Method of auto-pausing audio/video content while using headphones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016353194-A1
Application number	US-201514721607-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A headset includes at least one earpiece, at least one speaker coupled to the at least one earpiece, at least one sensor, and control circuitry. The at least one sensor, in operation, detects whether the at least one earpiece is abutting at least one ear of a person and outputs at least one sensor signal indicating whether the at least one earpiece is abutting the at least one ear of the person. The control circuitry, in operation, receives the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor, and causes at least one control signal to be provided to an external device responsive to detecting at least one change in a state of the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor. The at least one control signal is configured to cause the external device to pause or un-pause playing of content.

First claim

1 . A method of controlling playing of content from a device coupled to a headset, the method comprising:
detecting whether at least one earpiece of the headset is abutting a person's head adjacent to one ear of a person; responsive to detecting that the at least one earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head, generating a first control signal configured to cause the device to permit playing of the content; providing the first control signal to the device; responsive to receiving the first control signal, permitting the playing of the content; responsive to detecting that the at least one earpiece of the headset is not abutting the person's head, generating a second control signal configured to cause the device to permit pausing of the content; providing the second control signal to the device; and responsive to receiving the second control signal, permitting the pausing of the content.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein
detecting whether the at least one earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head includes:
detecting whether a first earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head adjacent to a first ear of the person, and
detecting whether a second earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head adjacent to a second ear of the person, and

responsive to detecting that the at least one earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head, generating a first control signal configured to cause the device to permit the playing of the content includes:
responsive to detecting that the first earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head and that the second earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head, generating the first control signal configured to cause the device to permit playing of the content.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
responsive to detecting that the first earpiece of the headset is not abutting the person's head adjacent to the first ear of the person and that the second earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head adjacent to the second ear of the person, muting a first speaker coupled to the first earpiece; and responsive to detecting that the first earpiece of the headset is abutting the person's head adjacent to the first ear of the person and that the second earpiece of the headset is not abutting the person's head adjacent to the second ear of the person, muting a second speaker coupled to the second earpiece.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein
providing the first control signal to the device includes providing the first control signal to at least one connector of an audio interface of the headset, and
proving the second control signal to the device includes providing the second control signal to at least one connector of the audio interface of the headset.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein
providing the first control signal to the device includes wirelessly transmitting the first control signal to the device, and
proving the second control signal to the device includes wirelessly transmitting the second control signal to the device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting an occurrence of an event in an environment in which the headset is located; and responsive to detecting the occurrence of the event in the environment in which the headset is located, generating at least one control signal that causes the device to pause playing of the content.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein detecting the occurrence of the event in the environment in which the headset is located includes detecting a sound having at least one predetermined characteristic in the environment in which the headset is located.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
generating audio data corresponding to the sound; converting the audio data into first text data; and comparing the first text data to second text data, wherein detecting the occurrence of the event in the environment in which the headset is located is in response to determining that the first text data at least partially matches the second text data.

9 . A headset, comprising:
at least one earpiece; at least one speaker coupled to the at least one earpiece; at least one sensor, which in operation, detects whether the at least one earpiece is abutting at least one ear of a person and outputs at least one sensor signal indicating whether the at least one earpiece is abutting the at least one ear of the person; and control circuitry, which in operation, receives the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor and causes at least one control signal to be provided to an external device responsive to detecting at least one change in a state of the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor, the at least one control signal configured to cause the external device to terminate playing of content.

10 . The headset of claim 9 wherein the control circuitry, in operation, causes the at least one speaker to be muted responsive to detecting the at least one change in the state of the at least one sensor signal from the at least one sensor.

11 . The headset of claim 9 wherein the at least one control signal is configured to pause playing of the content.

12 . The headset of claim 9 wherein
the at least one earpiece includes a first earpiece and a second earpiece,
the at least one speaker includes a first speaker coupled to the first earpiece and a second speaker coupled to the second earpiece,
the at least one sensor includes:
a first sensor, which in operation, outputs a first sensor signal indicating whether the first earpiece is abutting a first ear of the person, and
a second sensor, which in operation, outputs a second sensor signal indicating whether the second earpiece is abutting a second ear of the person,

the control circuitry, in operation, generates a first control signal configured to cause the external device to pause playing of content responsive to receiving both the first sensor signal indicating that the first earpiece is not abutting the first ear of the person and the second sensor signal indicating that the second earpiece is not abutting the second ear of the person, and
the control circuitry, in operation, generates a second control signal configured to cause the external device to un-pause the playing of content responsive to receiving both the first sensor signal indicating that the first earpiece is abutting the first ear of the person and the second sensor signal indicating that the second earpiece is abutting the second ear of the person.

13 . The headset of claim 9 wherein
the at least one earpiece includes a first earpiece and a second earpiece,
the at least one speaker includes a first speaker coupled to the first earpiece and a second speaker coupled to the second earpiece,
the at least one sensor includes:
a first sensor, which in operation, outputs a first sensor signal indicating whether the first earpiece is abutting a first ear of the person, and
a second sensor, which in operation, outputs a second sensor signal indicating whether the second earpiece is abutting a second ear of the person,

the control circuitry, in operation, causes the first speaker to be muted responsive to receiving the first sensor signal indicating that the first earpiece is not abutting the first ear of the person and the second sensor signal indicating that the second earpiece is abutting the second ear of the person, and
the control circuitry, in operation, causes the second speaker to be muted responsive to receiving the first sensor signal indicating that the first earpiece is abutting the first ear of the person

Assignees

• Echostar Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Stevens Gerald Robert

Classifications

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• H04R1/1041 Primary

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• G10L15/26

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R29/00

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title