Patents by Inventor Brooke L. Bunney

Brooke L. Bunney has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230262375
    Abstract: A detachable headband for a headphone system can incorporate a headband identification circuit that stores or encodes a headband identification parameter value. When the headband becomes attached to an ear cup, the headband can transmit the headband identification parameter value to the ear cup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Joseph LeBlanc, Rohan Gupta, Robert D. Zupke, Todd K. Moyer, Cuneyt Bakan, Brooke L. Bunney, Justin T. Ng, Jeff A. Kalt, Tian Shi Li, Lionel B. Barrow
  • Patent number: 11665462
    Abstract: A detachable headband for a headphone system can incorporate a headband identification circuit that stores or encodes a headband identification parameter value. When the headband becomes attached to an ear cup, the headband can transmit the headband identification parameter value to the ear cup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Joseph LeBlanc, Rohan Gupta, Robert D. Zupke, Todd K. Moyer, Cuneyt Bakan, Brooke L. Bunney, Justin T. Ng, Jeff A. Kalt, Tian Shi Li, Lionel B. Barrow
  • Patent number: 10721550
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods of detecting headphone rotation to properly process user input to the headphones. The systems and methods described herein may be used, for example, to detect a gesture (e.g., a swipe) received as user input on a touch interface of the headphones, such as a touch interface integrated into an ear piece. The gesture may be made in a particular direction, such as down toward Earth. However, headphones may be worn in a plurality of configurations, such as upright with the headband around the top of the head, downward with the headband around the back of the neck, or anywhere in between. Thus, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine the rotation of the headphones in order to properly ascertain the intended gesture and perform an intended result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brooke L. Bunney, Jonathan R. Peterson
  • Publication number: 20200145747
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods of detecting headphone rotation to properly process user input to the headphones. The systems and methods described herein may be used, for example, to detect a gesture (e.g., a swipe) received as user input on a touch interface of the headphones, such as a touch interface integrated into an ear piece. The gesture may be made in a particular direction, such as down toward Earth. However, headphones may be worn in a plurality of configurations, such as upright with the headband around the top of the head, downward with the headband around the back of the neck, or anywhere in between. Thus, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine the rotation of the headphones in order to properly ascertain the intended gesture and perform an intended result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Inventors: Brooke L. Bunney, Jonathan R. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10555066
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods of detecting headphone rotation to properly process user input to the headphones. The systems and methods described herein may be used, for example, to detect a gesture (e.g., a swipe) received as user input on a touch interface of the headphones, such as a touch interface integrated into an ear piece. The gesture may be made in a particular direction, such as down toward Earth. However, headphones may be worn in a plurality of configurations, such as upright with the headband around the top of the head, downward with the headband around the back of the neck, or anywhere in between. Thus, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine the rotation of the headphones in order to properly ascertain the intended gesture and perform an intended result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Brooke L. Bunney, Jonathan R. Peterson
  • Patent number: 10362399
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods of detecting headphone orientation. The systems and methods described herein may be used, for example, to determine which ear cup of a pair of headphones is positioned on which ear of a user. By making this determination, stereophonic audio signals may be divided into their left audio channel signal and right audio channel signal components and transmitted to the proper ear cup. In another example, the systems and methods described herein may be used to determine when a pair of headphones are being worn on a user's head and/or are removed from a user's head. By determining when the headphones are being worn, the headphones may be able to automatically pause an audio signal and/or power off when a transition from on-head to off-head is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Marc-Angelo P. Carino, Brooke L. Bunney, Robert D. Zupke, Paul S. Van Wieren