IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,732,769
Granted Patent B2
US 12,732,769 · App. 18/734,923 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Correcting audio signals based on an orientation of an eyewear assembly

Inventor: Ronald J. Guglielmone, Jr. (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04S7/303H04R1/1008H04S2400/13H04S2420/01
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,732,769
App. No.
18/734,923
Filed
Jun 5, 2024
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2693
USPC
381/303
Abstract

An eyewear assembly may include a frame configured to rest on a wearer's face, a plurality of extra-aural speakers, and a plurality of sensors. A processing circuitry may execute instructions stored in memory to process output data of the plurality of sensors to determine locations of a plurality of anatomic features of the wearer, detect an orientation of the eyewear assembly relative to the wearer of the eyewear assembly based on the locations of the plurality of anatomic features of the wearer, and determine, based on the orientation, a correction to an audio signal that is to drive an extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

Claims (54)

1 . A system, comprising:

an eyewear assembly including:

a frame configured to rest on a wearer's face;

a plurality of extra-aural speakers; and

a plurality of sensors; and

one or more processing circuitries configured to execute instructions stored in memory to:

process output data of the plurality of sensors to determine locations of a plurality of anatomic features of the wearer;

detect an orientation of the eyewear assembly relative to the wearer of the eyewear assembly based on the locations of the plurality of anatomic features of the wearer; and

determine, based on the orientation, a correction to an audio signal that is to drive an extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the orientation includes determining the extra-aural speaker is further from a wearer's ear than a second extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers is from the wearer's other ear.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein detecting the orientation includes calculating a difference between a first distance to a first anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features and a second distance to a second anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the correction includes at least one of a level compensation or an equalization adjustment applied to the audio signal.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuitries are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

receive, via a wireless communications system, information representing a head-related transfer function (HRTF) associated with the wearer.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the correction includes a change to information representing an HRTF associated with the wearer.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing circuitries are further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

detect an obstruction between the extra-aural speaker and a wearer's ear; and

determine a second correction to the audio signal based on the obstruction.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of anatomic features includes eyes and ears.

9 . A method, comprising:

determining locations of a plurality of anatomic features of a wearer of an eyewear assembly based on output data of a plurality of sensors of the eyewear assembly, wherein the eyewear assembly includes a frame configured to rest on a wearer's face and a plurality of extra-aural speakers;

detecting an orientation of the eyewear assembly relative to the wearer of the eyewear assembly based on the locations of the plurality of anatomic features of the wearer; and

determining, based on the orientation, a correction to an audio signal that is to drive an extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting the orientation includes determining the extra-aural speaker is closer to a wearer's ear than a second extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers is to the wearer's other ear.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein detecting the orientation includes comparing a difference between a first distance to a first anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features and a second distance to a second anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features to a threshold.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

applying the correction by at least one of level compensating or equalizing the audio signal.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving, via a nearfield communications system, information representing a head-related transfer function (HRTF) associated with the wearer.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

detecting hair between the extra-aural speaker and a wearer's ear; and

determining a second correction to the audio signal based on the hair.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of anatomic features includes pupils and earlobes.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more processing circuitries to perform operations comprising:

determining locations of a plurality of anatomic features of a wearer of an eyewear assembly based on output data of a plurality of sensors of the eyewear assembly, wherein the eyewear assembly includes a frame configured to rest on a wearer's face and a plurality of extra-aural speakers;

detecting an orientation of the eyewear assembly relative to the wearer of the eyewear assembly based on the locations of the plurality of anatomic features of the wearer; and

determining, based on the orientation, a correction to an audio signal that is to drive an extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions of claim 16 , wherein detecting the orientation includes determining the extra-aural speaker is further from a wearer's ear than a second extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers is from the wearer's other ear.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions of claim 16 , wherein detecting the orientation includes calculating a difference between a first angle to a first anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features and a second angle to a second anatomic feature of the plurality of anatomic features.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions of claim 16 , wherein the correction includes changing information representing a head-related transfer function (HRTF) associated with the wearer.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions of claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting clothing between the extra-aural speaker and a wearer's ear; and

determining a second correction to the audio signal based on the clothing.

21 . A system, comprising:

headgear including:

a frame to rest on a wearer's face;

a plurality of extra-aural speakers; and

a plurality of sensors; and

one or more processors to:

process output data of the plurality of sensors to determine locations of a plurality of anatomic features of the wearer;

detect an orientation of the headgear relative to the wearer of the headgear based on the locations of the plurality of anatomic features of the wearer; and

determine, based on the orientation, a correction to an audio signal that is to drive an extra-aural speaker of the plurality of extra-aural speakers.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the plurality of sensors are used to detect at least one of distances to the anatomic features or angles between the anatomic features.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein detecting the orientation includes 1) calculating a difference between the distances to the anatomic features or angles between the anatomic features, and 2) comparing the difference to a threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2024
From: GUGLIELMONE, RONALD J., JR.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 067633/0931 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63578590 · Aug 24, 2023
Related Publication 20250071498A1 · Feb 27, 2025
References Cited (19)
US 5404385A · Ben-Haim · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 8788977B2 · Bezos · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9998847B2 · Norris · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10070224B1 · Miller · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10206053B1 · Welti · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10375506B1 · Moeller · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10602302B1 · Lyren · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 10890965B2 · Tobin · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 11595754B1 · Johnson · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 11809774B1 · Vitt · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12170883B2 · Marculescu · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20110144779A1 · Janse et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20190174237A1 · Lunner · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190342647A1 · Mehra · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190373357A1 · Khaleghimeybodi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210243544A1 · Tracey · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220182777A1 · Canberk · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220191578A1 · Ramkumar · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220377486A1 · Arya · 2022 [cited by examiner]