PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11838716-B1
Application Number: US-202117319698-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Headband accessory

Abstract:
An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be configured to be worn on a head of a user. The headphones may have a headband and earcups that are coupled to the headband. The headband may have a frame and a headband frame cover that is removably attached to the frame. The cover may have protrusions, may be inflated using a pump, may include a battery and other components, and may include sensors. An earcup movement synchronization mechanism may be used to synchronize movement of a left earcup with a right earcup. A torsion spring with a stop mechanisms or other bend limiter may be configured to prevent overbending of the headband.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Headphones, comprising:
 a headband; 
 first and second earcups with speakers coupled respectively to opposing ends of the headband; 
 a first earcup support member configured to couple the first earcup for motion with respect to a left side of the headband; 
 a second earcup support member configured to couple the second earcup for motion with respect to a right side of the headband; and 
 an earcup movement synchronization mechanism in the headband that is configured to synchronize movement of the first and second earcups, wherein the earcup movement synchronization mechanism comprises:
 a first cable having opposing ends coupled respectively to the first and second earcup support members; and 
 a second cable having opposing ends coupled respectively to the first and second earcup support members. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The headphones defined in  claim 1 
 wherein, in response to movement of the first earcup, the first earcup support member moves into the headband by a first amount and the earcup movement synchronization mechanism moves the second earcup support member into the headband by the first amount. 
 
     
     
       3. The headphones defined in  claim 1  wherein the earcup movement synchronization mechanism further comprises a first pulley that receives the first cable and a second pulley that receives the second cable. 
     
     
       4. The headphones defined in  claim 1  wherein the headband comprise a headband frame and a cover removably coupled to the headband frame. 
     
     
       5. The headphones defined in  claim 4  wherein the cover and the headband frame comprise magnets. 
     
     
       6. The headphones defined in  claim 4  further comprising a pump configured to inflate the headband. 
     
     
       7. The headphones defined in  claim 6  further comprising a spring in the headband that is configured to bias the first and second earcups towards each other. 
     
     
       8. The headphones defined in  claim 7  further comprising a headband bend limiter configured to prevent movement of the first and second earcups towards each other more than a given amount. 
     
     
       9. The headphones defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a sensor in the headband. 
 
     
     
       10. Headphones, comprising:
 a headband having a headband frame and a headband frame cover that is removably coupled to the headband frame, wherein the headband frame cover comprises a first foam member with a first stiffness and a second foam member with a second stiffness that is greater than the first stiffness and wherein the second foam member is interposed between the first foam member and the headband frame; and 
 earcups coupled respectively to opposing ends of the headband. 
 
     
     
       11. The headphones defined in  claim 10  wherein the headband frame cover includes a battery. 
     
     
       12. The headphones defined in  claim 10  wherein the headband frame cover comprises a plurality of protrusions. 
     
     
       13. The headphones defined in  claim 10 
 wherein the headband frame cover has a cavity. 
 
     
     
       14. The headphones defined in  claim 10  further comprising engagement structures configured to removably couple the headband frame cover to the headband frame. 
     
     
       15. The headphones defined in  claim 10  further comprising magnets configured to removably couple the headband frame cover to the headband frame. 
     
     
       16. The headphones defined in  claim 10  further comprising a pump configured to inflate the headband. 
     
     
       17. Headphones, comprising:
 a headband having a headband frame and a removable cover coupled to the headband frame; 
 first and second earcups coupled to the headband by respective first and second earcup support members that are movable into and out of the headband, each earcup containing a respective speaker; 
 a bend limiter in the headband configured to prevent overbending of the headband; and 
 an earcup movement synchronization mechanism coupled to the first and second earcup support members to synchronize movement of the first and second earcups. 
 
     
     
       18. The headphones defined in  claim 17  wherein the bend limiter comprises a torsion spring with a stop configured to prevent movement of the first earcup towards the second earcup by more than a predetermined amount. 
     
     
       19. The headphones defined in  claim 17  wherein the earcup movement synchronization mechanism comprises first and second cables each coupled between the first and second earcup support members. 
     
