Wireless Headset Switching System

• US 20120238237A1
• Filed: 05/30/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stealthwear Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stealthwear Incorporated
• Inventors: Crestol, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 8,351,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/404.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless headset system including a switching unit having a detection circuit coupled to a wireless adapter. The detection circuit provides a first output signal to the wireless adapter upon detection of a triggering event, such as activation of a manual switch or detection of voltage of an audio output signal from a mobile communications device. The first output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into an active audio channel mode. The detection circuit also provides a second output signal to the wireless adapter when no triggering event is detected, and the second output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into a standby mode. Placing at least the wireless adapter in a standby mode saves battery life of the system.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a mobile communications device;

a wireless headset including a speaker and a microphone; and

a switching unit comprising, separate from and detachably coupled to the mobile communication device through a cabled connection, the switching unit comprising;

a mobile communications device interface for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the mobile communications device;

a wireless adapter for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the wireless headset; and

a detection circuit coupled to the wireless adapter, the detection circuit provides a first output signal to the wireless adapter upon detection of a triggering event, the first output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into an active audio channel mode, and the detection circuit provides a second output signal to the wireless adapter when no triggering event is detected, the second output signal causes the wireless adapter to enter into a standby mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the switching unit further comprises a switch in connection with the detection circuit, wherein the triggering event is a signal generated by actuating the switch to implement push-to-talk functionality by placing the wireless adapter into the active audio channel mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the switch is a hand-held trigger switch coupled to the switching unit.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a hand-held trigger switch coupled to the switching unit, wherein the triggering event is a signal generated by actuating the hand-held trigger switch to implement push-to-talk functionality by placing the wireless adapter into the active audio channel mode.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the detection circuit includes a comparator integrated circuit, the comparator integrated circuit compares voltage of the signal generated by actuating the switch to a threshold value, and if the voltage of the signal generated by actuating the switch is greater than the threshold value, then the detection circuit provides the first output signal to the wireless adapter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit is in connection with the wireless adapter and the mobile communications device interface, the triggering event is a signal created by audio output of the mobile communications device, and the detection circuit sends the first output signal to the wireless adapter when voltage of the signal created by audio output from the mobile communications device is detected by the detection circuit, which places the wireless adapter in the active audio channel mode.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the detection circuit includes a comparator integrated circuit, the comparator integrated circuit compares the voltage of the signal created by audio output of the mobile communications device to a threshold value, and if the voltage of the signal created by audio output of the mobile communications device is greater than the threshold value, then the detection circuit provides the first output signal to the wireless adapter.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless adapter is configured to communicate with the wireless headset using the Bluetooth protocol, wherein the wireless headset further can communicate with another communication device without physical modification.

9. A system comprising:

a mobile communications device;

a wireless headset including a speaker and a microphone, and the wireless headset including an illuminator; and

a switching unit comprising, separate from and detachably coupled to the mobile communications device through a cabled connection, the switching unit comprising;

a mobile communications device interface for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the mobile communications device;

a wireless adapter for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the wireless headset; and

a switch coupled to the mobile communications device interface, the wireless headset and the wireless adapter, wherein the switch is configured to automatically implement push-to-talk functionality by selectively connecting signals between the wireless adapter, the wireless headset, and the mobile communications device interface,

wherein a trigger signal generated when a signal level associated with the microphone exceeds a predetermined threshold causes the switch to be set to a first position in which a signal captured by the microphone is connected to the mobile communications device interface and a trigger signal generated when the signal level associated with the microphone falls below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time causes the switch to be set to a second position in which a signal captured by the microphone is not connected to the mobile communications device interface and a signal is transmitted from the mobile communication device to the speaker of the wireless headset; and

wherein the illuminator of the wireless headset illuminates upon successful connection between the wireless adapter and the wireless headset, and the illuminator turns off after a set period of time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the switching unit further comprises an illuminator, and the illuminators of the wireless headset and switching unit illuminate upon successful connection between the wireless adapter and wireless headset, and the illuminators of the wireless headset and wireless adapter turn off after a set period of time.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless adapter is configured to communicate with the wireless headset using the Bluetooth protocol, wherein the wireless headset further can communicate with another communication device without physical modification.

12. A system comprising:

a mobile communications device;

a wireless headset including a speaker and a microphone; and

a switching unit comprising, separate from and detachably coupled to the mobile communication device through a cabled connection, the switching unit comprising;

a mobile communications device interface for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the mobile communications device;

a wireless adapter for transmitting signals to and receiving signals from the wireless headset;

a global positioning system connected to the wireless adapter for monitoring the location of the switching unit and for sending a distress signal including location data from the global positioning system; and

a switch coupled to the mobile communications device interface, the wireless headset and the wireless adapter, wherein the switch is configured to automatically implement push-to-talk functionality by selectively connecting signals between the wireless adapter, the wireless headset, and the mobile communications device interface,

wherein a trigger signal generated when a signal level associated with the microphone exceeds a predetermined threshold causes the switch to be set to a first position in which a signal captured by the microphone is connected to the mobile communications device interface and a trigger signal generated when the signal level associated with the microphone falls below a predetermined threshold for a predetermined period of time causes the switch to be set to a second position in which a signal captured by the microphone is not connected to the mobile communications device interface and a signal is transmitted from the mobile communication device to the speaker of the wireless headset.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein global positioning system is a differential global positioning system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the global positioning system is connected to the mobile communications device interface, and the global positioning system sends the distress signal through the mobile communications device including location data from the global positioning system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the distress signal is sent by the global positioning system upon actuating the switch a predetermined number of times in a set amount of time.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the switching unit includes a distress switch in connection with the global positioning system, and actuation of the distress switch sends the distress signal through the mobile communications device.