Proximity sensing headphones
A proximity sensing headphone may include a gyroscopic sensor to determine the motion of the headphone structure and a proximity sensor to determine the movement of an external object through a three-dimensional ambient environment. A proximity sensing headphone control circuit determines the relative motion or movement between the headphone structure in the three-dimensional ambient environment and the external object in the three-dimensional ambient environment to determine at least a distance between the headphone structure and the external object and a velocity of the external object through the three-dimensional ambient environment about the headphone structure. The control circuit may provide an alert output if the determined distance between the headphone structure and the external object is less than a defined distance threshold or the velocity of the external object through the three-dimensional ambient environment about the headphone structure exceeds a defined velocity threshold.
1. A proximity sensing system, comprising:
a wearable structure configured to be worn on the head of a user, the wearable structure including a first sensor to detect a motion of an external object in three-dimensional space external to the wearable structure and a second sensor to detect a motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space; and
a control circuit communicatively coupled to the sensor system, the control circuit to:
determine a relative difference between the detected motion of the external object and the detected motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space; and
provide a human-perceptible output responsive to a determination that the relative difference exceeds a predefined threshold.
2. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a storage device that is communicably coupled to the control circuit and includes machine-readable instruction sets that, when executed by the control circuit, cause the control circuit to perform a comparison of the detected motion of the external object to the predefined threshold and to provide the human-perceptible output.
3. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one audio output device physically coupled to the wearable structure.
4. The proximity sensing system of claim 3 , wherein the human-perceptible output comprises an audible output provided via the at least one audio output device, and wherein the audible output identifies at least a relative direction of the external object with respect to the wearable structure.
5. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises at least one gyroscopic sensor to provide an output signal indicative of the motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space.
6. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one proximity sensor to provide an output signal indicative of a distance between the external object and the wearable structure.
7. The proximity sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is further to determine the motion of the external object in the three-dimensional space external to the wearable structure based at least in part on distance data included in each of a plurality of second signals obtained over a defined time interval.
8. The proximity sensing system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one proximity sensor includes one or more of a group that includes an electromagnetic induction proximity sensor, a capacitively coupled proximity sensor, or a time-of-flight proximity sensor.
9. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one microphone to provide an output signal indicative of ambient sound in the three-dimensional space.
10. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 further comprising a haptic output device, wherein the human-perceptible output comprises a haptic output provided via the haptic output device.
11. The proximity sensing system of claim 1 further comprising a visual output device, wherein the human-perceptible output comprises a visible output provided via the visual output device.
12. A method of providing an indication of a presence of an external object via a proximity sensing system, the method comprising:
detecting, via a first sensor of a wearable structure, motion of an external object within three-dimensional space external to the wearable structure;
detecting, via a second sensor of the wearable structure, motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space;
determining, by a control circuit of the wearable structure, a relative difference between the detected motion of the external object and the detected motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space; and
generating, by the control circuit, a human-perceptible output responsive to a determination that the relative difference exceeds a predefined threshold.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating a signal indicative of one or more of a group that includes a position of the external object in the three-dimensional space and a distance between the wearable structure and the external object.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the signal includes generating the signal via a proximity sensor communicatively coupled to the control circuit.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating a first signal indicative of the motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space via a gyroscopic sensor operably coupled to the wearable structure and communicatively coupled to the control circuit.
16. The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting the motion of the external object in the three-dimensional space is based at least in part on distance data included in each of a plurality of signals provided via a proximity sensor over a defined time interval.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the proximity sensor comprises one or more of a group that includes an electromagnetic induction proximity sensor, a capacitively coupled proximity sensor, or a time-of-flight proximity sensor.
18. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the human-perceptible output includes generating an output signal via at least one microphone communicatively coupled to the control circuit, the generated output signal being indicative of ambient sound in the three-dimensional space.
19. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the human-perceptible output includes generating a haptic output signal via a haptic output device communicatively coupled to the control circuit.
20. The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the human-perceptible output includes generating a visible output signal via a visual output device communicatively coupled to the control circuit.
21. A storage device including one or more machine-readable instruction sets that, when executed by a circuit, cause the circuit to provide a proximity sensing system, the proximity sensing system to:
detect, via a first sensor of a wearable structure, motion of an external object within three-dimensional space external to the wearable structure;
detect, via a second sensor of the wearable structure, motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space;
determine, by a control circuit of the wearable structure, a relative difference between the detected motion of the external object and the detected motion of the wearable structure in the three-dimensional space; and
generate, by the control circuit, a human-perceptible output responsive to a determination that the relative difference exceeds a predefined threshold.