Rotatable Earpiece Antenna Positioning for Wireless Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication earpieces face inefficiencies in antenna performance due to their proximity to the head, which affects radio protocol efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The earpiece design includes a rotatable earbud and electronics portion with strategically positioned antenna elements that can be manually or mechanically switched to optimize antenna efficiency by positioning the antenna further from the head, using a rotational position sensor to activate the appropriate antenna element based on the earbud's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the antenna is positioned close to the head in the earpiece, then the earpiece can be made compact and comfortable, but the antenna efficiency deteriorates affecting radio protocol performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a rotatable earbud assembly that can rotate between multiple positions (e.g., 0°, 180°) to dynamically adjust the antenna's orientation relative to the head. This dynamic repositioning allows the antenna to be positioned away from the head for improved efficiency while maintaining a compact overall device structure when not in use.
Solution Approach 2:
The earpiece is divided into separate functional modules: a fixed housing containing the electronics and a rotatable earbud assembly containing the antenna. This segmentation allows the antenna-bearing earbud to be independently positioned and oriented, resolving the conflict between compact device structure and optimal antenna positioning for efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the earpiece is designed with mechanically selectable right or left ear position, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The earpiece is designed with universal adaptability for both left and right ears through a single device. The rotatable earbud assembly can be positioned to fit either ear type, eliminating the need for separate left-ear and right-ear devices while maintaining full functionality for both sides.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical rotation mechanism provides dynamic reconfiguration of the earpiece for left or right ear insertion. A single rotational degree of freedom enables the device to adapt to different ear configurations without requiring complex separate mechanisms for each ear type.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for a wireless communication earpiece. The wireless communication earpiece comprises an earbud and an electronics portion. A manual selection of one of a left ear and a right ear position of the earbud is conveyed to the electronics portion by one of an electrical and mechanical means. In some embodiments, a right antenna element is electrically coupled (activated) to a transceiver when the right ear position is selected and a left antenna element is activated when the left ear position is selected. In some embodiments, an antenna element is coupled to the transceiver and the antenna element is rotated to a right side (activated) of the earpiece when the right ear position is selected and the antenna element is rotated to a left side (activated) of the earpiece when the left ear position is selected.