Full-duplex radio speaker system and associated method

• US 7,660,602 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Franchising Corp., Radioshack Online IPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: RadioShack Legacy Corporation
• Inventors: Kizer, Aaron, Berman, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): TRINH, TAN H
• Application Number:
  US11/315,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20070149245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/557, 455/569.1, 455/566.1, 455/575.2, 455/550.1, 455/3.06, 455/3.05, 455/509, 455/574, 455/567, 455/422.173, 455/556.1, 455/67.7, 455/420
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A speaker assembly, and an associated method, is operable in conjunction with operation of a content capable mobile station, such as a mobile station that stores and plays out MP3-formatted files. A Bluetooth™, or other, transceiver of the speaker assembly communicates with a corresponding transceiver of the mobile station. When content is played out by the mobile station, signals representative of the content are communicated to the transceiver of the speaker assembly, and converted into acoustical form. When the mobile station is operated in a telephonic mode, the speaker assembly operates in a full-duplex mode in which hands-free operation is provided to a user by way of the speaker assembly.

Claims

1. A speaker assembly comprising:

a set of transducers selectably operable in a speaker mode to transduce received mobile-station audio file-content into acoustic form, and in a hands-free mode to transduce received mobile-station traffic data into acoustic form and to transduce locally-generated data into electrical form, said set of transducers includes a first acoustic transducer, a second acoustic transducer and a visual display transducer; and

a transceiver coupled to said set of transducers, said transceiver configured to receive the received mobile-station audio-file-content, related video content, and the received mobile-station traffic data and to provide the received mobile-station audio-file content and mobile-station traffic data to said first and second acoustic transducers, to provide received video content when mobile-station audio file-content includes related video content to said visual display transducer, and to receive the locally-generated data, once transduced into electrical form, and to transmit the locally-generated data in electromagnetic form; and

a selector configured to select in which of the speaker mode and the hands-free mode to operate said set of transducers.

2. Apparatus for use in conjunction with an audio-file-capable mobile station, said apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver adapted to transceive communication data with the audio-file-capable mobile station, the communication data of a first mode type when the mobile station operates in a first mode and of a second mode type when the mobile station operates in a second mode, said first mode including the presenting of audio file content and associated video content and said second mode including speaker phone operation;

a transducer set adapted to receive indications of at least the communication data received by said wireless transceiver;

said transducer set configured to transduce the indications of the communication data between electrical and human perceptible form, and said transducer set comprising a first acoustic transducer, a second acoustic transducer, and a visual display transducer;

a mode selector adapted to receive an indication of which of the first mode type and the second mode type that the communication data forms, said mode selector configured to cause correspondent operation of said transducer set in the first mode when the communication data is of the first mode type and operation of said transducer set in the second mode when the communication data is of the second mode type.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises a Bluetooth™

transceiver and wherein the communication data comprises Bluetooth™

formatted data.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said wireless transceiver comprises a Wireless Fidelity transceiver and wherein the communication data comprises Wireless Fidelity formatted data.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the indications of the communication data that is received by said transducer set comprise electrical representations of the communication data.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein both the first acoustic transducer and the second acoustic transducer of said transducer set transduce the indication of the communication data received at said wireless transceiver when the communication data is of the first mode type when the mobile station operates in the first mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first acoustic transducer of said transducer set transduces the indication of communication data received at said wireless transceiver when the communication data is of the second mode type and the mobile station operates in the second mode, and wherein the second acoustic transducer of said transducer set transduces locally-generated data into electrical form for communication by said wireless transceiver when the communication data is of the second mode type and the mobile station operates in the second mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first acoustic transducer and the second acoustic transducer operate concurrently when the communication data is of the second mode type.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said mode selector automatically causes the correspondent operation of said transducer set responsive to reception of the indication of which of the first and second mode types, respectively, that the communication data forms.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said mode selector is further adapted to receive a user selection, the correspondent operation of said transducer set caused by said mode selector is further responsive to the user selection.

11. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first mode type of the communication data for which said wireless transceiver is adapted includes the receiving of audio file content and associated video content and wherein the second mode type of the communication data that said wireless transceiver is adapted to receive comprises voice traffic.