PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11818528-B1
Application Number: US-202117407691-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Earbuds

Abstract:
Wireless earbuds may be provided with adjustable-shape housings. The housings may have bendable portions. Bendable metal members, hinges, or other flexible structures may be used in forming bendable structures for the earbuds. Electrical components may be covered by a layer of molded foam. A cover such as a fabric cover may be used to cover the molded foam. Spacer fabric or other soft material may be interposed between the fabric cover and the foam. The housing may be bent or otherwise adjusted between two or more states such as a normal, non-sleep, walking state in which the housing is expanded for normal operation while a user is sitting or walking and a sleep state in which the housing is bent to enhance comfort while sleeping. The wireless earbuds may have illumination systems, sensors, and other components.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An earbud, comprising:
 wireless circuitry configured to receive data associated with audio; 
 a speaker configured to play the audio; 
 an input device configured to gather user input; and 
 an adjustable-shape soft housing configured to receive the wireless circuitry, speaker, and input device, wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises:
 foam; and 
 fabric covering the foam. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises a main portion and a stalk portion and wherein the stalk portion is configured to bend relative to the main portion. 
     
     
       3. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing has a main portion with a circumferential groove configured to allow the main portion to move between a first state in which the groove has a first size and a second state in which the groove has a second size that is smaller than the first size. 
     
     
       4. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing is configured to bend into a finger-wearable ring shape. 
     
     
       5. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing has first and second structures, wherein rotation of the first and second structures relative to each other about an axis radially expands the adjustable-shape soft housing relative to the axis. 
     
     
       6. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing is configured to exhibit shape bistability. 
     
     
       7. The earbud defined in  claim 1  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing has a moveable member that is configured to move along an axis to place the adjustable housing selectively in:
 a first stable state in which the movable member is at a first location along the axis; and 
 a second stable state in which the movable member is at a second location along the axis. 
 
     
     
       8. The earbud defined in  claim 1  further comprising an illumination system having a light-emitting device coupled to a light guide. 
     
     
       9. The earbud defined in  claim 1  further comprising a force sensor configured to detect pressure on the adjustable housing. 
     
     
       10. The earbud defined in  claim 1  further comprising a resistive force sensor and an optical bend sensor. 
     
     
       11. An earbud, comprising:
 wireless circuitry configured to receive data associated with audio; 
 a speaker configured to play the audio; 
 an input device configured to gather user input; 
 an adjustable-shape soft housing configured to receive the wireless circuitry, speaker, and input device; and 
 a bendable support structure configured to bend to adjust a shape of the adjustable-shape soft housing, wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises:
 polymer that is molded around the speaker, the wireless circuitry, the input device, and the bendable support structure; and 
 a soft cover over the polymer. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The earbud defined in  claim 11  wherein the bendable support structure comprises a hinge having first and second members that are rotatably coupled to each other. 
     
     
       13. The earbud defined in  claim 11  wherein the bendable support structure comprises a bendable metal member. 
     
     
       14. The earbud defined in  claim 13  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises a layer of spacer fabric. 
     
     
       15. An earbud, comprising:
 wireless circuitry configured to receive data associated with audio; 
 a speaker configured to play the audio; 
 an input device configured to gather user input; and 
 an adjustable-shape soft housing configured to receive the wireless circuitry, speaker, and input device, wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises:
 a fabric spacer; and 
 a fabric cover that overlaps the fabric spacer. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The earbud defined in  claim 15  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing further comprises foam molded over the speaker, the wireless circuitry, and the input device and wherein the fabric spacer covers the foam. 
     
     
       17. An earbud, comprising:
 wireless circuitry configured to receive data associated with audio; 
 a speaker configured to play the audio; 
 an input device configured to gather user input; and 
 an adjustable-shape soft housing configured to receive the wireless circuitry, speaker, and input device, wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises foam molded over the speaker, the wireless circuitry, and the input device. 
 
     
     
       18. The earbud defined in  claim 17  further comprising a layer of elastomeric polymer covering the foam. 
     
     
       19. The earbud defined in  claim 17  further comprising:
 a fabric layer; and 
 an adhesive layer between the fabric layer and the foam. 
 
     
     
       20. An earbud, comprising:
 wireless circuitry configured to receive data associated with audio; 
 a speaker configured to play the audio; 
 an input device configured to gather user input; 
 an adjustable-shape soft housing configured to receive the wireless circuitry, speaker, and input device; and 
 beads within an interior of the adjustable-shape soft housing. 
 
     
     
       21. The earbud defined in  claim 20  wherein the adjustable-shape soft housing comprises a layer of braided fabric. 
     
     
       22. An in-ear headphone, comprising:
 a speaker configured to play audio; and 
 an adjustable housing in which the speaker is mounted, wherein the adjustable housing has an audio port aligned with the speaker and wherein the adjustable housing is adjustable between a non-sleep shape and a sleep shape. 
 
