Late last month, the US Patent & Trademark Office released an Apple patent application that details the new AirPods Pro with force detection controls built into its stem, as shown in the Apple image shown above. The controls help the user navigate their music, manage calls, and offer three modes of noise control: active noise cancellation, transparent and off mode. A user can switch between them, depending on the amount of environment they want to hear.
(Click on the image to enlarge)
The invention of Apple’s AirPods focuses on describing its force activated function. Technically, Apple’s AirPods Pro includes a housing defining a force entry surface, a first force electrode disposed within the housing, a second force electrode disposed within the housing, a spring element biasing the first force electrode toward the housing and allowing the first force electrode to move to the second force electrode when an input force is applied to the force input surface and to a controller.
The controller operates to determine a non-binary amount of the input force using a capacitance change between the first force electrode and the second force electrode.
The Apple FIG patent. 1A below illustrates a block diagram illustrating examples of functional relationships between examples of components which can be implemented in an electronic device (AirPods Pro); figure. 1B illustrates an example of implementation of the AirPods Pro in FIG. 1A; figure. 1C represents a user wearing AirPods Pro.
The Apple FIG patent. 1D below illustrates the FIG AirPods Pro. 1C forming an acoustic chamber with a user’s ear canal; figure. 4 illustrates the assembly of the AirPods Pro with the housing removed.
The Apple FIG patent. 11 above shows a flow diagram illustrating an example of a method for operating AirPods Pro which comprises a force sensor; figure. 12 illustrates a flowchart illustrating an example of an assembly method of AirPods Pro.
For those wishing to examine the details of the AirPods Pro, see patent application 20200100013. The patent was filed with the United States Patent Office almost three months before the launch of Apple AirPods Pro with forced touch controls. The U.S. Patent Office released the details on March 26, 2020.
Apple inventors
Nahid Harjee: sensor systems architect.
Teera Songatikamas: Design engineer for tactile equipment
Brian Twehues: Unknown position.