     
       20. The headphones defined in  claim 17  further comprising a battery in the removable cover. 
     
     
       21. The headphones defined in  claim 17  further comprising a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a blood volume change sensor, a heart rate sensor, a perspiration sensor, a brainwave activity sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
       22. The headphones defined in  claim 17  further comprising a pump configured to inflate the headband.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 63/045,701, filed Jun. 29, 2020, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to electronic devices such as headphones. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as headphones may have structures that allow the devices to be worn on the head. Speakers may be used to provide audio output. 
     SUMMARY 
     An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be configured to be worn on a head of a user. The headphones may have a headband and earcups that are coupled to the headband. 
     The headband may have a frame and a cover that is removably attached to the frame. Engagement structures such as snaps, magnets, and/or other attachment mechanisms may be used in removably coupling the cover and frame. 
     The cover may have protrusions and other structures to enhance comfort as the headband is worn, may be adjusted using a pump that inflates the headband, may include a battery, and may include sensors and other components. The sensors may gather health information, motion information, and other information. 
     The earcups of the headphones may include a left earcup that is coupled to a left side of the headphones and a right earcup that is coupled to a right side of the headphones. An earcup movement synchronization mechanism in the headband may synchronize movement of the left earcup with movement of the right earcup. 
     A spring may be provided in the headband to bias the earcups inwardly towards the ears of a user. A torsion spring with a stop mechanism or other bend limiter may be configured to prevent overbending of the headband by the spring. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic diagram of an illustrative electronic device such as a pair of headphones in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a top view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of an illustrative electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an illustrative headband in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an illustrative headband viewed along the length of the headband in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    is a diagram of an illustrative electronic device having an earcup movement synchronization system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a headband showing how the headband may be provided with a biasing structure to help provide head clamping force and a stop mechanism that serves as a bend limiter to set a minimum earcup separation and prevent overbending of the headband in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  8    is a graph showing how the illustrative biasing structure and bend limiter may impart forces on the head band while the headband is flexed by different amounts in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative headband with a frame and removable headband frame cover in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative removable cover that has been coupled to a frame in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative removable cover that is being retained by an end portion of the frame in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    is a top view of an illustrative headband with a hoop-shaped frame and removable cover in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  13  and  14    are cross-sectional views of a frame and removable cover in accordance with embodiments. 
         FIG.  15    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative removable cover in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  16  and  17    are cross-sectional side views of illustrative headband structures in accordance with embodiments. 
         FIG.  18    is a view of a headband cover with protrusions in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  19    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative headband inflation system for inflating protrusions and/or other structures in a headband in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices such as headphones have speakers for providing audio output to a user. Headphones may be used in systems with other equipment such as head-mounted display devices and/or may be used as stand-alone devices. In some configurations, hybrid devices may include headphone and head-mounted display components. 
