US 12,137,312 B2
Portable wireless listening device
Benjamin A. Cousins, San Jose, CA (US); Travis Owens, Lakeway, TX (US); Karan Jain, San Jose, CA (US); Lee M. Panecki, Cupertino, CA (US); Mei Zhang, Danbury, CT (US); and Julia Canning, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/895,019.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/268,356, filed on Feb. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0269514 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 1/00 (2006.01); G06F 3/041 (2006.01); G06F 3/044 (2006.01); H02J 7/00 (2006.01); H04R 1/00 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/1016 (2013.01) [G06F 3/04144 (2019.05); G06F 3/044 (2013.01); H02J 7/0044 (2013.01); H04R 1/023 (2013.01); H04R 1/1025 (2013.01); H04R 1/1041 (2013.01); H04R 1/1058 (2013.01); H04R 1/1075 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01); H04R 2460/11 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An earphone comprising:
a device housing including a speaker housing and a stem extending away from the speaker housing portion, wherein the speaker housing and stem combine to define an interior cavity within the device housing;
an acoustic port formed through a wall of the speaker housing;
an audio driver disposed within the speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic port;
a user input region disposed along an exterior surface of the stem;
a flex circuit disposed within the interior cavity, the flex circuit including a first portion bonded at a first location to an inner surface of the stem directly beneath the user-input region, a second portion bonded at a second location to an inner surface of the stem spaced apart from the first location, and a third portion extending between the first and second portions;
a force pixel disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the first portion of the flex circuit below the user input region;
a plurality of touch pixels disposed within the interior cavity between the force pixel and the user input region;
sensor control circuitry disposed within the interior cavity and mounted to the second portion of the flex circuit; and
an antenna disposed within the interior cavity along a length of the stem.