WIRELESS EARPHONE THAT TRANSITIONS BETWEEN WIRELESS NETWORKS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An earphone comprising:
- a body, wherein the body comprises;
at least one acoustic transducer for converting an analog electrical signal to sound;
an antenna; and
a transceiver circuit in communication with the at least one acoustic transducer and the antenna, wherein the transceiver circuit is for receiving and transmitting wireless signals via the antenna, and wherein the transceiver circuit is for outputting the analog electrical signal to the at least one acoustic transducer, and wherein the wireless transceiver circuit comprises firmware, which when executed by the transceiver circuit, causes the transceiver circuit to;
receive digital audio wirelessly from a data source via an ad hoc wireless network when the data source is in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network; and
when the data source is not in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network, transition automatically to receive digital audio via an infrastructure wireless network.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless earphone that comprises a transceiver circuit for receiving streaming audio from a data source over a local ad hoc wireless network. When the data source and the earphone are out of range, they transition automatically to an infrastructure wireless network. If there is no common infrastructure wireless network for both the data source and the speakerphone set, the earphone connects to a host server via an available wireless network.
148 Citations
47 Claims
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1. An earphone comprising:
a body, wherein the body comprises; at least one acoustic transducer for converting an analog electrical signal to sound; an antenna; and a transceiver circuit in communication with the at least one acoustic transducer and the antenna, wherein the transceiver circuit is for receiving and transmitting wireless signals via the antenna, and wherein the transceiver circuit is for outputting the analog electrical signal to the at least one acoustic transducer, and wherein the wireless transceiver circuit comprises firmware, which when executed by the transceiver circuit, causes the transceiver circuit to; receive digital audio wirelessly from a data source via an ad hoc wireless network when the data source is in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network; and when the data source is not in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network, transition automatically to receive digital audio via an infrastructure wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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a data source for wirelessly transmitting streaming digital audio; and a wireless earphone that comprises; at least one acoustic transducer for converting an analog electrical signal to sound; an antenna; and a transceiver circuit in communication with the at least one acoustic transducer and the antenna, wherein the transceiver circuit is for receiving and transmitting wireless signals via the antenna, and wherein the transceiver circuit is for outputting the analog electrical signal to the at least one acoustic transducer, and wherein the wireless transceiver circuit comprises firmware, which when executed by the transceiver circuit, causes the transceiver circuit to; receive the streaming digital audio wirelessly from the data source via an ad hoc wireless network when the data source is in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network; and when the data source is not in wireless communication range with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network, transition automatically to receive streaming digital audio via an infrastructure wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system comprising:
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a host server; a first streaming digital audio content server that is connected to the host server via a data network; and a wireless earphone that is in communication with the host server via a wireless network, wherein the host server is programmed to transmit to the earphone a first network address for the first streaming digital audio content server. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A headset comprising:
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a first earphone that comprises one or more acoustic transducers for converting a first analog electrical signal to sound; and a second earphone, connected to the first earphone, wherein the second earphone comprises one or more acoustic transducers for converting a second analog electrical signal to sound, and wherein the first earphone comprises; a first antenna; and a first transceiver circuit in communication with the one or more acoustic transducers of the first earphone and in communication with the first antenna, wherein the first transceiver circuit is for receiving and transmitting wireless signals via the first antenna, and wherein the first transceiver circuit is for outputting the first analog electrical signal to the one or more acoustic transducers of the first earphone, and wherein the first transceiver circuit comprises firmware, which when executed by the first transceiver circuit, causes the first transceiver circuit to; receive digital audio wirelessly from a data source via an ad hoc wireless network when the data source is in wireless communication range with the first earphone via the ad hoc wireless network; and when the data source is not in wireless communication range with the first earphone via the ad hoc wireless network, transition automatically to receive digital audio via an infrastructure wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a wireless earphone, via an ad hoc wireless network, digital audio from a data source when the data source is in wireless communication with the earphone via the ad hoc wireless network; converting, by the wireless earphone, the digital audio to sound; and when the data source is not in wireless communication with the earphone, transitioning automatically, by the earphone, to receive digital audio via an infrastructure wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification