User configurable headset for monaural and binaural modes

• US 20070147629A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chiloyan, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

A headset is described that can be user-configured to be used in either monaural or binaural modes. The headset may include a first speaker for one ear, and a second speaker in an earpiece inserted in the headset body. The earpiece may be retractable, and upon removal from the headset, the headset may switch from monaural to binaural mode. The earpiece may communicate wirelessly with the headset, or may be coupled using a spring-loaded or manually retractable wire. The headset may wirelessly detect the addition of a second headset, and may switch to binaural mode based on this addition.

Claims

1. A headset, comprising:

a housing body;

a first speaker connected to said housing body;

an ear clasp connected to said housing body; and

a switch to detect an orientation of said clasp, wherein said headset is configured to adjust an audio signal provided to said first speaker based on said detected orientation of said clasp.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein said switch is a contact switch located on said housing body.

3. The headset of claim 1, wherein said clasp is attached to said housing body and configured to rotate between two positions.

4. A headset method, comprising the steps of:

detecting an ear on which a headset is worn by detecting an orientation of an ear clasp on said headset; and

adjusting an audio signal provided to a speaker on said headset in response to said detected orientation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of detecting includes the step of detecting a rotated position of said ear clasp.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of detecting includes the step of detecting an electrical contact between a first switch element on said clasp and a second switch element on said housing body.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of adjusting is based on user preference information, and said method further comprises the step of storing sad user preference information in a memory.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of adjusting further includes changing said audio signal between left and right speaker audio signals.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said step of changing further includes a step of adjusting a frequency of said audio signal, and said user preference information includes frequency characteristic data for a user of said headset.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of establishing said frequency characteristic for said user by playing test tones at different frequencies to said user, and receiving user response to said test tones.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said step of changing further includes a step of adjusting a volume of said audio signal.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of accepting user inputs on one or more buttons of said headset to enter said user preferences.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of uploading said user preferences to said headset from a computing device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of uploading is performed using a wireless interface on said headset.

15. A headset method, comprising the steps of:

using one or more test tones to establish user audio characteristics;

automatically detecting whether a headset is worn on a user'"'"'s right or left ear; and

automatically adjusting an audio signal provided by said headset based on the user audio characteristics and on the ear on which said headset is worn.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said test tones are played by a speaker on said headset.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of automatically detecting is based on a state of an electrical contact switch.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of automatically detecting detects a position of a rotatable clasp connected to said headset.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of automatically adjusting further comprises the step of changing said audio signal between right and left audio signals.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of automatically adjusting further comprises the step of shifting a frequency of said audio signal.