My headphones proved unable to withstand a rain shower when I went out for a run. This was a great excuse for me to go in search of new innovations in the field of headphones. I ended up looking at bone conducting headphones. These use a clever technology that has been around for a very long time but the further development of this has only recently become properly protected by patents.
Sound in your head without earbuds
In the case of bone conducting technology sound is conducted via your bones instead of your eardrum. With the aid of this technology, the company Shokz made headphones which run via the back of your head and rest on contact points outside the ear. It is a strange sensation because you do hear sound inside your head as normal. Moreover, it's a really clever invention for use when working out, especially outdoors. This is because you can still hear ambient noise and the earbuds cannot drop out or fall off.
Not extensively protected
The funny thing is that the technology of bone conduction has been around since 1500. Yet Shokz is the first company that has managed to turn this physical phenomenon into a well-performing and affordable product and bring it to market. And that happened relatively recently - in 2011. It is also remarkable that they did not even protect their original innovation particularly extensively with patents. They only had a few patents and also only in China. Consequently, copycats like Philips entered the market with the same product.
New design with better sound
Meanwhile, Shokz has more than made up for this. They have now really got into patenting. From a couple of patents in the early years of their innovation, to hundreds of them in recent years. Shokz has cleverly developed their headphones further. In fact, the original product meant that some quality was lost because skin has a damping effect. Shokz has since solved that with a new innovation, whereby speakers are aimed at the ear.
Strong position with further development
A patent is important, but being the first to go to market with a good product is definitely just as important. Shokz finally understood this. The bone conduction technology was a known one, but no-one had yet managed to use it to make a product accessible to consumers. Shokz managed to do so and conquered the market. They subsequently wanted to maintain that position. They innovated further and now have a strong position in the market partly thanks to patents.
Waterproof
My point is? Well, first of all, of course, that I am a fan of innovations in sport and even more so when they are constantly being improved. But especially that it really pays to continue innovating. There are always things that can be done better or smarter. And it is precisely those additions that are often worth patenting.
