Audio transmission and charging system and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017018957-A1
Application number	US-201615134138-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 15, 2015
Publication date	Jan 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for charging and communication with electronic devices, such as headphones, are provided. Specifically, systems and methods to provide charging of, and communication with, audio devices, such as by photovoltaic (PV) cells, infrared (IR) illumination, audio signals, and LEDs such as laser LEDs, are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An audio transmission and charging system comprising:
a transmitter/charger configured to transmit an optical signal by a light source; an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, the PV cell configured to receive the optical signal; wherein the PV cell converts the received optical signal into electrical power, wherein the electrical power is provided to the battery, wherein the battery is charged.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source is a laser/LED diode.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the optical signal comprises a first modulated communications signal.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the first modulated communications signal is an audio signal.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the audio device further comprises a lens configured to receive and transfer the optical signal to the PV cell.

6 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable carrying the optical signal transmitted by the transmitter/charger to the audio device.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the audio device is further configured to transmit, by the at least one fiber optic cable, a second modulated communications signal to the transmitter/charger.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal comprises data to enable a software update of the audio device.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the transmitter/charger further comprises a microprocessor/controller configured to manage the first and the second modulated communications signals.

10 . A method of audio communications and charging, the method comprising:
providing an audio transmission and charging system comprising: a transmitter/charger configured to transmit an optical signal by a light source; an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, the PV cell configured to receive the optical signal; and at least one fiber optic cable interconnected between the transmitter/charger device and the audio device; transmitting the optical signal from the transmitter/charger to the audio device by way of the at least one fiber optic cable; receiving, by the audio device, the optical signal; and determining if the audio device requires charging, wherein if the audio device requires charging, converting the optical signal to an electrical signal, the electrical signal provided to the battery wherein the battery is charged.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the light source is a laser/LED diode.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the optical signal comprises a first modulated communications signal.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first modulated communications signal is an audio signal.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the PV cell converts the received optical signal to an electrical signal.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the audio device is further configured to transmit, by the at least one fiber optic cable, a second modulated communications signal to the transmitter/charger.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the optical signal comprises data to enable a software update of the audio device.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the transmitter/charger further comprises a microprocessor/controller configured to manage the first and the second modulated communications signals.

18 . An audio optical transmission and optical charging device comprising:
an optical transmitter/charger configured to transmit a first optical signal by an LED light source, the first optical signal comprising a modulated first communications signal; an audio device comprising a battery and a PV cell in communication with the battery, the PV cell configured to receive the optical signal, the PV cell further configured to demodulate the modulated first communications signal; and at least one fiber optic cable, the at least one fiber optic cable interconnected to the transmitter/charger and to the audio device, the at least one fiber optic cable carrying the first optical signal transmitted by the transmitter/charger to the audio device; wherein the PV cell converts at least a portion of the received optical signal into electrical power, wherein the electrical power is provided to the battery, wherein the battery is charged.

19 . The device of claim 18 , wherein the modulated first communications signal is an audio signal.

20 . The device of claim 19 , wherein the audio device further comprises a demodulator to demodulate the modulated first communications signal.

Assignees

• Flextronics Ap Llc

Inventors

• Lucrecio Armando J
• Ma Jiayin
• DEVA Shaily

Classifications

• H04B10/503

  Laser transmitters · CPC title

• H02J7/35 Primary

  with light sensitive cells · CPC title

• Y02E10/56

  Power conversion systems, e.g. maximum power point trackers · CPC title

• H04B10/807

  Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal · CPC title

• H04B10/50

  Transmitters · CPC title