes at least one of an antenna functionally coupled to the audio output component and a battery functionally coupled to the audio component.

As another example, an earphone assembly for use by a user's ear may be provided that may include a body, an audio output component positioned at least partially within the body, a hook member including a first end physically coupled to the body, a second end that is a free end, and a hook member part extending between the first end and the second end, a first magnet physically coupled to the body, a second magnet provided at a first position along the length of the hook member part, and a third magnet provided at a second position along the length of the hook member part, wherein, when the body is positioned against the user's ear in a functional position that is operative to direct sound from the audio output component into the user's ear, the first magnet and the second magnet are operative to be positioned on opposite sides of a first portion of a wall of the ear and are operative to be magnetically attracted to one another via the first portion of the wall for holding the body in the functional position, and, when the body is positioned against the user's ear in another functional position that is operative to direct sound from the audio output component into the user's ear, the first magnet and the third magnet are operative to be positioned on opposite sides of a second portion of the wall of the ear and are operative to be magnetically attracted to one another via the second portion of the wall for holding the body in the other functional position.

As yet another example, an earphone assembly for use by a user's ear may be provided that may include a body, an audio output component including a first magnet positioned at least partially within the body and a second magnet, wherein, when the body is positioned against the user's ear in a functional position that is operative to direct sound from the audio output component into the user's ear, the first magnet and the second magnet are operative to be positioned on opposite sides of a wall of the ear and are operative to be magnetically attracted to one another via the wall for holding the body in the functional position.

This Summary is provided only to summarize some example embodiments, so as to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the subject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the features described in this Summary are only examples and should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Unless otherwise stated, features described in the context of one example may be combined or used with features described in the context of one or more other examples. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Earphone assemblies with magnets are provided and described with reference toFIGS. 1-3C.

This disclosure describes a system to improve stability for earphones (e.g., wired or wireless in-ear earphones or for any other suitable type of earphones), particularly for active and sport use cases where the earphones can move and/or become dislodged, either ruining the sound quality or falling out completely from a functional position with respect to a user's ear. A strong rare earth magnet may be over-molded into or otherwise provided by an ear hook or any other suitable part of an earphone assembly, and a similar magnet may be integrated into an earphone housing (e.g., beneath or on or within an outer surface of a housing (e.g., an earbud housing or other suitable housing that may at least partially contain driver circuitry for the assembly (e.g., a plastic housing))). In such embodiments, the design of the ear hook and housing may be operative to locate the hook near the rear of the concha bowl cavity and/or scapha of the user's ear (e.g., where thin cartilage and/or thin tissue may exist). Therefore, through use of the magnets, the ear hook may magnetically attach to the housing through the ear tissue that may exist between the hook and housing, thereby anchoring the assembly to the pinna or any other suitable portion of the user's ear. Multiple magnetic points may be provided to allow for different ear sizes. The assembly may also include a sensor that may be integrated into or otherwise provided by the earphones at a location to be anchored against a user's ear for improving reliability with skin contact between the ear and such a sensor.

Any suitable earphone or headset assembly may be provided with one or more magnetic elements for securing the assembly to a user. For example, as shown inFIG. 1, a cabled headset assembly100may include a cable110that can electrically couple an audio connector component120to a left speaker component130and/or a right speaker component140. Cable110may include a main region112that may extend between audio connector component120and a bifurcation (e.g., forked region)114of cable110. Cable110may also include a left region116that may extend between bifurcation114and left speaker component130. Alternatively or additionally, cable110may include a right region118that may extend between bifurcation114and right speaker component140. Any one or more of cable regions112,114,116, and118of cable110may include one or more conductors that may be configured to transmit data and/or power signals between audio connector component120and one or both of left speaker component130and right speaker component140. Cabled headset assembly100may be configured to communicate any suitable data signals, such as audio signals, video signals, control signals, and the like with a media device. Connector component120may be operative to be physically coupled to any suitable connector of any suitable media device (not shown) for enabling communication between assembly100and such a media device. Alternatively, assembly100may not include a connector component120but may be operative to wirelessly communicate with such a media device.