     
     
       23. The in-ear headphone defined in  claim 22  wherein the adjustable housing has a bendable portion and wherein in the non-sleep shape the bendable portion is unbent and in the sleep shape the bendable portion is bent. 
     
     
       24. The in-ear headphone defined in  claim 23  further comprising components on a printed circuit, foam molded over the components and the printed circuit, and fabric covering the foam. 
     
     
       25. The in-ear headphone defined in  claim 22  wherein the adjustable housing has a main portion and a stalk that extends from the main portion, wherein the stalk is bent at a first angle in the non-sleep shape, and wherein the stalk is bent at a second angle that is different than the first angle in the sleep shape. 
     
     
       26. An earbud, comprising:
 a speaker; 
 a printed circuit electrically coupled to the speaker; 
 electrical components mounted to the printed circuit; 
 foam covering the electrical components and the printed circuit; and 
 a fabric layer that covers the foam. 
 
     
     
       27. The earbud defined in  claim 26  further comprising spacer fabric between the fabric layer and the foam. 
     
     
       28. The earbud defined in  claim 26  wherein the foam and fabric layer form a housing having a main portion that houses the speaker and an elongated portion extending from the main portion and wherein the housing has a bendable portion that allows the elongated portion to be bent into a sleep shape.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 63/081,212, filed Sep. 21, 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 earbuds. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Electronic devices such as headphone devices may have speakers for presenting audio to a user. Wireless earbuds may have a compact shape that enables the earbuds to be worn in the ears of a user. 
     SUMMARY 
     Wireless earbuds may be provided with adjustable housings. The housings may have bendable portions, axially compressible structures, and/or other structures that allow the shape and size of the housing to be adjusted. In an illustrative configuration, the housing may be placed in a normal operating state (sometimes referred to as a walking state) in which the earbuds are adjusted to have a normal (walking) shape (e.g., a non-sleep shape) suitable to be received within and supported by a user&#39;s ear as the user is walking or sitting upright and may be paced in a sleep state in which the housing is bent or otherwise adjusted into a sleep shape that enhances comfort while sleeping. 
     The earbuds may have printed circuits. Electrical components may be coupled to the printed circuits. The electrical components and printed circuits may be covered by a layer of molded foam. A cover such as a fabric cover may be used to cover the molded foam. Spacer fabric or other soft material may be interposed between an outer fabric layer and the foam. 
     The wireless earbuds may have illumination systems, sensors, and other components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device such as an earbud in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is schematic diagram of an illustrative system with an electronic device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  3    is a side view of an illustrative earbud in an ear of a user in a first illustrative configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of the illustrative earbud of  FIG.  3    in the ear of the user in a second illustrative configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  5    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative earbud in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative fabric layer in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative layer of spacer fabric in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  8    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative hinge formed from flexible material in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  9    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative hinge formed from interlocking hinge structures in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  10    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative resistive sensor in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light-based bend sensor in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    is a cross-sectional side view of an illumination system in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  13    is a side view of an illustrative earbud with an axially adjustable housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  14    is an end view of an illustrative adjustable circumference housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  15    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative bistable adjustable earbud housing in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  16    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative earbud with an axially collapsible housing in an expanded configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  17    is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative earbud of  FIG.  16    following axial compression to collapse the housing to a reduced-size sleep configuration in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  18    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative earbud in a configuration that is wearable in a user&#39;s ear in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG.  19    is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative earbud of  FIG.  18    in a configuration that is wearable on a user&#39;s finger in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  20 ,  21 , and  22    are cross-sectional side views of portions of an illustrative earbud with an adjustable housing in three different states of elongation in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIGS.  23 ,  24 , and  25    are diagrams showing how the fabric of the adjustable housing of  FIGS.  20 ,  21 , and  23    can stretch to accommodate different respective elongation states in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices such as in-ear headphone devices may be used to play audio for a user. As an example, wireless earbuds may wirelessly receive music tracks and other media that includes audio data. The earbuds may contain speakers for playing corresponding audio for the user. 
