Spatial antenna diversity techniques

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11515620-B2
Application number	US-202117243054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2021
Priority date	Apr 12, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein include headphone devices with spatially diverse antennas employing multiple operational modes and antenna switching policies. The headphone device may identify a current mode of operation and wirelessly communicate with at least one external device based at least in part on the current mode of operation. Further, operating in a first mode of operation, the headphone device may cause switching circuitry to selectively couple a first antenna to the common port in accordance with a first antenna switching policy. While operating in the second mode of operation, the headphone device may cause circuitry to selectively couple a second antenna to the common port in accordance with a second antenna switching policy that is different from the first antenna switching policy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A headphone device comprising:
a headband;
a first earpiece coupled to the headband and rotatable about an axis relative to the headband, wherein the first earpiece at least partially houses a first plurality of electrical components, wherein the first plurality of electrical components comprises:
a first transducer;
a first antenna at least partially disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis to reduce movement of the first antenna when the first earpiece rotates about the axis;
a second antenna; and
communication circuitry configured to cause the headphone device to wirelessly communicate with at least one external device using at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna;

a second earpiece coupled to the headband and at least partially housing a second plurality of electrical components, wherein the second plurality of electrical components comprises:
a second transducer; and
a battery; and

a cable assembly at least partially housed by then the headband, wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a plurality of conductors including at least one conductor electrically coupling at least one electrical component of the first plurality of electrical components to at least one electrical component of the second plurality of electrical components; and

an outer jacket at least partially enclosing the plurality of conductors.

2. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of electrical components further comprises:
switching circuitry having a first port coupled to the first antenna, a second port coupled to the second antenna, and a common port coupled to the communication circuitry, and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively couple the common port to either the first antenna or the second antenna.

3. The headphone device of claim 2 , wherein the communication circuitry comprises:
a wireless transceiver having a transmit port and a receive port; and
a switch having a first port coupled to the common port of the switching circuitry, a second port coupled to the receive port of the wireless transceiver, and a third port coupled to the transmit port of the wireless transceiver.

4. The headphone device of claim 3 , wherein the communication circuitry further comprises at least one amplifier coupled between the second port of the switch and the receive port of the wireless transceiver.

5. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna comprises a passive antenna.

6. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is at least partially disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis.

7. The headphone device of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first antenna or the second antenna are at least partially disposed within 5 millimeters of the axis.

8. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one conductor carries electrical signals associated with a communication bus for communication between the at least one electrical component of the first plurality of electrical components and the at least one electrical component of the second plurality of electrical components.

9. The headphone device of claim 8 , wherein the communication bus is an I2C communication bus.

10. The headphone device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one conductor comprises at least two conductors arranged as a twisted pair.

11. The headphone device of claim 10 , wherein each of the at least two conductors comprises a stranded conductor.

12. The headphone device of claim 1 , wherein a connection point between the first antenna and a feed line coupling the first antenna to the communication circuitry is disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis.

13. A headphone device comprising:
a headband;
a first earpiece coupled to the headband and rotatable about an axis relative to the headband, wherein the first earpiece at least partially houses a first plurality of electrical components, wherein the first plurality of electrical components comprises:
a first transducer;
a first antenna at least partially disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis to reduce movement of the first antenna when the first earpiece rotates about the axis;
a second antenna;
switching circuitry having a first port coupled to the first antenna, a second port coupled to the second antenna, and a common port, and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively couple the common port to either the first antenna or the second antenna; and
communication circuitry coupled to the common port of the switching circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to cause the headphone device to wirelessly communicate with at least one external device at least in part by causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with an antenna switching policy;

a second earpiece coupled to the headband and at least partially housing a second plurality of electrical components, wherein the second plurality of electrical components comprises:
a second transducer; and
a battery;

a cable assembly at least partially housed by the headband, wherein the cable assembly comprises:
a plurality of conductors including at least one conductor electrically coupling at least one electrical component of the first plurality of electrical components to at least one electrical component of the second plurality of electrical components; and
an outer jacket at least partially enclosing the plurality of conductors.

14. The headphone device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one conductor carries electrical signals associated with a communication bus for communication between the at least one electrical component of the first plurality of electrical components and the at least one electrical component of the second plurality of electrical components.

15. The headphone device of claim 14 , wherein the at least one conductor comprises at least two conductors arranged as a twisted pair.

16. The headphone device of claim 13 , wherein a connection point between the first antenna and a feed line coupling the first antenna to the first port of the switching circuitry is disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis.

17. A headphone device comprising:
a headband;
a first earpiece coupled to the headband and rotatable about an axis relative to the headband, wherein the first earpiece at least partially houses a first plurality of electrical components, wherein the first plurality of electrical components comprises:
a first battery;
a first transducer;
a first antenna at least partially disposed within 15 millimeters of the axis to reduce movement of the first antenna when the first earpiece rotates about the axis;
a second antenna;
switching circuitry having a first port coupled to the first antenna, a second port coupled to the second antenna, and a common port, and wherein the switching circuitry is configured to selectively couple the common port to either the first antenna or the second antenna; and
communication circuitry coupled to the common port of the switching circuitry, wherein the communication circuitry is configured to cause the headphone device to wirelessly communicate with at least one external device at least in part by causing the switching circuitry to selectively couple either the first antenna or the second antenna to the common port in accordance with an antenna switching policy;

a second earpiece coupled to the headband and at least partially housing a second plurality of electrical com

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Van Erven Niels
• Payandehjoo Kasra
• Frey Michael
• Maglio Anthony
• Roberts Ron

Classifications

• H04R2201/028

  Structural combinations of loudspeakers with built-in power amplifiers, e.g. in the same acoustic enclosure (H04R2499/10 takes precedence; Single (sub)woofer with two or more satellite loudspeakers for mid- and high-frequency band reproduction driven via the (sub)woofer H04R2205/026) · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R1/105

  Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04B7/0602

  using antenna switching (H04B7/0686 takes precedence; antenna beam directivity switching H01Q3/24) · CPC title