Wireless headphones for entertainment and telephonic communication

• US 6,006,115 A
• Filed: 10/15/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wingate, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/950,833
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.03, 379/110.1, 379/420, 379/430, 455/563, 455/568, 455/564, 455/569, 455/575, 455/90, 381/74, 381/311, 381/375
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• 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 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

A pair of wireless headphones receives radio frequency transmissions from a sound system to provide music and other audio programming to a user who is free to move anywhere within the range of the transmissions. A telephone base unit also broadcasts notification of incoming phone calls to the wireless headphones. The headphones may provide an audio signal over or instead of the audio programming to notify the user of the incoming call. The headphones may also incorporate a microphone so that the user can receive the phone call with the headphones.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

headphones; and

a circuit on said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

wherein said circuit alerts a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

wherein said circuit further comprises a switch for disabling said circuit from alerting the user of a transmission received from the phone base unit indicating an incoming phone call.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a microphone on said headphones, wherein said circuit transduces verbal utterances of the user with said microphone and transmits said utterances to the phone base unit to conduct a telephone call.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a switch for activating and deactivating said microphone.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if said switch is actuated to activate said microphone following said alert, said circuit opens a line through the telephone base unit over which the incoming telephone call is conducted.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if said switch is actuated to activate said microphone without said circuit having received an indication of an incoming telephone call, said circuit will open a line through the telephone base unit for initiating a telephone call.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said circuit comprises a voice recognition system which recognizes the name of a party to be called uttered by the user and initiates a telephone call over said open line to said party.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said telephone base unit comprises a voice recognition system which recognizes the name of party to be called uttered by the user and initiates a telephone call over said open line to said party.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a visible light source disposed on said headphones.

4. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

headphones;

a circuit on said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system, wherein said circuit alerts a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

a microphone on said headphones, wherein said circuit transduces verbal utterances of the user with said microphone and transmits said utterances to the phone base unit to conduct a telephone call; and

wherein said microphone is disposed on an extension which can be extended from and retracted into said headphones.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a switch which automatically activates said microphone upon extending of said extension and automatically deactivates said microphone upon retraction of said extension.

11. A method for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

providing headphones;

providing a circuit with said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

with said circuit, alerting a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

disabling said circuit from alerting the user of a transmission received from the phone base unit indicating an incoming phone call with a switch provided with said headphones.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transducing verbal utterances of the user with a microphone provided with said headphones; and

transmitting said utterances to the phone base unit to conduct a telephone call.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating and deactivating said microphone with a switch.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, if said switch is actuated to activate said microphone following said alert, said method further comprises:

opening a line through the telephone base unit, with said circuit to receive an incoming call; and

answering the incoming telephone call over said opened line.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein, if said switch is actuated to activate said microphone without said circuit having received an indication of an incoming telephone call, said method further comprises opening a line through the telephone base unit with said circuit for initiating a telephone call.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

recognizing the name of party to be called uttered by the user with a voice recognition system provided as part of said circuit; and

initiating a telephone call over said open line to said party.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

recognizing the name of party to be called uttered by the user with a voice recognition system provided at said telephone base unit; and

initiating a telephone call over said open line to said party.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a visible light source on said headphones for illuminating an area in front of a wearer of said headphones.

14. A method for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

providing headphones;

providing a circuit with said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

with said circuit, alerting a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call;

transducing verbal utterances of the user with a microphone provided with said headphones;

transmitting said utterances to the phone base unit to conduct a telephone call; and

providing said microphone on an extension which can be extended from and retracted into said headphones.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising automatically activating said microphone upon extending of said extension and automatically deactivating said microphone upon retraction of said extension.

21. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

headphones; and

a circuit on said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

wherein said circuit alerts a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

wherein said circuit decreases a volume of said audio programming being played on said headphones in response to reception of said incoming phone call and operation of said circuit to alert said user of said incoming phone call.

22. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

headphones; and

a circuit on said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

wherein said circuit alerts a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

wherein said circuit suspends said audio programming in response to reception of said incoming phone call and operation of said circuit to alert said user of said incoming phone call.

23. A method for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

providing headphones;

providing a circuit with said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

with said circuit, alerting a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

decreasing a volume of said audio programming being played on said headphones in response to reception of said incoming phone call and in coincidence with said alerting a user of said headphones to said incoming phone call.

24. A method for providing portable audio programming for the listening enjoyment of a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

providing headphones;

providing a circuit with said headphones which receives radio frequency wireless transmissions from both a phone base unit and an audio system;

with said circuit, alerting a user of said headphones when a transmission received from the phone base unit indicates an incoming phone call; and

suspending said audio programming in response to reception of said incoming phone call and in coincidence with said alerting a user of said headphones to said incoming phone call.