Headphones With Interactive Display

• US 20180063626A1
• Filed: 09/05/2017
• Published: 03/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King Hei Liu, Ronald Pong, Wing Pun Leung
• Original Assignee: King Hei Liu, Ronald Pong, Wing Pun Leung
• Inventors: Pong, Ronald, Liu, King Hei, Leung, Wing Pun
• Granted Patent: US 10,433,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A novel headphone system includes a first speaker assembly, a second speaker assembly, and an interactive visual display system. The interactive visual display system includes a display operative to output visual contents according to interaction with a user. In one embodiment, one of the displays can be a transparent display placed in front of the user'"'"'s eyes. Live images passing through the transparent display can be merged with the digital image generated by the transparent display to give the user an augmented reality experience. In another embodiment, the headphone system includes an external device interface that enables a user to interact with the contents displayed from the screen via an external device or via the Internet. In another embodiment, the interactive visual display system is removable from the rest of the headphone system and can optionally be installed in another compatible non-headphone device.

Claims

1. A headphone system comprising:

a frame having a first region, a second region, and a headband extending between said first region and said second region, said first region and said second region configured to be positioned near a first ear and a second ear of a user, respectively;

a first speaker assembly coupled to said first region of said frame, said frame configured to position said first speaker assembly near a first ear of a user;

a transparent display coupled to said frame and configured to be positioned in an optical path of said user when said first and said second regions of said frame are positioned near said first and said second ears of said user;

a user interface operative to receive input from said user;

memory for storing data and code; and

a controller coupled to said frame, said controller being responsive to said input from said user and operative to execute said code and display images on said transparent display for viewing based at least in part on said input from said user.

2. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein:

said transparent display is rotatably coupled to said frame;

said transparent display is configured to rotate between at least a first position and a second position;

said transparent display is disposed in said optical path of said user when said transparent display is in said first position; and

said transparent display is disposed over said headband when said transparent display is in said second position.

3. The headphone system of claim 2, wherein:

said transparent display is further configured to rotate from said second position to a third position; and

said transparent display is configured to be disposed around a rear region of a head of said user when said transparent display is in said third position.

4. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising a physical connection interface, said transparent display being detachable from said headphone system via said physical connection interface.

5. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein said user interface includes at least one sensor.

6. The headphone system of claim 5, wherein said sensor comprises a motion sensor.

7. The headphone system of claim 5, wherein said sensor comprises a sound sensor.

8. The headphone system of claim 5, wherein said sensor comprises a brainwave sensor.

9. The headphone system of claim 5, wherein said sensor comprises an orientation sensor.

10. The headphone system of claim 5, wherein said sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) sensor.

11. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second speaker assembly coupled to said second region of said frame; and

wherein

said frame is configured to position said second speaker assembly near the second ear of said user.

12. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein said transparent display includes a nose rest.

13. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising a network interface, said controller being operative to display images on said transparent display based at least in part on data received via said network interface.

14. The headphone system of claim 13, wherein said network interface includes a wide area network (WAN) interface.

15. The headphone system of claim 13, wherein said network interface includes a local area network (LAN) interface.

16. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery; and

an energy harvesting device adapted to charge said battery.

17. The headphone system of claim 16, wherein said energy harvesting device includes a solar panel.

18. The headphone system of claim 16, wherein said energy harvesting device includes a kinetic energy harvesting mechanism operative to generate a charge responsive to movement of said headphone system.

19. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein the optical properties of said transparent display are adjustable.

20. The headphone system of claim 19, further comprising:

a camera coupled to said frame; and

wherein

said controller is configured to adjust said optical properties of said transparent display responsive to ambient light conditions detected by said camera.

21. The headphone system of claim 1, further comprising:

an adapter having a first portion configured to selectively couple with said frame and a second portion configured to selectively couple with an adapter-enabled device; and

wherein said transparent display is an adapter enabled device.

22. The headphone system of claim 1, wherein said transparent display is sized to be viewable by both eyes of said user simultaneously.