Headsets and Headset Power Management
First Claim
1. A headset comprising:
- at least one circuit element;
a capacitive sensor operable to provide a capacitance measurement signal; and
a sensing circuit operable to generate a user presence signal responsive to the capacitance measurement signal indicating whether the headset is being worn and operable to control the at least one circuit element dependent on said user presence signal, or to output an external output signal that is dependent on said user presence signal for receipt by another device to which the headset is connected.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an energy saving headset that comprises a power management unit operable to reduce the power consumption of the headset when a user is not present. The power management unit uses capacitive sensing to detect the presence of the user. Capacitive sensing is advantageous since it provides a flexible and reliable sensor that can accurately detect the presence or absence of a user either by detecting user proximity or user contact. Moreover, in various embodiments, the sensitivity of a capacitive sensor may be adjusted to account for user movement or changes in environmental conditions, such as, for example, the presence of water, or sweat, on the headset to further improve sensing reliability. The invention further relates to headsets using user presence signals based on capacitive sensing to control other functions of the headset or to control external devices to which the headset is connected, either wirelessly or by wires.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A headset comprising:
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at least one circuit element;
a capacitive sensor operable to provide a capacitance measurement signal; and
a sensing circuit operable to generate a user presence signal responsive to the capacitance measurement signal indicating whether the headset is being worn and operable to control the at least one circuit element dependent on said user presence signal, or to output an external output signal that is dependent on said user presence signal for receipt by another device to which the headset is connected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a headset, the method comprising:
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measuring the capacitance of a capacitive sensor;
determining from the measured capacitance whether a user is present or not; and
controlling a function of the headset, or outputting an external output signal that can be received by another device to which the headset is connected, in response to determining whether the user is present or not. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification