Wireless headphones with dual antennas

• US 7,561,903 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 07/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Estrada, Andrew Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Taylor; Barry W
• Application Number:
  US11/359,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/552.1
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0837 using pre-detection combining H04B7/0868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0871 using different reception schemes, at least one of them being a diversity reception scheme
• 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

Abstract

A wireless headphone assembly has left and right speakers attached to ends of a headphone body, and at least two antennas, e.g., one located at each speaker. Since multiple antennas are used, reception can be improved using one of several approaches, e.g., simple selection of the “best” antenna, multiplexing antenna input, using diversity algorithms such as multiple input multiple output (MIMO) algorithms, etc.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

mounting a first antenna to a first speaker mount on a headphone assembly wearable on the head of a person;

mounting a second antenna to a second speaker mount on the headphone assembly;

receiving, at the a headphone assembly wearable on the head of a person, first wireless signals from the a first antenna;

receiving, at the headphone assembly, second wireless signals from the a second antenna; and

at the headphone assembly, employing at least one antenna selection procedure including a multiplexing protocol which includes transmitting signals to the speakers that alternate between signals from the first antenna and signals from the second antenna in rapid succession such that the differences between the two signals are imperceptible to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first antenna has a first nulling direction and the second antenna has a second nulling direction different from the first.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising configuring the first and second antennas in a way that reduces the likelihood that nulling of source signals will occur at both antennas simultaneously.