US 12,137,315 B2
Earphone and method for identifying whether an earphone is being inserted into an ear of a user
Rui Zhang, Wannweil (DE); Juergen Gut, Tuebingen (DE); and Sergej Scheiermann, Reutlingen (DE)
Assigned to ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, Stuttgart (DE)
Appl. No. 17/998,133
Filed by Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart (DE)
PCT Filed Jul. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/070478
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 7, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/053212, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 17, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 211 299.1 (DE), filed on Sep. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0232147 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 3/00 (2006.01); G01P 15/18 (2013.01); G06F 3/01 (2006.01); H04R 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/1041 (2013.01) [G01P 15/18 (2013.01); G06F 3/011 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An earphone, comprising:
a proximity sensor configured to generate a proximity sensor signal;
an acceleration sensor configured to generate an acceleration sensor signal; and
a signal analysis device configured to:
a. identify an approaching movement of the earphone to an object using the proximity sensor signal;
b. ascertain whether the approaching movement is a movement of the earphone to an ear of the user, with fluctuations in a time profile of the proximity sensor signal being analyzed and taken into consideration;
c. generate a high-pass filtered acceleration signal and a low-pass filtered acceleration signal by filtering the acceleration sensor signal;
d. ascertain an end time of the approaching movement based on a stabilization of the acceleration, using the low-pass filtered acceleration signal; and
e. confirm that the approaching movement is a movement of the earphone to an ear of the user based on changes in the high-pass filtered acceleration signal after the ascertained end time of the approaching movement.