Donned and doffed headset state detection

• US 8,335,312 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Issued: 12/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerhardt, John F., Johnston, Timothy P., Reuss, Edward L., Khamashta, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US11/542,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20080080705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71.6, 381/72, 381/74, 381/370, 381/71.9, 381/71.11, 381/71.14, 381/71.13, 381/71.2, 455/569.1, 455/575.2, 455/466, 455/557, 379/430
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for determining the donned or doffed state of a headset. In one example, a headset includes a processor, an acoustic transducer, and a detector operably coupled to the processor, the detector providing an output charge pattern corresponding to a state selected from the group consisting of the headset being donned and doffed. Advantageously, the present disclosure provides for reliably determining a donned or doffed state of a headset for efficiently routing calls, text messages, and/or otherwise being used for notifications and requests in a system.

Claims

1. A headset system, comprising:

a headset body;

a microphone coupled to the headset body;

an audio transducer coupled to the headset body;

a motion detector coupled to the headset body and being operative to provide an output in response to movement of the headset body while the headset body maintains a worn state on a user'"'"'s head; and

a processor for receiving the motion detector output from the motion detector and configured to determine both whether the motion detector output is representative of a don or doff state and whether the motion detector output is representative of a user input.

2. The headset system of claim 1 wherein the processor is located in the headset body.

3. The headset system of claim 1 wherein the processor provides a user-input output when the motion detector output is representative of a user input and wherein the processor provides a don or doff output when the motion detector output is representative of a don or doff state.

4. The headset system of claim 3 further comprising a wireless transceiver for reporting the user-input output or the don or doff output over a wireless link.

5. The headset system of claim 4 wherein the user-input output is a “

Yes”

or “

No”

response to a call answer prompt, derived from the user nodding or shaking his head.

6. The headset system of claim 4 wherein the don or doff output is reported to a server.

7. The headset system of claim 3 wherein the user-input output is a “

Yes”

or “

No”

response to a call answer prompt, derived from the user nodding or shaking his head.

8. The headset system of claim 3 wherein the don or doff output is reported to a server.

9. The headset of claim 1 further comprising a non-motion sensor coupled to the headset body and operative to indicate a condition that may indicate a don or doff state, the processor determining a don or doff state when both the motion sensor and the non-motion sensor indicate the same state.

10. The headset of claim 1 wherein the processor resets a headset parameter when it detects a change in don or doff state from don to doff.

11. The headset of claim 10 wherein the headset parameter that is reset is headset volume.

12. A method, executed by a processor in a headset system comprising a headset body;

a microphone coupled to the headset body, an audio transducer coupled to the headset body; and

a motion detector coupled to the headset body and being operative to provide an output in response to movement of the headset body while the headset body maintains a worn state on a user'"'"'s head, the method comprising;

monitoring the motion detector output to determine whether it indicates a don or a doff state;

monitoring the motion detector output to determine whether it indicates a user input; and

providing a user-input output when the motion detector output is representative of a user input and a don or doff output when the motion detector output is representative of a don or a doff state.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising reporting the user-input output or the don or doff output over a wireless link.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the user-input output is a “

Yes”

or “

No”

response to a call answer prompt, derived from the user nodding or shaking his head.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the don or doff output is reported to a server.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the user-input output is a “

Yes”

or “

No”

response to a call answer prompt, derived from the user nodding or shaking his head.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the don or doff output is reported to a server.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the headset system further comprises a non-motion sensor coupled to the headset body, the method further comprising:

monitoring the non-motion sensor to determine whether it indicates a don or a doff state; and

providing the don or doff state output when both the motion sensor and the non-motion sensor indicate the same state.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

resetting a headset parameter when a change in don or doff state from don to doff is determined.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the headset parameter that is reset is headset volume.