As shown inFIG. 2, and as described in more detail below, assembly100may include a processor component152, a memory component153, a communications component154. a sensor component155, an input/output (“I/O”) component156, a power supply component157, and/or a bus158that may provide one or more wired or wireless communication links or paths for transferring data and/or power to, from, or between various other components of assembly100. I/O component156may include at least one input component (e.g., button, mouse, keyboard) to receive information from a user and/or at least one output component (e.g., audio speaker, video display, haptic component) to provide information to a user, such as a touch screen that may receive input information through a user's touch of a display screen and that may also provide visual information to a user via that same display screen. Memory153may include one or more storage mediums, including for example, a hard-drive, flash memory, permanent memory such as read-only memory (“ROM”), semi-permanent memory such as random access memory (“RAM”), any other suitable type of storage component, or any combination thereof. Communications component154may be provided to allow assembly100to communicate with one or more other devices (e.g., a media device) using any suitable communications protocol. Communications component154can be operative to create or connect to a communications network. Communications component154can provide wireless communications using any suitable short-range or long-range communications protocol, such as Wi-Fi (e.g., a 802.11 protocol), Bluetooth, radio frequency systems (e.g., 1200 MHz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.6 GHz communication systems), infrared, protocols used by wireless and cellular telephones and personal e-mail devices, or any other protocol supporting wireless communications. Communications component154can also be operative to connect to a wired communications network or directly to another data source wirelessly or via one or more wired connections (e.g., using any suitable software, firmware, and/or hardware components (e.g., one or more antennas)). Sensor155may be any suitable sensor that may be configured to sense any suitable data for assembly100, such as a biometric sensor (e.g., a heart rate monitor (e.g., photoplethysmogram (“PPG”) sensors, electrocardiography (“ECG”) sensors, etc.), a light sensor, audio sensor, camera, a global positioning system (“GPS”) sensor, and the like. Power supply157can include any suitable circuitry for receiving and/or generating power, and for providing such power to one or more of the other components of assembly100. Processor152may be used to run one or more applications, such as an application159that may be accessible from memory153and/or any other suitable source (e.g., from a media device via a wired or wireless connection). Application159may include, but is not limited to, one or more operating system applications, firmware applications, communication applications, internet browsing applications, or any other suitable applications. For example, processor152may load an application159as a user interface program to determine how instructions or data received via an input component of I/O component156or other component of assembly100may manipulate the way in which information may be stored and/or provided to the user via an output component of I/O component156. Assembly100may also be provided with a housing151that may at least partially enclose one or more of the components of assembly100for protection from debris and other degrading forces external to assembly100. Each component of assembly100may be included in the same housing151(e.g., as a single unitary device, such as a single earphone) and/or different components may be provided in different housings (e.g., a first housing may include one of each component ofFIG. 2to provide a left earphone for a left ear of a user and a second housing may include at least some of the components ofFIG. 2to provide a right earphone for a right ear of the user). In some embodiments, assembly100may include other components not combined or included in those shown or several instances of the components shown.

As shown inFIG. 3, an earphone assembly200may be worn by an ear300of a user. For example, assembly200may be similar to assembly100and/or may include one, some, or all of the components of assembly100. As shown, assembly200may include an earbud housing or body250that may include a housing that may at least partially enclose one or more suitable components of assembly200, such as an audio driver output component, a power supply, a communications component, a sensor, and/or the like (e.g., one or more components similar to one or more components of assembly100ofFIG. 2). Moreover, as shown, earbud body250may include at least one magnet, such as a bud magnet252and/or a bud magnet252′ that may respectively be magnetically coupled to an ear hook magnet282and/or an ear hook magnet282′, respectively. Body250may be coupled to an ear tip240that may be operative to be fitted at least partially within an ear canal322of ear300for directing sound from a driver of assembly200(e.g., a driver at least partially provided within body250and/or within ear tip240) into canal322. In some embodiments, assembly300may provide a non-occluding earphone or an earphone that is not configured to be at least partially inserted into the ear canal of the user but that may fit directly in the outer ear and face the ear canal. Alternatively, assembly300may provide an occluding earphone or an earphone that is configured to be at least partially inserted into the ear canal of the user (e.g., an in-ear headphone or in-ear monitor or canalphone). At least a portion of assembly200, such as at least a portion of body250, may be at least partially positioned within a concha316(e.g., a hollow portion adjacent ear canal322) or any other suitable portion of ear300(e.g., the scapha) that may support body250. In other embodiments, body250may be positioned outside of but adjacent to concha316(e.g., as an ear cup that may surround at least a portion of concha316for directing sound through concha316and into canal322).