     To enhance user comfort and to accommodate different usage scenarios, earbuds may be provided with housings that are soft to the touch and/or that have adjustable shapes and sizes. For example, a pair of earbuds may have a housing that can be placed in a normal operating configuration (sometimes referred to as a walking or sitting configuration) in which the earbuds are configured to be worn securely as a user walks, runs, or sits upright. When the user desires to sleep or otherwise rest the user&#39;s head horizontally on a pillow, the earbuds can be adjusted. For example, the housing of the earbud may be bent into a shape that allows the earbud to be comfortably worn while the earbud is compressed between the user&#39;s ear and a pillow. In this configuration, which may sometimes be referred to as a sleep configuration, the earbud may be more comfortable to wear to sleep than when the earbud is in its normal non-sleep shape. 
       FIG.  1    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative adjustable earbud (e.g., a left or right earbud in a pair of earbuds). As shown in  FIG.  1   , earbud  10  may include earbud housing  26 . Housing  26 , which may sometimes be referred to as a support structure or enclosure, may have walls or other structures that separate an interior region of earbud  10  such as interior region  42  from an exterior region surrounding earbud  10  such as exterior region  44 . Speakers such as speaker  60  and other electrical components  70  (e.g., integrated circuits, sensors, control circuitry, input-output devices, etc.) may be mounted on printed circuits and/or other structures within earbud  10  such as printed circuit  68  (e.g., in interior region  42 ). Printed circuits such as printed circuit  68  may include flexible printed circuits (e.g., printed circuits formed from flexible sheets of polymer such as layers of polyimide or other flexible layers) and/or rigid printed circuits (e.g., printed circuits formed from rigid printed circuit board material such as fiberglass-filled epoxy). 
     Input-output devices such as speaker  60  may be used to provide a user with output. For example, speaker  60  may be used to produce audio output (sound) through audio port  62  (e.g., an opening or an array of openings in the wall of housing  26 ). In some arrangements, earbud  10  may have one or more sensors. For example, capacitive sensors such as capacitive sensors configured to detect touch and/or force input, optical proximity sensors, and/or other sensors may be formed at locations such as locations  64 . These sensors may be used to sense contact with housing  26  by the ear of a user, by a user&#39;s finger or other body part. Sensors in earbud  10  (e.g., sensors at locations  64 ) may serve as ear-presence sensors that can detect when earbud  10  has been inserted into the ear of a user and is being worn and/or can serve as force sensors and/or touch sensors that detect when a user has touched the housing of earbud  10  with the user&#39;s fingers. In some configurations, earbud  10  may include a position sensors (e.g. an inertial measurement unit or other sensor that detects earbud orientation relative to the Earth&#39;s gravity, motion, etc.). Sensors such as accelerometers can be used to detect user tap input (e.g., by measuring vibrations due to user finger taps on housing  26 ). 
     Housing  26  may be formed from one or more layers of material (e.g., polymer, glass, ceramic, metal, fabric, etc.). In some configurations, housing  26  or portions of housing  26  may be soft to the touch. For example, some or all of housing  26  may be formed from a soft material such as foam or spacer fabric that allows the surface of housing  26  to be deformed. Housing  26  may, as an example, be deformed inwardly in response to applied inward force in direction  74 , as illustrated by deformed portion  26 D of housing  26 . Deformable portions of housing  26  may be aligned with internal sensors (e.g., buttons, force sensors, etc.) so that a user may supply input by squeezing housing  26 . 
     Housing  26  may have any suitable shape (e.g., spherical, cylindrical, conical, frustoconical, cubical, etc.). In the example of  FIG.  1   , which is illustrative, housing  26  includes a main portion  26 M (e.g., a bulbous portion with a curved cross-sectional profile) that is configured to be received within the ear of a user and includes an elongated portion that extends from main portion  26 M such as stalk portion  26 T (sometimes referred to as the tail portion of housing  26 ). Other shapes may be used for housing  26 , if desired. 
     To accommodate desired changes in shape, one or more structures in earbud  10  may be bendable. For example, printed circuits such as printed circuit  68  may be formed from a flexible printed circuit material that allows printed circuit  68  to be bent about bend axis  72  to a bent position such as position  68 ′. Housing  26  may also have portions that are flexible and can be bent along with printed circuit  68 . Housing  26  may, as an example, have a flexible portion such as portion  66  that allows stalk portion  26 T to be bent about bend axis  72  to a position such as position  26 T′. Flexible housing portions such as bendable portion  66  and/or other portions of earbud  10  (e.g., bendable support structures such as bendable internal support  75  of  FIG.  1   , which may be coupled to printed circuit  68  by adhesive or other attachment structures) may be formed from elastomeric materials such as silicone, flexible materials such as fabric layers, bendable metal (e.g., bendable metal sheets or elongated bendable members such as bendable rods, etc.), and/or other bendable structures (e.g., flexible polymer, hinge structures, etc.). 
