Earphone with wireless charging function, wireless charger and earphone system

Abstract

An earphone includes a battery configured to power the earphone; an earmuff including a charging pad including: an induction coil configured to convert a magnetic field into electricity to charge a battery; and a plurality of secondary magnets configured to couple with the plurality of primary magnets of the wireless charger.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to an earphone, its wireless charger, and an earphone system. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a wireless earphone system supporting wireless charging technology. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless headphones are widely used by a variety of consumers due to their convenience in eliminating the need for cables. Wireless headphones can connect wirelessly to a source of audio signals (such as computers, smartphones, etc.). In use, the headphones connect to the device via one or more wireless transceivers using wireless technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Wireless headphones can be powered by one or more rechargeable batteries, which provide energy for both the wireless connection via the transceiver and the sound playback via one or more drivers. Utility Model Content

[0003] An earphone includes: a battery configured to power the earphone; earcups including a charging pad, the charging pad including: an induction coil configured to convert a magnetic field into electricity to charge the battery; and a plurality of secondary magnets configured to couple with a plurality of primary magnets of a wireless charger.

[0004] The wireless charger includes: an electrical port configured to draw power from a power source; a cable having a first end connected to the electrical port; and a charging transmitter connected to a second end of the cable, the charging transmitter including: an induction coil configured to convert electrical power into a magnetic field; and a plurality of primary magnets configured to be coupled to a plurality of secondary magnets of a receiving device.

[0005] The headphone system includes the aforementioned headphones and a wireless charger. Attached Figure Description

[0006] Figure 1 A system diagram of a wireless charging system for headphones according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure;

[0007] Figure 2 A system diagram of another wireless charging system for headphones, representing one or more embodiments of this disclosure;

[0008] Figure 3 A diagram of an earphone according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure; and

[0009] Figure 4 This is a diagram of a charging transmitter according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0010] This document describes embodiments. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and other embodiments may take various alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. Some features may be enlarged or minimized to show details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but are merely a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art.

[0011] The various features shown and described in any of the accompanying drawings can be combined with features shown in one or more other drawings to produce embodiments not explicitly shown or described. The combinations of features shown provide representative embodiments for typical applications. Various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure may be expected for particular applications or implementations.

[0012] This disclosure also proposes, among other things, an earphone. More specifically, this disclosure proposes an earphone that supports inductive wireless charging.

[0013] refer to Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a wireless charging system 100 for headphones according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Headphones 102 may include a first earcup 104 configured to engage with one ear of a user and a second earcup 106 configured to engage with the other ear of a user. Headphones 102 may also include a tensioner 108 connected between the first earcup 104 and the second earcup 106. The tensioner 108 may be made of one or more elastic materials (e.g., plastic, metal) and is configured to provide tension to force the first earcup 104 and the second earcup 106 relative to one or more predefined distances. In some examples, the tensioner 108 may also be provided with one or more adjustable mechanisms (not shown), such as sliders configured to change the overall length of the tensioner 108. Headphones 102 may also include a microphone arm 110 adjustablely connected to one of the earcups 104, 106. Figure 1 As shown, the microphone arm 110 may include a proximal end that is connected to the second earcup 106 at a pivot point 112 and is rotatable within a predefined range. The microphone 113 may be located at the distal end of the microphone arm 110.

[0014] The headset 102 may also include one or more rechargeable batteries 115 (“batteries”) configured to provide power to the headset 102 to support its various operations. For example, the battery 115 may be configured to provide power to a plurality of drivers (not shown) configured to output audible sound to a user. Additionally, the battery 115 may be configured to provide power to a wireless transceiver to support one or more wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) to receive digital signals from electronic devices (e.g., computers, smartphones). Alternatively or additionally, the headset 102 may support wired signal connection to electronic devices via a cable (not shown) through analog connectors (e.g., auxiliary jacks) and / or digital connectors (e.g., optical connectors, Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors).

[0015] The battery 115 can be placed in one or more of the earcups 104, 106 and connected to various components of the headphone 102 via a wiring harness. Alternatively, depending on various design requirements, the battery 115 can be integrated wholly or partially with the tensioner 108.

[0016] The earphones 102 can be configured to support wireless charging without metal-to-metal contact with a charger. For example, wireless charging can be achieved via inductive charging through one or more charging pads (“charging pads”). Figure 1 In the example shown, the earphone 102 may be equipped with a charging pad 114 integrated with a first earcup 104 opposite to the second earcup 106 where the microphone arm 110 is located. Placing the charging pad 114 and the microphone arm 110 on separate earcups 104, 106 can be beneficial by avoiding interference between the two components. However, this disclosure is not limited thereto, and depending on various design requirements, the charging pad 114 may be integrated with any one or both of the earcups 104, 106.

