Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. The headphones may have ear cups that house the speakers. Capacitive touch sensors, force sensors, and other sensors on the ear cups may measure ear shapes and finger grip positions on the ear cups to determine whether to operate in the unreversed or reversed configuration. Sensors may gather gestures and other user touch input.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. The headphones may have ear cups that house the speakers. Capacitive touch sensors, force sensors, and other sensors on the ear cups may measure ear shapes and finger grip positions on the ear cups to determine whether to operate in the unreversed or reversed configuration. Sensors may gather gestures and other user touch input.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. The headphones may have ear cups that house the speakers. Capacitive touch sensors, force sensors, and other sensors on the ear cups may measure ear shapes and finger grip positions on the ear cups to determine whether to operate in the unreversed or reversed configuration. Sensors may gather gestures and other user touch input.

Abstract: A contact's interaction with a sensing array is subject to several external and internal stimuli which may impact a processing unit's confidence in the characteristics of that interaction or the presence of the interaction itself. Fidelity of user action is greatly improved with a step-wise and holistic analysis of a contact on an array of capacitance sensors, which allows for repetition of certain steps of processing or the entire operation if threshold confidence levels are not achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to determine a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions having a detected change in sensor value that meets or exceeds a threshold value, fit a three dimensional shape to the plurality of regions, and determine a position of an object.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a user input device and methods for expanding an input area in response to an estimation of the accuracy of touch input or the likelihood that a series of touches will hit an intended touch target area. In one aspect, an embodiment includes a first capacitive area defined by a first electrode and a second capacitive area defined by the first electrode and a second electrode. The embodiment further includes a processing unit that may be configured to, in a first mode, execute an operation in response to a touch received in the first capacitive area. The processing unit may be configured to, in a second mode, execute the operation in response to the touch received in the second capacitive area.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. A grip sensor may be used to distinguish between the user's left hand and the user's right hand. A motion sensor may detect movement as the headphones are placed on the user's head or on someone else's head. Control circuitry may use grip information and motion information to determine left and right channel assignments.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with ear cups having speakers for playing audio to a user. Capacitive proximity sensor electrodes having acoustic openings may overlap the speakers. The capacitive proximity sensor electrodes may include electrodes that are arranged in a ring. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes to measure ear patterns of a user when the headphones are being worn on the head of the user. The control circuitry may include switching circuitry that allows the electrodes to be dynamically combined to form electrodes of enlarged area to enhance detection range or to form separate electrodes to enhance spatial resolution.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods of peak detection are described. One method measures touch data on a sense array, the touch data represented as multiple cells. The method performs multiple different peak-detection schemes on each of the cells to generate a list of one or more possible peaks in the touch data. The method selects one or more actual peaks from the list. The actual peaks are used to determine locations of touches proximate to the sense array.

Abstract: An electronic device may have control circuitry and input-output components. The input-output components may include audio components, sensors, and other devices. A proximity sensor may supply the control circuitry with proximity sensor data. The control circuitry may adjust the audio components or take other suitable action in response to proximity sensor readings from the proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may have a light source such as an infrared laser diode and a light detector that measures a reflected portion of infrared light pulses emitted by the infrared laser diode. The control circuitry may include circuitry for safely producing pulses of emitted light with the light source. This circuitry may include a signal generator that produces ramped pulses, a differentiator that differentiates the ramped pulses to produce differentiated pulses, and an output driver that produces current pulses for the light source based on the differentiated pulses.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. A grip sensor may be used to distinguish between the user's left hand and the user's right hand. A motion sensor may detect movement as the headphones are placed on the user's head or on someone else's head. Control circuitry may use grip information and motion information to determine left and right channel assignments.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with left and right speakers for playing audio to a user. Control circuitry in the electronic device may play audio through the speakers in an unreversed configuration in which left channel audio is played through a first of the speakers that is adjacent to a left ear of the user and right channel audio is played through a second of the speakers that is adjacent to a right ear of the user or a reversed configuration in which these channel assignments are reversed. A grip sensor may be used to distinguish between the user's left hand and the user's right hand. A motion sensor may detect movement as the headphones are placed on the user's head or on someone else's head. Control circuitry may use grip information and motion information to determine left and right channel assignments.

Abstract: An electronic device such as a pair of headphones may be provided with ear cups having speakers for playing audio to a user. Capacitive proximity sensor electrodes having acoustic openings may overlap the speakers. The capacitive proximity sensor electrodes may include electrodes that are arranged in a ring. Control circuitry in the electronic device may use the capacitive proximity sensor electrodes to measure ear patterns of a user when the headphones are being worn on the head of the user. The control circuitry may include switching circuitry that allows the electrodes to be dynamically combined to form electrodes of enlarged area to enhance detection range or to form separate electrodes to enhance spatial resolution.

Abstract: An electronic system includes a processing device and a trellis pattern of conductors coupled to the processing device. The trellis pattern of conductors forms a multiple capacitors and the processing device is configured to sense a capacitance of each of the capacitors. A host is coupled to the processing device. The host includes decision logic to determine a state of the trellis pattern of conductors responsive to a signal that indicates a capacitance of one or more capacitors sensed by the processing device.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a user input device and methods for expanding an input area in response to an estimation of the accuracy of touch input or the likelihood that a series of touches will hit an intended touch target area. In one aspect, an embodiment includes a first capacitive area defined by a first electrode and a second capacitive area defined by the first electrode and a second electrode. The embodiment further includes a processing unit that may be configured to, in a first mode, execute an operation in response to a touch received in the first capacitive area. The processing unit may be configured to, in a second mode, execute the operation in response to the touch received in the second capacitive area.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor array may comprise a plurality of column sensor electrodes and a plurality of row sensor electrodes. The column sensor electrodes may be capacitively coupled with the row sensor electrodes to form a plurality of unit cells each including an intensity center identifying a location of greatest capacitance sensitivity between a row electrode and a column electrode. An axis of a set of row sensor electrodes may cross at least a portion of each row electrode in the set, and the intensity centers associated with the row electrodes in the set may be staggered on alternating sides of the axis. For each of the plurality of unit cells, a distance between the intensity center of the unit cell and a nearest intensity center of another unit cell at a perimeter of the unit cell may be at least 0.7 times the height of the unit cell.

Abstract: An electronic device may have control circuitry and input-output components. The input-output components may include audio components, sensors, and other devices. A proximity sensor may supply the control circuitry with proximity sensor data. The control circuitry may adjust the audio components or take other suitable action in response to proximity sensor readings from the proximity sensor. The proximity sensor may have a light source such as an infrared laser diode and a light detector that measures a reflected portion of infrared light pulses emitted by the infrared laser diode. The control circuitry may include circuitry for safely producing pulses of emitted light with the light source. This circuitry may include a signal generator that produces ramped pulses, a differentiator that differentiates the ramped pulses to produce differentiated pulses, and an output driver that produces current pulses for the light source based on the differentiated pulses.