Communication of audio control signals for wireless audio output devices

• US 8,064,422 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Yuzuriha, Todd, Slamka, Milan
• Primary Examiner(s): Cordero; Marivelisse Santiago
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rod; Yousef
• Application Number:
  US12/870,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20100323621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.05, 455/550, 455/552.1, 4555691-557, 455/556.2, 455/353, 370/310, 370/328, 370/338, 710 62- 72, 381/17, 381/74, 381311-312, 381300-301, 381/331
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

A wireless audio headphone communication system has an audio input for receiving an audio signal from an audio source. A wireless transceiver receives and transmits radio frequency communications with a wireless audio headphone, the communications including an audio control signal that conforms to a wireless audio control protocol of a wireless communication protocol. A converter converts the audio control signal between the wireless audio control protocol transceived by the wireless transceiver and a local control protocol for controlling the audio source.

Claims

1. A wireless audio output device communications system, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for transmitting audio content to an audio output device and for transmitting audio control commands between the audio output device and a host device, wherein the audio control commands conform to a wireless audio control protocol for transmitting audio control commands to and from the audio output device; and

a converter that provides an application-level translation between the audio control protocol for transmitting the audio control commands and a host device control protocol for controlling an audio source on the host device, the converter further providing to the host device, a converted audio control signal that controls a selected audio control function and conforms to the host device control protocol;

wherein the audio control protocol and the host device control protocol both define application-level audio commands.

2. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the audio control commands can comprise one of a group comprising of play, pause, volume up, volume down, forward track, and previous track.

3. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the converted audio control signal that controls a selected audio control function and conforms to the host device control protocol is provided by the converter via a USB port.

4. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the converted audio control signal that controls a selected audio control function and conforms to the host device control protocol is provided by the converter via IR.

5. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 further comprising a digital converter for converting an analog audio signal to a digital audio signal.

6. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the wireless audio control protocol is Audio Video Remote Control Protocol.

7. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the host device control protocol is Infrared Data Association standard.

8. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the audio output device is a headphone.

9. The wireless audio output device communications system of claim 1 wherein the host device includes one of a group consisting of an IPAQ portable player, an iPOD, a portable player, an MP3 portable player, a personal computer, and a home stereo system.

10. A USB dongle having a USB connector for communicating with a computing device through a USB port, comprising:

a wireless transceiver for transceiving wireless communications with an audio output device according to a wireless communication protocol that includes a selected audio control signal that controls a selected audio function and conforms to a wireless audio control protocol; and

a converter that converts between the wireless audio control protocol transceived by the wireless transceiver and a local computing device control protocol that controls an audio source device interface on the computing device, the converter further providing to the computing device via the USB port a converted audio control signal that controls the selected audio function and conforms to the local computing device control protocol;

wherein the wireless audio control protocol and the local computing device control protocol both define application-level audio commands, wherein the audio commands comprise one of a group comprising of Play, Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Forward Track, and Previous Track.

11. The USB dongle of claim 10 in which the computing device does not include a driver for the wireless communication protocol.

12. The USB dongle of claim 10 in which the wireless communications are radio frequency communications.

13. The USB dongle of claim 10 in which the computing device includes a personal computer.

14. The USB dongle of claim 10 in which the local computer device control protocols include an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) standard.

15. The USB dongle of claim 10 wherein the audio output device is a headphone.

16. A wireless audio output device communication system, comprising:

an audio input for receiving an audio signal from an audio source;

a wireless transceiver for receiving and transmitting radio frequency communications with a wireless audio output device, the communications including an audio control signal that conforms to a wireless audio control protocol of a wireless communication protocol; and

a converter for converting the audio control signal between the wireless audio control protocol transceived by the wireless transceiver and a local control protocol for controlling the audio source;

wherein the wireless audio control protocol and the local control protocol both define application-level audio commands, wherein the audio commands comprise one of a group comprising of Play, Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Forward Track, and Previous Track.

17. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 in which the audio input receives the audio signal as a digital audio signal.

18. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 17 in which the audio source is in communication with a USB port and in which the audio input receives the audio signal at the USB port.

19. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 17 in which the audio source is included in one of a group consisting of a personal computer, an IPAQ portable player, an iPOD, a portable player, an MP3 portable player, and a home stereo system.

20. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 in which the audio input receives the audio signal as an analog audio signal.

21. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 20 further comprising a digital converter for converting the analog audio signal to a digital audio signal.

22. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 further comprising an infrared transceiver for transceiving the audio control signal between the audio source and the wireless audio output device communication system.

23. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 in which the audio source does not include a driver for the wireless communication protocol.

24. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 wherein the audio output device is a headphone.

25. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 in which the audio input for receiving an audio signal from an audio source is not a wired link.

26. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 in which the audio source includes a stereo player.

27. The wireless audio output device communication system of claim 16 wherein the audio output device is a headphone.

28. A wireless audio output device communication system, comprising:

a wireless audio output device, wherein the audio output device is configured to wirelessly receive an audio signal, and wherein the audio output device is configured to wirelessly transceive audio control commands, wherein the audio control commands transceived by the audio output devices conform to a wireless audio control protocol; and

a dongle communicatively coupled to a computing device and wirelessly coupled to the audio output device, wherein the computing device is configured to send the audio signal and wherein the computing device is configured to transceive audio control commands, wherein audio control commands tranceived by the computing device conform to a local control protocol, the dongle comprising;

a wireless transceiver configured to transceive wireless communications with the audio output device on behalf of the computing device, wherein the wireless communications comprise the audio signal and audio control commands; and

a converter that converts between

     1) the audio control commands transceived by the audio output devices that conform to the wireless audio control protocol and

     2) the audio control commands transceived by the computing device that conform to the local control protocol;

wherein the wireless audio control protocol and the local control protocol both define application-level audio commands, wherein the audio commands comprise one of a group comprising of Play, Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Forward Track, and Previous Track.