     A schematic diagram of an illustrative system that may include earbuds such as earbud  10  of  FIG.  1    is shown in  FIG.  2   . As shown in  FIG.  2   , system  8  may have one or more electronic devices such as earbuds  10  and/or other electronic devices. These devices may include earbuds (in-ear headphones) and associated computing devices (e.g., a cellular telephone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, a head-mounted device, and/or remote computing equipment that supplies content to earbuds  10 ), and/or other devices that communicate with earbuds  10  and/or each other. 
     Each electronic device (e.g., earbuds  10  and/or other devices in system  8 ) may have control circuitry  12 . Control circuitry  12  may include storage and processing circuitry for controlling the operation of earbuds  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 earbuds  10  (e.g., data gathering operations, operations involving the adjustment of the components of earbuds  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), personal area network circuitry (e.g., Bluetooth® circuitry), other circuitry for supporting local and/or remote wireless communications links, 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 earbuds  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, personal area network links such as Bluetooth® links, etc.). The communications circuitry may be used to allow data to be received by earbuds  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, or other electrical equipment) and/or to provide data to external equipment. 
     Earbuds  10  may include input-output devices  22 . Input-output devices  22  may be used to allow a user to provide earbud  10  with user input. Input-output devices  22  may also be used to gather information on the environment in which earbuds  10  are operating. Output components in devices  22  may allow earbuds  10  to provide a user with output (e.g., sound from speakers, haptic output, etc.) and may be used to communicate with external electrical equipment. 
     As shown in  FIG.  2   , input-output devices  22  may include speakers  60 . A left earbud may contain a left speaker and a right earbud may contain a right speaker. This allows earbuds  10  to provide a user with stereo audio playback. If desired, the input-output devices of earbuds  10  may include visual output devices (e.g., light-emitting devices such as lasers and/or light-emitting diodes, displays, etc.). Other electronic devices in system  8  may also have displays and other light-emitting components. 
     Input-output devices  22  may include sensors  16 . 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, three-dimensional light detection and ranging sensors, sometimes referred to as 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 (e.g., strain gauges, capacitive force sensors, resistive force sensors, etc.), 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), and/or other sensors. Sensors such as accelerometers may be used to gather tap input on housing  26  from a user&#39;s fingers (as an example). Voice input (e.g., for voice commands) may be gathered using a microphone. 
     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 haptic output devices, 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. 
       FIGS.  3  and  4    show how an earbud  10  may be adjusted to accommodate different modes of operation. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG.  3   , stalk portion  26 T has not been bent out of its normal position and extends downwards from main portion  26 M as earbud  10  is being worn in the user&#39;s ear (e.g., when main portion  26 M is received within ear  80  as shown in  FIG.  3   ). This type of configuration may be satisfactory when the user&#39;s head is not in contact with external objects and the user is sitting, walking, running, or standing upright. As a user prepares for sleep in the evening or when a user desires to rest the user&#39;s head and ear against a pillow, the user may adjust earbud  10 . For example, housing  26  may be adjusted by bending stalk  26 T in direction  82  relative to housing portion  26 M as shown in  FIG.  4   . Earbud  10  may also be rotated so that stalk portion  26 T extends upwards rather than downwards. This causes stalk  26 T to move in direction  82  from position  81  to the position shown by stalk  26 T in  FIG.  4   . The bending of housing  26  in this way, helps move stalk  26 T away from protruding portions of the user&#39;s ear, so that stalk  26 T does not become uncomfortably pinched between ear  80  and the pillow or other structure against which the user&#39;s ear presses when the user is sleeping. The bent shape of housing  26  of  FIG.  4    allows housing  26  to be accommodated within the contours of the user&#39;s ear, so that the user can listen to music or other audio comfortably. In this bent configuration, the fit of housing  26  may be somewhat loose when the user is sitting or standing upright (e.g., housing  26  in the sleep configuration may not be held in the user&#39;s ear as firmly as when housing  26  is unbent during normal operation). Nevertheless, the enhanced comfort of the bent sleep configuration that is exhibited when resting ear  80  against a pillow or other surface allows the user to use earbud  10  satisfactorily during sleep and rest activities. 
     Comfort may also be enhanced by forming portions of earbud  10  from soft materials. These soft materials may include soft polymer (e.g., polymer foam, elastomeric materials such as silicone or thermoplastic polyurethane), fabric (e.g., knit fabric, woven fabric, braided materials, felts, etc.), leather and other natural materials, and/or other pliable materials. These materials may be provided in one or more layers to form housing  26  and may be attached to each other using fasteners, mechanical engagement structures (e.g. clips, snaps, etc.), and/or layers of adhesive. 
