PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10257601-B2
Application Number: US-201715485764-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Open-air earbuds and methods for making the same

Abstract:
Open-air earbuds and methods for making the same are disclosed. The earbud has a neck, which is open to the ambient environment in order to improve bass response. In order to prevent debris from entering the interior of the earbud, a filter is incorporated into the neck.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A sound generating assembly comprising:
 a housing defining an interior volume; 
 a filter; and 
 an extension component extending from within the interior volume, through the filter, and into an ambient environment, wherein:
 the filter comprises at least one through-hole that acoustically couples the interior volume and the ambient environment; and 
 at least a portion of the filter extends across an air gap between the extension component and the housing. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the extension component extends through an opening defined by an inner diameter of the filter; and 
 the inner diameter of the filter is equal to an outer diameter of the extension component to prevent a gap between the inner diameter of the filter and the outer diameter of the extension component. 
 
     
     
       3. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the housing comprises a first housing member and a hollow neck member; 
 the interior volume extends from the first housing member into the hollow neck member; and 
 the filter is secured within the hollow neck member. 
 
     
     
       4. The sound generating assembly of  claim 3 , wherein an outer diameter of the filter is equal to an inner diameter of the hollow neck member to prevent a gap between the outer diameter of the filter and the inner diameter of the hollow neck member. 
     
     
       5. The sound generating assembly of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the sound generating assembly further comprises an extension component engagement member; 
 the extension component extends through an opening in the extension component engagement member; 
 the opening in the extension component engagement member is defined by an inner surface of the extension component engagement member; and 
 the filter covers an air gap between at least a part of an outer surface of the extension component engagement member and an inner surface of the hollow neck member. 
 
     
     
       6. The sound generating assembly of  claim 5 , wherein a center axis of the extension component engagement member is offset from a center axis of the hollow neck member. 
     
     
       7. The sound generating assembly of  claim 5 , wherein a center axis of the extension component engagement member is aligned with a center axis of the hollow neck member. 
     
     
       8. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising circuitry within the interior volume, wherein one end of the extension component is coupled to the circuitry. 
     
     
       9. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one through-hole prevents debris from entering the interior volume from the ambient environment. 
     
     
       10. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is constructed from at least one of plastic, synthetic fibers, or natural fibers. 
     
     
       11. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises stainless steel. 
     
     
       12. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises a frusto-conical shape. 
     
     
       13. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the filter is configured to prevent debris from the ambient environment from entering the interior volume. 
     
     
       14. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one through-hole comprises a diameter of 0.75 microns. 
     
     
       15. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the extension component comprises a cable. 
     
     
       16. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the extension component comprises a microphone. 
     
     
       17. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker subassembly positioned at least partially within the interior volume, wherein one end of the extension component within the interior volume is coupled to the speaker subassembly. 
     
     
       18. The sound generating assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the filter comprises an acoustic mesh. 
     
     
       19. A sound generating assembly comprising:
 a housing defining an interior volume; 
 a filter; and 
 a component extending from within the interior volume, through the filter, and into an ambient environment, wherein:
 the filter comprises an acoustic mesh; and 
 at least a portion of the filter covers an air gap between at least a part of the component and the housing. 
 
 
     
     
       20. The sound generating assembly of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a neck subassembly defining a sleeve volume that is open to the ambient environment, wherein the neck subassembly is coupled to the housing; and 
 a component stabilization region positioned within the interior volume, wherein:
 the component stabilization region is operative to pass the component through an opening defined by an inner diameter of the component stabilization region; 
 the filter is secured to the housing within the interior volume; 
 the filter acoustically couples the interior volume and the sleeve volume; and 
 the at least a portion of the filter covers an air gap between at least a part of the component stabilization region and the housing. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The sound generating assembly of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the neck subassembly comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve; 
 the inner sleeve is secured to an inner surface of the housing; and 
 the outer sleeve is coupled to the inner sleeve and a portion of the housing. 
 