     A schematic diagram of an illustrative system that may include one or more electronic devices is shown in  FIG.  1   . As shown in  FIG.  1   , system  8  may include one or more electronic devices such as electronic device  10 . The electronic devices of system  8  may include computers, cellular telephones, head-mounted display devices, wristwatch devices, headphones, and/or other electronic devices. Configurations in which electronic device  10  is a pair of headphones may sometimes be described herein as an example. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , electronic devices such as electronic device  10  may have control circuitry  12 . Control circuitry  12  may include storage and processing circuitry for controlling the operation of device  10 . Circuitry  12  may include storage such as hard disk drive storage, nonvolatile memory (e.g., electrically-programmable-read-only memory configured to form a solid-state drive), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic random-access-memory), etc. Processing circuitry in control circuitry  12  may be based on one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors, baseband processors, power management units, audio chips, graphics processing units, application specific integrated circuits, and other integrated circuits. Software code may be stored on storage in circuitry  12  and run on processing circuitry in circuitry  12  to implement control operations for device  10  (e.g., data gathering operations, operations involving the adjustment of the components of device  10  using control signals, etc.). Control circuitry  12  may include wired and wireless communications circuitry. For example, control circuitry  12  may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry such as cellular telephone transceiver circuitry, wireless local area network transceiver circuitry (e.g., WiFi® circuitry), millimeter wave transceiver circuitry, and/or other wireless communications circuitry. 
     During operation, the communications circuitry of the devices in system  8  (e.g., the communications circuitry of control circuitry  12  of device  10 ), may be used to support communication between the electronic devices. For example, one electronic device may transmit video data, audio data, and/or other data to another electronic device in system  8 . Electronic devices in system  8  may use wired and/or wireless communications circuitry to communicate through one or more communications networks (e.g., the internet, local area networks, etc.). The communications circuitry may be used to allow data to be received by device  10  from external equipment (e.g., a tethered computer, a portable device such as a handheld device or laptop computer, online computing equipment such as a remote server or other remote computing equipment, a head-mounted device, or other electrical equipment) and/or to provide data to external equipment. 
     Device  10  may include input-output devices  22 . Input-output devices  22  may be used to allow a user to provide device  10  with user input. Input-output devices  22  may also be used to gather information on the environment in which device  10  is operating. Output components in devices  22  may allow device  10  to provide a user with output and may be used to communicate with external electrical equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG.  1   , input-output devices  22  may include sensors  16  and other devices  24 . Sensors  16  may include, for example, three-dimensional sensors (e.g., three-dimensional image sensors such as structured light sensors that emit beams of light and that use two-dimensional digital image sensors to gather image data for three-dimensional images from light spots that are produced when a target is illuminated by the beams of light, binocular three-dimensional image sensors that gather three-dimensional images using two or more cameras in a binocular imaging arrangement, light detection and ranging sensors such as three-dimensional lidar sensors, three-dimensional radio-frequency sensors, or other sensors that gather three-dimensional image data), cameras (e.g., infrared and/or visible digital image sensors), gaze tracking sensors (e.g., a gaze tracking system based on an image sensor and, if desired, a light source that emits one or more beams of light that are tracked using the image sensor after reflecting from a user&#39;s eyes), touch sensors, capacitive proximity sensors, light-based (optical) proximity sensors, other proximity sensors, force sensors, sensors such as contact sensors based on switches, gas sensors, pressure sensors, moisture sensors, magnetic sensors, audio sensors (microphones), ambient light sensors, microphones for gathering voice commands and other audio input, sensors that are configured to gather information on motion, position, and/or orientation (e.g., accelerometers, gyroscopes, compasses, and/or inertial measurement units that include all of these sensors or a subset of one or two of these sensors), health sensors such as sensors for measuring heart rate, blood pressure, perspiration, temperature, brain wave activity, heart signals, and/or other health and/or biometric data, and/or other sensors. 
     User input and other information may be gathered using sensors and other input devices in input-output devices  22 . If desired, input-output devices  22  may include other devices  24  such as displays, haptic output devices (e.g., vibrating components), light-emitting diodes and other light sources, speakers such as ear speakers for producing audio output, circuits for receiving wireless power, circuits for transmitting power wirelessly to other devices, batteries and other energy storage devices (e.g., capacitors), joysticks, buttons, and/or other components. 
     Electronic device  10  may have housing structures (e.g., housing walls, straps, headbands, etc.), as shown by illustrative support structures  26  of  FIG.  1   . In configurations in which electronic device  10  is a pair of headphones, support structures  26  may be head-mounted support structures that include a headband that extends in a U-shape or other suitable shape across the top of a user&#39;s head or other portion of a user&#39;s head so that the components of device  10  (e.g., speakers) are maintained at desired positions relative to the user&#39;s head (e.g., so that speakers are aligned with the user&#39;s ears). The head-mounted support structures may be configured to be worn on a head of a user during operation of device  10  and may support and enclose input-output devices  22  and control circuitry  12 . 