     Consider, as an example, the illustrative configuration for earbud  10  that is shown in  FIG.  5   . As shown in  FIG.  5   , housing  26  may be formed from one or more layers of material such as illustrative layers  84 ,  86 ,  88 , and  90 . Speaker  60  and other components  70  (e.g., input-output devices  22 , control circuitry  12 , a battery, etc.) may be coupled to printed circuit  68 . Speaker  60  may be coupled to printed circuit  68  in portion  26 M (e.g., in alignment with audio port  62  of  FIG.  1   ). The layers of material that form housing  26  may be soft and/or flexible, thereby allowing portion  26 T and/or other portions of housing  26  to flex and bend. For example, portion  26 T may bend about an axis such as bend axis  72  of  FIG.  1    and/or to bend about additional locations along the length of housing  26 . 
     Housing  26  may be sufficiently soft to conform to the shape of ear  80  when earbud  10  is being worn by a user. If desired, components  70  may include switches, force sensors, and/or other components that can be actuated by squeezing and thereby locally deforming housing  26 . For example, a force sensor, on/off switch, or other buttons and/or sensors may be pressed by squeezing the sides of portion  26 T with the user&#39;s fingers. If desired, user tap input may be provided by using an accelerometer to measure vibrations resulting from user taps on the surface of housing  26 . Voice input may be gathered using a microphone in devices  22 . 
     In an illustrative configuration, innermost layer  84  is a soft polymer that is molded over printed circuit  68 , molded over speaker  60  (except in port  62 ) and molded over components  70 . Layer  84  may, for example, be formed from overmolded polymer foam (e.g., silicone foam, thermoplastic polyurethane foam, etc.). The shape of the outer surface of the molded polymer foam may help define the overall shape of the outer surface of earbud  10 . 
     After molding the polymer foam or other inner layer material over the internal components of earbud  10 , one or more additional layers may be formed on the outer surface of this molded layer to serve as a protective and cosmetic cover. In the illustrative configuration of  FIG.  5   , there are three additional layers (layers  86 ,  88 , and  90 ) mounted over layer  84 . More layers or fewer layers may be used to cover layer  84 , if desired. 
     In a first illustrative embodiment, the internal components of earbud  10  are covered with a foam layer (e.g., layer  84 ), a non-foam elastomeric polymer skin layer (e.g., a layer of elastomeric polymer such as a thin silicone layer or layer of thermoplastic polyurethane), and a removable fabric layer (e.g., layer  86 , which may be a layer of fabric formed from woven strands of material such as polymer strands, knit fabric, or braided fabric). If desired, metal strands may be woven or otherwise formed into a fabric (e.g., to form a metal mesh). Fabric layer(s) for earbuds  10  that include combinations of multiple materials such as natural materials (e.g. cotton or wool), metal, glass, and/or polymer may also be used. 
     In a second illustrative embodiment, the internal components of earbud  10  are covered with a polymer foam layer (e.g. layer  84 ), a layer of polymer adhesive (e.g., layer  86 ), and an outer fixed textile layer (e.g., layer  88 , which may be a fabric layer formed from natural materials, glass, polymer, metal, etc.). 
     In a third illustrative embodiment, molded foam layer  84  is omitted and layer  86  is an adhesive layer that is used to attach layers  88  and  90  over internal earbud components. Layers  88  and  90  may, as an example, form a textile cover layer that includes an outer fabric layer (layer  90 ) that is formed integrally with or separate from inner fabric layer  88  (e.g., a spacer fabric layer). Spacer fabric material helps provide the outer surface of earbud  10  with a soft feel to the touch. When spacer fabric is used in covering an inner soft layer such as a molded foam layer, the presence of the spacer fabric may help provide earbud  10  with additional softness. 
       FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative fabric layer  92  (e.g., a fabric layer for one of the covering layers of earbud  10 ). As shown in  FIG.  6   , fabric such as fabric layer  92  may have interlaced warp strands  94  and weft strands  96 . If desired, fabric layers such as fabric layer  92  may be formed by knitting, braiding, and/or other strand interlacing techniques (sometimes referred to as strand intertwining techniques). 
       FIG.  7    is a cross-sectional side view of illustrative spacer fabric. In the example of  FIG.  7   , spacer fabric  102  includes spacer fabric layer  104  that has been formed integrally with upper fabric layer upper fabric layer  92 T and lower fabric layer  92 L. In this illustrative arrangement, strands  106  of layer  104  are interlaced with layers  92 T and  92 L. If desired, fabric layers such as layers  92 T and/or  92 L may be attached to a layer of spacer fabric (e.g., layer  104 ) using adhesive. The construction of spacer fabric  104  provides fabric  104  with a soft feel to the touch. 