     
     
       22. The sound generating assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the filter further comprises:
 the component stabilization region defined by a hollow cylinder having a height, a base, the inner diameter of the component stabilization region, and an outer diameter; 
 an acoustic coupling region integrated with the base of the component stabilization region and extending from the base; and 
 a sleeve engagement region integrated with the acoustic coupling region. 
 
     
     
       23. The sound generating assembly of  claim 22 , wherein the acoustic coupling region extends radially a predetermined distance from the base at a predetermined angle of declination with respect to a plane perpendicular to a center axis of the filter and parallel to the base. 
     
     
       24. The sound generating assembly of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the housing comprises a first housing member and a hollow neck member; 
 the interior volume of the housing extends from the first housing member into the hollow neck member; 
 the filter is secured within the hollow neck member; 
 the inner sleeve is secured to an inner surface of the hollow neck member; and 
 the outer sleeve is coupled to the inner sleeve and a portion of the hollow neck member. 
 
     
     
       25. The sound generating assembly of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the filter comprises a plurality of through-holes that acoustically couples the interior volume and the sleeve volume; and 
 the acoustic coupling region comprises the plurality of through-holes. 
 
     
     
       26. The sound generating assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the inner diameter of the component stabilization region is equal to an outer diameter of the component to prevent a gap between the inner diameter of the component stabilization region and the outer diameter of the component. 
     
