Headset position sensing, reporting, and correction

• US 10,129,677 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2018
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Rosener, Douglas K, Villasenor, Luis
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/877,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 381 26, 381 74, 381362, 381370, 381374, 381375, 381379, 381384, 381390, 381 91, 381 92, 381122, 379430, 4555752
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

A method is disclosed for sensing, reporting, and correcting microphone proximity for a headset. The method includes determining a current proximity of a headset microphone to a face of a user. The method also includes storing the current proximity of the headset microphone as a calibrated microphone proximity value, and selecting, based on the calibrated microphone proximity value, a range of microphone proximities. Further, the method includes sensing a new proximity of the headset microphone, and comparing the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities. Still yet, the method includes generating a message for the user in response to determining, based on the comparison, that the new proximity of the headset microphone is outside the range of microphone proximities.

Claims

1. A method for sensing, reporting, and correcting microphone proximity for a headset, comprising:

determining a current proximity of a headset microphone to a face of a user;

storing the current proximity of the headset microphone as a calibrated microphone proximity value;

subsequent to storing the calibrated microphone proximity value, sensing a new proximity of the headset microphone;

selecting, based on the calibrated microphone proximity value, a range of microphone proximities;

comparing the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities; and

generating a message for the user in response to determining, based on the comparison of the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities, that the new proximity of the headset microphone is outside the range of microphone proximities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current proximity of the headset microphone is determined in response to the user initiating calibration of a position the headset microphone.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a user-operable control on the headset.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a software button at one of a computer and a smartphone.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user donning the headset.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising, prior to determining the current proximity of the headset microphone to the face of the user, testing a position of the headset microphone by measuring a transmit voice quality from the headset microphone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the headset provides the message to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a speaker of the headset renders the message to the user.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the message includes information regarding the new proximity of the headset microphone.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising, subsequent to generating the message for the user, initiating calibration of a position the headset microphone.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a user-operable control on the headset.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a software button at one of a computer and a smartphone.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising, subsequent to generating the message for the user:

storing the new proximity of the headset microphone as the calibrated microphone proximity value; and

selecting, based on the calibrated microphone proximity value, a new range of microphone proximities.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is provided to the user only when it is determined that the new proximity of the headset microphone remains outside the range of microphone proximities for a predetermined period of time.

15. A system for sensing, reporting, and correcting microphone proximity for a headset, comprising:

a hardware processor and memory; and

software instructions stored in the memory and configured to execute on the hardware processor, which, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to;

determine a current proximity of a headset microphone to a face of a user,

store the current proximity of the headset microphone as a calibrated microphone proximity value,

subsequent to storing the calibrated microphone proximity value, sense a new proximity of the headset microphone,

select, based on the calibrated microphone proximity value, a range of microphone proximities,

compare the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities, and

generate a message for the user in response to determining, based on the comparison of the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities, that the new proximity of the headset microphone is outside the range of microphone proximities.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the software instructions, when executed by the hardware processor, cause the hardware processor to, subsequent to generating the message for the user, initiate calibration of a position the headset microphone.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a software button at one of a computer and a smartphone.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including machine readable instructions for implementing a process for sensing, reporting, and correcting microphone proximity for a headset, the process for sensing, reporting, and correcting microphone proximity for the headset comprising:

determining a current proximity of a headset microphone to a face of a user;

storing the current proximity of the headset microphone as a calibrated microphone proximity value;

subsequent to storing the calibrated microphone proximity value, sensing a new proximity of the headset microphone;

selecting, based on the calibrated microphone proximity value, a range of microphone proximities;

comparing the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities; and

generating a message for the user in response to determining, based on the comparison of the new proximity of the headset microphone with the range of microphone proximities, that the new proximity of the headset microphone is outside the range of microphone proximities.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the current proximity of the headset microphone is determined in response to the user initiating calibration of a position the headset microphone.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the calibration of the position of the headset microphone is initiated responsive to the user operating a user-operable control on the headset.