EARPHONES WITH ATTACHABLE EXPANSION PACK

• US 20170150245A1
• Filed: 11/19/2015
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: ARMSTRONG, JUDD, DUDDY, STEPHEN, SHAMSODDINI, AHMAD
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• 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 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries

Abstract

A wearable device and methods for using the same provided. In one embodiment, a wearable device includes a pair of earphones with a controller and an expansion pack. The controller includes a first set of electrical contacts and a first set of modules. The expansion pack includes a second set of electrical contacts and a second set of modules. The controller is configured to electrically couple at least one module of the first set of modules to at least one module of the second set of modules when the controller is electrically coupled to the expansion pack. The expansion pack may further include a USB energy storage device to provide the earphones with an extended battery life when the expansion pack is coupled to the chargeable batteries of the controller.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a pair of earphones;

a controller for controlling operation of the earphones, the controller comprising;

a dock platform;

an electrical connector pin receptacle;

a first set of modules; and

an expansion pack, comprising;

an electrical connector pin; and

a second set of modules;

wherein the first set of modules is electrically coupled to the second set of modules when the electrical connector pin of the expansion pack is inserted into the electrical pin receptacle of the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a module of the second set of modules comprises an energy storage device configured to be an internal rechargeable battery.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a module of the first set of modules comprises a chargeable battery such that the energy storage device of the expansion pack is configured to deliver charge to the chargeable battery of the controller when the expansion pack is coupled to the dock platform of the controller.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the energy storage device of the expansion pack is configured to simultaneously charge the chargeable battery of the controller and recharge the rechargeable battery of the expansion pack when the expansion pack is coupled to both the dock platform of controller and a power supply source.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the expansion pack is configured to deliver a charge to the chargeable battery of the controller through at least one electrical connector pin receptacle on the controller and at least one electrical connector pin on the expansion pack when the electrical connector pin of the expansion pack is inserted into the electrical connector pin receptacle of the controller.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrical connector pin receptacle and the electrical connector pin are configured to magnetically couple, such that the electrical pin receptacle and the electrical pin are configured to attract and fasten the expansion pack to the controller.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the energy storage device comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) with a USB plug configured to couple to an external power supply source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the USB plug coupled to the external power supply source independent of the controller results in charging the internal rechargeable battery of the expansion pack.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the USB energy storage device is configured to connect to the external power supply source with a corresponding USB 1, USB 2, or USB 3 port.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a dock cover that covers the first set of modules when the expansion pack is not coupled to the dock platform.

11. A method of using a pair of earphones with an expansion pack, the method comprising:

positioning the expansion pack near a dock platform on a controller attached to the pair of earphones, wherein the controller comprises an electrical connector pin receptacle;

coupling the expansion pack to the controller by inserting the electrical connector pin located on the expansion pack into the electrical pin receptacle located on the connecter;

electrically coupling a first module of the controller to a second module of the expansion pack when the electrical connector pin is coupled to the electrical pin receptacle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein coupling the expansion pack and the controller of the earphones comprises placing the electrical connector pin on the expansion pack into the electrical connector pin receptacle located the dock platform of the controller.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first module is a chargeable battery of the controller and the second module is a rechargeable battery of the expansion pack configured to deliver charge to the chargeable battery when the expansion pack is coupled to the dock platform of the controller.

14. A method of claim 13, wherein coupling the expansion pack to the controller of the earphones is performed by magnetic forces between the electrical connector pin and the electrical connector pin receptacle.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the rechargeable battery comprises a USB energy storage device and a USB plug configured to connect to an external power supply source to charge the rechargeable battery independent of the controller.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising inserting the USB plug of the expansion pack coupled to the controller into a corresponding USB port of an external power supply source to provide a charging voltage simultaneously to the controller and the expansion pack.

17. A system, comprising:

an attachable expansion pack electrically coupled and fastened to a controller of a pair of earphones;

wherein the controller comprises a first electrical contact coupled to a first module via an electrical connector pin receptacle and the expansion pack comprises a second electrical contact coupled to a second module via an electrical connector pin such that the first and second electrical contacts electrically couple when the electrical connector pin is inserted into the electrical connector pin receptacle.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first module is connected to the second module via a communication medium.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller further comprises a dock platform configured to house the expansion pack when the expansion pack is coupled to the controller.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the expansion pack comprises a USB energy storage device configured to connect to an external power supply source to provide a charging voltage to the controller of the earphones via the first and second electrical contacts when the expansion pack is coupled to the controller.