System with wireless earphones

• US 8,571,544 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Inventors: Pelland, Michael J., Koss, Michael J., Sagan, Michael, Hallingstad, Gregory J., Bovee, Jeffrey K., Lowery, Morgan J., Reckamp, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US13/459,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20120213381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 455/462, 455/466, 455/556.1, 455/66.1, 455/343.2, 455/575.2, 455/553.1, 381/74, 381/57, 381/401, 381/17, 381/103, 381/309
• US Class Current: 455/425
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/654 using techniques specially adapted for alterable solid state memories, e.g. for EEPROM or flash memories
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960785 with illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/95 characterised by a specific format, e.g. an encoded audio stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/103 Combination of monophonic or stereophonic headphones with audio players, e.g. integrated in the headphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 : Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 : Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 : Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 : WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 : with access to wired networks

Abstract

A system comprising a wireless network adapter and a pair of earphone. The wireless network adapter is external to a digital audio player and configured to connect to the digital audio player via an audio jack of the digital audio player. The wireless network adapter is for encoding analog audio received from the digital audio player into digital format and wirelessly transmitting the digitally-formatted audio. The pair of earphones is in direct wireless communication with the wireless network adapter and are configured to be worn simultaneously by a user. Each earphone in the pair of earphones comprises: (i) a transceiver that is for receiving the digitally-formatted audio from the wireless network adapter via the wireless network, and converting the digitally-formatted audio received via the wireless network to analog audio signals; and (ii) at least one acoustic transducer connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is for outputting the analog audio signals.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a digital audio player comprising an audio jack;

an earphone set comprising a pair of earphones configured to be worn simultaneously by a user;

a wireless network adapter external to the digital audio player and comprising a connecter that plugs into the audio jack of the digital audio player, wherein the wireless network adapter is for encoding analog audio received from the digital audio player via the audio jack into digital format and wirelessly transmitting the digitally-formatted audio to the earphone set; and

a streaming digital audio content server that is connected to the Internet;

wherein each earphone in the pair of earphones comprises;

a transceiver that is for;

receiving digitally-formatted audio, in a first mode, from the streaming digital audio content server via an infrastructure wireless network and, in a second mode, from the wireless network adapter via an ad hoc wireless network; and

converting the received digitally-formatted audio to analog audio signals; and

at least one acoustic transducer connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is for outputting the analog audio signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the digital audio player is in communication with the streaming digital audio content server, and wherein the streaming digital audio content server is for performing steps comprising:

receiving audio content from the digital audio player via the Internet; and

transmitting the streaming audio received form the digital audio player to the earphone set via the infrastructure wireless network in the first mode.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a host server connected to the Internet, such that the host server and the streaming digital audio content server are accessible to the pair of earphones via the Internet and the infrastructure wireless network, and wherein the pair of earphones is configured to receive a network address for the streaming digital audio content server from the host server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the earphones of the earphone set further comprises a user touch control through which the user can register an indication of approval of a song streamed to the earphones by the streaming digital audio content server and played by the earphones, and wherein the at least one of the earphones is configured to transmit wirelessly data regarding the indication of approval of the song from the at least one of the earphones to the host server.

5. A system comprising:

a host server that is connected to the Internet;

a plurality of user-defined streaming digital audio content servers that are connected to the Internet and configurable by a user via the host server; and

an earphone set comprising a pair of earphones configured to be worn simultaneously by the user, wherein the pair of earphones is connected to the Internet via a wireless access point and the pair of earphones is connected to the wireless access point via a wireless network such that the host server and the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers are accessible to the pair of earphones via the Internet and the wireless network, wherein the pair of earphones is configured to receive network addresses for the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers from the host server, and wherein each earphone in the pair of earphone comprises;

a transceiver that is for;

receiving streaming digital audio from the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers via the Internet and the wireless network using the network addresses for the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers received by the earphone from the host server; and

converting the streaming digital audio received from the from the streaming digital audio content server to analog audio signals; and

at least one acoustic transducer connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is for outputting the analog audio signals; and

wherein at least one of the earphones in the pair of earphones comprises a user touch control for allowing the user to;

cycle through the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers by touching of the user touch control by the user; and

register an indication of approval of a song streamed to the earphones by one of the plurality of streaming digital audio content servers and played by the earphones, wherein the earphone set is configured to transmit wirelessly data regarding the indication of approval of the song from the earphone set to the host server.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

an earphone pair comprising a set of two in-ear earphones to be worn simultaneously by a user, wherein each earphone in the earphone pair comprises;

an ear canal portion that is insertable into an ear canal of the user; and

at least one acoustic transducer for outputting analog audio signals,

and wherein at least one of the two earphones comprises;

a transceiver that receives digitally-formatted audio via a wireless network, and wherein the transceiver is connected to the acoustic transducer for the at least one of the two earphones; and

a user touch control through which the user can register an indication of approval of a song streamed to the earphone pair by a streaming digital audio content server via the wireless network and played by the earphone pair, wherein the at least one of the two earphones is configured to transmit wirelessly data regarding the indication of approval of the song from the at least one of the two earphones to a host server via the wireless network.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi wireless network.