WIRELESS HEADSET WITH FM TRANSMITTER

• US 20090170436A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: OLOFSSON, Petter Martin Elov
• Granted Patent: US 8,170,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A method and device are provided for relaying audio from a source audio device via a wireless headset. Audio signals are received from the source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol. Instructions are received to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol. The received audio signals are output via the transmitter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving audio signals from a source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol;

receiving instructions to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol; and

outputting the received audio signals via the transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first wireless communications protocol comprises a short-range radio frequency wireless communications protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, where the short-range radio frequency wireless communications protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, where the second wireless communications protocol comprises one of:

frequency modulation (FM) radio signal transmission or amplitude modulation (AM) radio signal transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, where receiving instructions to activate a transmitter further comprises:

receiving configuration settings associated with the transmitter, the configuration settings designating a frequency on which to output the received audio signals.

6. The method of claim 5, where receiving the configuration settings further comprises:

receiving non-music audio handling instructions designating how non-music audio received from the source audio device is to be handled.

7. The method of claim 6, where the non-music handling instructions include one of:

instructions to output non-music audio via the transmitter or instructions to prevent output of non-music audio via the transmitter.

8. The method of claim 6, where the non-music audio comprises telephone call audio.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving non-music audio from the source audio device; and

performing one of outputting the non-music audio via the transmitter or preventing output of the non-music audio via the transmitter based on the received non-music audio handling instructions.

10. The method of claim 9, where preventing output of the non-music audio via the transmitter comprises muting the transmitter for a duration of non-music reception from the source audio device.

11. The method of claim 9, where outputting the non-music audio via the transmitter further comprises activating a speakerphone feature.

12. A wireless listening device, comprising:

a short-range wireless transceiver to receive audio from a source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol;

a transmitter to output the received audio via a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol; and

a processor to receive configuration instructions and activate the transmitter in response to the configuration instructions.

13. The wireless listening device of claim 12, where the second wireless communications protocol comprises frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting.

14. The wireless listening device of claim 12, further comprising:

an input device for receiving the configuration instructions.

15. The wireless listening device of claim 12, where the configuration instructions include transmitter activation instructions and a broadcast frequency on which the transmitter outputs the received audio.

16. The wireless listening device of claim 12, where the configuration instructions include non-music audio handling instructions.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth transceiver.

18. A device, comprising:

means for receiving audio signals from a source audio device via a Bluetooth connection, where the audio signals comprise music audio signals and non-music audio signals;

means for receiving non-music audio handling instructions;

means for transmitting audio signals received from the source audio device via a frequency modulation (FM) frequency signal; and

means for handling non-music audio received from the source audio device based on the received non-music handling instructions.

19. The device of claim 18, where the non-music audio handling instructions indicate whether or not non-music audio is to be transmitted via the FM frequency signal.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for muting the non-music audio signals when the non-music audio handling instructions indicate that non-music audio is not to be transmitted via the FM frequency signal.

21. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

means for activating a speakerphone feature when the non-music audio handling instructions indicate that non-music audio is to be transmitted via the FM frequency signal.