IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,159,874
Granted Patent B2
US 11,159,874 · App. 16/494,490 · Granted Oct 26, 2021

Wearable device

Inventor: James Bell-Booth (Palmerston North, NZ)
Assignee: EARSHOTS LIMITED
H04R1/105A61B5/0022A61B5/02055A61B5/1112A61B5/683A61B5/6815H04R1/1016H04R1/1041A61B2562/0219H04R2420/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,159,874
App. No.
16/494,490
Granted
Oct 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A wearable device for attachment to the ear of a user that includes a magnetic attachment system. The wearable device includes an earpiece including a speaker and a body section including a hook for attachment about the ear. First and second magnetic elements are provided on the earpiece and body. The earpiece is movable relative to the body section and the earpiece and body section are configured so that when the body section is hooked about the ear the magnetic elements are magnetically attracted to each other through the ear to retain the device in place.

Claims (22)

1. A wearable device for attachment to an ear of a user comprising:

an earpiece including a speaker and a first magnetic element; and

a body section including a hook for attachment about an ear of a user and configured to engage around an upper part of a region connecting the ear to a skull of the user, the body section further including a media player housed within the body section and a second magnetic element,

wherein the earpiece is movable relative to the body section and the earpiece and body section are configured so that when the body section is hooked about the ear the first magnetic element and second magnetic element are adapted to be magnetically attracted to each other through the ear to retain the device in place.

2. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second magnetic element is positioned so as to be proximate a concha of the ear when the body section is worn on the ear of the user.

3. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook is twisted so as to direct a weight of the body section into the user's skull.

4. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the hook is flexible to wrap around the ear of the user.

5. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the earpiece is connected to the body section via a flexible section.

6. A wearable device as claimed in claim 5 wherein when the first and second magnetic elements are proximate each other the flexible section is drawn around the ear of the user in use.

7. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first magnetic element is located at a distal end of the earpiece.

8. A wearable device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the earpiece includes a face at a distal end that is inclined at an angle of between plane 30° and 60° with respect to a face of the earpiece that engages the user's ear in use.

9. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the earpiece is separate from the body section.

10. A wearable device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the earpiece communicates with the body section via a wireless connection.

11. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body section includes multiple magnets spaced at intervals to enable attachment of the earpiece at a plurality of positions to suit a range of ear shapes.

12. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body section includes an extendable section to adjust a relative position of the second magnetic element with respect to the body section to allow adjustment of the relative position of the second magnetic element to accommodate different ear shapes.

13. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the earpiece includes an extendable section attached to the first magnetic element allowing positioning of the first magnetic element towards or away from the earpiece to allow adjustment to accommodate different ear shapes.

14. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 including a microprocessor housed in the body section.

15. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 including one or more biometric sensors selected from a heart rate monitor, temperature sensor, movement sensor, microphone, accelerometer, location sensor, GPS, gyroscope, altimeter and acoustic sensor.

16. A wearable device as claimed in claim 11 including a wireless communication circuit for uploading or streaming content from another device.

17. A wearable device as claimed in claim 16 wherein the wireless communication circuit is capable of communicating with a cellular communication system.

18. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is adapted to communicate location and/or biometric data to a cloud based system that analyses biometric and location data and provides coaching tips, directions and other derived information to the user.

19. A wearable device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a coating is applied to portions of the body section formed of a thermoplastic elastomer or silicone material.

Assignments (2)
CERTIFICATE OF INCORPORATION Recorded Jun 24, 2021
From: MEDIA DEVICE LIMITED
To: EARSHOTS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 056670/0031 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 17, 2019
From: BELL-BOOTH, JAMES
To: MEDIA DEVICE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050408/0096 →
Priority Claims (1)
NZ 730305 · Mar 20, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200092626A1 · Mar 19, 2020
Cited By (17)
US 1,103,972 US 1,113,855 US 1,113,856 US 1,113,857 US 1,113,858 US 1,113,859 US 1,113,860 US 1,113,861 US 1,113,862 US 1,113,863 US 1,113,864 US 1,113,865 US 1,113,866 US 1,113,867 US 1,113,868 US 1,144,270 US 12,464,280