Hands-free conferencing apparatus and method for use with a wireless telephone

• US 20050282592A1
• Filed: 06/21/2004
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Frerking, Melvin D., Penrose, Christopher, Kimble, Tamara, Watts, Alonzo L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,957,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• 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 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A hands-free teleconferencing apparatus for use with a wireless telephone for enabling multiple users to participate in a telephone call in a hands-free environment. An adapter of the apparatus configured to connect to a wireless telephone includes circuitry for communicating with at least two external speakers and at least one external microphone. The communications between the adapter and the external speakers and microphone may be wired or wireless. If wired, the external speakers and microphone may be part of respective earbud devices or headsets that connect to the adapter. Each earbud device includes an acoustic transducer that functions as an audio speaker and may include a microphone that converts the users'"'"' voices into electric audio signals. If wireless, the external speakers and microphone may be in respective headsets that have respective wireless transducers for communicating wirelessly with respective wireless transducers in the adapter.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing apparatus for use with a wireless device for enabling multiple users to participate in a telephone call over a single wireless communications device, the teleconferencing apparatus comprising:

an adapter configured to connect to a wireless communications device, the adapter comprising;

speaker circuitry configured to electromagnetically couple signals received by the wireless communications device to external first and second acoustic transducers associated with first and second users, respectively; and

microphone circuitry configured to electromagnetically couple signals associated with external first and second microphones associated with the first and second users, respectively, to the wireless communications device.

2. The teleconferencing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers and the first and second microphones are connected to first and second earbud devices, the first and second earbud devices being physically connected to the adapter.

3. The teleconferencing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second acoustic transducers and the first and second microphones are connected to first and second headsets, respectively.

4. A teleconferencing apparatus for use with a wireless device for enabling multiple users to participate in a telephone call over a single wireless communications device, the teleconferencing apparatus comprising:

an adapter configured for connection to a wireless telephone and to at least first and second earbud devices, each earbud device including at least an acoustic transducer that functions as a speaker, and wherein at least one of the earbud devices includes a microphone.

5. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second earbud devices are fixedly connected to the adapter.

6. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each earbud device further comprises a connector for removably connecting the earbud to the adapater.

7. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein one of the earbud devices includes a connector for removably connecting the earbud device to the adapter and wherein the other earbud device is fixedly connected to the adapter.

8. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adapter further comprises a radio receiver that can be enabled to allow a user to listen to radio programming through the acoustic transducer of one of the earbud devices.

9. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adapter further comprises a digital recording device having digital content stored thereon to enable a user to hear the content through the acoustic transducer of one of the earbud devices.

10. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the earbud devices further comprises an acceptance/termination switch, which, when actuated, causes a wireless call to be accepted or terminated.

11. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adapter includes a mute switch, which, when actuated, disables the microphone of one or more of the earbud devices.

12. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adapter includes a connector for connecting the adapter to the wireless telephone.

13. The conferencing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the connector of the adapter is a 2.5 millimeter (mm) connector configured to mate with a 2.5 mm mating receptacle of the wireless telephone.

14. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each earbud comprises an electrical cable electrically connected at one location of the cable to the adapter, at another location of the cable to a respective one the acoustic transducers, and at another location of the cable to a respective one of the microphones.

15. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the earbud devices further comprises a boom bracket, the microphone of the earbud being mounted on an end of the boom bracket.

16. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each microphone includes a passive noise cancellation device.

17. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each acoustic transducer includes a passive noise cancellation device.

18. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each microphone includes an active noise cancellation device.

19. The conferencing apparatus of claim 4, wherein each acoustic transducer includes an active noise cancellation device.

20. A teleconferencing apparatus for use with a wireless communications device for enabling multiple users to participate in a telephone call over a single wireless communications device, the teleconferencing apparatus comprising:

an adapter configured to connect to a wireless communications device, the adapter comprising at least first and second wireless transceivers configured to wirelessly transmit signals associated with an internal earpiece of the wireless communications device to first and second user headsets, respectively.

21. The telecommunications apparatus of claim 20, wherein the adapter further comprises a switch that can be actuated to disable communications being sent by a wireless transceiver of the second headset to the second wireless transceiver of the adapter.

22. A method for conferencing a wireless telephone call to multiple users, the method comprising:

receiving wireless signals in a wireless communications device;

processing and decoding the received signals in the wireless communications device; and

transmitting audio signals corresponding to the processed and decoded signals to first and second acoustic transducers that are external to the wireless communications device, the first and second acoustic transducers being associated with first and second users, respectively.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmission of the audio signals to the first and second acoustic transducers is a transmission over a cable.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the transmission of the audio signals to the first and second acoustic transducers is a wireless transmission.

25. A method for conferencing a wireless telephone call to multiple users, the method comprising:

converting acoustic signals received by a first microphone associated with a first user into electrical signals, the first microphone being external to a wireless communications device;

converting acoustic signals received by a second microphone associated with a second user into electrical signals, the second microphone being external to a wireless communications device;

transmitting the electrical signals to the wireless communications device;

receiving the transmitted electrical signals in the wireless communications device; and

processing and encoding the signals received in the wireless communications device for transmission by the wireless communications device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmission of the electrical signals to the wireless communications device is over a cable.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the transmission of the electrical signals to the wireless communications device is a wireless transmission.