Wireless headset with FM transmitter

• US 8,170,486 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Olofsson, Petter Martin Elov
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIEH, PING Y
• Application Number:
  US11/968,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20090170436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 455/419, 455/420, 455/20, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/42, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.2, 455/575.6
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6091 including a wireless interface

Abstract

A method and device are provided for relaying audio from a source audio device via a wireless headset. Audio signals are received from the source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol. Instructions are received to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol different from the first wireless communications protocol. The received audio signals are output via the transmitter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first listening device, audio signals from a source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol, the audio signals including music audio signals and non-music audio signals;

receiving, by the first listening device, instructions to activate a transmitter associated with a second wireless communications protocol, where the second wireless communications protocol is different from the first wireless communications protocol;

outputting, by the first listening device, the received music audio signals, via the transmitter, to a second listening device while preventing an output of the non-music audio signals via the transmitter to the second listening device; and

outputting, by the first listening device and in conjunction with outputting the received music audio signals, the received non-music audio signals via a speaker of the first listening device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first wireless communications protocol comprises a short-range radio frequency wireless communications protocol.

3. The method of claim 2, where the short-range radio frequency wireless communications protocol comprises a Bluetooth protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, where the second wireless communications protocol comprises one of:

frequency modulation (FM) radio signal transmission, or

amplitude modulation (AM) radio signal transmission.

5. The method of claim 1, where the receiving the instructions to activate the transmitter further comprises:

receiving configuration settings associated with the transmitter, the configuration settings designating a frequency on which to output the received music audio signals.

6. The method of claim 5, where the receiving the configuration settings, further comprises:

receiving non-music audio handling instructions designating how the non-music audio signals, received from the source audio device, are to be handled, where the configuration settings, including the non-music audio handling instructions, and where the configuration settings are received by the first listening device via a user input device of the first listening device.

7. The method of claim 6, where the non-music audio signals comprise telephone call audio.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an alert audio from the source audio device; and

outputting the alert audio via;

the transmitter, to the second listening device, while preventing output of the non-music audio signals not comprising the alert audio via the transmitter based on the received non-music audio handling instructions, and

the speaker of the first listening device.

9. The method of claim 1, where the receiving the instructions to activate the transmitter, further comprises:

muting the transmitter for a duration of non-music reception from the source audio device.

10. The method of claim 8, where the outputting the alert audio via the transmitter further comprises:

activating a speakerphone feature of the first listening device.

11. A wireless listening device, comprising:

a short-range wireless transceiver to receive audio from a source audio device via a first wireless communications protocol, the audio including music audio and non-music audio;

a transmitter to output the received music audio via a second wireless communications protocol, different from the first wireless communications protocol, while preventing an output of the non-music audio via the transmitter;

a speaker to output the received non-music audio concurrently with the output of the received music audio by the transmitter; and

a processor to receive configuration instructions and activate the transmitter in response to the configuration instructions.

12. The wireless listening device of claim 11, where the second wireless communications protocol comprises frequency modulation (FM) broadcasting.

13. The wireless listening device of claim 11, further comprising:

an input device for receiving the configuration instructions.

14. The wireless listening device of claim 11, where the configuration instructions include:

transmitter activation instructions to activate the transmitter, and

a broadcast frequency on which the transmitter, activated based on the transmitter activation instructions, outputs the received music audio.

15. The wireless listening device of claim 11, where the configuration instructions include non-music audio handling instructions.

16. The wireless listening device of claim 11, where the short-range wireless transceiver comprises:

a Bluetooth transceiver.

17. A device, comprising:

means for receiving audio signals from a source audio device via a Bluetooth connection, where the audio signals comprise music audio signals and non-music audio signals;

means for receiving non-music audio handling instructions;

means for transmitting the music audio signals, received from the source audio device, via a frequency modulation (FM) frequency signal while selectively preventing, based on the received non-music handling instructions, a transmission of non-music audio signals via the FM frequency signal; and

means for outputting, while transmitting the music audio signals, the non-music audio signals, received from the source audio device, based on the received non-music handling instructions.

18. The device of claim 17, where the non-music audio handling instructions indicate that non-music audio is not to be transmitted via the FM frequency signal.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for muting the music audio signals while continuing to transmit the music audio signals via the FM frequency signal.

20. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for activating a speakerphone feature based on the non-music audio handling instructions; and

where the means for outputting the non-music audio signals outputs the non-music audio signals via a speaker of the device.