[0017] The charging pad 114 can be configured to engage and / or couple with the charging transmitter (charging pad) 116 of the wireless charger 118, which is configured to operate as an inductive charging source. The wireless charger 118 may also include an electrical connector 120 connected to the charging transmitter 116 via a cable 122. The electrical connector 120 can be configured to connect to and draw power from a compatible port. As some non-limiting examples, the electrical connector 120 can be implemented as various commonly used connectors, such as USB-A, USB-C, etc. Power received from the electrical connector 120 can be transferred via the cable 122 to the charging transmitter 116 for conversion. The charging transmitter 116 may be provided with a primary coil 124 configured to convert electrical energy into a magnetic field. The charging pad 114 of the earphone 102 may be provided with a corresponding secondary coil 126 configured to receive the magnetic field and convert it into electrical energy.

[0018] Both the charging transmitter 116 of the wireless charger 118 and the charging pad 114 of the earphones can be equipped with multiple magnets, which are configured to facilitate alignment between the two devices. Figure 1 As shown, the charging transmitter 116 may be provided with a plurality of primary magnets 128 positioned around the outer periphery of the charging transmitter 116. The charging pad 114 may be provided with a plurality of secondary magnets 130 at positions corresponding to the primary magnets 128. More specifically, the charging transmitter 116 may be provided with a plurality of primary magnets 128, which are embedded in the charging transmitter 116 and are generally circular, forming a primary magnetic ring. The charging pad 114 may be provided with a plurality of secondary magnets 130, which are embedded in the charging pad 114 and are generally circular, forming a secondary magnetic ring corresponding to the primary magnetic ring. The primary and secondary magnetic rings may be configured to have opposite magnetic polarities, such that the charging transmitter 116 and the charging pad 114 attract each other when placed in close proximity.

[0019] In this example, because both the primary magnet 128 and the secondary magnet 130 are arranged in a roughly circular shape, the charging transmitter 116 can be attached to the charging pad 114 in various orientations. Therefore, the charging transmitter 116 can rotate relative to the charging pad 114 once attached.

[0020] The earphone 102 may also include a system controller 132 configured to control various operations of the earphone 102. For example, the system controller 132 may be configured to control the inductive charging operation of the charging pad 114. When not charging, the system controller 132 may detach the charging pad 114 from the battery 115. When the charging transmitter 116 is placed at a predefined proximity to the charging pad 114 and the primary coil 124 is activated, the secondary coil 126 may generate an AC current. In response to detecting the AC current, the system controller 132 may activate the charging circuit and connect the secondary coil 126 of the charging pad 114 to the battery 115 to begin charging. The earphone 102 may also include circuitry to facilitate charging operations. For example, the earphone 102 may also include an AC-to-DC converter configured to convert the AC current generated by the secondary coil 126 into a DC current to supply the battery 115.

[0021] refer to Figure 2 A diagram of another wireless charging system 200 for headphones, representing one or more embodiments of this disclosure, is shown. Continuing to refer to... Figure 1 In this example, the headphone wireless charging system 200 is orientation-controlled. In other words, the charging transmitter 116 can be, preferably, attached to the charging pad 114 of the headphone 102 in one or more predefined orientations without the ability to rotate freely.

[0022] More specifically, the relative orientation between the charging transmitter 116 and the charging pad 114 can be controlled via a primary guide magnet 202 positioned at a predefined location on the charging transmitter 116 and corresponding to a secondary guide magnet 204 positioned at a predefined location on the charging pad 114. The primary guide magnet 202 and the secondary guide magnet 204 can have opposite magnetic polarities, such that once placed within a predefined proximity, they will attract each other in addition to the attraction caused by the primary magnet 128 and the secondary magnet 130. Therefore, once the primary guide magnet 202 and the secondary guide magnet 204 engage, the charging transmitter 116 may not be able to rotate freely relative to the charging pad 114.

[0023] In this example, the charging pad 114 can be positioned at the second earcup 106 where the microphone arm 110 is located. Furthermore, the secondary guide magnet 204 can be positioned at the pivot point 112 where the microphone arm 110 is rotatably connected to the second earcup 106. The placement of the secondary guide magnet 204 does not interfere with the rotational operation of the microphone arm 110.

[0024] In one or more alternative embodiments, the guide magnets 202, 204 may be replaced by other forms of guiding mechanisms of similar concept. For example, the charging transmitter 116 may be provided with one or more guide pins projecting from the surface of the charging transmitter 116 in the direction of the headphones. Correspondingly, the charging pad 114 may be provided with one or more guide sockets or recesses configured to receive the guide pins once the charging transmitter 116 is attached to the charging pad 114.

