ELECTRONICS INTERFACE FOR DEVICE HEADSET JACK

• US 20160094906A1
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: KESKIN, Mustafa, BAZARJANI, Seyfollah Seyfollahi, JAFFEE, James Ian, WALKER, Brett Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,736,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones

Abstract

A user device determines whether a device connected to its headset jack is an audio accessory device. If the device connected to the headset jack is an audio accessory, the user device connects one or more pins of the headset jack to an audio codec. If the device plugged into the headset jack is not an audio accessory device, the user device connects one or more pins of the headset jack to alternate circuitry. The user device then determines, through the alternate circuitry, an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device, and provides, from the alternate circuitry, the required operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack. The alternate circuitry may include an adjustable voltage regulator and/or an adjustable current regulator and the required operating parameter may be one or more of a voltage supply and a current supply.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless user device, comprising:

connecting one or more pins of a headset jack of the user device to an audio coder-decoder (codec) when an accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises an audio accessory device;

connecting one or more pins of the headset jack to alternate circuitry other than the audio codec when the accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises a non-audio accessory device;

determining, through the alternate circuitry, an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device; and

providing, from the alternate circuitry, the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pins of the headset jack are normally connected to the audio codec.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein connecting one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry comprises switching connections of the one or more pins normally connected to the audio codec to connections with the alternate circuitry.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry comprises determining whether the accessory device is an audio accessory device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternate circuitry comprises a data in/out line, and determining an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device comprises receiving information over the data in/out line from the accessory device corresponding to the electrical operating parameter requirement.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrical operating parameter requirement comprises one of a required voltage and a required current.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack comprises one or more of:

adjusting a programmable voltage regulator to output the required voltage; and

adjusting a programmable current regulator to output the required current.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrical operating parameter requirement comprises an indication of a low charge level of a battery of the accessory device and providing the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack comprises providing a source for charging the battery through the headset jack, the source corresponding to one or more of a battery of the user device or a charging port of the user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a low charge level of a battery of the user device; and

providing a source for charging the battery through the headset jack, the source corresponding to one or more of a battery of the accessory device or a charging port of the accessory device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio accessory device comprises a non-audio component and further comprising connecting one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry other than the audio codec during operation of the non-audio component.

11. A user device, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

connect one or more pins of a headset jack of the user device to an audio coder-decoder (codec) when an accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises an audio accessory device;

connect one or more pins of the headset jack to alternate circuitry other than the audio codec when the accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises a non-audio accessory device;

determine, through the alternate circuitry, an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device; and

provide, from the alternate circuitry, the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the one or more pins of the headset jack are normally connected to the audio codec.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor connects one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry by being configured to switch connections of the one or more pins normally connected to the audio codec to connections with the alternate circuitry.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor connects one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry by being configured to determine whether the accessory device is an audio accessory device.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the alternate circuitry comprises a data communication in line and a data communication out line, and the at least one processor determines an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device by being configured to receive information from the accessory device corresponding to the electrical operating parameter requirement.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the electrical operating parameter requirement comprises one of a required voltage and a required current.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor provides the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack by being configured to:

adjust a programmable voltage regulator to output the required voltage, and/or

adjust a programmable current regulator to output the required current.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the electrical operating parameter requirement comprises an indication of a low charge level of a battery of the accessory device and the at least one processor provides the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack by being configured to provide a source for charging the battery through the headset jack, the source corresponding to one or more of a battery of the user device or a charging port of the user device.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive an indication of a low charge level of a battery of the user device; and

provide a source for charging the battery through the headset jack, the source corresponding to one or more of a battery of the accessory device or a charging port of the accessory device.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the audio accessory device comprises a non-audio component and the at least one processor is further configured to connect one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry other than the audio codec during operation of the non-audio component.

21. A user device, comprising:

means for connecting one or more pins of a headset jack of the user device to an audio coder-decoder (codec) when an accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises an audio accessory device;

means for connecting one or more pins of the headset jack to alternate circuitry other than the audio codec when the accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises a non-audio accessory device;

means for determining, through the alternate circuitry, an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device; and

means for providing, from the alternate circuitry, the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more pins of the headset jack are normally connected to the audio codec.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the alternate circuitry comprises a data in/out line, and the means for determining an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device is configured to receive information over the data in/out line from the accessory device corresponding to the electrical operating parameter requirement.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the electrical operating parameter requirement comprises one of a required voltage and a required current.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the means for providing the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack is configured to:

adjust a programmable voltage regulator to output the required voltage, and/or

adjust a programmable current regulator to output the required current.

26. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable medium of a user device and comprising code that when executed on at least one processor causes the at least one processor to:

connect one or more pins of a headset jack of the user device to an audio coder-decoder (codec) when an accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises an audio accessory device;

connect one or more pins of the headset jack to alternate circuitry other than the audio codec when the accessory device plugged into the headset jack comprises a non-audio accessory device;

determine, through the alternate circuitry, an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device; and

provide, from the alternate circuitry, the required electrical operating parameter to the accessory device through the headset jack.

27. The code of claim 26, wherein the one or more pins of the headset jack are normally connected to the audio codec.

28. The code of claim 27, wherein the code that causes the at least one processor to connect one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry comprises code that causes the at least one processor to switch connections of the one or more pins normally connected to the audio codec to connections with the alternate circuitry.

29. The code of claim 26, wherein the code that causes the at least one processor to connect one or more pins of the headset jack to the alternate circuitry comprises code that causes the at least one processor to determine whether the accessory device is an audio accessory device.

30. The code of claim 26, wherein the alternate circuitry comprises a data communication in line and a data communication out line, and the code that causes the least one processor to determine an electrical operating parameter requirement of the accessory device comprises code that causes the at least one processor to receive information from the accessory device corresponding to the electrical operating parameter requirement.