     To facilitate bending of internal earbud structures about bend axis  72 , bendable structures may be used to form internal support structures (sometimes referred to as internal frame structures or internal support structures). These structures may include bendable structures that are attached to printed circuit  68  and other internal components by adhesive, structures that are attached to printed circuit  68  and other internal components by fasteners or mechanical engagement structures, etc. An illustrative bendable support structure that may be incorporated into the interior of earbud  10  is shown by bendable member  108  of  FIG.  8   . Member  108  may be formed from a bendable wire, a bendable strip of material (e.g., a bendable sheet of material having an elongated shape configured to fit within the confines of housing  26 ), and/or other bendable structures. Member  108  (or at least portion  108 P of member  108 ) may be formed from material that is flexible such as flexible polymer, flexible metal, etc. In an illustrative configuration, member  108  is formed from a bendable metal that retains its shape after bending, thereby allowing housing  26  to hold its bent shape when a user bends portion  26 T to help earbud  10  conform to the shape of the user&#39;s ear as described in connection with  FIG.  4   . Foam and/or other material may be molded over bendable structures such as bendable member  108 . 
     Another illustrative bendable internal support structure for earbud  10  is shown in  FIG.  9   . In the  FIG.  9    example, structure  120  is a hinge formed from two interlocking members such as first member  122  and second member  124 . Members  122  and  124  may have structures that rotatably engage with each other to allow the hinge formed by structure  120  to rotate about bend axis  72 . Sufficient friction may be formed between the engaging portions of members  122  and  124  to allow these portions to form a hinge friction clutch. This allows structure  120  to hold its bent shape (e.g. when earbud  10  is bent as described in connection with  FIG.  4   ). 
     If desired, a force sensor under flexible portions of housing  26  may be used to gather user input. A force sensor may, for example, serve as an input device that responds to finger squeeze pressure from a user&#39;s fingers. Force sensors may be formed from capacitive sensor plates separated by compressible foam, may be formed from strain gauges, and/or may be formed from other pressure-sensing structures. In an illustrative configuration, a force sensor for earbud  10  may be formed using resistive force sensor structures, as shown in  FIG.  10   . As shown in  FIG.  10   , resistive force sensor  126  may have a layer of polymer  130  or other compressible material that contains conductive particles  136 . This provides the polymer layer with a resistance that changes as the polymer is compressed. Electrodes  128  may be formed on the polymer layer. When a user presses on portion  132  in direction  134 , polymer  103  is compressed, conductive particles of layer  130  come into contact with each other, and the resistance between electrodes  128  is reduced. Changes in resistance for sensor  126  of  FIG.  10    and/or other force sensor changes that are indicative of applied force can be measured by control circuitry  12 . Sensor  126  and/or other force sensors in earbud  10  may, if desired, detect bending along the length of housing  26  (e.g., bending which locally compresses portion  132  as shown in  FIG.  10   ). 
       FIG.  11    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative light-based sensor for earbud  10 . Light-based sensor  138  may have a light-emitting device  140  (e.g., a laser or light-emitting diode) that is configured to emit light into waveguide  142  (e.g., an optical fiber, a strip of clear polymer or other transparent waveguide material). Light that is emitted into waveguide (light guide)  142  may travel along the length of waveguide  142  in accordance with the principal of total internal reflection. Sensor  138  may also have a light detector such as photodetector  146  that is configured to measure the amount of waveguided light that is received after traveling the length of waveguide  134 . Sensor  138  may extend along a printed circuit such as printed circuit  68  of  FIG.  1    that overlaps bend axis  72  and/or may extend along other portions of the elongated housing of earbud  10 . When housing  26  and printed circuit  68  are bent about axis  72 , waveguide  134  will be bent accordingly and total internal reflection will be locally defeated. This causes some waveguided light to escape (see, e.g., escaping light  140 ). Changes in the amount of light measured at photodetector  140  therefore reveal how much bending is present in housing  26 . If desired, deformation of the housing of earbud  10  may cause detectable bending of waveguide  142  (e.g., sensor  138  may serve as an optical force sensor). 
     To provide illumination for some or all of housing  26 , an illumination system may be provided under some or all of the covering layers for earbud  26 . The covering layers may have transparent window portions formed from clear strands of material, clear polymer layers, openings such as perforations with diameters sufficiently small to render the perforations invisible to unaided human vision (e.g., openings with lateral dimensions of less than 50 microns or other suitable size), gaps between interlaced strands in fabric layers, and/or other light-transmitting structures. 
       FIG.  12    is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative waveguide-based illumination system for earbud  10 . Illumination system  150  of  FIG.  12    includes a light source such as light-emitting device  152  (e.g., a laser or light-emitting diode) and includes a light guiding structure (light guide) such as waveguide  154 . Waveguide  154  may be formed from an optical fiber, an elongated strip of polymer (e.g., a transparent polymer layer), and/or other transparent light guiding structures. Light-scattering structures may be formed in waveguide  154 . For example, light-scattering particles  156  may be incorporated into waveguide  154  and/or surface features such as bumps, ridges, and/or other protrusions and/or pits, grooves, and/or other depressions may be incorporated into the surfaces of waveguide  154 . Embedded light-scattering particles  156  may be formed from inorganic particles (e.g. particles of titanium oxide, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, etc.), may be formed from gas-filled bubbles, etc. Waveguide  154  may be formed from flexible material so that system  150  can flex as earbud  10  is bent. 
