Ferraiuoli obtains Patent for Earbuds Charging Case

By Ferraiuoli LLC

On January 28, 2025, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published patent number D1059281, titled EARBUDS CHARGING CASE prosecuted by Ferraiuoli for its client SHENZHEN DIVOOM TECHNOLOGY Co., LTD. Ferraiuoli wishes to congratulate SHENZHEN DIVOOM TECHNOLOGY Co., LTD. on its new patent.

The patent document relates to a mobile device case that serves as an electrical charger and storage dock for rechargeable wireless audio earbuds.

In an embodiment, a case for a mobile electronic device includes a housing and one or more earbud receiving apertures. Each earbud receiving aperture includes or is otherwise associated with one or more electrical components configured to transfer an electrical charge from a power source to an earbud when the earbud is positioned within the aperture.

The case also may include one or more electrical components that provide a conductive connection from the power source to a power input port of a mobile electronic device that is in contact with the housing. The conductive connection enables a simultaneous charge of (1) the earbud or earbuds when the earbuds are placed in the one or more apertures, and (2) the mobile electronic device when placed in the housing.

The case also may be a case system that includes one or more earbuds, each of which is positioned to fit within one of the earbud receiving apertures, and each of which further comprises an induction coil or one or more other electrical components configured to receive a charge from the case.

Optionally, the power source is an induction charging unit. If so, then each of the apertures may be in conductive communication with an induction coil that, when placed within range of the induction charging unit, will transform an electromagnetic field received from the induction charging unit into electric current and transfer the current to the electrical contact of the aperture. Alternatively, the power source may be connected by a power cable. If so, then each of the apertures may be in conductive communication with an induction coil that is also connected to the power cable input so that when each induction coil is energized, it will generate an electromagnetic field that transfers energy to an associated induction coil of each earbud when placed in the aperture(s).

Alternatively, an external power source may connect to a jack or port of the case via a conductive cable. The cable may be configured to connect to the jack and to plug into a computing device and convey charge (and optionally data) between the devices.

Optionally, the case also may include a battery that is in electrically connected to the power source or electrical components that provide the conductive connection, each aperture, and the power input port of the mobile electronic device.

In some embodiments, an electronic device housing may include, or the housing may be, a detachable base portion that includes one or more sidewalls, one or more earbud retaining apertures positioned to be oriented perpendicular to a longest axis of the housing, and a plug extending from one of the sidewalls in a direction that is perpendicular to the orientation of the earbud retaining apertures and parallel to the longest axis of the housing. Alternatively, the detachable base portion may include one or more earbud retaining apertures positioned to be oriented parallel to a longest axis of the housing, and a plug extending from one of the sidewalls in a direction that is perpendicular to the orientation of the earbud retaining apertures and parallel to the longest axis of the housing.

Optionally, each earbud may include one or more sensors that detect when the earbud is within or outside of an earbud receiving aperture; and programming that causes the earbud to receive the output of the one or more sensors and use the output to: (1) activate the earbud when the earbud is removed from an earbud receiving aperture; and (2) power down the earbud when the earbud is placed within an earbud receiving aperture. The sensors may include a pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, or other types of sensors.

In some embodiments, each earbud receiving aperture may include a magnet positioned to engage and secure the earbud when the earbud is positioned within the aperture. Alternatively or in addition, the electrical contacts in each earbud receiving aperture may include a magnet that secures the earbud to the aperture when the earbud is positioned within the aperture.