Method and apparatus for powering a wireless headset used with a personal electronic device

• US 6,473,630 B1
• Filed: 10/22/1999
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Baranowski, Robert, Berg, Roger William
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZEWDU, MELESS NMN
• Application Number:
  US09/422,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/568, 455/569, 455/572, 455/573, 455/574, 455/127, 379/430
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00

Abstract

A headset for wireless communicating with a personal electronic device, such as a wireless phone, provides audio output based on an audio signal from the personal electronic device. A secondary battery in the headset provides power for the headset and is rechargeable from a primary battery in the personal electronic device, thereby allowing the user to recharge the headset in the field. Alternatively two secondary batteries may be provided. One of the secondary batteries can be used to power the headset, while the other is connected to the personal electronic device for recharging from the primary battery. When the battery in the headset becomes depleted, the batteries are exchanged.

Claims

1. A personal electronic device outputting an audio signal comprising:

a primary rechargeable battery located in said personal electronic device;

a headset for providing wireless communication with said personal electronic device for transducing said audio signal into audible sound;

a secondary rechargeable battery located in said headset for powering the headset;

a headset charger disposed in said headset for recharging said secondary rechargeable battery from said primary rechargeable battery;

an additional rechargeable secondary battery, said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable battery being interchangeable in connection to either said headset or said personal electronic device; and

an internal charger disposed in said personal electronic device for charging either said secondary rechargeable battery or said additional secondary rechargeable battery from said primary rechargeable battery, said internal charger charging whichever secondary rechargeable battery is housed in said personal electronic device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said personal electronic device is a wireless telephone unit and said headset comprises a microphone.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said secondary rechargeable battery being charged when said headset is connected to said personal electronic device by a power coupling.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein when one of said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable battery is operative for energizing said headset, a remaining one of said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable battery is housed inside said personal electronic device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein when one of said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable battery is operative for energizing said headset, the remaining one of said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable battery housed inside said personal electronic device is operative to be recharged from the primary rechargeable battery via the internal charger housed inside said personal electronic device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said headset charger also comprises an upconverter.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising an external charger for connection to said personal electronic device to recharge said primary rechargeable battery.

8. A method of powering a personal electronic device that outputs an audio signal, the method comprising:

recharging a secondary battery located in a headset from a primary battery located in said personal electronic device, wherein said headset provides wireless communication with said personal electronic device for transducing said audio signal as audible sound;

providing an additional secondary battery, wherein said secondary battery and said additional secondary battery are interchangeable in connection to either said headset or said personal electronic device and are sized to be housed inside the personal electronic device;

locating an internal charger in said personal electronic device for charging either said secondary battery or said additional secondary battery; and

charging whichever secondary battery is housed inside said personal electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using an upconverter in recharging said secondary battery.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said personal electronic device is a wireless telephone unit and said headset further comprises a microphone.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

locating a headset charger in said headset; and

performing said charging of said secondary battery when said headset is connected to said personal electronic device by a power coupling.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising recharging said primary battery with an external charger connected to said personal electronic device.

13. A personal electronic device outputting an audio signal comprising:

a primary rechargeable power means for powering said personal electronic device;

a headset for providing wireless communication with the personal electronic device, said headset having means for transducing said audio signal into audible sound;

a secondary rechargeable power means located in the headset for powering the headset;

a headset charging means disposed in said headset for recharging said secondary rechargeable power means from said primary power means;

an additional secondary rechargeable power means, said secondary rechargeable power means and said additional secondary rechargeable power means being interchangeable in connection to either said headset or said personal electronic device and are sized and adapted to be housed inside said personal electronic device; and

an internal charging means disposed in said personal electronic device for charging either said secondary rechargeable power means or said additional secondary rechargeable power means, said internal charging means charging whichever secondary rechargeable power means is housed inside said personal electronic device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said headset charging means also comprises an upconverter means for charging said secondary rechargeable power means fully even if said primary rechargeable power means is depleted.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein said personal electronic device is a wireless telephone unit and said headset comprises a microphone.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein said secondary power means being charged when said headset is connected to said personal electronic device by a power coupling means.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising an external charging means for connection to said personal electronic device to recharge said primary rechargeable power means.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein when one of said secondary rechargeable battery and said additional secondary rechargeable power means is operative for energizing said headset, a remaining one of said secondary rechargeable power means and said additional secondary rechargeable power means is housed inside said personal electronic device.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein when one of said secondary rechargeable power means and said additional secondary rechargeable power means is operative for energizing said headset, the remaining one of said secondary rechargeable power means and said additional secondary rechargeable power means and said additional secondary rechargeable power means housed inside said personal electronic device is operative to be recharged from the primary rechargeable power means via the internal charger housed inside said personal electronic device.