       FIG.  2    is a top view of electronic device  10  in an illustrative configuration in which electronic device  10  is a pair of headphones. As shown in  FIG.  2   , electronic device  10  may include head-mounted support structures  26  to house the components of device  10  and to support device  10  on a user&#39;s head. Support structures  26 , which may sometimes be referred to as a support, supporting structure, head-mounted support structure, etc., may include, for example, structures that form housing walls, speaker enclosures, support members that move relative to each other, internal frame structures, and/or other structures that support and enclose the components of device  10 . As shown in  FIG.  2   , support structures  26  may include a headband configured to be worn over the top of a user&#39;s head such as headband  26 H. Support structures  26  may also include portions that enclose speakers (e.g., left and right speakers that provide sound to a user′ left and right ears, respectively) such as earcups  26 E. 
     As shown in the side view of device  10  of  FIG.  3   , earcups  26 E may contain speakers such as speaker  40 . During operation, when device  10  is being worn on a head of a user, each earcup  26 E and the corresponding speaker  40  of that earcup may be aligned with a respective ear of the user. Earcups  26 E may be coupled to headband  26 H using support structures such as earcup support members  26 M. If desired, support members  26 M may be coupled to headband  26 H for reciprocal motion and may be moved in and out of headband  26 H to allow the size of the pair of headphones to be adjusted to accommodate different head sizes. 
     To provide headband  26 H with a desired strength without adding undesired weight, headband  26 H may include a frame formed from a flexible skeleton. The frame may, as an example have a series of ribs that are mounted to frame rails.  FIG.  4    is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a headband frame taken along line  34  of  FIG.  2    and viewed in direction  36 . As shown in  FIG.  4   , headband frame  26 HF may have multiple ribs  40  supported by flexible rails such as rail  42 . A spring may be incorporated into frame  26 HF. The spring may be configured to bend frame  26 HF in directions  46  towards bent position  44 . When worn on a user&#39;s head, pressure from the user&#39;s head and ears will overcome the inward force of the spring and thereby push support structure  26  outwardly (e.g., frame  26 HF will be bent outwardly from position  44  in directions  48 ). The opposing biasing force in directions  46  that is supplied by the spring may push the sides of the headband and earcups closer together, so that the headband and other structures in device  10  are held securely on the user&#39;s head. 
       FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional side view of frame  26 HF taken along line  30  of  FIG.  2    and viewed in direction  32  of  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  5   , frame rails  42  may be configured to receive opposing ends of each rib  40 . Spring  48  may extend along the length of headband frame  26 HF on the top of ribs  40  between rails  42  and/or may otherwise be incorporated into frame  26 HF. Spring  48  may extend along some or all of the headband frame. If desired, one or more layers of polymer or other material may be interposed between spring  48  and ribs  40  to support spring  48 . Rails  42  may be formed from flexible polymer or other suitable material. Ribs  40  may be formed from polymer, metal, and/or other materials. The skeleton structures formed by rails  42  and ribs  40  may provide frame  26 HF with a strong lightweight structure that is able to bend about a user&#39;s head. 
     It may be desirable to provide the earcups of device  10  with a movement synchronization system. With this mechanism, movement by a user of the left earcup (e.g., a downward movement to expand the size of the headphones or an upward movement to reduce headphone size) will cause a corresponding movement of the right earcup (and vice versa). An illustrative earcup movement synchronization mechanism based on cables is shown in  FIG.  6   . Other synchronization mechanisms may be used, if desired. 
     In the example of  FIG.  6   , earcups  26 E include left earcup  26 E-L and right earcup  26 E-R coupled to headphone headband  26 H (e.g. frame  26 HF in headband  26 H). Earcup support members  26 M include left earcup support member  26 M-L and right earcup support member  26 M-R. Earcup movement synchronization cables  50  and  58  are used to synchronize earcup motion. Cable  50  is attached to member  26 M-L at point  52  and is attached to member  26 M-R at point  54 . The direction of cable  50  on the right side of headband  26 H may be reversed using pulley  56 . Cable  58  is attached to member  26 M-R at point  60  and is attached to member  26 M-L at point  62 . The direction of cable  58  on the left side of headband  26 H may be reversed using pulley  64 . Pulleys, guiding channels, and/or other guiding structures may be provided in the middle of headband  26 H to help route cables  50  and  58  and ensure that cables  50  and  58  are taught. 
