Supplying electrical power

• US 8,073,154 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Crump, Steve, Gauger, Daniel M. Jr., Belanger, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): FAULK, DEVONA E
• Application Number:
  US11/970,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 381/72, 381/74, 381/370, 381/71.1, 381/71.6
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices

Abstract

A power supply includes a battery source supplying power and a voltage converter circuit. The voltage converter circuit converts the power to the input voltage supplied to other circuitry. The voltage converter circuit varies the input voltage in response to a load current drawn by the other circuitry from the power supply.

Claims

1. An active noise reduction (ANR) headset system comprising:

a headset circuitry receiving an input voltage, the headset circuitry comprising;

an ANR circuit receiving a signal from a microphone positioned in an earcup and including a feedback loop to actively reduce the signal;

a first voltage regulator limiting a voltage supplied to at least one of the ANR circuit and an amplifier to a first predetermined voltage; and

a second voltage regulator limiting the input voltage of the headset circuitry to a second predetermined voltage;

a power supply providing the input voltage to the headset circuitry, the power supply comprising;

a direct current (DC) voltage source supplying power;

a voltage converter circuit converting the power to the input voltage supplied to the headset circuitry, the voltage converter circuit varying the input voltage in response to changes to a headset load current drawn by the headset circuitry from the power supply; and

a voltage control loop circuitry monitoring the headset load current and the input voltage, the voltage control loop circuitry providing a feedback signal to the voltage converter circuit; and

a shutoff circuit placing the headset circuitry in a lower power consumption state when the headset load current falls below a threshold value for a predetermined amount of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein placing the headset circuitry in a lower power consumption state comprises terminating the input voltage to the headset circuitry.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage converter circuit adjusts the input voltage to the headset circuitry linearly, in proportion to changes in the headset load current.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage converter circuit adjusts the input voltage to the headset circuitry in discrete steps in response to changes in the headset load current.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the voltage converter circuit adjusts the input voltage to the headset circuitry at a first rate in response to increasing headset load current and a second rate for decreasing headset load current.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device in a parallel circuit with the DC voltage source.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy storage device is a capacitor.