Donned/doffed Mute Control

• US 8,831,242 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnston, Timothy P, Brown, William O
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US13/797,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 381/74, 381/374, 381/384
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/20 Automatic control H03G3/005 takes precedence; combined with volume compression or expansion H03G7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for headset wearing mode based operation are presented. A headset system includes a first earbud and a second earbud. One or both earbuds have a detector which indicates whether the earbud is donned or doffed. Operation of the headset is modified based on the donned or doffed status of the earbuds.

Claims

1. A headset system comprising:

a detector providing a detector output indicating a headset donned condition or a headset doffed conditioned;

a speaker;

a microphone;

a memory storing an audio control application; and

a processor for executing the headset control application, wherein the headset control application mutes the microphone responsive to the detector output.

2. The headset system of claim 1, wherein the headset control application mutes the microphone when the detector outputs indicates a doffed condition.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the headset control application deactivates the microphone when the detector outputs indicates a doffed condition.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the headset control application mutes the microphone when the detector output indicates a transition from a donned condition to a doffed condition.

5. A method of operating a headset system, the method comprising:

providing a headset;

outputting a detector output indicating the headset in a donned condition or doffed condition; and

muting the headset'"'"'s microphone responsive to the detector output.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein muting the headset'"'"'s microphone responsive to the detector output comprises muting the microphone when the detector output indicates a doffed condition.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein muting the headset'"'"'s microphone responsive to the detector output comprises muting the microphone when the detector output indicates a transition from a donned condition to a doffed condition.

8. A headset system comprising:

a first earbud system comprising;

a first detector providing a first detector output indicating a first earbud donned condition or a first earbud doffed condition; and

a first speaker;

a second earbud system comprising;

a second detector providing a second detector output indicating a second earbud donned condition or a second earbud doffed condition; and

a second speaker;

a microphone;

a memory storing a headset controller application; and

a processor for executing the headset controller application, wherein the headset controller application mutes the microphone responsive to the first detector output and/or the second detector output.

9. The headset system of claim 8, wherein the headset controller application mutes the microphone responsive to the first detector output indicating a first earbud doffed condition.

10. The headset system of claim 8, wherein the headset controller application mutes the microphone responsive to the second detector output indicating a second earbud doffed condition.

11. The headset system of claim 8, wherein the headset controller application mutes the microphone responsive to the first detector output indicating a first earbud doffed condition and the second detector output indicating a second earbud doffed condition.

12. A method for operating a headset comprising a first earbud system, a second earbud system and a microphone, the method comprising:

outputting a first detector output, the first detector output indicating a first earbud system donned condition or a first earbud system doffed condition;

outputting a second detector output, the second detector output indicating a second earbud system donned condition or a second earbud system doffed condition;

muting the microphone responsive to the first detector output and/or the second detector output.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein muting the microphone comprises muting the microphone responsive to the first detector output indicating a first earbud system doffed condition.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein muting the microphone comprises muting the microphone responsive to the second detector output indicating a second earbud system doffed condition.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein muting the microphone comprises muting the microphone responsive to the first detector output indicating a first earbud system doffed condition and the second detector output indicating a second earbud system doffed condition.