Integrated and detachable wireless headset element for cellular/mobile/portable phones and audio playback devices

• US 8,489,151 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2005
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Engelen, Josephus A., Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Paul P
• Application Number:
  US11/120,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20060166715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,996 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/67.11, 455/403, 455/411, 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 455/550.1, 455/557, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/570, 455/573, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/575.3, 455/3.05, 455/100, 455/223, 455/260, 455/404.1, 455/462, 455/556.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.7, 455/3.06, 455/70, 455/74.1, 455/90.3, 455/412.1, 455/420, 455/519, 455/556.2, 455/558, 455/572, 455/575.6, 381/23.1, 381/79, 381/315, 381/311, 381/332, 381/87, 381/150, 381/375, 381/1.74, 381/86, 381/151, 381/312, 381/314, 381/322, 381/370, 381/384, 379/88.07, 379/355.02, 379/142.01, 379/419, 379/430, 379/185, 379/387.01, 379/394, 379/398, 379/426, 379/428.02, 379/433.12, 379/433.13, 704/226, 704/228, 704/231, 704/270
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• 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: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface

Abstract

A modular wireless headset having integrated but detachable elements is operable to service a cellular wireless terminal, streamed media or playback device. This modular wireless headset may include a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece. The wireless earpiece may physically couple to the wireless microphone and a base unit in order to exchange information and share power resources. A power distribution controller allocates power between the wireless earpiece, wireless microphone, and base unit when physically coupled to operate or charge internal power supplies of the components.

Claims

1. A modular wireless headset operable to support voice communications, comprising:

a wireless microphone operable to detachably couple to a base unit and coupled to receive first audible signals from a user and provide the first audible signals to the base unit;

a wireless earpiece operable to physically directly and detachably couple to the wireless microphone and the base unit and coupled to receive second audible signals from the base unit and provide the second audible signals to the user, the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone each operable to separately detach from the base unit each of the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece further including a portable power supply; and

a power control circuit operable to select a charging power supply from the portable power supplies of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone based on a current charge of the portable power supplies, the charging power supply recharging the other portable power supply when the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone are physically coupled.

2. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the base unit comprises the power control circuit operable to allocate power between the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone when the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone are physically coupled to the base unit.

3. The modular wireless headset of claim 2, wherein the power control circuit is operable to allocate power between the portable power supplies of the base unit, wireless earpiece and wireless microphone based on a mode of operation of the modular wireless headset.

4. The modular wireless headset of claim 2, wherein the power control circuit is operable to allocate power to and from the portable power supplies of the base unit, wireless earpiece and wireless microphone based on a user input.

5. The modular wireless headset of claim 2, wherein the power control circuit is operable to allocate power to and from the portable power supplies of the base unit, wireless earpiece and wireless microphone based on historical use of the modular wireless headset.

6. The modular wireless headset of claim 2, wherein the base unit base unit comprises a playback device.

7. The modular wireless headset of claim 2, wherein the base unit base unit comprises a wireless terminal operable to communicatively couple the wireless headset to a servicing network, and wherein the servicing network is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

8. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises:

a wireless earpiece receptacle operable to receive the wireless earpiece;

a wireless microphone receptacle operable to receive the wireless microphone;

a battery operable to provide power to operate the modular wireless headset or recharge portable power supplies of the modular wireless headset through the physical coupling; and

a display/interface operable to receive user commands directed to the modular wireless headset and display information received from the modular wireless headset.

9. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the wireless earpiece, wireless microphone and base unit are physically coupled together.

24. The modular wireless headset of claim 1, wherein:

the first audible signals are provided from the wireless microphone to the base unit via a first wireless connection when the wireless microphone is detached from the base unit; and

the second audible signals are received at the wireless earpiece from the base unit via a second wireless connection different from the first wireless connection when the wireless earpiece is detached from the base unit.

