Wireless in-ear headphones

• US 10,440,460 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T- Rex Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: T- Rex Holdings LLC
• Inventors: McCarthy, Michael James, Masters, Carl Francis, McCarthy, Matthew R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thang V
• Application Number:
  US15/950,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A headphone system including a first earpiece, a second earpiece, and a coupler. The headphone system receives a wireless signal having audio content from an external audio source and reproduces at least a portion of the audio content using the first and second earpieces. The first earpiece includes a power source connector to be removably connected to an external power source, a first energy storage device coupled to receive power from the power source connector, and a first power transfer device coupled to receive power from the power source connector. The second earpiece includes a second power transfer device for receiving power from the first power transfer device and a second energy storage device coupled to receive power from the second power transfer device. The coupler is to hold the first and second earpieces together with the first and second power transfer devices in a power transfer configuration.

Claims

1. A headphone system, comprising:

a first earpiece including;

a first ear hook;

a first ear tip;

a first audio driver on the first ear tip;

a first receiver;

a first processor;

a transmitter;

a power source connector configured to be removably and electrically coupled to an external power source via a conductive path;

a first energy storage device coupled to the power source connector and configured to receive power from the external power source via the power source connector; and

a first power transfer device electrically coupled to the first power source connector and configured to transfer power away from the first earpiece when in a power transfer configuration;

wherein at least one of the first receiver, first processor, and transmitter is on the first ear hook; and

a second earpiece including;

a second ear hook;

a second ear tip;

a second audio driver on the second ear tip;

a second receiver;

a second processor;

a second power transfer device configured to be removably and electrically coupled to the first power transfer device such that the second power transfer device is electrically coupled to the first power transfer device when in the power transfer configuration; and

a second energy storage device electrically coupled to the second power transfer device to receive power from the first earpiece via the first power transfer device and the second power transfer device when in the power transfer configuration;

wherein at least one of the second receiver and second processor is on the second ear hook.

2. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first energy storage device and the first power transfer device is on the first ear hook.

3. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the first energy storage device is electrically connected to at least one of the first audio driver, the first receiver, the first processor, and the transmitter.

4. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second energy storage device and the second power transfer device is on the second ear hook.

5. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the second energy storage device is electrically connected to at least one of the second audio driver, the second receiver, and the second processor.

6. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the power source connector includes one or more inductive elements for inductive coupling and power transfer with the external power source.

7. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the power source connector includes one or more capacitive elements for capacitive coupling and power transfer with the external power source.

8. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the power source connector includes electrical contacts for power transfer with the external power source.

9. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the first and second power transfer devices include inductive elements for inductive coupling to transfer power between the first and second earpieces.

10. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the first and second power transfer devices include capacitive elements for capacitive coupling to transfer power between the first and second earpieces.

11. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the first earpiece includes a first magnetic coupler and the second earpiece includes a second magnetic coupler configured to be magnetically coupled to the first magnetic coupler to help keep the second power transfer device coupled to the first power transfer device in the power transfer configuration.