Software Technology for The structure of the earcups in headphones

APPLE INC. (Cupertino, CA)

A headphone earcup with frames that define a cavity dimensioned to surround an individual’s ear; a damping component coupled to the frame and encircling the cavity and a wrap component that protects the damping component, and defines an acoustic opening that is continuous within the cavity to connect the cavity to the damping component; and a cosmetic part that is covered by the wrap component and the continuous opening in the acoustic.

They are typically used to listen to portable media players while on the move or at home, to play music from a stereo or theater system. The majority of headphones consist of earcups, which are encircled by the user’s ears , and are joined by an aheadband. The headphones can be classified according to their earcup shape into two types either open or closed earcups. Closed-back earcups surround the user’s ears and have an enclosed back. The earcups that open-back also protect the user’s ears, but have a rear that is open to the ambient environment surrounding the earcup.

Both the closed-back as well as the open-back designs come with their own acoustic advantages and drawbacks. The earcups that are closed back can offer superior isolation from sound because they are completely isolated from the outside noise. To improve the sound quality, you can also modify the size or clamp force of the earcups. The closed-back design allows for passive or mechanical attenuation to ambient noise. This design features include the sealed back, the size, and clamp force. Because of the closed shape of closed-back earcups, however they could have higher resonances. For example standing waves may build up in the earcups. These waves can result in an improvement in the quality of sound and loss of the openness. It is a feature people who use earphones want. However, earcups with an open back may not be a good choice in noisy environments due to their passive attenuation.

Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.

 

Get Patents with PatentPC

What is a patent?

The government grants patents to safeguard an invention, a patent provides the inventor exclusive rights to create, use, market and promote the invention?society is benefited when a brand innovative technology is introduced to the market. The benefits can be directly realized when people are able to achieve previously impossible feats, or indirectly via the economic benefits that innovation provides (business growth, employment).

Patent protection is sought out by many university researchers and drug companies to protect their research and development. Patents are granted for products, processes, or method of making new materials. To be granted patent protection an invention has to be useful, new and not apparent to anyone else within the same area.

Patents recognize and honor inventors who have commercially profitable inventions. They are an incentive to inventors to create. Small-scale businesses and inventors are certain that they will receive a return on their investment in technology advancement through patents. It means that they can make a living by their work.

Companies that are able to:

Protect new products and services that are innovative;

Increase the visibility and value of your product’s presence on the market

Differentiate your business and products from the competition;

Find out about business and technical information.

Avoid the danger of accidentally using proprietary third-party content, or losing your valuable data, original outputs, or any other innovative output.

Patents can transform an inventor’s information into a tradeable asset which opens new opportunities to create jobs and boost growth of business through joint ventures or licensing.

Small companies that have patent protection are more appealing to investors who are involved in the development and commercialization of technology.

Patenting may lead to innovations and new ideas. This information can encourage creativity and could be eligible for protection under patents.

Patents can be used to serve as a deterrent to untrustworthy third parties who profit from an invention’s efforts.

Commercially successful patent-protected technology revenues can be used to fund research and development (R&D) and increase the chance of better technology in the future.

Intellectual ownership of property can be used to convince investors and lenders that there are real chances to commercialize your product. One powerful patent may lead to numerous financing options. You can use patents and other IP assets as collateral or security for financing. Investors can also see your patent assets in order to increase their company valuation. Forbes and others have pointed out that each patent can increase between $500,000 and million dollars to your company’s valuation.

Start-ups need a solid business plan that is built on the IP to show that your product or service is distinctive superior, innovative, or superior. Investors will be amazed if your IP rights are secured or are in the process of becoming secure, and that they agree with your business strategy.

It is crucial to protect an invention before applying for patent protection. Making an invention public before it is filed can often destroy its novelty and make it ineligible for patent protection. Thus, disclosures that are filed prior to filing (e.g. for test-marketing investors, test-marketing, or any other business partners) should only be made following the signing of a confidentiality agreement.

There are many types of patents. Knowing them is essential to protect your invention. Patents on utility cover the development of new methods and machines. Design patents cover ornamental designs. Utility patents are best and protect the owner against copycats and other competitors. Most often the utility patents are issued for alterations or improvements to existing inventions. Utility patents can also be used to enhance or alter existing inventions. For instance, a process patent will be able to cover actions or methods for performing one specific thing, whereas chemical compositions are the combination of components.

What’s the duration of a patent last? Utility patents last 20 years from the earliest date of filing, however their expirations can be extended due to delays at the patent office, for example.

