Headset electronics

• US 8,867,758 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2012
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., Sanford, Emery A., Hankey, M. Evans, Tikalsky, Terry, Tang, John, De Iuliis, Daniele, Russell-Clarke, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US13/471,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20120224710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 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: H01R 13/2428 using meander springs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6205 Two-part coupling devices held in engagement by a magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7039 the coupling part with coding means activating the switch to establish different circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/26 for engaging or disengaging the two parts of a coupling device structural association with two-part coupling device H01R13/629
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0262 for a battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0274 for an electrical connector module
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• 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 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• 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 comprising:

an earbud assembly;

an earbud flexible circuit board disposed within the earbud assembly and comprising;

a first surface;

a second surface; and

a first circuit component mounted on a first portion of the first surface, wherein a second portion of the first surface is configured to face the mounted first circuit component;

a primary housing assembly coupled to the earbud assembly and comprising;

a headset component disposed within the primary housing assembly; and

a primary flexible circuit board separate from the headset component and comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein;

a first portion of the top surface is configured to face a first portion of the headset component; and

a second portion of the top surface is configured to face away from the first portion of the headset component.

2. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first surface is configured to face the mounted first circuit component by one of a bending and a folding of the earbud flexible circuit board within the earbud assembly.

3. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the top surface is configured to face the first portion of the headset component and the second portion of the top surface is configured to face away from the first portion of the headset component by one of a bending and a folding of the primary flexible circuit board within the primary housing assembly.

4. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the second surface is configured to face a second portion of the second surface.

5. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the first surface is configured to face the mounted first circuit component by one of a bending and a folding of the earbud flexible circuit board within the earbud assembly.

6. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the earbud flexible circuit board further comprises a second circuit component mounted on a first portion of the second surface.

7. The wireless headset of claim 6, wherein the earbud assembly is configured to emit sound in a first direction, and wherein the second circuit component is positioned adjacent to the first circuit component in the first direction.

8. The wireless headset of claim 1, the wireless headset further comprising a primary housing assembly coupled to the earbud assembly.

9. The wireless headset of claim 8, wherein the primary housing assembly is coupled to the earbud assembly via a neck member.

10. The wireless headset of claim 8, wherein the primary housing assembly comprises:

a battery disposed within the primary housing assembly; and

a primary flexible circuit board comprising a top surface and a bottom surface.

11. The wireless headset of claim 10, wherein:

a first portion of the top surface is configured to face a portion of the battery; and

a second portion of the top surface is configured to face away from the portion of the battery.

12. The wireless headset of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the top surface is configured to face the portion of the battery and the second portion of the top surface is configured to face away from the portion of the battery by one of a bending and a folding of the primary flexible circuit board within the primary housing assembly.