     The earcup motion synchronization mechanism of  FIG.  6    helps synchronize movement of earcups  26  on the left and right sides of the headphones. If, for example, a user pulls downwardly on left earcup  26 E-L in direction  66 , cable  50  on the left side of device  10  will be pulled downwardly in direction  68 . This pulls cable  50  at location  73  upwardly in direction  72 . Due to the operation of pulley  56 , cable  50  at point  54  pulls downwardly on member  26 M-R in direction  70 , which moves earcup  26 E-R downwardly in direction  70  by the same amount that earcup  26 E-L was moved downwardly in direction  66  on the left side of device  10 . During these movements, cable  58  moves in directions  74  and  77  to accommodate the synchronized movement of the left and right earcups. When earcup  26 E-L is pushed upwardly, cable  58  pulls earcup  26 E-R upwardly in synchronization and cable  50  moves to accommodate the synchronized movement of the earcups. 
     To prevent device  10  from bending inwardly more than desired due to the operation of spring  48  ( FIG.  5   ), a tension spring clamping stop mechanism or other stop mechanism may be incorporated into device  10 . This stop mechanism serves as a headband bend limiter that prevents overbending of headband  26 H. As shown in  FIG.  7   , for example, headband  26 H may include a tension spring stop mechanism such as stop mechanism  80 . Mechanism  80  may include tension springs  82  on the left and/or right sides of device  10  that restrict inward motion of headband  26 H. For example, spring  48  may exert a clamping force that tends to bend headband  26 H inwardly towards a user in direction  46 . When a predetermined amount of bending is reached, however, the limit of travel of spring(s)  82  is reached and further bending movement is prevented (e.g., headband  26 H may be allowed to move distance ΔD until ΔD reaches a predefined limit so that headband  26 H can bend no further inward than position  44 ). The graph of  FIG.  8    illustrates how spring  48  may exhibit an inward bias (negative value of force F) until the value of ΔD reaches a predetermined hard stop distance HS, at which point further inward movement of the sides of headband  26 H and earcups  26 E towards each other is prevented. 
     As shown in  FIG.  9   , headband  26 H may include a removable cover (sometimes referred to as a removable housing member, removable headband cover, or removable headband frame cover). When headband  26 H is worn on a user&#39;s head, cover  26 HC may be interposed between frame  26 HF and the user&#39;s head. Cover  26 HC may be removably attached to the inwardly facing side of frame  26 HF using magnets  86  and/or other attachment mechanisms (e.g., engagement structures such as snaps, press-fit connections, fasteners such as screws, hook-and-loop fasteners, etc.). Electrical components  90  may be mounted in the interior of frame  26 FH and/or in the interior of removable cover  26 HC. Components  90  may, if desired, be interconnected using signal lines in one or more printed circuits  88  or other signal paths. Components  90  may include integrated circuits, discrete components, modules, and/or other circuitry for forming control circuitry  12  and/or input-output devices  22 . In an illustrative configuration, cover  26 HC may contain a battery that is used to supplement a battery in frame  26 HF or a battery that serves as the only battery in device  10 . 
     Inner surface  84  of removable cover  26 HC may be formed from a material that is soft to the touch (e.g., fabric, foam, etc.) so that headband  26 H is comfortable to wear. Covering layers for frame  26 HF and/or removable cover  26 HC may, in general, be formed from polymer, metal, fabric, leather, other materials, and/or combinations of these materials. These covering layers may include rigid parts and/or strong flexible sheets that provide structural support for headband  26 H and/or may include thinner cosmetic layers. Because cover  26 HC is removable, cover  26 HC may be replaced with a different cover (e.g. to swap batteries, to install a differently shaped cover  26 HC to accommodate a different user, to allow cover  26 HC to be washed, to allow a different cover  26 HC with different capabilities such as a different set of sensors  16  or other input-output devices  22  to be swapped into place, etc.). 
     Although the configuration of  FIG.  9    illustrates a mounting arrangement in which cover  26 HC is attached to the inner surface of frame  26 HC, different mounting arrangements may be used. For example, in an arrangement in which device  10  is a head-mounted device, removable cover  26 HC may be attached to the ends of temples (e.g., in a pair of glasses) or to the inner surfaces of a helmet or pair of goggles. In arrangements in which device  10  is a sleep mask, cover  26 HC may form an inner liner facing the face of a user. Wristwatches, sleep pillows, and/or other devices may also be provided with removable covers such as cover  26 HC of device  10 , if desired. 
       FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional side view of headband  26 H in an illustrative configuration in which cover  26 HC has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile configured to receive frame  26 HF. In the example of  FIG.  11   , frame  26 HF has a rounded end portion on each end of the elongated structures forming frame  26 HF (e.g., on the left and right sides of device  10 ). These rounded end portions receive the corresponding ends of cover  26 HF. Attachment mechanisms such as these and/or other attachment mechanism may help secure cover  26 HC to frame  26 HF during use of device  10 . 