     
       27. A method for assembling a sound generating system, comprising:
 incorporating a filter into a housing; and 
 providing a component comprising a first component portion positioned within an interior volume of the housing on a first side of the filter, a second component portion positioned within an opening through the filter, and a third component portion positioned within an ambient environment on a second side of the filter, wherein:
 the incorporated filter acoustically couples the interior volume and the ambient environment; and 
 a portion of the incorporated filter prevents debris from entering the interior volume from the ambient environment by extending between at least a part of the component and the housing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/163,616 filed Jan. 24, 2014 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,628,888), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/250,973 filed on Sep. 30, 2011 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,638,971). These earlier applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Headsets are commonly used with portable electronic devices such as portable music players and mobile phones. Headsets can include non-cable components such as a jack, headphones, and/or a microphone and one or more cables that interconnect the non-cable components. Other headsets can be wireless. The headphones—the components that generate sound—can exist in many different form factors, such as over-the-ear headphones or as in-the-ear or in-the-canal earbuds. In-the-ear earbuds are sometimes referred to as non-occluding earbuds as they generally do not form an airtight seal with the user&#39;s ear. Ear buds can also be open or closed to the ambient environment. Open-air earbuds generally have better acoustic performance than closed-air earbuds. However, debris can enter open-air earbuds and damage the earbud components. Accordingly, what is needed is an earbud that is open to the ambient environment while protecting the interior of the earbud. 
     SUMMARY 
     Open-air earbuds and methods for making the same are disclosed. The earbud can include a housing with an internal volume and a hollow neck member, which are open to the ambient environment to improve acoustic performance. A filter may be incorporated into the hollow neck member and can include a number of through holes that are designed to prevent debris from entering the interior of the earbud while maintaining the open-air connection between the internal volume of the housing and the ambient environment. The filter may be part of a neck subassembly, which can also include inner and outer sleeve members that define an internal sleeve volume that is open to the ambient environment. In some embodiments, the filter is formed from a stainless steel disk that is chemically etched to have a number of through holes of a predetermined size. In other embodiments, an acoustic mesh filter can be incorporated into the neck of the earbud. 
     According to some embodiments, the filter can be incorporated into the hollow neck member by press fitting. In those embodiments, the neck subassembly can then be coupled to the neck member in any suitable fashion, including press fitting or using an adhesive. In other embodiments, the neck subassembly can be capped with the filter and then the entire filter-subassembly member can be coupled to the neck member. In embodiments in which the filter is an acoustic mesh, the filter can be insert molded into a plastic sleeve prior to being incorporated into the hollow neck member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows an illustrative view of an earbud in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows an illustrative cross-sectional view of the neck of the earbud of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  shows an illustrative cross-sectional view of the neck of an earbud in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of a filter in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS. 5 and 6  show illustrative views of earbud neck subassemblies in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  shows an illustrative view of a wired headset in accordance with embodiments of the invention; and 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  show illustrative processes for assembling earbuds in accordance with embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Headphones or earbuds for use in headsets are disclosed. Earbuds according to some embodiments include a neck portion that is open to the ambient environment to improve acoustic performance. A filter can be incorporated into the neck and may be designed to protect the interior of the earbuds without degrading the acoustic performance of the earbuds. 
       FIG. 1  shows an illustrative view of earbud  100  in accordance with some embodiments. In particular,  FIG. 1  shows a side view of earbud  100 , including housing  110 , which can include front non-occluding member  112 , back non-occluding member  114 , and hollow neck member  120 , cable  122 , neck subassembly  130 , which includes inner sleeve  132  and outer sleeve  134 , and filter  140 . Filter  140  and inner sleeve  132  are displayed in phantom. Earbud  100  can also include one or more speakers and a printed circuit board (none of which are shown). 
     Housing  110  may be designed to fit in the ear of a user in a non-occluding manner. Non-occluding earbuds are generally designed to not form an airtight seal between the ear (or ear canal) and the outer surface of the earbud. By way of contrast, occluding earbuds are generally designed to fit inside of the user&#39;s ear canal and form a substantially airtight seal. The absence of an airtight seal may require that a portion the earbud be open to the air to improve acoustic performance. 
     Although non-occluding earbuds are generally disclosed herein, open neck headphones according to embodiments of the invention may be adapted for use with any type of headphone. 
