Method of remotely controlling an Ear-level device functional element

• US 8,442,435 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sound Id
• Inventors: Jones, Michael R., Ramani, Meena, Michael, Nicholas R., Cohen, Ephram, Pavlovic, Caslav V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zewdu, Meless N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/841,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20110217930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/3.03, 455/3.04, 455418-420, 455/556.1, 455/575.2
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems

Abstract

A method controls a functional element of an ear-level device of a type including a functional element, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor. Communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, such as a mobile phone, is established. A functional element for control is selected through the user interface of the companion device. A control instruction for controlling the selected functional element is chosen using the user interface and is transmitted from the companion device to the ear-level device to provide instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the chosen way.

Claims

1. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a graphical user interface;

presenting, through the graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements;

the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements selects a functional element that does not affect sound processing as the selected previously programmed functional element;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device; and

transmitting a control instruction, corresponding to the selected functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to operate according to the selected functional element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication establishing step is carried out with a mobile phone as the companion device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the identified way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element is an enabling/disabling way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting an enabling/disabling instruction for the selected previously programmed functional element to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the selected previously programmed functional element.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presenting step comprises presenting an icon corresponding to one of said previously programmed functional elements which is controllable by a user input element of the ear-level device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the presenting step comprises presenting an icon corresponding to one of said previously programmed functional elements which is not controllable by a user input element of the ear-level device.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the signal of the second accepting step identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element provides the ability to enable a new function for the selected functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a new function instruction from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device for the selected functional element to operate according to the new function.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal of the second accepting step identifying a chosen way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element provides, through the companion device, a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element from a plurality of ways of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising monitoring a previously programmed functional element of the ear-level device using the companion device.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a sound level at the microphone of the ear-level device.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements is carried out with the selected functional element being selected from the following group of functional elements:

a microphone, an on-off switch, an input button, a touchpad, an indicator light, and a speaker.

6. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a graphical user interface;

presenting, through the graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements;

the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the first accepting step selects an in-call status indicator light of the ear-level device as the selected previously programmed functional element;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device;

the signal of the second accepting step identifying a chosen way of controlling the in-call status indicator light provides the ability to enable/disable the in-call status indicator light;

transmitting a control instruction, corresponding to the way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the way of controlling; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting an enabling/disabling in-call status indicator light control instruction to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the in-call status indicator light carried by the ear-level device.

7. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a graphical user interface;

presenting, through the graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements;

the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the first accepting step selects an omnidirectional/directional microphone of the ear-level device as the selected previously programmed functional element;

accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device;

the signal of the second accepting step identifying a chosen way of controlling the omnidirectional/directional microphone provides the ability to operate either an omnidirectional microphone or a directional microphone;

transmitting a control instruction, corresponding to the way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the way of controlling; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a microphone omnidirectional control instruction or a microphone directional control instruction to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to operate in an omnidirectional manner or a directional manner.

12. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a touch screen graphical user interface;

the communication establishing step being carried out with a mobile phone as the companion device;

presenting, through the touch screen graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device;

accepting input via the touch screen graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of functional elements;

the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements selects a functional element that does not affect the sound processing from the following group of functional elements as the selected previously programmed functional element;

a microphone, an on-off switch, an input button, a touchpad, an indicator light, and a speaker; and

accepting input through the touch screen graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device by enabling/disabling the selected functional element;

transmitting an enabling/disabling instruction for the selected previously programmed functional element from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to enable/disable the selected functional element; and

monitoring a functional aspect of the ear-level device using the companion device.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

the signal of the second accepting step identifying a chosen way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element provides the ability to enable a new function for the selected functional element; and

the transmitting step comprises transmitting a new function instruction from the companion device to the ear-level device based upon the new function choosing step, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device for the selected functional element to operate according to the new function.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the signal of the second accepting step identifying a chosen way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element light provides, through the companion device, a way of controlling the selected functional element from a plurality of ways of controlling the selected functional element.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the monitoring step comprises monitoring a sound level at the microphone of the ear-level device.

16. A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising:

establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a touch screen graphical user interface;

presenting, through the touch screen graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device;

accepting input via the touch screen graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements;

the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements selects a functional element that does not affect the sound processing from the following group of functional elements as the selected previously programmed functional element;

a microphone, an on-off switch, an input button, a touchpad, an indicator light, and a speaker;

accepting input via the touch screen graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device; and

transmitting a control instruction, corresponding to the way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to control the selected functional element in the way of controlling.