[0025] refer to Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an example headphone 300 according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Continuing to refer to... Figure 1 and Figure 2 In this example, the earphone 102 may be provided with a sliding secondary guide magnet 204. More specifically, the charging pad 114 and / or earcup 104 may be provided with a secondary slider groove 302 configured to receive the secondary guide magnet 204. The secondary slider groove 302 may be formed in a curved shape such that the secondary guide magnet 204 can slide and / or rotate about the center 304 of the charging pad 114 and / or earcup 104. Once the charging transmitter 116 is attached and the primary guide magnet 202 engages with the secondary guide magnet 204, the charging transmitter 116 can rotate relative to the charging pad 114 within an angle α about the center 304, which is defined by the length of the secondary slider groove 302.

[0026] Alternatively, a slider mechanism can be implemented on the charging transmitter to supplement or replace the earphones. (See reference) Figure 4 The diagram illustrates an example 400 of a charging transmitter according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Continuing to refer to... Figures 1 to 3In this example, the charging transmitter 116 may be provided with a sliding primary guide magnet 202. More specifically, the charging transmitter 116 may be provided with a primary slider groove 402 configured to receive the primary guide magnet 202. The primary slider groove 402 may be formed in a curved shape such that the primary guide magnet 202 can slide and / or rotate about the center 404 of the charging transmitter 116. Once the earphone 102 is attached and the primary guide magnet 202 engages with the secondary guide magnet 204, the charging pad 114 of the earphone 102 can rotate relative to the charging transmitter 116 within an angle β about the center 404, which is defined by the length of the primary slider groove 402.

[0027] It should be understood that controllers disclosed herein may include various microprocessors, integrated circuits, memory devices (e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or other suitable variations thereof) and software that cooperate with each other to perform the operations disclosed herein. Furthermore, such controllers as disclosed utilize one or more microprocessors to execute computer programs embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, programmed to perform any number of the functions disclosed. Additionally, controllers provided herein include a housing and various numbers of microprocessors, integrated circuits, and memory devices (e.g., FLASH, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) located within said housing. One or more disclosed controllers also include hardware-based inputs and outputs for receiving data from and transmitting data to other hardware-based devices as discussed herein.

[0028] While exemplary embodiments have been described above, they are not intended to describe all possible forms covered by the claims. The terms used herein are descriptive and not limiting, and it should be understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. The terms "processor" and "processors" are used interchangeably herein, as are the terms "controller" and "controllers."

[0029] As previously described, features of various embodiments can be combined to form further embodiments of the present invention that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. While various embodiments may be described as providing an advantage or superiority over other embodiments or prior art implementations in one or more desired characteristics, those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve the desired overall system properties, depending on the specific application and implementation. These properties may include, but are not limited to, strength, durability, merchantability, appearance, packaging, size, suitability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. Therefore, embodiments described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations in one or more characteristics are not outside the scope of this disclosure and may be desirable for a particular application.

Claims

1. A pair of headphones with wireless charging, characterized in that, include: A battery configured to power the headphones; Earmuffs include, Charging pad include, An induction coil configured to convert a magnetic field into electrical energy to charge the battery; as well as Multiple secondary magnets are configured to couple with multiple primary magnets of the wireless charger.

2. The earphone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The secondary magnet is formed in a circle around the induction coil.

3. The earphone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The earcups also include a secondary guiding magnet configured to couple with the primary guiding magnet of the wireless charger.

4. The headphones according to claim 3, further comprising a microphone arm rotatably connected to the earcups at a pivot point, characterized in that, The secondary guide magnet is placed at the pivot point.

5. The earphone according to claim 3, characterized in that, The earcups also include slider slots, and the secondary guide magnets are slidably attached to the slider slots.

6. A wireless charger, characterized in that, include: An electrical port configured to draw power from a power source; A cable having a first end connected to the electrical port; as well as A charging transmitter, connected to a second end of the cable, the charging transmitter comprising, An induction coil configured to convert the electrical current into a magnetic field. A plurality of primary magnets, wherein the plurality of primary magnets are configured to be coupled to a plurality of secondary magnets of a receiving device.

7. The wireless charger according to claim 6, characterized in that, The primary magnet is formed in a circle around the induction coil.

8. The wireless charger according to claim 6, characterized in that, The charging transmitter also includes a primary guiding magnet configured to couple with a secondary guiding magnet of the receiving device.

9. The wireless charger according to claim 8, characterized in that, The charging transmitter also includes a slider slot, and the primary guide magnet is slidably attached to the slider slot.

10. A headphone system, characterized in that, include: Headphones, the headphones comprising, A battery configured to power the headphones. Earmuffs, and Charging pad, the charging pad being attached to the earcups include, An induction coil configured to convert a magnetic field into electricity to charge the battery, and Multiple secondary magnets; as well as Wireless chargers, including An electrical port configured to draw power from a power source; A cable having a first end connected to the electrical port; and A charging transmitter, connected to a second end of the cable, the charging transmitter comprising, An induction coil configured to convert the electrical energy into the magnetic field, and A plurality of primary magnets, the plurality of primary magnets being configured to couple with the plurality of secondary magnets of the earphone.

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