     The soft materials used in covering the internal components of earbud  10  may allow earbud  10  to be changed in shape and size to fit the ears of different users, to accommodate different modes of use (e.g. walking, running, sleeping, resting, etc.), to take on a compact shape for storage or battery charging, etc. 
       FIG.  13    is a cross-sectional side view of earbud  10  in an illustrative configuration in which the height of housing  26  can be adjusted by axially expanding or contracting housing  26  along axis  158 . In the  FIG.  13    example, housing  26  has base  26 B (e.g., a base portion with a circular footprint) from which a cylindrical ear portion such as portion  26 E extends. Speaker  60  may be formed in ear portion  26 E. During normal use, portion  26 E may be placed in an extended position to allow portion  26 E to be received within ear  80 . During storage or use during sleep, the profile of earbud  10  may be decreased by pressing portion  26 E into base  26 B (e.g., to position  26 E′). The height of base  26 B may also decrease when reconfiguring earbud  10  for sleep use in this way. Accordion-shaped internal housing supports (e.g., an accordion-shaped internal frame), sliding nested members, movable engaging rails, compressible foam, and/or other adjustable-shape support members may be used to allow the shape and size of earbud  10  to be adjusted in this way. By using soft materials in the layers of housing  26  (e.g., soft foam, soft fabric, soft polymer, etc.), the structures of housing  26  can accommodate changes to the configuration of housing  26  (e.g., height changes or other thickness changes of the type illustrated in  FIG.  13    in addition to or instead of bending-induced housing changes). 
       FIG.  14    is an illustrative cross-sectional side view of a portion of earbud  10  in an illustrative configuration in which housing  26  has radially expandable structures. Housing  26  has central member  26 - 1  (e.g., a cylindrical member that extends along a longitudinal axis of shaft  26 T and/or other portions of housing  26 ), an outer cylindrical layer (e.g., flexible tubular member  26 - 3 ) and radially extending members  26 - 2 . When members  26 - 1  and  26 - 3  are rotated relative to each other about rotational axis  160 , the radius of member  26 - 3  is adjusted. This allows the diameter of housing  26  to be changed to accommodate different ear sizes, etc. 
       FIG.  15    shows an adjustable housing configuration for earbud  10  in which housing  26  exhibits axial bistability. As shown in the cross-sectional side view of  FIG.  15   , earbud  10  has an axially movable member such as plunger  162 . When the user presses on plunger  162  in direction  164 , head  168  of plunger  162  moves to position  168 ′. The housing of earbud  10  has a flexible cover such as flexible cover  26 C (e.g., a soft housing structure formed from foam, adhesive, elastomeric polymer layer(s), fabric spacer layer(s) fabric layer(s), etc.), which encloses plunger head  168  and internal earbud components  70 . When plunger  162  is in the position shown in  FIG.  15   , cover  26 C contracts and forms a compact shape for earbud  10  (e.g., so that earbud  10  may be configured for wearing while sleeping). When head  168  is moved to position  168 ′, cover  26 C flexes to position  26 C′. Cover  26 C is configured to contact inwardly when not supported from within. As a result, when plunger head  168  is in position  168 ′, portions of cover  26 C between head  168  and components  70  may shrink radially. In this state, earbud  10  may be configured to be worn while walking, sitting upright, etc. Bistability may be provided using magnets attached to plunger  168  and components  70 , bistable spring structures, and/or other structures for providing bistability. The shape bistability exhibited by earbud  10  helps maintain earbud  10  in a first stable state (first stable shape) in which plunger  162  is retracted along axis  166  and a second stable state (second stable shape) in which plunger  162  is fully extended along axis  166  (so that head  168  is in position  168 ′). Non-bistable extendable housing arrangements may also be used, if desired. 
     Another illustrative arrangement that allows the shape and size of housing  26  in earbud  10  to be adjusted is shown in  FIG.  16   . In the example of  FIG.  16   , main portion  26 M of housing  26  has a circumferential ring-shaped recess  170  (e.g., a groove with a V-shaped profile or other groove profile). Recess  170  extends around main portion of housing  26 M (e.g., around main housing rotational symmetry axis  172 ). Recess  170  may be expanded and contracted between two stable states. In the state shown in  FIG.  16   , recess  170  has been expanded along axis  172 , so that portions  26 A and  26 B of main housing portion  26 M have moved away from each other to expand the size of housing portion  26 M (e.g., to configure earbud  10  for normal use). When it is desired to wear earbud  10  while sleeping or to otherwise contract the size of housing portion  26 M, portions  26 A and  26 B may be moved towards each other along axis  172 . As shown in  FIG.  17   , this causes recess  170  to collapse and reduces the size of housing portion  26 M. If desired, earbud  10  of  FIG.  17    may be provided with magnets, springs, or other bistability structures, so that earbud  10  preferentially operates in the state of  FIG.  16    or the state of  FIG.  17   , but does not tend to rest in intermediate states. 
