Audio class-compliant charging accessories for wireless headphones and headsets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016112787-A1
Application number	US-201414517693-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2014
Priority date	Oct 17, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A headphone is disclosed herein. The headphone includes a wireless transceiver, a wired communication module, a power storage device, a speaker, and control circuitry. The wireless transceiver and the wired communication module and the wireless transceiver are connected to the speaker via the control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to determine whether to control the speaker according to data received via the wired communication module and the wireless transceiver and to seamlessly transition control of the speaker from data received from one of the wired communication module and the wireless transceiver to the other of the wired communication module and the wireless transceiver.

First claim

1 . A headphone comprising:
a wireless transceiver; an electrical connector; an earpiece having a speaker, wherein the speaker is controllably connected to the electrical connector and the wireless transceiver; a data buffer operatively coupled to the speaker and configured to output audio data stored in the data buffer to the speaker; and control circuitry coupled to the data buffer, the control circuitry configured to:
(i) provide a first path for audio data received by the wireless transceiver to be stored in the data buffer and a second path for audio data received by the electrical connector to be stored in the data buffer,
(ii) determine that the first path and the second path are both being received from the same user device, and
(iii) transition from storing audio data from the first path in the data buffer to storing audio data from the second path in response to the control circuitry determining audio data is being received through the second path.

2 . The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector comprises:
a first contact configured to receive electrical power; and a second contact configured to receive the audio data associated with the second path.

3 . The headphone of claim 2 , further comprising:
an energy storage device in electrical communication with the first contact and configured to be charged by way of power provided by way of the first contact.

4 . The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a processor.

5 . The headphone of claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to seamlessly transition speaker control between audio data received via the wireless transceiver and audio data received via the electrical connector.

6 . The headphone of claim 3 , wherein the data buffer is sized to operate the headphone for a predetermined amount of time without the receipt of additional data via the wireless transceiver or the electrical connector.

7 . The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the headphone is configured to receive digital audio data via the electrical connector.

8 . (canceled)

9 . (canceled)

10 . The headphone of claim 3 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a rechargeable battery.

11 . A method of seamlessly transitioning between data sources controlling operation of a speaker in a headphone, the method comprising:
receiving data at the headphone via a wireless data path; storing the data received via the wireless data path within a data buffer; controlling a speaker according to the data stored within the data buffer; receiving data at the headphone via a wired data path; determining that the data received over the wireless data path and the wired data path are both being received from the same user device; and transitioning from storing data from the wireless data path within the data buffer to storing data from the second data path within the data buffer.

12 . (canceled)

13 . (canceled)

14 . (canceled)

15 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining that the data received via the wired data path is the same as the data received via the wireless data path.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising stopping the storing of data received from the wireless data path within the data buffer.

17 . The method of claim 16 , comprising identifying a stopping point in the data stored in the data buffer and received from the wireless data path, wherein the stopping point is the last data received from the wireless data path and stored in the data buffer.

18 . The method of claim 17 , comprising identifying data corresponding to the stopping point in the data received from the wired data path.

19 . The method of claim 18 , comprising storing data from the wired data path after the data corresponding to the stopping point in the data buffer.

20 . The method of claim 11 , comprising sizing the data buffer to allow transitioning from storing data from the wireless data path within the data buffer to storing data from the second data path within the data duffer without affecting the controlling of the speaker according to the data stored within the data buffer.

21 . The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector is configured to receive a single plug that delivers both power and data to the headphone.

22 . The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the controller transitions from storing audio data from the first path to storing audio data from the second path whenever audio data is available from the second path.

23 . A headphone comprising:
a wireless transceiver; an electrical connector; an earpiece having a speaker, wherein the speaker is controllably connected to the electrical connector and the wireless transceiver; a data buffer operatively coupled to the speaker and configured to output audio data stored in the data buffer to the speaker; and control circuitry coupled to the data buffer, the control circuitry configured to:
(i) provide a first path for audio data received by the wireless transceiver to be stored in the data buffer and a second path for audio data received by the electrical connector to be stored in the data buffer,
(ii) determine that the audio data being received from the first path and the second path are the same, and
(iii) transition from storing the audio data from the first path in the data buffer to storing the audio data from the second path.

24 . The headphone of claim 23 , wherein the electrical connector comprises:
a first contact configured to receive electrical power; and a second contact configured to receive the audio data associated with the second path.

25 . The headphone of claim 23 , wherein the audio data being received from the second path has a higher quality than the audio data being received from the first path.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Rich Zachary C
• Paquier Baptiste P
• Sarlo Joseph A
• Minoo Jahan C

Classifications

• H04R2420/09

  Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R2420/07

  Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones · CPC title

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• H04R25/50

  Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics · CPC title

• H04R1/1025

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