Electronic interfacing with a head-mounted device

• US 8,031,878 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Sapiejewski, Roman, Gauger, Daniel M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): FAULK, DEVONA E
• Application Number:
  US11/191,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20070025561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/72, 381/71.6, 381/370, 381/311, 455/345, 455/297, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• 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 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

Power is delivered from a power source in a head-mounted device to a separate accessory that is coupled to the head-mounted device. Power and signals are delivered on a common conductor that couples the head-mounted device to an accessory. One or both of the head-mounted device and the accessory are configured based on the signals. Power may be received at an accessory from the head-mounted device through a dedicated power conductor. Power may be delivered from a power source in a portable accessory to a head-mounted device that is coupled to the portable accessory and uses the power for circuitry in the head-mounted device that delivers audio to a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising

detecting a coupling of a head-mounted device to a separate accessory,

determining if the separate accessory is compatible with the head-mounted device by communicating a configuration protocol between the head-mounted device and the separate accessory that passes at least one of a binary or integer preset value from the separate accessory to the head-mounted device, and if the separate accessory is determined to be compatible based upon the preset value, delivering power from a power source in the head-mounted device to the separate accessory that is coupled to the head-mounted device,

passing signals back and forth between the head-mounted device and the accessory, and

configuring one or both of the head-mounted device and the accessory based on the signals.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the head-mounted device comprises at least one of a headphone and a headset.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the head-mounted device comprises an audio device.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the accessory comprises at least one of a music player, a wireless receiver, a wireless transceiver or a radio.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the device and the accessory are coupled using a detachable cable.

6. The method of claim 1 also comprising delivering power and signals on a common conductor that couples the head-mounted device to the accessory.

36. The method of claim 1 in which the signals comprise an input impedance setting for the head-mounted device.

37. The method of claim 1 in which the accessory comprises a signaling device to set the head-mounted device input impedance.

7. An apparatus comprising

an audio device to be mounted on a head of a user and comprising a transducer to deliver sound to an ear and a power source,

a circuit to determine if a separate accessory adapted to couple to the audio device is compatible with the audio device by communicating a configuration protocol between the audio device and the separate accessory that passes at least one of a binary or integer preset value from the separate accessory to the audio device,

a conductor to deliver power from the power source to a separate accessory coupled to the audio device if the circuit determines that the separate accessory is compatible with the audio device based upon the preset value,

a signaling device to communicate with an accessory that is connected to the audio device, and

a wired channel to carry configuration signals back and forth between the audio device and the separate accessory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the head-mounted device comprises at least one of a headphone and a headset.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the head-mounted device comprises an audio device.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the power is delivered from a source of power in the head-mounted device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 in which the source of power comprises a battery.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the accessory comprises at least one of a music player, a wireless receiver, a wireless transceiver, or a radio.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the device and the accessory are coupled using a detachable cable that includes the conductor.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the conductor is dedicated to delivering power.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the accessory is peripheral to the head-mounted device.

16. The apparatus of claim 7 also including

a signaling device to communicate with an accessory that is connected to the audio device, and

a common conductor to carry power from the audio device to the separate accessory to carry signals between the audio device and the accessory.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the signals comprise at least one of command, control, or management signals.

18. An apparatus comprising

an accessory to be coupled to a head-mounted device, the accessory having a conductor to connect to a power conductor of the device to receive power for the accessory,

a circuit to determine if the accessory is compatible with the audio device by communicating a configuration protocol between the head-mounted device and the accessory that passes at least one of a binary or integer preset value from the accessory to the head-mounted device, and if the accessory is compatible with the audio device based upon the preset value, to provide power to the accessory on the conductor, and

the accessory comprises a signaling device to conduct wired communication of configuration signals with the head-mounted device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the head-mounted device comprises at least one of a headphone and a headset.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the head-mounted device comprises an audio device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 in which power is delivered from a source of power in the head-mounted device to the accessory.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 in which the source of power comprises a battery.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the accessory is peripheral to the head-mounted device.

24. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the accessory comprises at least one of a music player, a wireless receiver, a wireless transceiver, or a radio.

25. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the device and the accessory are coupled using a detachable cable that includes the conductor.

26. The apparatus of claim 18 in which

the accessory comprises a common conductor that carries power and signals between the accessory and the head-mounted device.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 in which

the accessory comprises a device that uses power and a conductor to receive power for the device from a head-mounted device.

34. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the signals comprise an identifier for the accessory.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 in which the identifier is used to determine accessory compatibility.

38. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the signals comprise an input impedance setting for the head-mounted device.

39. The apparatus of claim 18 in which the signaling device is configured to set the head-mounted device input impedance.

28. A method comprising

detecting a coupling of a head-mounted device to a portable accessory,

determining if the separate accessory is compatible with the head-mounted device by communicating a configuration protocol between the head-mounted device and the separate accessory that passes at least one of a binary or integer preset value from the separate accessory to the head-mounted device, and if the separate accessory is determined to be compatible based upon the preset value, delivering power from a power source in the portable accessory to the head-mounted device that is coupled to the portable accessory and uses the power for circuitry in the head-mounted device that delivers audio to a user,

passing signals back and forth between the accessory and the head-mounted device, and

configuring one or both of the accessory and the head-mounted device based on the signal.

32. The method of claim 28 in which the signals comprise an identifier for that accessory.

33. The method of claim 32 in which the identifier is used to determine accessory compatibility.

29. A method comprising

detecting a coupling of a head-mounted device to a separate accessory,

determining if the separate accessory is compatible with the head-mounted device when the accessory is coupled to the head mounted device by communicating a configuration protocol between the head-mounted device and the separate accessory that passes at least one of a binary or integer preset value from the separate accessory to the head-mounted device, and if the separate accessory is determined to be compatible based upon the preset value, delivering power from a power source in the head-mounted device to the separate accessory that is coupled to the head-mounted device,

wherein the head-mounted device includes active noise reduction circuitry.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the power is from a battery of the head-mounted device.

31. The apparatus of claim 29 in which the accessory is one of wireless transceiver, cell phone or communication device.