       FIGS.  18  and  19    show how earbud  10  may be provided with a flexible housing that allows earbud  10  to be worn either on a user&#39;s ear (see, e.g., earbud  10  of  FIG.  18    in ear  80 ) or to be worn on another user body part (see, e.g., the arrangement of  FIG.  19    in which earbud  10  has been bent to wrap around the user&#39;s finger (finger  180 ). Bendable metal or polymer members, hinges, and/or other internal support structures that can be bent and retained in desired shapes may be used in supporting housing  26  in the earbud configuration of  FIG.  18    or the ring-shaped configuration of  FIG.  19   . To support earbud operations of the type shown in  FIG.  18   , audio port  62  may be formed in main portion  26 M. To support ring operations of the type shown in  FIG.  19   , light-emitting devices (e.g., light-emitting diodes or lasers) may be formed in portion  26 M. The light-emitting devices may be used to provide a user who is wearing earbud  10  as a ring with visual alerts and/or other visible output (e.g., flashing light output to indicate that an incoming call is being received, etc.). If desired, haptic output devices may be used to provide alerts and other output. A user who is wearing earbud  10  as a ring may be alerted, for example, that the user has a voice mail message, that an incoming telephone call is being received, etc. The alerted user may, if desired, remove earbud  10  from finger  180 , may bend housing  26  into a suitable earbud shape (see, e.g., the shape of  FIG.  18   ) and can then insert earbud  10  in ear  80  to listen to the voice mail message, accept the telephone call, etc. 
     If desired, empty spaces within device  10  may be filled with a filler material that helps housing  26  retain its volume without collapsing while at the same time allowing the overall shape of housing  26  to be adjusted. Consider, as an example, the cross-sectional side views of device  10  of  FIGS.  20 ,  21 , and  22   . As shown in  FIG.  20   , device  10  may have a housing such as housing  26  that can be adjusted in shape. Housing  26  may be formed from one or more layers of material that are soft and/or flexible so that housing  26  can be deformed into desired shapes. Housing  26  may, as an example, be formed from braided fabric or other fabric. 
     Components  70  (e.g., a speaker, integrated circuits, and/or other components) may be interconnected by signal paths  200  (e.g., wires, flexible printed circuits, metal traces on rigid polymer members or other dielectric substrates, and/or other signal paths). Signal paths  200  may be flexible so that components  70  may move relative to each other as the shape of device  10  is adjusted (e.g., to conform to shape of a user&#39;s ear, etc.). 
     To help support housing  26  (e.g., to prevent housing  26  from collapsing inwardly while still allowing the outer surface shape of housing  26  to conform to a user&#39;s ear shape or other desired shape), housing  26  may be filled with internal supporting structures such as supporting structures  204 . Structures  204  may be spherical beads or other beads, chips, strips of material, or other particles that can move relative to each other to allow the shape of device  10  to be adjusted. Structures  204  and may have lateral dimensions of at least 0.05 mm, at least 0.1 mm, at least 0.2 mm, at least 0.4 mm, less than 3 mm, less than 1.0 mm, less than 0.4 mm, or other suitable size). 
     In an illustrative configuration, structures  204  are beads of material. Beads or other filler structures for filling otherwise empty spaces within the interior of housing  26  between rigid components such as components  70  may be formed from foam or solid polymer (e.g., polystyrene), or other material. The presence of the beads in housing  26  may allow the user to customize the fit of device  10  and may make device  10  comfortable to wear. By gently massaging the exterior of housing  26 , the user may change the shape of device  10  as desired. Repeated use of device  10  over time may also tend to change the shape of device  10  to fit the user. 
     As shown by the elongated shapes of housing  26  of  FIGS.  21  and  22   , the use of this approach for device  10  may allow the shape of housing  26  (and therefore device  10 ) to be bent, stretched (e.g., elongated and narrowed), and/or otherwise deformed as desired (e.g., to change device  10  between a shape for sleeping and a non-sleep state shape). To facilitate the adjustment of the shape of housing  26 , housing  26  may be formed from soft flexible materials such as braided fabric. As shown in  FIGS.  23 ,  24 , and  25   , housing  26  may be formed from a braided fabric layer (e.g., fabric layer  92 , formed from braided strands of material such as strands  202 ). This allows housing  26  to be placed in a relatively unelongated shape as shown in  FIG.  23   , a partially elongated shape as shown in  FIG.  24   , and a fully elongated shape as shown in  FIG.  24    (as examples). Deformations to housing  26  may also involve bends and other housing shape changes. Optional additional layers (e.g., polymer, etc.) may be placed over and/or under a braided fabric layer or other fabric forming housing  26 . 
     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 have 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: 20210820
Publication Date: 20231114
Grant Date: 20231114
Priority Date: 20200921
Inventors: ZOU, YI
MILLER, CHAD J.
PODHAJNY, DANIEL A.
HOOVER, JOSHUA A.
CRETELLA, KRISTEN L.
TRINCIA, NICHOLAS R.
KIM, SEUL BI
LEITH, WILLIAM
CHEN, YUE
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21V33/0056", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/028", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2420/07", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/028", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2420/07", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21V33/0056", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/04", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "F21V33/0056", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/107", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/028", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1041", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2420/07", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 88700941