As shown inFIG. 3, assembly300may include an ear hook member280or arm or extension member that may be physically coupled to and that may extend away from body250. Hook member280may have a free end281that may be positioned behind ear300(e.g., behind pinna312) when a portion of member280is directed away from body250up and over helix311of ear300. Member280may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, glass, and/or the like, that may include at least a flexible coupling with body250(e.g., at a body end opposite free end281) and/or that may be flexible along at least a portion of the length of member280for enabling member280to be flexible, deformable, and/or reconfigurable so as to be positioned comfortably and/or easily with respect to ear300as shown inFIG. 3. At least one magnet282may be provided in and/or on member280for aligning with at least one magnet252of body250, such that magnet282and magnet252may attract one another for holding assembly200in the position ofFIG. 3with respect to ear300(e.g., a functional position at which sound may be effectively emitted from assembly200into ear canal322of ear300). As shown inFIG. 3A, magnets252and282may be aligned for attracting one another with magnetism (e.g., magnetism MG) through ear tissue301of any suitable portion of ear300. In some embodiments, in addition to or as an alternative to hook member280, another ear hook member284may be coupled to and may extend away from body250. Hook member284may include a free end (e.g., similar to free end281of hook member280) that may be positioned behind ear300when a portion of member284is directed away from body250down and under ear lobe314of ear300. Member284may be made of any suitable material, such as plastic, rubber, glass, and/or the like, that may include at least a flexible coupling with body250(e.g., at an end of member284opposite the free end) and/or that may be flexible along at least a portion of the length of member284for enabling member284to be flexible, deformable, and/or reconfigurable to be positioned as shown inFIG. 3. At least one magnet282′ may be provided in and/or on member284for aligning with at least one magnet252′ of body250, such that magnet282′ and magnet252′ may attract one another for holding assembly200in the position ofFIG. 3with respect to ear300. While magnets252/282may be shown inFIG. 3to cause an attraction along a direction that may be along a path that may be co-linear or substantially collinear with the path of tip240away from body250, magnets252′/282′ may be shown inFIG. 3to cause an attraction along a direction that may be perpendicular or substantially perpendicular with the path of tip240away from body250and/or with the path of attraction of magnets252/282. For example, magnet282may be operative to pull magnet252sideways against a side inner portion of concha316, whereas magnet282′ may be operative to pull magnet252′ downward against a bottom inner portion of concha316.

Any suitable number of magnets provided on or in body250may be attracted to respective magnets provided on or in members extending away from body250via any suitable portions of ear300, which may be operative to more securely hold assembly200in a functional position with respect to ear300. Member280and/or member284may include or otherwise provide or be provided by any other suitable component of assembly200besides one or more magnets, such as component283of member280and/or component283′ of member284, where component283and/or component283′ may be any suitable component as described with respect to components of assembly100ofFIGS. 1 and 2. For example, component283′ of member284may include a conductor for providing a portion of a cable assembly (e.g., a portion of a bus (e.g., a bus similar to bus158and/or cable region112,114,116, and/or118of cable110of assembly100)). Additionally or alternatively, component283of member280and/or component283′ of member284may include an antenna or a battery or any other suitable component or components of assembly200. In some embodiments, at least a portion of a magnet of assembly200may be provided by at least a portion of another component of assembly200(e.g., any suitable mechanism (e.g., a transducer) of any suitable audio output component256(e.g., moving-iron speaker, magnetostatic speaker, magnetostrictive speaker, ribbon speaker, Heil air motion transducer speaker, electromagnetic speaker, and/or the like) of assembly200(e.g., an audio driver or speaker that may be at least partially provided within body250) may provide at least a portion of magnet252and/or magnet252′ (e.g., a magnet with two poles in between which a coil of wire may be suspended and moved (e.g., via induction) to move a diaphragm to create sound waves)). In some embodiments, member280and/or member284may be an independent component not physically extending from body250but may be a distinct component that may be coupled to body250via magnetism between a magnet of body250and a magnet of member280and/or member284.

