Headset electronics

• US 8,712,071 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J, Sanford, Emery, Hankey, M. Evans, Tikalsky, Terry, Tang, John, De Iuliis, Daniele, Russell-Clark, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US11/824,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,497 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/309, 381/311, 381/150, 381/370, 381/375, 381/374, 381/380, 381/385, 381/328, 381/381, 379/428.01, 379/430, 455/569.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.2
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• 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 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless headset device that includes an earbud assembly and a primary housing assembly, fixed to the earbud assembly, is provided. The earbud assembly can include an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon a receiver and processing circuitry. The primary housing assembly can include a microphone and a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud circuit board and the microphone. In some embodiments, the headset device can include at least one flexible circuit board and the primary housing can include a connector assembly. The at least one flexible circuit board can be electrically coupled to the connector assembly and can include Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuitry operative to process USB protocol communications and serial circuitry operative to process serial protocol communications.

Claims

1. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly for insertion into an ear, the earbud assembly comprising an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon a receiver and signal processing circuitry positioned within the earbud assembly, wherein;

the signal processing circuitry comprises a processor; and

the earbud flexible circuit board folds over at least one of the receiver and the signal processing circuitry within the earbud assembly; and

a primary housing assembly being a longitudinal member coupled via a neck portion to the earbud assembly which protrudes away from one end of the primary housing assembly, the primary housing assembly configured to be positioned outside of the ear when the earbud assembly is inserted within the ear, the primary housing assembly comprising;

a microphone at an opposite end distal from the earbud assembly;

a battery; and

a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud flexible circuit board, the microphone, and the battery.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the neck portion fixes the earbud assembly to the primary housing assembly.

3. The device of claim 2, the neck portion comprising a through-hole through which a portion of the earbud flexible circuit board passes through to electrically connect to the primary housing circuit board.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud flexible circuit board comprises traces for electrically coupling at least the receiver and the signal processing circuitry.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuitry is operative to execute wireless communication processes.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuitry is operative to process Bluetooth communication processes.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

an antenna electrically coupled to the primary housing flexible circuit board.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

a switch electrically coupled to the primary housing flexible circuit board.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing assembly further comprises:

a connector assembly electrically coupled to the primary housing flexible circuit board, the connector assembly operative to interface with a device other than the wireless headset device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the connector assembly comprises:

a multiple-pin symmetrical magnetic connector.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermistor in communication with and operative to provide the signal processing circuitry with a battery temperature signal.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the signal processing circuitry is operative to adjust a battery charging rate based on the battery temperature signal.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing flexible circuit board comprises circuitry mounted thereon.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the circuitry mounted on the primary housing flexible circuit board comprises switching circuitry.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the circuitry mounted on the primary housing flexible circuit board comprises adaptive battery charging circuitry.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the receiver overlaps with at least a portion of the signal processing circuitry in a direction of output of sound from the earbud assembly.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver and the signal processing circuitry are stacked due to the folding of the earbud flexible circuit board.

18. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly comprising an earbud flexible circuit board; and

a primary housing assembly coupled via a neck portion to the earbud assembly, the primary housing assembly configured to be positioned outside of a wearer'"'"'s ear when the earbud assembly is inserted within the wearer'"'"'s ear, the primary housing assembly comprising;

a battery;

a microphone; and

a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud flexible circuit board, the battery, and the microphone, the primary housing flexible circuit board being bent so as to be disposed adjacent to multiple sides of the battery to conserve space.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the earbud flexible circuit board is electrically coupled to the primary housing flexible circuit board.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the primary housing flexible circuit board is bent such that it covers at least a portion of the battery.

21. A wireless headset device comprising:

an earbud assembly for insertion into an ear, the earbud assembly comprising an earbud flexible circuit board having mounted thereon components comprising a receiver and signal processing circuitry, wherein the signal processing circuitry comprises a processor, and wherein the earbud flexible circuit board folds over at least one of the components within the earbud assembly; and

a primary housing assembly being a longitudinal member coupled via a neck portion to the earbud assembly which protrudes away from one end of the primary housing assembly, the primary housing assembly configured to be positioned outside of the ear when the earbud assembly is inserted within the ear, the primary housing assembly comprising;

a microphone at an opposite end distal from the earbud assembly;

a battery;

at least one of an antenna at the one end proximal the earbud assembly and a user interface button at the one end proximal the earbud assembly; and

a primary housing flexible circuit board electrically coupled to the earbud flexible circuit board, the microphone, the battery, and at least one of the antenna and the user interface button, wherein the primary housing flexible circuit board is bent so as to be disposed adjacent to multiple sides of the battery to conserve space.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the neck portion fixes the earbud assembly to the primary housing assembly.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the earbud flexible circuit board comprises traces for electrically coupling at least the receiver and the signal processing circuitry.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the primary housing flexible circuit board comprises circuitry mounted thereon.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein the circuitry mounted on the primary housing flexible circuit board comprises switching circuitry.