     Housing  110  can include front non-occluding member  112  and back non-occluding member  114 , which may be coupled together and cosmetically finished to provide the illusion that it is a single piece construction. The two-part construction of housing  110  is useful so that a speaker subassembly (e.g., an assembly including speakers and circuitry) can be installed in earbud  100 . 
     In some embodiments, cable  122  extends from circuitry inside housing  110 , through hollow neck member  120  and neck subassembly  130 . The hollow areas within housing  110  and hollow neck member  120  can define an interior volume. Similarly, the hollow area within neck subassembly  130  can define a sleeve volume. Filter  140  can be incorporated into hollow neck member  120  to prevent debris from entering the interior of housing  110 , as well as to acoustically couple the interior and sleeve volumes and allow them to be open to the ambient environment. Filter  140  may be designed, as discussed in more detail below, to provide the best balance between acoustic performance and protection of the interior of the earbud. 
     In some embodiments, filter  140  may be incorporated into hollow neck member  120  prior to the introduction of neck subassembly  130 . In these embodiments, filter  140  can be pressed into place and then neck subassembly  130  can be fit into hollow neck member  120 . In other embodiments, inner sleeve  132  can be capped with filter  140  and then the entire neck subassembly  130  can be coupled to hollow neck member  120 . 
     Inner sleeve  132  and outer sleeve  134  may be distinct sleeve members coupled together, or alternatively, the sleeves may be formed as one unitary neck subassembly, for example, using an insert or compression molding process. The outer surface of inner sleeve  132  can be coupled to the inner surface of hollow neck member  120  in any suitable manner. For example, inner sleeve  132  may be press fit securely inside hollow neck member  120  or coupled to hollow neck member  120  with an adhesive. Outer sleeve  134  may be proportioned such that its outer diameter matches the outer diameter of hollow neck member  120 , giving the entire neck assembly an aesthetically pleasing and seamless appearance. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-sectional view of neck assembly  200  of the earbud shown in  FIG. 1  in accordance with some embodiments. Cable  222  can extend through assembly  200  from the interior of housing  210  to an electronic device (neither of which are shown). Filter  240  is incorporated inside hollow neck member  220 , which, according to some embodiments, can have a tapered inner surface that transitions from a first inner diameter to a second inner diameter to prevent filter  240  from sliding out of hollow neck member  220 . The neck subassembly (i.e., inner sleeve  232  and outer sleeve  234 ) can be coupled to hollow neck member  220  such that the outer surface of inner sleeve  232  is secured to the inner surface of hollow neck member  220  and the top of outer sleeve  234  is coupled to inner sleeve  232  and abuts the bottom, or distal end, of hollow neck member  220 . Additionally, outer sleeve  234  and hollow neck member  220  can have the same outer diameter so that neck assembly  200  has an aesthetically pleasing, seamless appearance. Neck assembly  200  may include interior volume  250 , which is open to the ambient environment through filter  240  and sleeve volume  251 . 
     Hollow neck member  220 , inner sleeve  232 , and outer sleeve  234  can be made of any suitable materials. In some embodiments, hollow neck member  220  and inner sleeve  232  can be made of plastic, and outer sleeve  234  can be made of rubber. A rubber outer sleeve  234  may help to prevent cable  222  from chafing against a resilient outer sleeve material. In other embodiments, all three components can be made of plastic, or other resilient material. In those embodiments, outer sleeve  234  and hollow neck member  220  can be ultrasonically welded, sanded, and polished to produce a neck assembly with a seamless, unibody appearance. Details of an ultrasonic welding process for earbuds can be found in commonly-assigned U.S. Publication No. 2012/0087531, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional view of neck assembly  300  in accordance with some embodiments. Cable  322  can extend through assembly  300  from the interior of an earbud to an electronic device (neither of which are shown). The neck subassembly (i.e., inner sleeve  332 , including cable engagement member  338 , and outer sleeve  334 ) can be coupled to hollow neck member  320  such that the outer surface of inner sleeve  332  is secured to the inner surface of hollow neck member  320  and the top of outer sleeve  334  is coupled to inner sleeve  332  and the bottom, or distal end, of hollow neck member  320 . Acoustic mesh filter  340  can abut the top of inner sleeve  332  as described below with respect to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Additionally, outer sleeve  334  and hollow neck member  320  can have the same outer diameter so that neck assembly  300  has an aesthetically pleasing, seamless appearance. Neck assembly  300  may include interior volume  350 , which is open to the ambient environment through filter  340  and sleeve volume  351 . 
