Apple Inc.

Robert D Zupke

Jason Joseph LeBlanc

Daniel Ray Bloom

Tian Shi Li

Dustin A Hatfield

Brooke L Bunney

Eugene Antony Whang

Benjamin Andrew Shaffer

Jeffrey J Terlizzi

Jared Mitchell Kole

Jahan C Minoo

Edward Siahaan

Ethan Larry Huwe

Daniel C Wagman

Kathleen A Bergeron

Xingqun Li

Ali N Ergun

Di Zhao

Eric Steven Jol

Colin M Ely

Mahmoud R Amini

Derek William Wright

Esge Brandt Andersen

Onur I Ilkorur

Lee M Panecki

Rohan Gupta

Todd K Moyer

Ching Yu John Tam

Michael B Minerbi

Derek J DiCarlo

Tony Chi Wang Ng

Chi Kin Ho

Carlos Ribas

Evan J Thompson

Nagendra Bage Jayaraj

Todd P Marco

Cuneyt Bakan

Prathamesh R Bhagwat

Roderick D Bacon

Surya Musunuri

Lionel B Barrow

Jeff A Kalt

Justin T Ng

Phillip Qian

Sneha Kadetotad

Sean Thomas McIntosh

Yuta Kuboyama

Rajesh Anantharaman

Eric T SooHoo

Tsu-Hui Lin

Gerhard A Schneider

Christopher S Erickson

Edwin J Corona Aparicio

Peter J Cameron

Michael A Kinney

Priyank D Patel

Jacob E Mattingley

Audrey L Sheng

Marc-Angelo P Carino

Axit H Patel

Paul S Van Wieren

Jordan J Francis

Alex C Hellwig

Mike B Minerbi

Oliver M Hewitt

Jason J Leblanc

Sean J Docherty

Miikka O Tikander

A detachable headband for a headphone system can incorporate a headband identification circuit that stores or encodes a headband identification parameter value. When the headband becomes attached to an ear cup, the headband can transmit the headband identification parameter value to the ear cup.

Device identification for a system of electronic devices

A personal audio device (e.g., headphones, earphones) can have an earpiece (e.g., an ear cup or earbud) with a removable cushioning member (e.g., headphone cushions or ear tips for earbuds). The cushioning member can include an identification tag that encodes identification data for the cushioning member. When the cushioning member is attached to the earpiece, the identification tag is brought into proximity with a tag sensor in the earpiece and the earpiece can read the identification tag to determine identification data for the cushioning member. The identification data can be used to modify a behavior of the earpiece and/or of a host device communicably coupled to the earpiece.

Identification of cushioning members in personal audio devices

Headband identification for a headphone system

Connector inserts and connector receptacles that have a small form factor and where when a connector insert and connector receptacle are mated, the connector insert can rotate and articulate relative to an electronic device housing the connector receptacle. The connector receptacle can be connected to components in the electronic device through a flexible circuit board having an amount of slack or excess length to allow the connector receptacle and the connector insert to rotate relative to the connected components. A bearing supporting the connector receptacle can articulate about an axis to allow the connector receptacle and connector insert to articulate relative to the connected components. The bearing can further support a locking mechanism to lock the connector insert in place in the connector receptacle.

Separable articulating power and data interface

This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that include earpad assemblies that improve acoustic isolation are discussed. User convenience features that include automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user's head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.

Headphones with magnetic sensor

A voltage of a first pin that is one of several pins of an external connector of a system is measured, while the first pin is un-driven except for being pulled to ground through a first resistance, and a second pin of the external connector is being used as a power supply rail of the system. The measured voltage is compared to a short circuit threshold and in response to that threshold being exceeded, the power supply voltage on the second pin is reduced. In such an embodiment, no test stimulus needs to be applied to any of the pins of the external connector. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Corrosion mitigation for an external connector of an electronic device

Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods of detecting headphone orientation. The systems and methods described herein may be used, for example, to determine which ear cup of a pair of headphones is positioned on which ear of a user. By making this determination, stereophonic audio signals may be divided into their left audio channel signal and right audio channel signal components and transmitted to the proper ear cup. In another example, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine when a pair of headphones are being worn on a user's head and/or are removed from a user's head. By determining when the headphones are being worn, the headphones may be able to automatically pause an audio signal and/or power off when a transition from on-head to off-head is detected.

Detection of headphone orientation

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that may compensate for an incompatibility between connection detection schemes used by different interface circuits for different connector receptacles. One example may provide an active pull-down that normally provides a pull-down resistor and provides an open circuit for a period of time following a disconnection of an interface from a cable.

Power removal monitor circuit for interface disconnect detect

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Robert D Zupke