10. A method to service voice communications between a destination terminal and a modular wireless headset, comprising:

physically directly coupling a wireless microphone and a wireless earpiece of the modular wireless headset to a base unit having receptacles to receive the modular wireless headset, each of the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece having a portable power supply;

distributing power between the base unit and the wireless microphone and wireless earpiece through the receptacles by selecting a charging power supply from the portable power supplies of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone based on a current charge of the portable power supplies, the charging power supply recharging the other portable power supply;

separately detaching the wireless microphone from the base unit and the wireless earpiece from the wireless microphone and the base unit;

communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset to the base unit to enable the wireless microphone to receive first audible signals from a user and provide the first audible signals to the base unit and the wireless earpiece to receive second audible signals from the base unit and provide the second audible signals to the user;

communicatively coupling the modular wireless headset to a servicing network through the base unit; and

servicing voice communications between the modular wireless headset and a destination terminal accessible to the modular wireless headset through the communicatively coupled base unit and servicing network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the portable power supplies of the wireless microphone and wireless earpiece are further operable to:

operate the modular wireless headset;

recharge from the base unit; and

recharge the portable power supply having a lesser charge from the portable power supply having a greater charge.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the base unit comprises a wireless terminal, and wherein the base unit is operable to:

physically couple to the modular wireless headset; and

recharge the portable power supplies of modular wireless headset through the physical coupling.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless microphone and wireless earpiece physically couple to receptacle(s) within the base unit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the receptacle(s) are within the base unit'"'"'s portable power supply.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the modular wireless headset is operable to physically couple to a portable power supply, and wherein the portable power supply comprises:

a wireless earpiece receptacle operable to receive the wireless earpiece;

a wireless microphone receptacle operable to receive the wireless microphone;

a battery operable to provide power to operate the modular wireless headset or recharge the portable power supplies of the modular wireless headset through the physical coupling; and

a display/interface operable to receive user commands directed to the modular wireless headset and display information received from the modular wireless headset.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the base unit comprises the portable power supply.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising physically coupling the modular wireless headset to an external power supply with an adapter.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the adapter comprises a universal serial bus (USB) connector operable to physically couple the modular wireless headset to an external power supply via a USB port.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the servicing network is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).

20. A modular wireless headset operable to support voice communications, comprising:

a wireless microphone operable to be received by a first receptacle within a base unit, and further operable to detachably couple to the base unit and coupled to receive first audible signals from a user and provide the first audible signals to the base unit; and

a wireless earpiece operable to be received by a second receptacle within the base unit, and further operable to physically directly and detachably couple to the wireless microphone and the base unit and coupled to receive second audible signals from the base unit and provide the second audible signals to the user, the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone each operable to separately detach from the base unit;

wherein the wireless microphone and the wireless earpiece each further comprise a portable power supply, wherein the wireless earpiece and wireless microphone are operable to physically couple to the base unit, wherein the base unit is operable to select a charging power supply from the portable power supplies of the wireless earpiece and the wireless microphone based on a current charge of the portable power supplies, the charging power supply recharging the other portable power supply through the physical coupling.

21. The modular wireless headset of claim 20, wherein the base unit comprises:

a wireless earpiece receptacle operable to receive the wireless earpiece;

a wireless microphone receptacle operable to receive the wireless microphone;

a battery operable to provide power to operate the modular wireless headset or recharge the portable power supplies of the modular wireless headset through the physical coupling; and

a display/interface operable to receive user commands directed to the modular wireless headset and display information received from the modular wireless headset.

22. The modular wireless headset of claim 20, further comprising a universal serial bus (USB) connector operable to physically couple the modular wireless headset to an external power supply via a USB port.

23. The modular wireless headset of claim 20, wherein the base unit communicatively couples the modular wireless headset to a servicing network, and wherein the servicing network is selected from the group consisting of:

cellular network;

public switched telephone network (PSTN);

wide area network (WAN);

local area network (LAN); and

a wireless local area network (WLAN).