This document describes techniques for, and systems that enable, in-ear health monitoring. The techniques described herein enable early detection of health conditions (e.g., contagious disease) through use of an in-ear health-monitoring and audio device. These techniques prompt a user, often through the user's smart phone, to listen to audio content through the device, which also takes the user's temperature. Through repetitive use, the techniques are capable of determining a temperature differential for the user, which aids in early detection of a contagious disease or other malady.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. An in-ear health-monitoring and audio device comprising:
an audio plug configured to enable communication of audio content and temperature data with a port of a mobile computing device; a speaker configured to render the audio content into a human auditory canal for at least a temperature-equalization period; a temperature sensor; and hardware circuitry or a System-on-Chip (SoC) configured to:
sense, after the temperature-equalization period has passed, the temperature of the human auditory canal via the temperature sensor; andprovide the temperature to the port of the mobile computing device via the audio plug.
Claim CLM-00013. 13. A system comprising:
an in-ear health-monitoring and audio device configured to:
render audio content into a human auditory canal for at least a temperature-equalization period; andafter the temperature-equalization period has passed, sense a temperature of the human auditory canal; and
a monitoring module configured to:
provide the audio content to the in-ear health-monitoring and audio device; anddetermine a temperature differential based on a comparison of the temperature with one or more prior temperatures sensed via the in-ear health-monitoring and audio device.