Modular wireless headset and/or headphones

• US 7,877,121 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy; Anthony S.
• Application Number:
  US12/410,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20090181731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.05, 455/3.06, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/66.1, 455/74, 455/74.1, 455 901- 903, 455/418, 455/420, 455/502, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/566, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/575.6, 381/23.1, 381/74, 381309-312, 381/322, 381/370, 381/374, 381/375, 379/428.01, 379/428.02, 379/430, 379/431, 379/433.01, 379/433.02, 379/433.03, 379/432
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

The modular wireless headset includes at least one wearable earpiece and at least one wearable microphone, where the earpiece is physically separate from the microphone. The wearable earpiece is operably to render inbound radio frequencies received from a host device audible. To do this, the wearable earpiece includes, at least, a receiver module, a data recovery module, and a speaker module. The receiver module is operably coupled to convert the inbound RF signals. The data recovery module is operably coupled to recover audio signals from the RF signals. The speaker module is operably coupled to render the audio signals audible. The wearable microphone is operable to convert received audio signals into outbound RF signals, where the outbound RF signals are transmitted to the host device. The wearable microphone includes, at least, an audio input module and a transmitter module. The audio input module is operably coupled to convert received analog audio signals into digital audio signals. The transmitter module is operably coupled to convert the digital audio signals into the outbound RF signals.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first wearable earpiece to operate in conjunction with a host device, in which when there is a first physical connection between the first wearable earpiece and the host device, a first communication link is established between the host device and the first wearable earpiece through the first physical connection, but when the first wearable earpiece is detached from the host device, the first communication link between the host device and the first wearable earpiece is established through a first wireless connection, the first wearable earpiece including a first radio frequency (RF) circuitry to establish the first wireless connection;

a second wearable earpiece to operate in conjunction with the host device, in which when there is a second physical connection between the second wearable earpiece and the host device, a second communication link is established between the host device and the second wearable earpiece through the second physical connection, but when the second wearable earpiece is detached from the host device, the second communication link between the host device and the second wearable earpiece is established through a second wireless connection, the second wearable earpiece including a second RF circuitry to establish the second wireless connection, in which the second wearable earpiece is physically separate from the first wearable earpiece and the two earpieces provide left and right stereo channel audio signals; and

a wearable microphone to operate in conjunction with the host device and the wearable earpieces, in which when there is a third physical connection between the wearable microphone and the host device, a third communication link is established between the host device and the wearable microphone through the third physical connection, but when the wearable microphone is detached from the host device, the third communication link between the host device and the wearable microphone is established through a third wireless connection, the wearable microphone including a third RF circuitry to establish the third wireless connection, and wherein the first, second and third communication links are synchronized for synchronized communication between the host device and the wearable earpieces and between the host device and the wearable microphone by utilizing different channels of a piconet, when the wearable earpieces and the wearable microphone are not physically connected to each other when operating in a wireless mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first RF circuitry and the second RF circuitry send digital command messages to the host device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the digital command messages include at least one of packet size, synchronization information, frequency hopping initiation information, time slot allocation information, link establishment information, and piconet address information.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of the wearable earpieces also includes a display for displaying information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wearable microphone includes a display for displaying information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third RF circuitry sends digital command messages to the host device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the piconet is established using one or more versions of a Bluetooth specification.

8. A method comprising:

determining whether a first physical connection exists between a host device and a first wearable earpiece that operates in conjunction with the host device;

establishing a first communication link between the host device and the first wearable earpiece through the first physical connection when the first physical connection is present;

establishing the first communication link between the host device and the first wearable earpiece through a first wireless connection when the first wearable earpiece is detached from the host device and the first physical connection is not present, wherein the first wireless connection is established by a first radio frequency (RF) circuitry;

determining whether a second physical connection exists between a host device and a second wearable earpiece that operates in conjunction with the host device;

establishing a second communication link between the host device and the second wearable earpiece through the second physical connection when the second physical connection is present;

establishing the second communication link between the host device and the second wearable earpiece through a second wireless connection when the second wearable earpiece is detached from the host device and the second physical connection is not present, wherein the second wireless connection is established by a second RF circuitry, in which the second wearable earpiece is physically separate from the first wearable earpiece and the two earpieces provide left and right stereo channel audio signals;

determining whether a third physical connection exists between the host device and a wearable microphone that operates in conjunction with the host device;

establishing a third communication link between the host device and the wearable microphone through the third physical connection when the third physical connection is present;

establishing the third communication link between the host device and the wearable microphone through a third wireless connection when the wearable microphone is detached from the host device and the third physical connection is not present, wherein the third wireless connection is established by a third RF circuitry; and

synchronizing the first, second and third communication links for synchronized communication between the host device and the wearable earpieces and between the host device and the wearable microphone by utilizing different channels of a piconet, when the wearable earpieces and the wearable microphone are not physically connected to each other when operating in a wireless mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the synchronizing includes using a time slot of a Bluetooth compliant piconet for the first communication link and different time slots of the Bluetooth compliant piconet for the second and third communication links when in the wireless mode.

10. The method of claim 8, further including displaying information on a display attached to the wearable earpiece.

11. The method of claim 8, further including displaying information on a display attached to the wearable microphone.