Method of Remotely Controlling an Ear-Level Device Functional Element

• US 20110217930A1
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sound Id
• Inventors: Cohen, Ephram, Pavlovic, Caslav V., Michael, Nicholas R., Jones, Michael R., Ramani, Meena
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

A method controls a functional element of an ear-level device of a type including a functional element, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor. Communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, such as a mobile phone, is established. A functional element for control is selected through the user interface of the companion device. A control instruction for controlling the selected functional element is chosen using the user interface and is transmitted from the companion device to the ear-level device to provide instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the chosen way.

Claims

1. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a functional element, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a user interface;

selecting, through the user interface, a functional element for control;

choosing a way of controlling the selected functional element using the user interface; and

transmitting a selected functional element control instruction, corresponding to the chosen way of controlling the selected functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the chosen way.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication establishing step is carried out with a mobile phone as the companion device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the choosing step comprises enabling/disabling the selected functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting an enabling/disabling instruction for the selected functional element to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the selected functional element.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a functional element which is controllable by a user input element of the ear-level device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting a functional element which is not controllable by a user input element of the ear-level device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the selecting step comprises selecting an in-call status indicator light functional element;

the choosing step comprises enabling/disabling the in-call status indicator light functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting an enabling/disabling in-call status indicator light functional element instruction to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the in-call status indicator light functional element.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the selecting step comprises selecting an omnidirectional/directional microphone functional element;

the choosing step comprises choosing either an omnidirectional or a directional microphone functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a microphone omnidirectional or directional functional element instruction to the ear-level device based upon the choosing step, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to operate in an omnidirectional or directional manner.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the choosing step comprises choosing a new function for the selected functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a new function instruction to the ear-level device based upon the choosing step, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device for the selected functional element to operate according to the new function.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the choosing step comprises choosing a way of controlling the functional element from a plurality of ways of controlling the functional element provided by the companion device.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring a functional aspect of the ear-level device using the companion device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a sound level at the microphone of the ear-level device.

12. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a functional element, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a user interface;

the communication establishing step being carried out with a mobile phone as the companion device;

selecting, through the user interface, a functional element for control;

choosing a way of controlling the selected functional element using the user interface by enabling/disabling the selected functional element;

transmitting an enabling/disabling instruction for the selected functional element from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the selected functional element; and

monitoring a functional aspect of the ear-level device using the companion device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the choosing step comprises choosing a new function for the selected functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a new function instruction to the ear-level device based upon the choosing step, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device for the selected functional element to operate according to the new function.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the choosing step comprises choosing a way of controlling the functional element from a plurality of ways of controlling the functional element provided by the companion device.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a sound level at the microphone of the ear-level device.