     As shown in the top view of  FIG.  12   , frame  26 HF may, if desired, have an open shape (e.g., a loop or hoop shape) in which an elongated frame member (frame member  92 ) surrounds central opening  94 . Cover  26 HC may be fixedly attached and/or removably attached to this hoop-shaped frame or other suitable frame structures.  FIGS.  13  and  14    are cross-sectional side views of portions of headband  26 H in illustrative configurations in which frame  26 HF has a hoop shape of the type shown in  FIG.  12   . In these illustrative configuration, frame  26 HF and cover  26 HC have engagement structures such as interlocking snap structures  96  that allow cover  26 HC to be removably attached to frame  26 HF. In the example of  FIG.  13   , cover  26 HC is attached to the bottom (inwardly facing) surface of frame  26 HF without overlapping the side edge of frame  26 HF. In the example of  FIG.  14   , cover  26 HC has a portion that curves outwardly and at least partly covers the otherwise exposed edge of frame  26 HF. Other frame and cover arrangements may be used, if desired. 
     As shown in  FIG.  15   , cover  26 HC may, if desired, include a core such as core  96  and an outer covering such as covering layer  98 . Core  96  may be, for example, a foam member, inflatable bladder(s), and/or other soft material. Covering layer  98  may be formed from a layer of polymer, a layer of fabric, and/or other materials (e.g. soft materials). There may be cavities in core  96  (e.g., air-filled cavities) such as cavity  100 . Cavities such as cavity  100  may be placed at one or more locations in cover  26 HC to adjust the softness of cover  26 HC (e.g. to locally reduce stiffness and thereby increase softness of cover  26 HC in portions of cover  26 HC that are worn against the sides of a user&#39;s head) and/or to receive components (see, e.g., control circuitry  12  and/or input-output devices  22  of  FIG.  1   , which may include, for example, a battery, and/or other circuitry). Cavity  100  may, if desired, be formed from a sealed membrane wall such as a polymer bladder wall (e.g., to form a trapped air pocket). 
     Because cover  26 HC may be formed from soft pillowy materials, cover  26 HC may sometimes be referred to as a removable pillow or cover pillow. Cover  26 HC may be formed from a single cover member, may be formed from two or more individual pieces, and/or may be formed from other suitable sets of one or more individual covering structures. For example, a larger central portion of cover  26 HC may contain a removable battery and/or side portions of cover  26 HC may include removable side members (e.g., side members without batteries). 
       FIG.  16    shows how cover  26 HC may be formed from multiple different types of material. As shown in  FIG.  16   , cover  26 HC may, as an example, have a first member such as member  102  that is formed from a first material (e.g., a stiff foam) and may have a second member such as member  104  that is formed from a second material (e.g. a soft foam) with different properties (e.g., a second material that is softer, more flexible, less stiff, and has a smaller elastic modulus than the first material). If desired, openings such as illustrative opening  107  (e.g., through-hole openings) may be formed vertically through frame  26 HF and/or cover  26 HC (e.g., to accommodate underlying components, to enhance comfort by reducing pressure hotspots and/or facilitating air flow, etc.). 
     As shown in  FIG.  16   , member  104  may have protrusions such as protrusions  106  that face the head of the user to enhance comfort. Protrusions  106 , which may sometimes be referred to as dimples may, if desired, have embedded components (e.g., sensors  16  such as force sensors for mapping various pressure points on a user&#39;s head, haptic actuators that may be adjusted in various patterns to convey information by touch to the user&#39;s head, etc.). If desired, one or more portions along the length of headband  26 H may be provided with cavities such as cavity  100  of  FIG.  17   . The presence of cavities  100  may locally change the stiffness of headband  26 H (e.g., the presence of a cavity may help locally reduce headband stiffness). The human head may, as an example, be particularly sensitive to pressure at the  12 : 00  position (top of the head), so placing one or more cavities  100  and/or relatively larger fractions of soft foam at the portion of headband  26 HF that overlap the top-of-the-head position may help enhance comfort. Cooling liquid may, if desired, be pumped or otherwise circulated through pipes or other cavities in protrusions  106  and/or other portions of headband  26 H to help cool a user&#39;s head. 
       FIG.  18    shows how cover  26 HC may have protrusions  106  that extend in an array along the length of cover  26 HC (e.g., along the X axis in the example of  FIG.  18   ). Each protrusion may have a potentially different softness (elasticity) to allow sensitive areas of headband  26 H to be selectively provided with enhanced softness. 
