IP Library Granted Patent US 12689863
Granted Patent B2
US 12689863 · App. 18/243,900 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Audio seal measurements

Inventor: Jeffrey J. Terlizzi (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04R29/001H04R29/008H04R1/1016H04R2460/15
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12689863
App. No.
18/243,900
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Examples can provide circuits, methods, and apparatus that can determine a quality of a seal formed using an audio device, can inform a user of the quality of the seal, and can help the user to improve the quality of the seal.

Claims (62)

1 . A method of providing a notification regarding a quality of a seal formed using an audio device, the method comprising, with an electronic device that is associated with the audio device:

determining whether the audio device is being used in one of a number of specific contexts, the specific contexts comprising listening to music, exercising, and sleeping, and if it is, then

determining the quality of the seal based at least in part on the specific context in which the audio device is being used, and

if the quality of the seal is determined to be poor, then providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor, and

if the quality of the seal is not determined to be poor, then not providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the notification is provided at a display of the associated electronic device.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the notification is provided by light emitted a light-emitting diode on a case for the audio device.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein a determination that audio device is being used during exercise comprises, with the associated electronic device, receiving accelerometer information from the audio device.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the associated electronic device determines that the audio device is not being used in one of the number of specific contexts, then

determining whether the audio device is being used in one of a number of general contexts, and if it is, then

determining the quality of the seal based at least in part on the general context in which the audio device is being used, and

if the quality of the seal is determined to be poor, then providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor, and

if the quality of the seal is not determined to be poor, then not providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein the notification is provided at a display of the associated electronic device.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein the notification is provided by light emitted by a light-emitting diode on a case for the audio device.

8 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:

if the associated electronic device determines that the audio device is not being used in one of the number of general contexts or one of the number of specific contexts, then

determining the quality of the seal based on a default guideline, and

if the quality of the seal is determined to be poor, then providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor, and

if the quality of the seal is not determined to be poor, then not providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the providing the notification comprises, with the associated electronic device:

determining when to test the seal;

determining a type of test signal to use;

receiving an indication regarding a quality of the seal; and

determining whether to provide the notification to a user.

10 . A method of providing a notification regarding a quality of a seal formed using an audio device, the method comprising, with an electronic device that is associated with the audio device:

determining whether the audio device is being used in one of a number of specific contexts, and if it is, then

determining the quality of the seal based at least in part on the specific context in which the audio device is being used, and

if the quality of the seal is determined to be poor, then providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor, and

if the quality of the seal is not determined to be poor, then not providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor;

receiving an indication of a quality of the seal formed by the audio device;

when an indication that a poor seal is formed is received from the audio device, not saving data regarding the quality of the seal;

when an indication that a good seal is formed is received from the audio device, storing information regarding the time that the quality of the seal was determined and the indication of the quality of the seal; and

comparing the stored indication of the quality of the seal to previous indications of the quality of seal, and determining whether the indications of the quality of seal have degraded a threshold amount, and

if the associated device determines that the indications of the quality of seal have degraded the threshold amount, then determining whether to provide the notification to recommend an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal, and

if the associated device determines that the indications of the quality of seal have not degraded the threshold amount, then not providing a notification to recommend an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal.

11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising, with the associated electronic device, determining to provide the notification to recommend an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal, and sending an instruction to the audio device to audibly provide the notification using a speaker of the audio device to recommend an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal.

12 . The method of claim 10 further comprising, with the associated electronic device, determining to provide the notification to recommend an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal, and providing the notification on a screen of the associated electronic device recommending an alternative solution or replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal.

13 . The method of claim 10 wherein determining whether to provide the notification to recommend an alternative solution or replacement comprises, with the associated electronic device:

determining a value of a good seal to a user;

determining an improvement provided by an alternative solution;

if the determined value of a good seal is sufficient to justify the determined improvement, then providing a notification on a screen of the associated electronic device recommending the alternative solution for the portion of the audio device forming the seal; and

if the determined value of a good seal is not sufficient to justify the determined improvement, then providing a notification on a screen of the associated electronic device recommending replacement for the portion of the audio device forming the seal.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein the value of a good seal is determined by user input.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein the value of a good seal is determined based on usage history.

16 . A method of providing a notification regarding a quality of a seal formed using an audio device, the method comprising, with an electronic device that is associated with the audio device:

determining whether the audio device is being used in one of a number of specific contexts, and if it is, then

determining the quality of the seal based at least in part on the specific context in which the audio device is being used, and

if the quality of the seal is determined to be poor, then providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor, and

if the quality of the seal is not determined to be poor, then not providing a notification that the quality of the seal is poor;

receiving a first indication regarding a quality of a seal formed by the audio device;

receiving temperature sensor data from the audio device;

receiving a second indication of a quality of the seal formed by the audio device; and

if the first indication and the second indication are that the seal is of sufficient quality, then storing data temperature sensor data received from the audio device, and if either the first indication or the second indication are that the seal is not of sufficient quality, then not storing temperature sensor data received from the of the audio device.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising, with the associated electronic device:

receiving an ambient sound volume;

receiving an indication of a quality of the seal formed by the audio device; and

storing the ambient sound volume and the indication of the seal quality.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving a duration that the audio device is receiving the measured sound volume at the measured seal quality and storing the duration with the ambient sound volume and the indication of the seal quality.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising providing an aggregate assessment of hearing health on a screen of the associated electronic device using the stored duration, the ambient sound volume, and the indication of the seal quality.