Such attraction between magnets of assembly200through a portion of ear300may be operative to position at least one sensor of assembly200with respect to ear300in any suitable manner. For example, a sensor of assembly200may operate more reliably if held close to or directly against a portion of ear300(e.g., one or more PPG sensors or ECG sensors). For example, as shown inFIG. 3B, a first assembly part202of assembly200(e.g., member284, member284′, or body250) may include a first magnet204, a second magnet208, and a sensor206, each of which may be at least partially exposed through or provided adjacent to an external surface202aof part202that may be operative to lie against a first external surface301aof user body301(e.g., ear300). As also shown inFIG. 3B, a second assembly part292of assembly200(e.g., member284, member284′, or body250) that is different than first assembly part202may include a first magnet294, a second magnet298, and a sensor296, each of which may be at least partially exposed through or provided adjacent to an external surface292aof part292that may be operative to lie against a second external surface301bof user body301(e.g., ear300). When aligned as shown inFIG. 3B, magnet204may be aligned with magnet294for generating magnetism M1via body301for holding assembly part202with respect to part292, and/or magnet208may be aligned with magnet298for generating magnetism M2via body301for holding assembly part202with respect to part292. The positional relationship of sensor206with respect to one or more of magnets204and208and/or based on the positional relationship of sensor296with respect to one or more of magnets294and298may enable sensor206to be held against or proximal to surface202aand/or may enable sensor296to be held against or proximal to surface202band/or may enable sensor206and sensor296to be held adjacent to one another across body301(e.g., for enabling proper functionality of sensor206and/or sensor296). Each magnet may have a portion exposed along a surface of an assembly part, or a portion of an assembly part (e.g., an external housing surface) may hide a magnet therebehind while still enabling the functionality of the magnet. Additionally or alternatively, each sensor may have a portion exposed along a surface of an assembly part, or a portion of an assembly part (e.g., an external housing surface) may hide a sensor therebehind while still enabling the functionality of the sensor.

Attraction between magnets of assembly200through a portion of ear300may be operative to more comfortably position different portions of assembly200with respect to ear300. For example, as shown inFIG. 3C, a first assembly part202′ of assembly200(e.g., member284, member284′, or body250) may include a first magnet204a, a second magnet204b, and a third magnet204c, each of which may be at least partially exposed through or provided adjacent to an external surface202aof part202′ that may be operative to lie against a first external surface301aof user body301(e.g., ear300). As also shown inFIG. 3C, a second assembly part292′ of assembly200(e.g., member284, member284′, or body250) that is different than first assembly part202′ may include a first magnet294a, which may be at least partially exposed through or provided adjacent to an external surface292aof part292′ that may be operative to lie against a second external surface301bof user body301(e.g., ear300). Part202′ may be moved with respect to part292′ such that magnet294aof part292′ may be aligned via body301with a particular one of magnets204a-204cof part202′ (e.g., magnet204bfor generating magnetism M via body301for holding assembly part202′ with respect to part292′, as shown inFIG. 3C). Which one of magnets204a-204cof part202′ is aligned with magnet294aof part292′ may determine how loose or tight assembly200may be worn on ear300(e.g., based on the size of ear300, a different one of magnets204a-204cmay be aligned with magnet294afor providing a comfortable fit on ear300). In some embodiments, as shown, a sensor206bmay be provided at least partially within magnet204band/or a sensor296bmay be provided at least partially within magnet294afor being functionally positioned with respect to ear300when magnets294aand204bare functionally aligned with each other via body301. Alternatively, as shown, a magnet294a′may be positioned within a sensor296b′. Therefore, a sensor may be positioned within, adjacent, behind, about, or otherwise in any other suitable position with respect to at least one magnet for enabling proper functional positioning of the sensor with respect to ear300when the at least one magnet is attracted to another magnet of the assembly. Therefore, a consistent pressure of a sensor on, towards, or against a surface of ear300may be maintained by magnetism to enable proper functionality of that sensor. Each magnet may be any suitable material, such as a rare earth magnet (e.g., neodymium magnets and/or samarium-cobalt magnets), any magnetic permeable material (e.g., to form a portion of body250, etc.), and/or the like.

While there have been described earphone assemblies with magnets for anchoring to a user, it is to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

Therefore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation.