Electronic hearing protector with switchable electrical contacts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10485706-B2
Application number	US-201716328049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2017
Priority date	Aug 29, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A battery-powered electronic device, such as an electronic hearing protector ( 100 ) includes a housing ( 113 ) enclosing the battery and an electronics assembly powered by the battery, the electronics assembly comprises a processor controlled by updatable software. The device further includes a first electrical contact ( 119 a ) that is a ground line; a second electrical contact ( 119 b ) that is a data programming line in a first state, and that is a charging voltage line in a second state; and a third electrical contact ( 119 c ) that is a clock line in a first state, and that is a charge enable line in the second state. The first, second and third electrical contacts ( 119 a - c ) are accessible from outside the housing ( 113 ). A switch enclosed by the housing ( 113 ) changes the second electrical contact ( 119 b ) between the first state and the second state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A battery-powered electronic device, comprising:
a housing enclosing the battery and an electronics assembly, wherein the electronics assembly is powered by the battery, and wherein the electronics assembly comprises a processor controlled by updatable software;
a first electrical contact that is a ground line; and
a second electrical contact that is a data programming line in a first state, and that is a voltage charging line in a second state;
a third electrical contact that is a clock line in a first state, and that is a charge enable line in the second state;
wherein the first, second and third electrical contacts are accessible from outside the housing;
wherein a switch enclosed by the housing changes the second electrical contact between the first state and the second state.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switch is a multiplexer.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switch is an analog switch.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises no more than three electrical contacts accessible from the exterior of the housing.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the switch is controlled by a filtered clock signal.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein data received on the data programming line updates the software.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is an electronic hearing protector.

8. A method of updating software on a battery-powered electronic device, comprising:
providing a battery-powered electronic device comprising:
a housing enclosing the battery and an electronics assembly, wherein the electronics assembly is powered by the battery, and wherein the electronics assembly comprises a processor controlled by updatable software;
a first electrical contact that is a ground contact; and
a second electrical contact that it is a data programming line in a first state, and that is a voltage charging line in a second state;
a third electrical contact that is a clock line in a first state, and that is a charge enable line in the second state;
wherein the first, second and third electrical contacts are accessible from outside the housing;
wherein a switch enclosed by the housing changes the second electrical contact between the first state and the second state; and
transmitting a software update to the processor through the second electrical contact when the second electrical contact is in the first state.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch is a multiplexer.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch is an analog switch.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the device comprises no more than three electrical contacts.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the switch is controlled by a filtered clock signal.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the device is an electronic hearing protector.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Albean David L

Classifications

• H04R25/00

  Electric hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/556 Primary

  External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules (H04R25/607 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2225/31

  Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• H04R1/1025

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title