     Hollow neck member  320 , inner sleeve  332 , and outer sleeve  334  can be made of any suitable materials. In some embodiments, hollow neck member  320  and inner sleeve  332  can be made of plastic and outer sleeve  334  can be made of rubber. A rubber outer sleeve  334  may help to prevent cable  322  from being damaged from chafing against the edge of a resilient outer sleeve material. In other embodiments, all three components can be made of plastic, or other resilient material. In those embodiments, outer sleeve  334  and hollow neck member  320  can be ultrasonically welded, sanded, and polished to produce a neck assembly with a seamless, unibody appearance. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of filter  440  for use in the neck of an earbud in accordance with some embodiments. Filter  440  may correspond to, for example, filter  140  of  FIG. 1 , and can include through holes  442 , cable stabilization region  444 , sleeve engagement region  446 , and acoustic coupling region  448 . The inner diameter of the cylinder-shaped cable stabilization region  444  can be equal to the outer diameter of cable  222  (see  FIG. 2 ) to prevent debris from passing through a gap between cable stabilization region  444  and cable  222 . Likewise, the outer diameter of the cylinder-shaped sleeve engagement region  446  can be equal to the inner diameter of hollow neck member  220 . Acoustic coupling region  448  can extend radially from a proximal end of cable stabilization region  444  to a proximal end of sleeve engagement region  446  with a predetermined angle of declination. The angle of declination can be chosen to optimize the number and size of through holes  442  in acoustic coupling region  448 . 
     In some embodiments, filter  440  is formed from a stainless steel disc or other suitable material (e.g., plastic). A number of through holes  442  of a predetermined diameter (e.g., 0.75 microns) can be created in the disc, for example, to acoustically couple an interior volume of an earbud to a sleeve volume of a neck subassembly. The size of through holes  442  may be chosen to provide the best balance between acoustic performance and protection of the interior of the earbud. In some embodiments, photoresist can be applied to both sides of the disc. A desired hole pattern can subsequently be imaged in the photoresist using a mask. After the photoresist is developed, a chemical etching process can then be used to etch through holes  442  into the disc. 
     Filter  440  can have a frusto-conical shape as depicted in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 . The disc may be stamped or molded in one or more steps to achieve a shape similar to that of filter  440 . In some embodiments, filter  440  can be molded in one piece with through holes  442  created during the molding process. For example, the mold can include a number of protrusions such that through holes  442  are formed during the molding process. Any suitable shape may be chosen for filter  440 ; however, a design that maximizes the volume of air within neck assembly  200  and air flow through filter  440  also results in optimal acoustic performance. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  show illustrative views of earbud neck subassembly sections  500  and  600  in accordance with some embodiments. Neck subassembly section  500  can be coupled to the hollow neck member of an earbud (e.g., hollow neck member  120  of  FIG. 1 ). According to some embodiments, neck subassembly section  500  can include cable  522  and neck subassembly  530 , which can include inner sleeve  532 , outer sleeve  534 , inner sleeve bridge  536 , cable engagement member  538 , and filter retaining region  541 . Acoustic mesh filter  540  can be coupled to filter retaining region  541  as described below. Neck subassembly  530  may be formed as a single member, with inner sleeve  532  and outer sleeve  534  formed monolithically. Alternatively, inner sleeve  532  and outer sleeve  534  can be two distinct members. In the latter embodiments, the sleeves may be coupled together with an adhesive or by press fitting inner sleeve  532  inside outer sleeve  534 . In some embodiments, inner sleeve  532  can be made of plastic and outer sleeve  534  can be made of rubber. A rubber outer sleeve  534  may help to prevent cable  522  from chafing against the edge a resilient outer sleeve material. 
     Inner sleeve  532  can include cable engagement member  538 . In general, cable engagement member  538  couples neck subassembly  530  to cable  522  while maintaining an air gap between at least part of the outer surface of cable engagement member  538  and the inner surface of inner sleeve  532 . In some embodiments, cable engagement member  538  is compressively coupled to cable  522 ; however, any suitable method of coupling can be used. 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  represent two possible embodiments for securing a cable engagement member to an inner sleeve. As shown in  FIG. 5 , inner sleeve bridges  536  connect cable engagement member  538  to inner sleeve  532 . Although only one inner sleeve bridge is shown in  FIG. 5 , more than one inner sleeve bridge can be included to improve the structural integrity of neck subassembly section  500 . In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 6 , neck subassembly section  600  can include cable  622  and neck subassembly  630 , which can include inner sleeve  632 , outer sleeve  634 , cable engagement member  638 , and acoustic mesh filter  640  can be coupled to a filter retaining region. As shown, cable engagement member  638  is coupled to the inner surface of inner sleeve  632  along a section of its outer perimeter, such that the center axis of inner sleeve  632  and the center axis of cable engagement member  638  are offset with respect to each other. In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the inner sleeve and cable engagement member can be integrally formed (e.g., by injection or compression molding). 
