IP Library Granted Patent US 11,601,743
Granted Patent B2
US 11,601,743 · App. 17/514,503 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

Wireless ear bud system with pose detection

Inventors: Daniel J. Perry (San Jose, CA); Maulik V. Choksi (Cupertino, CA); Wei-Yang Sun (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04R1/1041A61B5/1116A61B5/1123A61B5/486A61B5/6817A61B5/741G06F3/165G06F3/167H04R1/1016A61B5/0002A61B2562/0219H04R2420/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,601,743
App. No.
17/514,503
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Ear buds may have sensors to gather orientation information such as accelerometer measurements during user movements. A host electronic device may communicate wirelessly with the ear buds and may form part of an ear bud system that supplies the user with coaching and feedback while evaluating user performance of a head movement routine or other exercise routine. During operation, the ear buds may gather accelerometer data in a first reference frame such as a reference frame associated with the ear buds and may use a rotation matrix to rotate the data in the first reference frame into a second reference frame such as a neutral reference frame with a fixed orientation to the earth. The data in the neutral reference frame may be analyzed using a user head pose look-up table to categorize measured user head positions as corresponding to respective user head poses.

Claims (39)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a speaker in the housing;

an orientation sensor in the housing that is configured to obtain sensor measurements; and

control circuitry in the housing that is configured to evaluate user performance of a routine containing multiple predetermined user head poses based on the sensor measurements.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the routine is a head movement routine in which a user intentionally places their head in various stretch positions.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 2 , wherein the various stretch positions include a left head tilt, a right head tilt, a forward head tilt, and a back head tilt.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible instructions for the routine.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the audible instructions comprise verbal commands.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the audible instructions comprise a chime.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 4 , wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible feedback based on the evaluation of the user performance.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

wireless communication circuitry that is configured to wirelessly communicate with additional wireless communication circuitry in an additional electronic device.

9. An electronic device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:

a housing;

a speaker in the housing that is configured to play audio into an ear of the user;

an orientation sensor in the housing that is configured to obtain sensor measurements; and

control circuitry in the housing that is configured to evaluate user performance of a routine containing multiple predetermined user head poses based on the sensor measurements.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 , wherein the routine is a head movement routine in which the user intentionally places their head in various stretch positions.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 10 , wherein the various stretch positions include a left head tilt, a right head tilt, a forward head tilt, and a back head tilt.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 9 , wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible instructions for the routine.

13. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the audible instructions comprise verbal commands.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the audible instructions comprise a chime.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 12 , wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible feedback based on the evaluation of the user performance.

16. The electronic device defined in claim 9 , further comprising:

wireless communication circuitry that is configured to wirelessly communicate with additional wireless communication circuitry in an additional electronic device.

17. A system comprising:

a first electronic device configured to be worn by a user, comprising:

a housing;

a speaker in the housing that is configured to play audio into an ear of the user;

an orientation sensor in the housing that is configured to obtain sensor measurements;

first wireless communication circuitry; and

control circuitry in the housing that is configured to evaluate user performance of a routine containing multiple predetermined user head poses based on the sensor measurements, wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible instructions for the routine; and

a second electronic device that is configured to be worn by the user, comprising:

second wireless communication circuitry that is configured to communicate with the first wireless communication circuitry; and

a display that is configured to provide visual instructions for the routine.

18. The system defined in claim 17 , wherein the visual instructions for the routine comprise visual pose guidance.

19. The system defined in claim 17 , wherein the speaker is configured to provide audible feedback based on the evaluation of the user performance.

20. The system defined in claim 19 , wherein the display is configured to provide visual feedback based on the evaluation of the user performance.

Continuity (5)
Continuation 16897524 · Jun 10, 2020
Continuation 16364776 · Mar 26, 2019
Division 15914554 · Mar 7, 2018
Provisional Application 62480214 · Mar 31, 2017
Related Publication 20220053258A1 · Feb 17, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,375,844