HEADSET LOUDSPEAKER MICROPHONE

• US 20110228950A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: ABRAHAMSSON, Magnus, Palmgren, Markus
• Application Number:
  US12/727,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20110228950A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/94.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02165 Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

A headset system which may be utilized for various forms of communication and multimedia. The headset system may include a number of earpieces which may be configured to change its operation state based on a position of the earpiece relative to a user'"'"'s ear and a desired use. The earpiece may be further configured to provide noise cancellation based on its position and operational state.

Claims

1. A portable communication unit for generating and receiving audio signals, the communication unit comprising:

at least one earpiece;

a location unit configured to provide an estimation position of the earpiece; and

an operational switching unit configured to receive the estimation position and manage an operational state of the earpiece based on the estimation position and a communication notification.

2. The communication unit of claim 1, wherein the location unit is further configured to set the estimation position to near or far if the earpiece is located in a near or far proximity, respectively, with respect to a primary user'"'"'s ear.

3. The communication unit of claim 2, wherein the operational switching unit is further configured to change the operational state of the earpiece to a speaker function if the estimation position is near.

4. The communication unit of claim 2, wherein the operational switching unit is further configured to change the operational state of the earpiece to a microphone function if the estimation position is far and a communication notification is received.

5. The communication unit of claim 2, further comprising:

a noise cancellation unit configured to eliminate receiver ambient noise if the estimation position is near.

6. The communication unit of claim 2, further comprising:

a noise cancellation unit configured to eliminate transmission ambient noise of outgoing communication data when the estimation position is far and the communication notification is received.

7. The communication unit of claim 6, wherein the noise cancellation unit is further configured to subtract a first observed signal from the earpiece with a second observed signal from at least one other earpiece, the subtraction resulting in the outgoing communication data.

8. The communication unit of claim 7, wherein the at least one other earpiece has a near estimation position.

9. A method of portable communication comprising:

providing an estimation of a position of a headset earpiece; and

switching an operational function of the headset earpiece based on the estimation and a communication notification.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing an estimation of a position further comprises:

sensing a proximity of the headset earpiece relative to a primary user'"'"'s ear;

determining a location of the headset earpiece based on the sensing;

setting the estimation of the position to near if the earpiece is located in close proximity to the primary user'"'"'s ear; and

setting the estimation of the position to far if the earpiece is located in far proximity to the primary user'"'"'s ear.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein switching the operational function further comprises:

transitioning the operational function of the headset earpiece to a microphone function if the estimation of the position is far and the communication notification is received; and

transitioning the operational function of the headset earpiece to a speaker function if the estimation of the position is near.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising cancelling receiver ambient noise when the estimation of the position is near.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising cancelling transmitter ambient noise when the estimation of the position is far and the operational function is a microphone function.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising subtracting a first communication signal observed by the earpiece with a second communication signal observed by at least one other earpiece.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the estimation of the position of the at least one other earpiece is near.