     Acoustic mesh filter  540 , or another suitable filter (e.g., filter  440  of  FIG. 4 ) can be coupled to filter retaining region  541 , which is adjacent to the top end of inner sleeve  532  (i.e., the end of inner sleeve  532  that is inserted into the hollow neck member of an earbud) in any suitable manner. For example, acoustic mesh filter  540  may be coupled to the top end of inner sleeve  532  with an adhesive. Alternatively, acoustic mesh filter  540  can be insert molded into a plastic sleeve and inserted into the hollow neck member of an earbud (neither of which are shown). Acoustic mesh filter  540  can consist of any suitable mesh material, including, but not limited to, plastic, metal, nylon, or any other natural or synthetic fiber. The material and mesh pitch can be chosen to provide the best acoustic performance while maintaining the interior of the earbud free from debris. 
     Earbuds according to embodiments of the invention can be included as part of a headset such as a wired headset or a wireless headset. An example of a wired headset is discussed below in connection with the description accompanying  FIG. 7 . A wireless headset can include, for example, a Bluetooth headset. 
       FIG. 7  shows an illustrative headset  700  having cable structure  720  that integrates with non-cable components  740 ,  742 , and  744 . For example, non-cable components  740 ,  742 , and  744  can be a male plug, left headphones, and right headphones, respectively. As a specific example, components  742  and  744  can be an earbud having one or more pressure sensors mounted on or in the housing. Cable structure  720  has three legs  722 ,  724 , and  726  joined together at bifurcation region  730 . Leg  722  may be referred to herein as main leg  722 , and includes the portion of cable structure  720  existing between non-cable component  740  and bifurcation region  730 . Leg  724  may be referred to herein as left leg  724 , and includes the portion of cable structure  720  existing between non-cable component  742  and bifurcation region  730 . Leg  726  may be referred to herein as right leg  726 , and includes the portion of cable structure  720  existing between non-cable component  744  and bifurcation region  730 . 
     Cable structure  720  can include a conductor bundle that extends through some or all of legs  722 ,  724 , and  726 . Cable structure  720  can include conductors for carrying signals from non-cable component  740  to non-cable components  742  and  744  and vise versa. For example, signals from non-cable component  740  to non-cable components  742  and  744  can be audio signals. Signals from non-cable components  742  and  744  to non-cable component  740  can be pressure signals. Cable structure  720  can include one or more rods constructed from a superelastic material. The rods can resist deformation to reduce or prevent tangling of the legs. The rods are different than the conductors used to convey signals from non-cable component  740  to non-cable components  742  and  744 , but share the same space within cable structure  720 . Several different rod arrangements may be included in cable structure  720 . 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart of process  800  for assembling an open-air earbud. In step  801 , a housing is provided that includes a hollow neck member and an inner volume extending from within the housing through the hollow neck member. For example, the housing and hollow neck member could be housing  110  and hollow neck member  120  of  FIG. 1 . At step  803 , a filter (e.g., filter  440 ) can be inserted within the hollow neck member. The hollow neck member may have a tapered inner diameter that prevents the filter from sliding beyond the end of the hollow neck member. At step  805 , a neck subassembly (e.g., neck subassembly  130 ) can be secured to the hollow neck member, for example, using an adhesive or press fitting. 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart of process  900  for assembling an open-air earbud. In step  901 , a housing is provided that includes a non-occluding member and a neck member. For example, the non-occluding member could be the part of earbud  100  that includes front non-occluding member  112  and back non-occluding member  114 . At step  903 , a filter (e.g., filter  440  or acoustic mesh filter  540 ) can be incorporated into the neck member. In some embodiments, the filter can be coupled to a filter retaining region of a neck subassembly (e.g., with an adhesive or by press fitting) prior to being incorporated into the neck member. For example, the filter can be insert molded into the neck subassembly before being inserted into the neck member. In other embodiments, the filter can be incorporated into the neck member prior to step  905 , in which a neck subassembly (e.g., neck subassembly  130 ) can be coupled to the neck member, for example, using an adhesive or press fitting. 
     It is understood that the steps shown in methods  800  and  900  of  FIGS. 8 and 9  are merely illustrative and that existing steps may be modified or omitted, additional steps may be added, and the order of certain steps may be altered. 
     While there have been described pressure sensing earbuds and systems and methods for the use thereof, it is to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. 
     The described embodiments of the invention are presented for the purpose of illustration and not of limitation.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20170412
Publication Date: 20190409
Grant Date: 20190409
Priority Date: 20110930
Inventors: HAYASHIDA, JEFFREY Y.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/006", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49005", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1033", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49005", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/10", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/006", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1033", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/08", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49005", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/00", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R31/006", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 47178866