Four pole stereo headset with push to talk capability in a duplex radio

• US 7,224,992 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patino, Joseph, Simpson, Russell L., Patterson, Audley F., Smith, Sybren D., Pyatt, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Anderson; Matthew D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, SUJATHA R
• Application Number:
  US10/683,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20050079885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 455/78, 455/345, 455/352, 455/518, 455/66.1, 455/519, 455/41.1, 379/392.01, 379/419, 37942001-42004, 379/55.1, 379/167.14, 381/384, 381/300, 381/309, 381/311, 381/26, 381/163, 340/572.1, 340/572.8, 340/426.13, 340/426.2
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A stereo headset (104) with push-to-talk function can be interfaced with a wireless communication device (102) via a connector interface. The connector interface preferably includes a jack at the wireless communication device (102) and a compatible plug at the stereo headset (104). An electrical contact (310) at the connector interface can contemporaneously interconnect both electrical audio signals between the wireless communication device (102) and at least one of the speakers of the stereo headset (104) and electrical user input signals from an external push-to-talk user input device (232) to the wireless communication device (102).

Claims

1. An electrical signal interface arrangement, comprising:

an external push-to-talk user input device external to a wireless communications device, the external push-to-talk user input device for accepting user input from a user and for providing electrical user input signals representing whether the user has activated the external push-to-talk user input device for controlling a push-to-talk function of the wireless communications device;

an external microphone external to the wireless communications device, the external microphone for converting audio from a user to corresponding electrical audio signals and for coupling the electrical audio signals with the wireless communications device; and

a connector interface comprising an electrical contact, the electrical contact electrically coupled with the external push-to-talk user input device and with the external microphone, the electrical contact for coupling the electrical audio signals from the external microphone to the connector interface and for contemporaneously coupling the electrical user input signals from the external push-to-talk user input device to the connector interface,

wherein the electrical contact is further electrically coupled with circuits in the wireless communication device, including;

a PTT detector circuit, and

an audio input circuit for receiving electrical audio signals from the electrical contact.

2. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electrical contact is further for contemporaneously electrically coupling:

the electrical user input signals between the external push-to-talk user input device and the PTT detector circuit for detecting in the wireless communication device whether the user has activated the external push-to-talk user input device; and

the electrical audio signals between the external microphone and the audio input circuit.

3. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 2, wherein the external push-to-talk user input device and the external microphone are part of a stereo audio headset with a push-to-talk user input function.

4. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 2, wherein the connector interface includes a five-contact, four-pole, stereo audio plug, and wherein the stereo audio plug, the external push-to-talk user input device, and the external microphone are part of a stereo audio headset with a push-to-talk user input function.

5. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 2, including means for disregarding a signal present at the PTT detector circuit due a stereo headset that lacks a push-to-talk user input function being connected to the wireless communication device through the connector interface.

6. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the audio input circuit comprises a microphone audio signal amplifier.

7. The electrical signal interface arrangement of claim 1, wherein the electrical audio signals are substantially AC signals, and wherein the electrical user input signals are substantially DC signals, the AC signals and the PC signals being contemporaneously coupled with the electrical contact.

8. A stereo audio headset with push-to-talk function for use with a wireless communication device, the stereo audio headset comprising:

an external push-to-talk user input device for accepting user input from a user and for providing electrical user input signals representing whether the user has activated the external push-to-talk user input device for controlling a push-to-talk function of a wireless communications device;

an external audio transducer for coupling audio with a user, the external audio transducer converting between the audio and corresponding electrical audio signals being coupled with the wireless communications device; and

a connector interface including a DC blocking capacitor, the connector interface comprising an electrical contact, the electrical contact electrically coupled with the external audio transducer through the DC blocking capacitor and with the external push-to-talk user input device, the electrical contact for coupling the electrical audio signals between the connector interface and the external audio transducer and for contemporaneously coupling the electrical user input signals between the connector interface and the external push-to-talk user input device, such that when the external push-to-talk user input device is activated, the DC blocking capacitor is bypassed.

9. The stereo audio headset of claim 8, wherein the electrical audio signals are substantially AC signals, and wherein the electrical user input signals are substantially DC signals, the AC signals and the DC signals being contemporaneously electrically coupled via the electrical contact.

10. The stereo audio headset of claim 9, wherein the electrical contact is for contemporaneously electrically coupling:

the electrical user input signals between the external push-to-talk user input device and a PTT detector circuit in the wireless communication device for detecting in the wireless communication device whether the user has activated the external push-to-talk user input device; and

the electrical audio signals between the external audio transducer and at least one of an audio output circuit and an audio input circuit, in the wireless communication device.

11. The stereo audio headset of claim 10, wherein when the DC blocking capacitor is bypassed, a near-ground-potential DC signal is produced at an input of the PTT detector circuit, thereby indicating that the push-to-talk switch has been activated while contemporaneously coupling the electrical audio signals between the connector interface and the external audio transducer.

12. The stereo audio headset of claim 8, wherein the connector interface includes sufficient electrical contacts for

the stereo audio headset providing full duplex audio communication between a user and the wireless communication device, and

the stereo audio headset contemporaneously providing to the user control of a push-to-talk function in the wireless communications device.

13. A wireless communication device comprising:

a connector interface comprising an electrical contact for electrically coupling electrical user input signals with an external push-to-talk user input device and contemporaneously electrically coupling electrical audio signals with an external audio transducer;

a PTT detector circuit for detecting the electrical user input signals from the external push-to-talk user input device;

at least one of an audio output circuit for outputting electrical audio signals to the external audio transducer and an audio input circuit for inputting electrical audio signals from the external audio transducer, the electrical contact for electrically coupling the electrical user input signals and the electrical audio signals, wherein the electrical audio signals are substantially AC signals, and wherein the electrical user input signals are substantially DC signals, the AC signals and the DC signals being contemporaneously coupled via the electrical contact; and

means for preventing false signaling at the push-to-talk detector circuit due to the presence of electrical audio AC signals on top of electrical user input DC signals.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, wherein the connector interface includes a five-contact, four-pole, stereo audio jack, and wherein the electrical contact is one contact of the five-contact, four-pole, stereo audio jack.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 14, wherein the external audio transducer is one of a plurality of audio speakers of a stereo headset with push-to-talk function, the outputted electrical audio signals being coupled via the electrical contact to one of the plurality of audio speakers.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein the audio output circuit comprises an audio signal amplifier and the external audio transducer is one of a plurality of audio speakers, the outputted electrical audio signals being coupled via the electrical contact from the audio signal amplifier to one of the plurality of audio speakers.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 13, in which the means for preventing false signaling includes an RC attenuating filter at an input of the PTT detector circuit.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 13, in which the means for preventing false signaling includes software stored in memory and a processor for monitoring an input of the PTT detector circuit and for providing debouncing of combined electrical user input signals and electrical audio signals at the input of the PTT detector circuit.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 13, including means for disregarding a signal present at the PTT detector circuit due a stereo headset that lacks a push-to-talk user input function being connected to the wireless communication device through the connector interface.

20. The wireless communication device of claim 19, including a headset connection detector, and in which the means for disregarding disregards the signal at the PTT detector circuit when the signal at the PTT detector circuit occurs at approximately at a same time as the headset connection detector detects that the headset is initially connected to the wireless communication device.