     The cross-sectional side view of device  10  of  FIG.  19    shows how a pump may be used to fill protrusions on the inwardly facing surface of device  10  (e.g., on a removable or fixed cover) or other portions of headband  26 H with fluid. As shown in  FIG.  19   , device  10  may have one or more pumps such as pump  112 . There may be, for example, a first pump for the left side of device  10  and a second pump for the right side of device  10 . Pumps such as pump  112  may be air pumps or may be configured to pump liquid or other fluid. 
     In the example of  FIG.  19   , earcup  26 E is attached to earcup support member  26 M. Plunger  110  of pump  112  may be coupled to member  26 M, so that plunger  110  may be moved by moving (e.g., reciprocating) earcup  26 E (or other portion of device  10 ) back and forth (e.g., up in direction  114  and down in direction  116 , repeatedly). This pumping action forces environmental air or liquid from a reservoir into passageway  118  (e.g., air-filled tubing or other air passageway and/or tubing filled with other fluid) and fills bladders or other cavities in inwardly facing headband protrusions such as protrusions  106 B, thereby adjusting the fit of device  10  to match a user&#39;s preference. In situations where headband  26 H is inflated more than desired, pressure may be relieved using a user-actuated relief valve (as an example). If desired, pump  112  may be actuated by normal movement of the structures in device  10  (e.g., pump  112  may be actuated by the normal flexing of headband  26 HF), thereby reducing or eliminating the need for a user to pump using earcup  26 E. Input-output devices  22  may also include an electrically controlled pump that responds to sensor measurements or other input. For example, a sensor such as a biometric sensor in device  10  or another device in system  8  may recognize when a particular user is wearing device  10 . In response, control circuitry  12  may direct the electrically adjustable pump to adjust (e.g., inflate) protrusions  106 B or other portions of headband  26 H and device  10  to a level that is customized to that particular user (e.g., based on sensor measurements such as pressure measurements or head size measurements or based on previously adjusted user settings). 
     As shown in  FIG.  19   , components  120  may be mounted on passageway  118 , on portions of the bladders in protrusions  106 B, and/or on inwardly-facing portions of head band  26 HF (as examples). Components  120  may include sensors  16 . For example, components  120  may include pressure sensors (e.g., a pressure sensor that measures the pressure of fluid in passageways  118 ), optical sensors, sensors for measuring electrical signals such as heart signals and/or brainwaves, inertial measurements units containing orientation sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and/or compasses, and/or other sensors  16 . The inclusion of sensors  16  at these locations and/or other locations in device  10  allows pressure in passageway  118  and/or protrusions  106 B to be measured (e.g., to measure blood pressure, to measure heart rate, to gather photoplethysmographs to assess blood volume changes, etc.) and/or allows other health-related and biometric measurements to be made (e.g., optical heart rate measurements, perspiration measurements, brainwave activity measurements such as electroencephalogram measurements, muscle activity measurements, temperature measurements, etc.). Orientation sensors may detect when a user is nodding or otherwise providing head motion input. If desired, haptic modules may be embedded in device  10  to provide directional feedback while a user is navigating the world (e.g., a tap may be provided to the left side of a user&#39;s head to direct the user to turn to the left as a user is navigating through city streets with satellite navigation assistance from device  10 , etc.). 
     As described above, one aspect of the present technology is the gathering and use of information such as information from input-output devices. The present disclosure contemplates that in some instances, data may be gathered that includes personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to contact or locate a specific person. Such personal information data can include demographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, email addresses, twitter ID&#39;s, home addresses, data or records relating to a user&#39;s health or level of fitness (e.g., vital signs measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, username, password, biometric information, or any other identifying or personal information. 
     The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information, in the present technology, can be used to the benefit of users. For example, the personal information data can be used to deliver targeted content that is of greater interest to the user. Accordingly, use of such personal information data enables users to calculated control of the delivered content. Further, other uses for personal information data that benefit the user are also contemplated by the present disclosure. For instance, health and fitness data may be used to provide insights into a user&#39;s general wellness, or may be used as positive feedback to individuals using technology to pursue wellness goals. 