Are you considering the patenting of your idea? Patents are granted only to the first-to-file applicants so you must file quickly. Call PatentPC today to get your patent application submitted!

A patent search is essential when you are preparing your patent application. This allows you to view other concepts and provide insight into their creations. This can help you limit the potential of your invention. It is also possible to learn about the technological advancements in the field you’re inventing. This will allow you to know the extent of your invention as well as prepare you to file the patent application.

How to Search for Patents

Patent searches are the initial step towards obtaining your patent. You can do a google patent search or do a USPTO search. Once the patent application is filed, the item subject to the application may be described as patent-pending. you can locate the patent application on public pair. After the patent office has approved the application, you are able to do a patent number search to locate the patent issued, and your product has been granted patent. In addition to the USPTO search engine, you can use other search engines like espacenet as described below. For assistance, consult an attorney who specializes in patents. Patents in the United States are granted by the US trademark and patent office, or the United States patent office and trademark office. This office also reviews trademark applications.

Are you interested in finding similar patents? Here are the steps to follow:

1. Think of terms that describe your invention in relation to its intended and composition or usage.

Write down a short and precise description of the invention. Do not use generic terms such as “device”, “process”, and “system”. Instead, think about synonyms for the terms you chose initially. Also, make note of key technical terms as well as keywords.

To help you find keywords and concepts, use the questions below.

• What’s the purpose of the invention? Is it a utilitarian device or an ornamental design?
• Is the invention a method of creating something or performing an action? Does it constitute a product?
• What is the basis of the invention? What is the physical structure of the invention?
• What is the purpose of the invention?
• What are the terms in the technical field and keywords used to describe an invention’s nature? To help you find the right terms, refer to an online dictionary of technical terms.

2. Use these terms to search for pertinent Cooperative Patent Classifications for your invention at the Classification Text Search Tool. To determine the best classification for your invention, go through the classification’s class Schemes (class schedules). If you don’t see any results from the Classification Text Search, you might consider substituting your words to describe your invention with synonyms.

3. Check the CPC Classification Definition for confirmation of the CPC classification you have found. If the chosen classification has a blue box with a “D” on its left, the hyperlink will take you to the CPC classification’s description. CPC classification definitions can aid you in determining the classification’s scope , so you can select the most appropriate. Furthermore they can provide some tips for searching and other information which could be helpful for further study.

4. The Patents Full-Text Database and the Image Database allow you to find patent documents that are accompanied by the CPC classification. By focusing on abstracts and illustrations it is possible to narrow your search to find the relevant patent documents.

5. This collection of patent publications is the best to check for similarities to your invention. Take note of the specifications and claims. Contact the applicant as well as the patent examiner for additional patents.

6. You can find patent applications published in the past that match the CPC classification you chose in Step 3. It is possible to use the same method of search as in Step 4. You can narrow your search results down to the most pertinent patent applications by looking at the abstract and representative drawings on each page. After that, take a close look at the published patent applications, paying particular attention to the claims and the additional drawings.

7. Find other US patents by keyword searching in PatFT or AppFT databases, classification search of non-U.S. patents per below, and searching non-patent literature disclosures of inventions using internet search engines. Examples:

• Add keywords to your search. Keyword searches may turn up documents that are not well-categorized or have missed classifications during Step 2. For example, US patent examiners often supplement their classification searches with keyword searches. Think about the use of technical engineering terminology rather than everyday words.
• Search for foreign patents using the CPC classification. Then, re-run the search using international patent office search engines such as Espacenet, the European Patent Office’s worldwide patent publication database of over 130 million patent publications. Other national databases include:
• European Patent Office (EPO) provides esp@cenet to access a network of Europe’s patent databases with access to machine translation of European patents. 
• Japan Patent Office (JPO) – with access to machine translations of Japanese patents.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers PATENTSCOPE with a full-text search of published international patent applications and machine translations for some documents, as well as a list of international patent databases.
• Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
• State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) with machine translation of Chinese patents.
• Other International Intellectual Property Offices with online patent databases include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
• Search non-patent literature. Inventions can be made public in many non-patent publications. It is recommended that you search journals, books, websites, technical catalogs, conference proceedings, and other print and electronic publications.

To review your search, you can hire a registered patent attorney to assist. A preliminary search will help one better prepare to talk about their invention and other related inventions with a professional patent attorney. In addition, the attorney will not spend too much time or money on patenting basics.