Headset electronics

• US 20080166005A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sanford, Emery A., Hankey, M. Evans, De Iuliis, Daniele, Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Tikalsky, Terry, Tang, John, Russell-Clark, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• 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 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless headset device that includes an earbud assembly and a primary housing assembly, fixed to the earbud assembly, is provided. The earbud assembly can include an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon a receiver and processing circuitry. The primary housing assembly can include a microphone and a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud circuit board and the microphone. In some embodiments, the headset device can include at least one flexible circuit board and the primary housing can include a connector assembly. The at least one flexible circuit board can be electrically coupled to the connector assembly and can include Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuitry operative to process USB protocol communications and serial circuitry operative to process serial protocol communications.

Claims

1. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly comprising an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon a receiver and processing circuitry; and

a primary housing assembly fixed to the earbud assembly, the primary housing assembly comprising a microphone and a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud circuit board and the microphone.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a neck assembly that fixes the earbud assembly to the primary housing assembly.

3. The device of claim 2, the neck assembly comprising a through-hole through which a portion of the earbud flexible circuit board passes through to electrically connect to the primary housing circuit board.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud circuit board comprises traces for electrically coupling at least the receiver and the processing circuitry.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operative to execute wireless communication processes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is operative to process Bluetooth communication processes.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

an antenna electrically coupled to the primary housing circuit board.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

a switch electrically coupled to the primary housing circuit board.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

a connector assembly electrically coupled to the primary housing circuit board, the connector assembly operative to interface with a device other than the wireless headset device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the connector assembly comprises:

a multiple-pin symmetrical magnetic connector.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

a battery electrically coupled to the primary housing circuit board.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermistor in communication with and operative to provide the processing circuitry with a battery temperature signal.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processing circuitry is operative to adjust a battery charging rate based on the battery temperature signal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing circuit board comprises circuitry mounted thereon.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry mounted on the primary housing circuit board comprises switching circuitry.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry mounted on the primary housing circuit board comprises adaptive battery charging circuitry.

17. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly comprising an earbud flexible circuit board; and

a primary housing assembly fixed to the earbud assembly, the primary housing assembly comprising a battery retaining region and a primary housing flexible circuit board,

wherein circuit board components and circuitry are selectively mounted on the earbud flexible circuit board and the primary housing flexible circuit board to maximize a size of the battery retaining region.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the earbud flexible circuit board is electrically coupled to the primary housing flexible circuit board.

19. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly; and

a primary housing assembly having predetermined dimensions fixed to the earbud assembly,

wherein the earbud assembly and the primary housing assembly each have mounted therein a flexible circuit board comprising circuitry.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein a distribution of circuitry among each flexible circuit board minimizes the predetermined dimensions.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the wireless headset device is a Bluetooth wireless headset.

22. A headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly;

a primary housing assembly fixed to the earbud assembly, the primary housing assembly comprising a connector assembly; and

at least one flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the connector assembly, the at least one flexible circuit board comprising;

Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuitry operative to process USB protocol communications; and

serial circuitry operative to process serial protocol communications.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the connector assembly is operative to interface with a device other than the headset device.