US 11,910,149 B2
Force-activated earphone
Nahid Harjee, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Brian R. Twehues, Campbell, CA (US); Teera Songatikamas, San Jose, CA (US); Aonan Li, Berkeley, CA (US); Travis N. Owens, Lakeway, TX (US); and Kyle J. Campiotti, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/897,148.
Application 17/897,148 is a continuation of application No. 17/219,799, filed on Mar. 31, 2021, granted, now 11,463,797.
Application 17/219,799 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/539,515, filed on Aug. 13, 2019, granted, now 11,070,904, issued on Jul. 20, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/734,389, filed on Sep. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0417641 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04R 1/10 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/1041 (2013.01) [G06F 3/044 (2013.01); H04R 1/1016 (2013.01); H04R 1/1075 (2013.01); G06F 2203/04105 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An earphone, comprising:
a speaker housing;
a speaker positioned in the speaker housing;
a stem extending from the speaker housing;
a conductive object disposed within the stem;
a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object;
a material positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to move when a force is applied to the stem;
a first sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit facing the stem;
a second sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit facing the material; and
a shield disposed between the first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode.
 
11. An earphone, comprising:
a speaker housing;
a speaker positioned in the speaker housing;
a stem extending from the speaker housing;
a conductive object disposed within the stem;
a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object;
a spring member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object operable to allow the flexible circuit to move toward the conductive object when a force is applied to the stem; and
a force sensor electrode disposed within the flexible circuit facing the spring member.
 
18. An earphone, comprising:
a speaker housing;
a speaker positioned in the speaker housing;
a stem extending from the speaker housing;
a conductive object disposed within the stem;
a flexible circuit positioned between the stem and the conductive object;
a moveable member positioned between the flexible circuit and the conductive object;
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.