Wireless headset and battery status indication method thereof

• US 8,368,548 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Geun Myeon, Jang, Sung Hak, Kim, Hee Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US12/276,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20090135017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,534 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/134, 320/136, 340/540, 340/636.1, 340/636.15, 340/641
• US Class Current: 340/636.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40

Abstract

An enhanced wireless headset and battery status indication method is provided for indicating an accurate battery level of a wireless headset. A battery status indication method for a wireless headset determines a residual charge of a battery of the wireless headset and emits light having one of a plurality of colors from a status indication unit of the wireless headset. Each of the plurality of colors indicates a different residual charge of the battery. The wireless headset and battery status indication method also enables indicating whether the wireless headset is operating in charging mode by maintaining or blinking the battery status indication light. In addition, the wireless headset and battery status indication method enables indicating a radio communication status as well as a battery status by blinking the battery status indication light in correspondence with a communication radio scanning cycle.

Claims

1. A battery status indication method for a wireless headset, the method comprising:

determining a residual charge of a battery of the wireless headset; and

emitting light having one of a plurality of colors from a status indication unit of the wireless headset,

wherein each of the plurality of colors indicates a different residual charge of the battery,

wherein the light comprises a color corresponding to a current residual charge of the battery,

wherein the emitting of the light comprises one of maintaining emission of the light and blinking of the light when the battery is coupled to an external power source, and

wherein the emitting of the light comprises the other of maintaining the emission of the light and blinking of the light when the battery is not coupled to the external power source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least two light emitters that emit different colors of light.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of colors of light is generated by combining the light emitted by at least one of the at least two light emitters.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes one light emitter that emits at least three different colors of light.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the blinking of the light corresponds to a radio scanning cycle of a wireless communication of the wireless headset.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device for emitting the light to indicate the residual charge of the battery, and

wherein the status indication unit comprises a second light emitting device for emitting light to indicate a radio status of the wireless headset.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least N light emitters that collectively emit at least M different colors of light, where M and N are integers, N is an integer greater than or equal to (two), and M>

N.

7. A wireless headset, the headset comprising:

a wireless communication unit for establishing a short range wireless communication link with an external device;

a control unit for controlling the wireless communication with the external device and for determining a residual battery charge of the wireless headset; and

a status indication unit including a first light emitting device for emitting one of a plurality of colors of light based on a result of the determination of the residual battery charge,

wherein each of the plurality of colors corresponds to a different residual battery charge,

wherein the light comprises a color corresponding to a current residual charge of the battery emitted by the first light emitting device,

wherein the control unit controls, when the wireless headset is electrically coupled to an external power source, the status indication unit to perform one of maintaining emission of the light and blinking the light, and

wherein the control unit controls, when the wireless headset is not electrically coupled to the external power source, the status indication unit to perform the other of maintaining the emission of the light and blinking, of the light.

8. The headset of claim 7, wherein the first light emitting device comprises at least two light emitters that emit different colors of light.

9. The headset of claim 8, wherein the first light emitting device emits one of a first color of light generated by one light emitter, a second color of light generated by the other light emitter, and a third color of light generated by combining the first and second colors of light.

10. The headset of claim 7, wherein the first light emitting device comprises one light emitter that emits at least three different colors of light.

11. The headset of claim 7, wherein the control unit controls the status indication unit to blinks the light in correspondence with a radio scanning cycle of the wireless communication unit.

12. The headset of claim 7, wherein the status indication unit further comprises a second light emitting device for indicating a radio status of the wireless communication unit.

22. The headset of claim 7, wherein the first light emitting device comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least N light emitters that collectively emit at least M different colors of light, where M and N are integers, N is an integer greater than or equal to (two), and M>

N.

13. A battery status indication method for a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

determining a residual charge of a battery of the device; and

emitting light having one of a plurality of colors from a status indication unit of the device,

wherein each of the plurality of colors indicates a different residual charge of the battery,

wherein the light comprises a color corresponding to a current residual charge of the battery,

wherein the emitting of the light comprises one of maintaining emission of the light and blinking of the light when the battery is coupled to an external power source,

wherein the emitting of the light comprises the other of maintaining the emission of the light and blinking of the light when the battery is not coupled to the external power source.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least two light emitters that emit different colors of light.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of colors of light is generated by combining the light emitted by at least one of the at least two light emitters.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes one light emitter that emits at least three different colors of light.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the status indication unit comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least N light emitters that collectively emit at least M different colors of light, where M and N are integers, N is an integer greater than or equal to (two), and M>

N.

17. A portable electronic device comprising:

a control unit for determining a residual battery charge of the device; and

a status indication unit including a first light emitting device for emitting one of a plurality of colors of light based on a result of the determination of the residual battery charge,

wherein each of the plurality of colors corresponds to a different residual battery charge,

wherein the light comprises a color corresponding to a current residual charge of the battery emitted by the first light emitting device,

wherein the control unit controls, when the portable electronic device is electrically coupled to an external power source, the status indication unit to perform one of maintaining emission of the light and blinking the light, and

wherein the control unit controls, when the portable electronic device is not electrically coupled to the external power source, the status indication unit to perform the other of maintaining the emission of the light and blinking of the light.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first light emitting device comprises at least two light emitters that emit different colors of light.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 18, wherein the first light emitting device emits one of a first color of light generated by one light emitter, a second color of light generated by the other light emitter, and a third color of light generated by combining the first and second colors of light.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first light emitting device comprises one light emitter that emits at least three different colors of light.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first emitting device comprises a first light emitting device that includes at least N light emitters that collectively emit at least M different colors of light, where M and N are integers, N is an integer greater than or equal to (two), and M>

N.