Detecting headphone earpiece location and orientation based on differential user ear temperature

1. A method of determining whether a speaker element of a headphone set is located proximate to a right ear, a left ear, or neither ear of a user of the headphone set, the method comprising:

receiving a first temperature value from a first temperature sensor included in the headphone set;

receiving a second temperature value from a second temperature sensor included in the headphone set, wherein the first and second temperature sensors are different; and

determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values, wherein determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values comprises:

calculating a temperature difference value based on the first and second temperature values;

comparing the temperature difference value to a predetermined threshold value; and

determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on a result of comparing the temperature difference value to the predetermined threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first temperature sensor is located within a first portion of the speaker element, wherein the second temperature sensor is located within a second portion of the speaker element, and wherein the first and second portions of the speaker element are different.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second temperature sensors located within the first and second portions, respectively, of the speaker element comprises the temperature sensors being disposed within a housing of the speaker element such that the temperature sensors are located at substantially opposite sides of a circular plane that is substantially centered about a portion of the speaker element that emits sound and is substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the speaker element emits sound.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second temperature sensors located within the first and second portions, respectively, of the speaker element comprises the temperature sensors being disposed within a housing of the speaker element such that, when the speaker element is located proximate to either one of the right and left ears, the temperature sensors are located at substantially opposite sides of an opening to an external auditory canal of the corresponding ear.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first and second temperature sensors located within the first and second portions, respectively, of the speaker element comprises the temperature sensors being disposed within a housing of the speaker element such that, when the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, the first temperature sensor is relatively closer to a tragus portion of the right ear than the second temperature sensor, and when the speaker element is located proximate to the left ear, the second temperature sensor is relatively closer to a tragus portion of the left ear than the first temperature sensor.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the speaker element comprises a first speaker element, wherein the headphone set further comprises a second speaker element, wherein the first and second speaker elements are different, wherein the first temperature sensor is located within the first speaker element, and wherein the second temperature sensor is located within the second speaker element.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the result of comparing the temperature difference value to the predetermined threshold value comprises one or more of the following:

in the event the temperature difference value is greater than the predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to a first one of the right and left ears;

in the event the temperature difference value is less than the predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to a second one of the right and left ears; and

in the event the temperature difference value is equal to the predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to neither ear.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the predetermined threshold value comprises a range of values, wherein the temperature difference value being one of greater than and less than the predetermined threshold value comprises the temperature difference value corresponding to a value that is outside of the range of values, and wherein the temperature difference value being equal to the predetermined threshold value comprises the temperature difference value corresponding to a value that is within the range of values.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third temperature value from a third temperature sensor, wherein the first, second, and third temperature sensors are different; and

determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the third temperature value.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the third temperature value received from the third temperature sensor indicates one of an ambient temperature and a body temperature associated with the user of the headphone set.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined threshold value comprises a first predetermined threshold value, and wherein determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the third temperature value comprises:

comparing the third temperature value to a second predetermined threshold value; and

determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on a result of comparing the third temperature value to the second predetermined threshold value.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the result of comparing the temperature difference value to the first predetermined threshold value and based on the result of comparing the third temperature value to the second predetermined threshold value comprises one or more of the following:

in the event the temperature difference value is greater than the first predetermined threshold value and the third temperature value is greater than the second predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to a first one of the right and left ears;

in the event the temperature difference value is greater than the first predetermined threshold value and the third temperature value is less than the second predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to a second one of the right and left ears;

in the event the temperature difference value is less than the first predetermined threshold value and the third temperature value is greater than the second predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to the second one of the right and left ears;

in the event the temperature difference value is less than the first predetermined threshold value and the third temperature value is less than the second predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to the first one of the right and left ears; and

in the event the temperature difference value is equal to the first predetermined threshold value, determining that the speaker element is located proximate to neither ear.

13. An apparatus for determining whether a speaker element of a headphone set is located proximate to a right ear, a left ear, or neither ear of a user of the headphone set comprising one or more computing devices configured to:

receive a first temperature value from a first temperature sensor included in the headphone set;

receive a second temperature value from a second temperature sensor included in the headphone set, wherein the first and second temperature sensors are different; and

determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values, wherein to determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values, the one or more computing devices are configured to:

calculate a temperature difference value based on the first and second temperature values;

compare the temperature difference value to a predetermined threshold value; and

determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on a result of comparing the temperature difference value to the predetermined threshold value.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first temperature sensor is located within a first portion of the speaker element, wherein the second temperature sensor is located within a second portion of the speaker element, and wherein the first and second portions of the speaker element are different.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first and second temperature sensors located within the first and second portions, respectively, of the speaker element comprises one or more of the following:

the temperature sensors being disposed within a housing of the speaker element such that the temperature sensors are located at substantially opposite sides of a circular plane that is substantially centered about a portion of the speaker element that emits sound and is substantially orthogonal to a direction in which the speaker element emits sound;

the temperature sensors being disposed within the housing such that, when the speaker element is located proximate to either one of the right and left ears, the temperature sensors are located at substantially opposite sides of an opening to an external auditory canal of the corresponding ear; and

the temperature sensors being disposed within the housing such that, when the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, the first temperature sensor is relatively closer to a tragus portion of the right ear than the second temperature sensor, and when the speaker element is located proximate to the left ear, the second temperature sensor is relatively closer to a tragus portion of the left ear than the first temperature sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the speaker element comprises a first speaker element, wherein the headphone set further comprises a second speaker element, wherein the first and second speaker elements are different, wherein the first temperature sensor is located within the first speaker element, and wherein the second temperature sensor is located within the second speaker element.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to:

receive a third temperature value from a third temperature sensor, wherein the first, second, and third temperature sensors are different; and

determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the third temperature value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the third temperature value received from the third temperature sensor indicates one of an ambient temperature and a body temperature associated with the user of the headphone set.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more computing devices to determine whether a speaker element of a headphone set is located proximate to a right ear, a left ear, or neither ear of a user of the headphone set, the instructions causing the one or more computing devices to:

receive a first temperature value from a first temperature sensor included in the headphone set;

receive a second temperature value from a second temperature sensor included in the headphone set, wherein the first and second temperature sensors are different; and

determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values, wherein the instructions that cause the one or more computing devices to determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on the first and second temperature values comprise instructions that cause the one or more computing devices to:

calculate a temperature difference value based on the first and second temperature values:

compare the temperature difference value to a predetermined threshold value; and

determine whether the speaker element is located proximate to the right ear, left ear, or neither ear, based on a result of comparing the temperature difference value to the predetermined threshold value.