Powered Headset Accessory Devices

• US 20140079257A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Gonsalves, Daniel D., Ruwe, Matthew Neil
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/309
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/084 Head fittings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

A device for coupling to a connector on an ear cup of a headset includes a mating connector corresponding to the connector of the headset. The mating connector includes a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector. One or more accessory circuits is provided by the device, including a lamp configured to direct light onto a surface external to the device or a position detection circuit usable to adjust three-dimensional audio signals to account for the direction the user is looking.

Claims

1. A device for coupling to a connector on an ear cup of a headset, the device comprising:

a mating connector corresponding to the connector of the headset, the mating connector including a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector; and

a lamp configured to direct light onto a surface external to the device.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power conductor and a ground conductor coupling power and ground terminals of the lamp to third and fourth terminals in the mating connector.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery compartment having positive and negative terminals for coupling to a battery, and

a power conductor and a ground conductor coupling power and ground terminals of the lamp to the positive and negative battery terminals.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising:

a second power conductor and a second ground conductor coupling the positive and negative battery terminals of the lamp to third and fourth terminals in the mating connector.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a body housing the mating connector;

a boom extending from the body, the boom comprising;

a first aperture through which light from the lamp may exit the boom;

a cover, rotatable around the boom and having a second aperture, such that the cover blocks the first aperture when the cover is in a first rotation position and aligns the second aperture with the first aperture when the cover is in a second rotation position; and

a switch, electrically coupled to the lamp and mechanically coupled to the cover, such that rotating the cover between the first and second rotation positions activates the switch to turn the lamp on when the cover is in the second rotation position and off when the cover is in the first rotation position.

6. A device for coupling to a connector on an ear cup of a headset, the device comprising:

a mating connector corresponding to the connector of the headset, the mating connector including a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector;

a position sensor for determining a position of the device; and

a data connection outputting data from the position sensor.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising:

a second position sensor for determining a position of the device on a second axis, orthogonal to a first axis on which the first position sensor determines position.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second position sensors comprise gyroscopes responsive to rotation around the respective first and second axes.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second position sensors comprise accelerometers responsive to displacement along the respective first and second axes.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the first and second position sensors comprise magnetometers responsive to changes in magnetic fields associated with movement of the device around the respective first and second axes.

11. A system for providing directional audible information to a user, the system comprising:

a headset having a first ear cup having a first connector and a second ear cup having a second connector, both of the first and the second connectors being operable for connection to an aircraft radio;

an acoustic imaging system operable to;

receive a sound signal and first data identifying a first directional location, relative to a first external reference, associated with the sound,

receive second data identifying a direction the user is looking relative to a second external reference,

generate binaural audio signals that represent the sound at a second directional location when perceived by the user, the second directional location corresponding to the first directional location and adjusted according to the direction the user is looking, such that the user perceives the direction of the source of the sound to be at the first directional location relative to the first external reference, and

output the binaural audio signals; and

an accessory device for coupling to either of the first or the second connector of the headset, the accessory device comprising;

a mating connector corresponding to the connectors of the headset, the mating connector including a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector;

a position sensor for determining a position of the accessory device; and

a data connection outputting data from the position sensor to the acoustic imaging system;

wherein the data from the position sensor comprises the second data representative of the direction the user is looking relative to the external reference.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the acoustic imaging system is coupled to the aircraft radio, and the system is configured to mix the binaural audio signals output by the acoustic imaging system with communications audio signals from the radio and deliver the mixed signals to the headset.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the binaural audio signals output by the acoustic imaging system are provided to the headset independently of signals from the aircraft radio.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the accessory device further comprises:

a second data connection receiving the binaural audio signals from the acoustic imaging system; and

an audio output for providing the binaural audio signals to the headset through the mating connector.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the accessory device further comprises a wireless transmitter for communication with the acoustic imaging system; and

the acoustic imaging system further comprises a wireless receiver for communication with the accessory device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first and second data comprise two-dimensional location data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the two-dimensional location data comprise a horizontal angle away from a vertical origin of the first or second external reference, and a vertical angle away from a horizontal angle of the first or second external reference.

18. The system of claim 17, where the first external reference comprises the Earth, the vertical origin of the first external reference comprises a line parallel to gravity and ahead of the direction an aircraft is traveling, and the horizontal origin of the first external reference is the horizon.

19. The system of claim 17, where the second external reference is an aircraft in which the user is located, the vertical origin of the second external reference is a line directly in front of the aircraft and vertical when the aircraft is level, and the horizontal origin of the second external reference is in a plane intersecting the user'"'"'s ears and perpendicular to gravity when the aircraft is level.

20. A device for coupling to a connector on an ear cup of a headset, the device comprising:

a mating connector corresponding to the connector of the headset, the mating connector including a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to a third and a fourth terminal within the mating conductor.

21. A device for coupling to a connector on an ear cup of a headset, the device comprising:

a mating connector corresponding to the connector of the headset, the mating connector including a crossover conductor coupled to a first and a second terminal within the mating connector; and

a portable power supply coupled to a third and a fourth terminal within the mating conductor.