Data store and enhanced features for headset of portable media device

• US 20090182913A1
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Van Court, Andrew M., Mullen, Jeffrey D., Rosenblatt, Michael N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• 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 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A media headset for exchanging data with a media device includes at least one audio speaker that provides an audio output, a data store that stores media device data, a communications interface for exchanging the media device data with the media device, and a connector for detachably connecting the communications interface to the media device.

Claims

1. A media headset comprising:

at least one audio speaker for providing an audio output,

a data store for storing media data,

a communications interface for exchanging the media data with a media device, and

a connector for detachably connecting the communications interface to the media device.

2. The headset of claim 1 comprising a controller for controlling the exchange of media data.

3. The headset of claim 1 comprising a first and second audio speaker, each speaker being associated with an ear of a user.

4. The headset of claim 1 comprising a microphone for receiving an audio input.

5. The headset of claim 1, wherein the data store includes a flash memory.

6. The headset of claim 1, wherein the data store stores media device configuration data and the communications interface exchanges the media device configuration data with the media device.

7. The headset of claim 6, wherein the media device configuration data includes preference settings for the media device.

8. The headset of claim 7, wherein the preference settings include equalizer settings.

9. The headset of claim 7, wherein the preference settings include at least one of user-specific configuration settings, user interface settings, video display settings, keypad mapping settings, configuration settings for a media device software application, alert settings for a media device, communications settings, authentication information, access control information, encryption/decryption information, and digital rights management information.

10. The headset of claim 9, wherein the user-specific configuration settings include media device equalizer settings.

11. The headset of claim 1, wherein the media data includes at least one of music, a song, a video, an image, multimedia, a game, audio file, audio recording, video file, video recording, a contact list, a software application, personal information, business information, v-card information, medical information, metadata, any type of electronic data, and any type of digital media.

12. The headset of claim 1 comprising at least one control interface for receiving a user input.

13. The headset of claim 1, wherein the communications interface includes a communications channel.

14. The headset of claim 13, wherein the communications channel includes a data cable.

15. The headset of claim 13, wherein the communications interface includes at least one of a high frequency tone generator for transmitting media data to the media device in the form of one or more high frequency tones along the communications channel and a high frequency tone receiver for receiving media data from the media device in the form of one or more high frequency tones.

16. A media headset comprising:

at least one audio speaker for providing an audio output,

a data store for storing media device configuration data,

a communications interface for exchanging the media device configuration data with a media device, and

a connector for detachably connecting the communications interface to the media device.

17. The headset of claim 16 comprising a controller for controlling the exchange of media data.

18. The headset of claim 16 comprising a first and second audio speaker, each speaker being associated with an ear of a user.

19. The headset of claim 16 comprising a microphone for receiving an audio input.

20. The headset of claim 16, wherein the data store includes a flash memory.

21. The headset of claim 16, wherein the media device configuration data includes preference settings for the media device.

22. The headset of claim 21, wherein the preference settings include equalizer settings.

23. The headset of claim 21, wherein the preference settings include at least one of user-specific configuration settings, user interface settings, video display settings, keypad mapping settings, configuration settings for a media device software application, alert settings for a media device, communications settings, authentication information, access control information, encryption/decryption information, and digital rights management information.

24. The headset of claim 16 comprising at least one control interface for receiving a user input.

25. The headset of claim 16, wherein the communications interface includes a communications channel.

26. The headset of claim 25, wherein the communications channel includes a data cable.

27. The headset of claim 25, wherein the communications interface includes at least one of a high frequency tone generator for transmitting media device configuration data to the media device in the form of one or more high frequency tones along the communications channel and a high frequency tone receiver for receiving media device configuration data from the media device in the form of one or more high frequency tones.

28. A media device comprising:

a communications interface for performing at least one of;

i) sending media data to a headset for storage in a memory of the headset and ii) receiving media data from the headset, the media data being stored in the memory of the headset, the headset including at least one audio speaker, and

a connector for detachably connecting the communications interface to the headset.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the headset includes a communications channel.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the communications channel includes at least one data cable.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the data cable includes a cable connector, the cable connector being detachably connectable to the connector of the media device.

32. The device of claim 31, wherein the cable connector includes a plug and the connector of the media device includes a jack.

33. The device of claim 28, wherein the communications interface includes at least one of a high frequency tone generator for transmitting media data to the headset in the form of one or more high frequency tones along the communications channel and a high frequency tone receiver for receiving media data from the headset in the form of one or more high frequency tones.

34. A media device comprising:

a communications interface for performing at least one of;

i) sending media device configuration data to a headset for storage in a memory of the headset and ii) receiving media device configuration data from the headset, the media device configuration data being stored in the memory of the headset, the headset including at least one audio speaker, and

a connector for detachably connecting the communications interface to the headset.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the headset includes a communications channel.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the communications channel includes at least one data cable.

37. The device of claim 36, wherein the data cable includes a cable connector, the cable connector being detachably connectable to the connector of the media device.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the cable connector includes a plug and the connector of the media device includes a jack.

39. The device of claim 34, wherein the communications interface includes at least one of a high frequency tone generator for transmitting media device configuration data to the headset in the form of one or more high frequency tones along the communications channel and a high frequency tone receiver for receiving media device configuration data from the headset in the form of one or more high frequency tones.

40. The device of claim 34, wherein the media device configuration data includes equalizer settings.

41. A method for transferring media data comprising:

connecting, via a data cable, a headset to a first media device, the headset including a data store,

sending media device data from the first media device to the headset,

storing the media device data in the data store of the headset,

disconnecting the headset from the first media device,

connecting, via the data cable, the headset to a second media device, and

sending the media device data from the data store of the headset to the second media device.