Multi source wireless headphone and audio switching device

• US 10,514,884 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2016
• Issued: 12/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Harman International Industries Incorporated (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mathur, Abhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mooney, James K
• Application Number:
  US15/567,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20180088897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, an apparatus is provided that includes headphones. The headphones are programmed to playback first audio from an audio switching device that is electrically paired to a first audio source that provides the first audio and to receive a first signal from the audio switching device that is electrically paired to a second audio source. The first signal is indicative of a request to transmit second audio from the second audio source while the headphones playback the first audio. The headphones are further programmed to generate an alert to notify a user of the request in response to the first signal and to transmit a second signal to the audio switching device indicative of a first command to one of receive the second audio at the headphones for playback and reject the request to transmit the second audio.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

headphones programmed to;

playback first audio from an audio switching device that is electrically paired to a first audio source that provides the first audio;

receive a first signal from the audio switching device that is electrically paired to a second audio source, the first signal being indicative of a request to transmit second audio from the second audio source while the headphones playback the first audio;

generate an alert to notify a user of the request in response to the first signal; and

transmit a second signal to the audio switching device indicative of a first command to one of receive the second audio at the headphones for playback and reject the request to transmit the second audio,

wherein the headphones are further programmed to wirelessly receive the first audio from the audio switching device via a first wireless communication protocol,

wherein the headphones are further programmed to wirelessly receive the second audio from the audio switching device via the first wireless communication protocol,

wherein the audio switching device is programmed to wirelessly receive the first audio from the first audio source via a second wireless communication protocol,

wherein the audio switching device is further programmed to wirelessly receive the second audio from the second audio source via the second wireless communication protocol;

wherein the headphones are not electrically paired to the first audio source while receiving the first audio from the audio switching device;

wherein the headphones are not electrically paired to the second audio source while receiving the second audio from the audio switching device; and

wherein the headphones include a next source switch positioned thereon that enables the headphones to provide a command to the audio switching device over the first wireless communication protocol to control the audio switching device to automatically switch from the first audio source to the second audio source to;

(i) provide the second audio to the audio switching device via the second wireless communication protocol and (ii) provide the second audio to the headphones via the first wireless communication protocol from the audio switching device without any user intervention.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the headphones are further programmed to initiate a timer in response to the first signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the headphones include a switch positioned thereon and wherein the headphones are further programmed to transmit the second signal to the audio switching device to receive the second audio at the headphones in response to the switch being selected by the user.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the headphones are further programmed to transmit the second signal to the audio switching device to receive the second audio at the headphones in response to the switch being selected by the user prior to an expiration of the timer.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the headphones include a switch positioned thereon and wherein the headphones are further programmed to reject the request to transmit the second audio in response to the switch being selected by the user of the headphones.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the headphones are further programmed to reject the request to transmit the second audio in response to the switch being selected by the user of the headphones prior to an expiration of the timer.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the audio switching device is configured to:

pause the first audio if the first audio source provides the first audio via a local network or from a cloud server, and

mute the first audio if the first audio corresponds to a live audio stream including one of a frequency modulated (FM) radio feed and a Satellite Feed, and a High Definition radio feed.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication protocol and the second wireless communication protocol are a BLUETOOTH protocol.