Multi-protocol wireless audio client device

• US 8,879,748 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Alam, Zulfigar, Bilodeau, Brian, Tom, Dennis, Manzanedo, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhao, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US13/048,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20120237053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 710/303, 381/60, 381/58, 381/312, 381/314, 600/559
• US Class Current: 381/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/00 Data switching networks interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A wireless audio client device such as a headset worn by a user allows the user to talk with multiple other devices using different communication protocols. In one approach, the wireless audio client device is a slave device which pairs with multiple master devices such as a game console and cell phone. The wireless audio client device uses a common set of peripherals such as a speaker, microphone, RF antenna, battery, status lights and control buttons. Processing circuitry is provided in one or more chips, to handle the different communication protocols. The wireless audio client device can automatically interrupt a game chat to allow the user to accept an incoming phone call, or can prompt the user to accept the call. Or, the wireless audio client device can play audio from the cell phone while the game chat continues.

Claims

1. A wireless audio client device, comprising:

a set of peripherals, the set of peripherals includes a microphone, a speaker and an RF antenna;

processing circuitry in communication with the set of peripherals, the processing circuitry establishes a first connection with a first master device and a second connection with a second master device, the first connection is concurrent with the second connection, the first connection comprises a first synchronization of a first clock of the processing circuitry to a clock of the first master device, the second connection comprises a second synchronization of a second clock of the processing circuitry to a clock of the second master device, and the processing circuitry uses the set of peripherals to bi-directionally and wirelessly communicate audio data with the first master device using a first communication protocol over the first connection according to the first synchronization, and to bi-directionally and wirelessly communicate audio data with the second master device using a second communication protocol over the second connection according to the second synchronization, the second communication protocol is incompatible with the first communication protocol;

a microphone multiplexer including an input path to a microphone, and output paths to the processing circuitry, the microphone multiplexer is controllable based on at least one control mode of the processing circuitry; and

a speaker multiplexer including an output path to a speaker, and input paths from the processing circuitry, the speaker multiplexer is controllable based on the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry.

2. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, further comprising:

an RF antenna multiplexer including a path to the RF antenna, and paths to the processing circuitry, the RF antenna multiplexer is controllable based on the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry.

3. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

a first output path, which is one of the output paths of the microphone multiplexer, is assigned to carry audio data for transmission to the first master device;

a second output path, which is another of the output paths of the microphone multiplexer, is assigned to carry audio data for transmission to the second master device;

a first input path, which is one of the input paths of the speaker multiplexer, is assigned to carry audio data received from the first master device; and

a second input path, which is one of the input paths of the speaker multiplexer, is assigned to carry audio data received from the second master device.

4. The wireless audio client device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry comprises a talk and listen mode for the first master device in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the first output path, but not to the second output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the first input path, but not the second input path.

5. The wireless audio client device of claim 4, further comprising:

an RF antenna multiplexer including a path to the RF antenna, and first and second RF paths to the processing circuitry; and

where, in the at least one control mode, the processing circuitry controls the RF antenna multiplexer to connect the path to the RF antenna multiplexer to the first RF path, but not to the second RF path.

6. The wireless audio client device of claim 4, wherein:

the at least one control mode comprises a talk and listen mode for the second master device in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the second output path, but not to the first output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the second input path, but not the first input path.

7. The wireless audio client device of claim 6, further comprising:

a switch which controls the processing circuitry to select;

(a) the talk and listen mode for the first master device or (b) the talk and listen mode for the second master device.

8. The wireless audio client device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry comprises a talk mode for the first master device and a listen mode for the second master device in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the first output path, but not to the second output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the second input path, but not the first input path.

9. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

the set of peripherals, the processing circuitry, the microphone multiplexer and the speaker multiplexer are provided in a headset.

10. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

the processing circuitry comprises first processing circuitry which uses the set of peripherals to bi-directionally and wirelessly communicate audio data with the first master device using the first communication protocol, and second processing circuitry which uses the set of peripherals to bi-directionally and wirelessly communicate audio data with the second master device using the second communication protocol;

the output paths of the microphone multiplexer include an output path to the first processing circuitry and another output path to the second processing circuitry; and

the input paths to the speaker multiplexer include an input path from the first processing circuitry and another input path from the second processing circuitry.

11. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second communication protocols have different physical layers, logical layers and sets of rules for exchanging messages.

12. The wireless audio client device of claim 10, wherein:

the first processing circuitry is provided on a first microchip; and

the second processing circuitry is provided on a second microchip, different than the first microchip.

13. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

the processing circuit establishes the first connection by entering a discoverable state in which the processing circuitry is discovered by the first master device; and

the processing circuit establishes the second connection by entering a discoverable state in which the processing circuitry is discovered by the second master device.

14. The wireless audio client device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry comprises a talk and listen mode for the first master device combined with a listen mode for the second master device, in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the first output path, but not to the second output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the first input path and the second input path.

15. The wireless audio client device of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry comprises;

(i) a first control mode which is a talk and listen mode for the first master device in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the first output path, but not to the second output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the first input path, but not the second input path, and (ii) a second control mode which is a talk and listen mode for the second master device in which the processing circuitry;

(a) controls the microphone multiplexer to connect the input path of the microphone multiplexer to the second output path, but not to the first output path, and (b) controls the speaker multiplexer to connect the output path of the speaker multiplexer to the second input path, but not the first input path.

16. The wireless audio client device of claim 15, wherein:

the processing circuitry controls the set of peripherals to automatically switch from the first control mode to the second control mode in response to control data received from the second master device.

17. The wireless audio client device of claim 15, wherein:

the processing circuitry provide an audible alert via the speaker to indicate that the second master device has made a request to activate the second control mode, and switches from the first control mode to the second control mode in response to a received command.

18. The wireless audio client device of claim 17, wherein:

the second master device is a cell phone, and makes the request to activate the second control mode in response to an event generated at the cell phone.

19. The wireless audio client device of claim 18, wherein:

the first control mode is a game chat between a user of the wireless audio client device and a user of the first master device.

20. The wireless audio client device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one control mode of the processing circuitry comprises a talk and listen mode for the first master device during a game chat between a user of the wireless audio client device and a user of the first master device, and a talk and listen mode for the second master device, the second master device comprises a cell phone.