CHARGING CASE FOR EARBUDS
A charging case for wireless earbuds comprises one or more charging docks configured to receive and charge the earbuds, and ultraviolet (UV) light sources disposed within an interior of the charging case. The UV light sources irradiate the earbuds and an inner volume of the charging case to reduce microbial contamination. A control unit is operably coupled to the charging circuitry, the UV light sources, and one or more sensors, and is configured to control charging and sterilization operations based on one or more conditions, including presence of the earbuds, closure of the charging case, battery status, or user input. The charging case may support prioritization between charging and sterilization, timed sterilization cycles, and safety-based deactivation of the UV light sources. In certain embodiments, the charging case further supports additional functionalities including external device charging, media playback, communication, synchronization with other charging cases, and user status indication.
1 . A charging case for earbuds, comprising:
a housing having a base, a front wall, and a rear wall, the housing defining an inner volume;
a cover coupled to the housing, the cover movable between an open state and a closed state;
one or more charging docks disposed within the inner volume of the housing and configured to receive and electrically charge one or more earbuds;
one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources disposed within the housing and configured to irradiate at least the one or more earbuds;
a first sensor configured to detect receipt of at least one earbud in a respective charging dock;
a second sensor configured to detect opening and closing of the cover; and
a control unit operably coupled to the one or more UV light sources, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the one or more charging docks, wherein the control unit is configured to:
receive a first signal from the first sensor indicating receipt of the at least one earbud in the respective charging dock;
receive a second signal from a second sensor indicating closure of the cover; and
in response to receiving both the first signal and the second signal, activate the one or more UV light sources for a predetermined duration.
2 . The charging case according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
receive a third signal from the first sensor indicating removal of the at least one earbud from the respective charging dock
upon receiving the third signal, receive a fourth signal indicating closing of the cover, and
upon receiving the fourth signal, turn on the one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources.
3 . The charging case according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more UV light sources comprise UV light-emitting diodes configured to emit radiation having disinfecting or microbiocidal properties.
4 . The charging case according to claim 3 , wherein one UV light-emitting diode of the UV light-emitting diodes is positioned in the housing, and one UV light-emitting diode of the UV light-emitting diodes is positioned on an inner surface of the cover.
5 . The charging case according to claim 1 , wherein the charging case further comprises an integrated rechargeable battery, wherein the control unit and the one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources are powered by the integrated rechargeable battery.
6 . The charging case of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to prioritize charging of the one or more earbuds over operation of the one or more UV light sources when a remaining charge level of a power supply falls below a predetermined threshold.
7 . The charging case of claim 1 , wherein the control unit supports a sterilization-only mode in which the one or more UV light sources are activated without charging the wireless earbuds.
8 . The charging case of claim 1 , further comprising a user input element configured to initiate a deep-cycle sanitization mode in which the one or more UV light sources are activated for a duration longer than a standard sterilization cycle.
9 . The charging case of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of charging cases are configured to synchronize operation, and one charging case is designated as a coordinating device.
10 . The charging case of claim 9 , wherein the operation is playback of music by the coordinating device, and the other charging cases play the same music.
11 . The charging case of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of charging cases has a unique device ID and is associated with a group ID, wherein the group ID is configured in each of the plurality of charging cases, wherein the plurality of charging cases connects with each other based on the group ID.
12 . The charging case of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to stream media content to the one or more earbuds.
13 . The charging case of claim 12 , wherein the control unit is further configured to connect to a media server for receiving the media content.
14 . The charging case of claim 12 , wherein the charging case further comprises a speaker, a microphone, and a GPS circuitry operably coupled to the control unit.
15 . The charging case of claim 14 , wherein the charging case further comprises user input elements operably coupled to the control unit and configured to control playback functions.
16 . A charging case for earbuds, comprising:
a housing;
a cover coupled to the housing, the cover movable between an open state and a closed state;
one or more charging docks disposed within the housing and configured to receive and electrically charge one or more earbuds;
one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources disposed within the housing and configured to irradiate at least the one or more earbuds; and
a control unit operably coupled to the one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources and the one or more charging docks, the control unit is configured to:
determine a current charge status of the one or more earbuds being charged by the one or more charging docks; and
activate the one or more UV light sources when the current charge status exceeds a predefined threshold while the one or more earbuds are not fully charged.
17 . The charging case of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to:
while the one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources are active, suspend charging of the one or more earbuds; and
after expiration of a predefined duration, deactivate the one or more UV light sources and resume charging of the one or more earbuds.
18 . A method of operating a charging case for wireless earbuds, the charging case comprising:
a housing having a base, a front wall, and a rear wall, the housing defining an inner volume,
a cover coupled to the housing, the cover movable between an open state and a closed state,
one or more charging docks disposed within the inner volume of the housing and configured to receive and electrically charge one or more earbuds,
one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources disposed within the housing and configured to irradiate at least the one or more earbuds,
a first sensor configured to detect receipt of at least one earbud in a respective charging dock,
a second sensor configured to detect opening and closing of the cover, and
a control unit operably coupled to the one or more UV light sources, the first sensor, the second sensor, and the one or more charging docks;
the method comprising:
receiving a first signal from the first sensor indicating receipt of the at least one earbud in the respective charging dock;
receiving a second signal from a second sensor indicating closure of the cover; and
in response to receiving both the first signal and the second signal, activate the one or more UV light sources for a predetermined duration.
19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving a third signal from the first sensor indicating removal of the at least one earbud from the respective charging dock
upon receiving the third signal, receiving a fourth signal indicating closing of the cover, and
upon receiving the fourth signal, turning on the one or more ultraviolet (UV) light sources.
20 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising:
determine a current charge status of the one or more earbuds being charged by the one or more charging docks; and
activating the one or more UV light sources when the current charge status exceeds a predefined threshold while the one or more earbuds are not fully charged.