Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Force-activated earphone
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Application No.: US17219799Application Date: 2021-03-31
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Publication No.: US11463797B2Publication Date: 2022-10-04
- Inventor: Nahid Harjee , Brian R. Twehues , Teera Songatikamas , Aonan Li , Travis N. Owens , Kyle J. Campiotti
- Applicant: Apple Inc.
- Applicant Address: US CA Cupertino
- Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
- Current Assignee Address: US CA Cupertino
- Agency: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
- Main IPC: H04R1/10
- IPC: H04R1/10 ; G06F3/044

Abstract:
An earphone includes a speaker housing; a speaker positioned in the speaker housing; a stem extending from the speaker housing, the stem defining an input surface; a conductive object disposed within the stem; a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object; a member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move with respect to the stem; a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit; and a controller operable to determine an input to the earphone using a change in capacitance detected using the force sensor electrode, the change in capacitance corresponding to a non-binary amount of a force applied to the input surface. In some examples, the earphone further includes a touch sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit.
Public/Granted literature
- US20210219042A1 Force-Activated Earphone Public/Granted day:2021-07-15
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