Audio transmission and charging system and method of use

• US 10,211,668 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics America LLC (Flextronics International Limited)
• Inventors: Lucrecio, Armando J., Ma, Jiayin, Deva, Shaily
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Piggush, Aaron
• Application Number:
  US15/134,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 320101, 320107, 320114, 398138
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/50 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/503 Laser transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/56 Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers

Abstract

Techniques for charging and communication with electronic devices, such as headphones, are provided. Specifically, systems and methods to provide charging of, and communication with, audio devices, such as by photovoltaic (PV) cells, infrared (IR) illumination, audio signals, and LEDs such as laser LEDs, are disclosed.

Claims

1. An audio transmission and charging system comprising:

a transmitter/charger that transmits an optical query signal by a light source; and

an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, the PV cell configured to receive the optical query signal, wherein the optical query signal includes an audio device status query that initiates two-way optical communication between the transmitter/charger and the audio device, wherein, in response to receiving the status query, the audio device sends a status of the optical device and information about a communication protocol for the two-way optical communication, and wherein the transmitter/charger transmits an optical signal by the light source via the communication protocol;

wherein the PV cell converts the transmitted optical signal received into electrical power when the status indicates that the audio device requires charging, wherein the electrical power is provided to the battery, and wherein the battery is charged.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source is a laser/LED diode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the optical signal comprises a first modulated communications signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first modulated communications signal is an audio signal.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the audio device further comprises a lens configured to receive and transfer the optical signal to the PV cell.

6. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable carrying the optical signal transmitted by the transmitter/charger to the audio device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the audio device is further configured to transmit, by the at least one fiber optic cable, a second modulated communications signal to the transmitter/charger.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical signal comprises data to enable a software update of the audio device.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the transmitter/charger further comprises a microprocessor/controller configured to manage the first and the second modulated communications signals.

10. A method of audio communications and charging, the method comprising:

providing an audio transmission and charging system comprising;

a transmitter/charger configured to transmit an optical query signal by a light source;

an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, the PV cell configured to receive the optical query signal, wherein the optical query signal includes an audio device status query that is configured to initiate two-way optical communication between the transmitter/charger and the audio device, wherein, in response to receiving the audio device status query, the audio device sends a status of the optical device and information about a communication protocol for the two-way optical communication, and wherein the transmitter/charger is configured to transmit an optical signal by the light source via the communication protocol; and

at least one fiber optic cable interconnected between the transmitter/charger device and the audio device;

transmitting the optical signal from the transmitter/charger to the audio device by way of the at least one fiber optic cable;

receiving, by the audio device, the optical signal; and

determining, based on the status, if the audio device requires charging, wherein if the audio device requires charging, converting the optical signal to an electrical signal, the electrical signal provided to the battery wherein the battery is charged.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the light source is a laser/LED diode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the optical signal comprises a first modulated communications signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first modulated communications signal is an audio signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the PV cell converts the received optical signal to an electrical signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the audio device is further configured to transmit, by the at least one fiber optic cable, a second modulated communications signal to the transmitter/charger.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the optical signal comprises data to enable a software update of the audio device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitter/charger further comprises a microprocessor/controller configured to manage the first and the second modulated communications signals.

18. An audio optical transmission and optical charging device comprising:

an optical transmitter/charger that transmits optical signals by an LED light source including an optical query signal;

an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, wherein the PV cell receives the optical query signal, wherein the optical query signal includes an audio device status query that initiates two-way optical communication between the optical transmitter/charger and the audio device, wherein, in response to receiving the status query, the audio device sends a status of the optical device and information about a communication protocol for the two-way optical communication, and wherein the optical transmitter/charger transmits a modulated optical signal by the light source via the communication protocol; and

at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable being interconnected to the optical transmitter/charger and to the audio device and the at least one fiber optic cable carrying the optical query signal transmitted by the optical transmitter/charger to the audio device;

wherein the PV cell converts at least a portion of the transmitted modulated optical signal received into electrical power when the status indicates that the audio device requires charging, wherein the electrical power is provided to the battery, and wherein the battery is charged.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the modulated optical signal includes an audio signal.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the audio device further comprises a demodulator to demodulate the modulated optical signal.