     The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible for the collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use of such personal information data will comply with well-established privacy policies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities should implement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining personal information data private and secure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and should be updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personal information from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonable uses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimate uses. Further, such collection/sharing should occur after receiving the informed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities should consider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access to such personal information data and ensuring that others with access to the personal information data adhere to their privacy policies and procedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluation by third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adapted for the particular types of personal information data being collected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards, including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the United States, collection of or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), whereas health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained for different personal data types in each country. 
     Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates embodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to, personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates that hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, the present technology can be configured to allow users to select to “opt in” or “opt out” of participation in the collection of personal information data during registration for services or anytime thereafter. In another example, users can select not to provide certain types of user data. In yet another example, users can select to limit the length of time user-specific data is maintained. In addition to providing “opt in” and “opt out” options, the present disclosure contemplates providing notifications relating to the access or use of personal information. For instance, a user may be notified upon downloading an application (“app”) that their personal information data will be accessed and then reminded again just before personal information data is accessed by the app. 
     Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and handled in a way to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can be minimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once it is no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect a user&#39;s privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, when appropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth, etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g., collecting location data at a city level rather than at an address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users), and/or other methods. 
     Therefore, although the present disclosure broadly covers use of information that may include personal information data to implement one or more various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the various embodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing personal information data. That is, the various embodiments of the present technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all or a portion of such personal information data. 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative and various modifications can be made to the described embodiments. The foregoing embodiments may be implemented individually or in any combination.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210513
Publication Date: 20231205
Grant Date: 20231205
Priority Date: 20200629
Inventors: HELBERT, KENDALL L.
CREED, BENJAMIN C.
MILLER, CHAD J.
WITHROW, JENNA L.
HOOVER, JOSHUA A.
PANECKI, LEE M.
OLMSTEAD, DONALD L.
CLOYD, BRYAN A.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/105", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/01", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/021", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/024", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/0295", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/369", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/4266", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/6803", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1033", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1066", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/105", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1066", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1033", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/021", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/024", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/0295", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/4266", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/369", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/01", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/6803", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R5/0335", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1066", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1025", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/01", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/024", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/0295", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/369", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/6803", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "A61B5/7455", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 88980051