System and method for controlling states of a device

• US RE44,980 E1
• Filed: 08/26/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sargaison, Stewart
• Primary Examiner(s): Paul, Disler
• Application Number:
  US12/869,740
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/74, 381/71.6, 381/123, 381/370, 381/72, 381/371, 381/309, 381/1, 381/11, 455/280, 439/620
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• 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 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for automatically changing a state of a device coupled to a headphone device is provided. The system comprises a means for detecting if at least one earpiece of the headphone device is activated or deactivated. Based on an activation state or a change in an activation state of the at least one earpiece, a state change may occur in the device. The state change is determined by a preset of a control module.

Claims

1. A system for automated state changes in an audio-output enabled device coupled to a headphone device, the headphone device including a right ear piece earpiece and a left ear piece earpiece, the system comprising:

a processor in the audio-output enabled device, the processor configured to process digital audio data for output to the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device;

sensors for detecting if the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device are each in an activated or deactivated state; and

a control module configured for determining stored in memory and executable by a processor to determine a device state change based on the activated or deactivated state of each earpiece and a current playback state of the audio-enabled device, the device state change including a playback state of the digital audio data.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors comprise an amplifier configured to monitor impedance of each earpiece.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are thermo sensors located within each earpiece of the headphone device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are circuitry located within each earpiece of the headphone device.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors generate a state change signal.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensors are coupled to a sensor port configured to receive signals.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the control module comprises presets for the state changes.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a touch sensitive user interface configured to allow a user to enter presets into the control module.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the playback state is selected from a group consisting of play, stop, rewind, fast forward, and pause.

9. A method for automatically changing a state of an audio-output enabled device coupled to a headphone device, the headphone device including a right ear piece earpiece and a left earpiece, the method comprising:

processing digital audio data for output to the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device;

receiving activation state data for both the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device; and

based on the received activation state data for each earpiece and a current state of the audio-output enabled device, implementing a device state change based on a preset if an activation state change occurred, the device state change including a playback state of the digital audio data.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein determining if activation state change occurred comprises determining if an impedance change occurred in each earpiece.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising customizing the preset via a touch sensitive user interface.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the activation state data comprises impedance data.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the activation state data comprises activation state signals received from the headphone device.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the activation state data comprises activation state change signals received from the headphone device.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the playback state is selected from a group consisting of play, stop, rewind, fast forward, and pause.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for automatically changing a state of an audio-output enabled device coupled to a headphone device, the headphone device including a right earpiece and a left earpiece, the method comprising:

processing digital audio data for output to the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device;

receiving activation state data for both the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device; and

based on the received activation state data for each earpiece and a current state of the audio-output enabled device, implementing a device state change based on a preset if an activation state change occurred, the device state change including a playback state of the digital audio data.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the playback state is selected from a group consisting of play, stop, rewind, fast forward, and pause.

16. A method for automatically changing a state of an audio-output enabled device coupled to a headphone device, the headphone device including a right earpiece and a left earpiece, the method comprising:

receiving activation state data from both the right earpiece and the left earpiece of the headphone device;

determining an activation state for each earpiece of the headphone device; and

implementing a device state change based on a preset according to the activation state of each earpiece and a current state of the audio-output enabled device, the device state change including a playback state of digital audio data stored on the audio-output enabled device.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the playback state is selected from a group consisting of play, stop, rewind, fast forward, and pause.

17. A headphone device for use with a system for automated state changes in an audio-output enabled device, comprising:

a right earpiece;

a left earpiece; and

a first sensor coupled to the right earpiece and a second sensor coupled to the left earpiece, each of the sensors configured to;

determine an activation state of the right earpiece and the left earpiece;

generate activation state data for changing the device state of the audio-output enabled device based on a current state of the device, the device state change including a playback state of digital audio data stored on the audio-output enabled device.

18. The headphone device of claim 17 wherein at least one sensor is a thermo sensor.

19. The headphone device of claim 17 further comprising a micro-switch in the right and left earpieces, the micro-switch closing upon activation of the right and left earpieces.

24. The headphone device of claim 17, wherein the playback state is selected from a group consisting of play, stop, rewind, fast forward, and pause.

25. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is low for both earpieces; and

executing instructions stored in memory relating to a run state for the headphone device until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not low for both earpieces is detected.

26. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is high for both earpieces; and

executing instructions stored in memory relating to a predetermined state for the headphone device when both earpieces are inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not high for both earpieces is detected.

27. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is high for one of the two earpieces; and

executing instructions stored in memory relating to a predetermined state for the headphone device when the one of the two earpieces is inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not high for the one of the two earpieces is detected.

28. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is low for one of the two earpieces; and

executing instructions stored in memory relating to a predetermined state for the headphone device when the one of the two earpieces is inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not low for the one of the two earpieces is detected.

29. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate both earpieces of the headphone device to be activated; and

entering into a run state in response to the determination that both earpieces of the headphone device are activated and remaining in the run state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that both earpieces of the headphone device are not activated.

30. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate both earpieces of the headphone device to be inactive;

entering into a predetermined state in response to the determination that both earpieces of the headphone device are deactivated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that both earpieces of the headphone device are not deactivated.

31. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate one of the two earpieces of the headphone device to be inactive;

entering into a predetermined state in response to the determination that one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is deactivated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that the one of the two earpieces of the headphone device are not deactivated.

32. A method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising:

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate one of the two earpieces of the headphone device to be active;

entering into a predetermined state in response to the determination that one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is activated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that the one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is not activated.

33. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is low for both earpieces; and

entering a run state for the headphone device until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not low for both earpieces is detected.

34. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is high for both earpieces; and

entering a predetermined state for the headphone device when both earpieces are inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not high for both earpieces is detected.

35. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is high for one of the two earpieces; and

entering a predetermined state for the headphone device when the one of the two earpieces is inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not high for the one of the two earpieces is detected.

36. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

detecting impedance data for all states of at least one sensor for two earpieces in the headphone device;

determining that the detected impedance data is low for one of the two earpieces; and

entering a predetermined state for the headphone device when the one of the two earpieces is inactive and until the headphone device is deactivated or an impedance state that is not low for the one of the two earpieces is detected.

37. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate both earpieces of the headphone device to be activated; and

entering a run state in response to the determination that both earpieces of the headphone device are activated and remaining in the run state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that both earpieces of the headphone device are not activated.

38. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate both earpieces of the headphone device to be inactive;

entering a predetermined state in response to the determination that both earpieces of the headphone device are deactivated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that both earpieces of the headphone device are not deactivated.

39. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate one of the two earpieces of the headphone device to be inactive;

entering into a predetermined state in response to the determination that one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is deactivated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that the one of the two earpieces of the headphone device are not deactivated.

40. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing a program and the program executable by a processor to perform a method for controlling the state of a headphone device, the method comprising;

receiving signals for all states of at least one sensor corresponding to the earpieces of the headphone device;

determining that the signals indicate one of the two earpieces of the headphone device to be active;

entering into a predetermined state in response to the determination that one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is activated and remaining in the predetermined state until the headphone device is deactivated or the signals indicate that the one of the two earpieces of the headphone device is not activated.