Wireless headset carrying case with wireless transmitter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949015-B1
Application number	US-201715698577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 7, 2017
Priority date	Sep 23, 2016
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A case for a wireless electronic listening device (e.g., a pair of wireless earbuds) is configured to house a pair of wireless earbuds and charge the earbuds when they are in the case. The case is further configured to receive media received by the wireless earbuds and transmit the media to a non-wireless output device connected to the case. The case may further include its own wireless radio that can wirelessly communicate audio to the wireless earbuds when the earbuds are not in the case. The case may further include an input port to receive an audio signal from a non-wireless source and may be configured to wirelessly transmit the audio received from the source to the wireless earbuds.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A case for an earbud having a first wireless radio, the case comprising:
a housing having a receptacle configured to receive the earbud;
a connector coupled to the housing and configured to electrically couple the case to a source device so as to receive an audio signal from the source device;
a second wireless radio configured to transmit audio data to the first wireless radio;
a power source disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to power the second wireless radio;
circuitry disposed within the housing, the circuitry configured to: establish a connection between the first wireless radio and the second wireless radio, receive the audio signal from the source device via the connector, and convert the audio signal into the audio data to be transmitted by the second wireless radio to the first wireless radio for output by the earbud.

2. The case of claim 1 wherein the connector comprises a plug connector configured to be received by an audio output port coupled to the source device.

3. The case of claim 2 wherein the plug connector comprises a TRS connector having a plurality of ring contacts.

4. The case of claim 1 wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery and the case includes a second connector configured to electrically couple the case to an external power source to charge the rechargeable battery and/or provide power to the earbud when the earbud is received in the receptacle.

5. The case of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configured to establish a first wireless connection between a first pair of earbuds and the second wireless radio and a second wireless connection concurrent with the first wireless connection between a second pair of earbuds and the second wireless radio, and to simultaneously transmit the audio data to both the first pair of earbuds and the second pair of earbuds.

6. The case of claim 1 wherein the connector comprises an audio input port configured to receive an audio plug connector associated with the source device.

7. The case of claim 1 wherein the housing of the case includes a first receptacle sized and shaped to receive a first earbud in a pair of earbuds and a second receptacle sized and shaped to receive a second earbud in the pair of earbuds.

8. An audio system comprising:
an earbud having a first wireless radio; and
a case for storing and charging the earbud, the case comprising:
a housing having a receptacle configured to receive the earbud;
a connector coupled to the housing and configured to electrically couple the case to a source device so as to receive an audio signal from the source device;
a second wireless radio configured to transmit audio data to the first wireless radio;
a power source disposed in the housing and operatively coupled to power the second wireless radio;
circuitry disposed within the housing, the circuitry configured to: establish a connection between the first wireless radio and the second wireless radio, receive the audio signal from the source device via the connector, and convert the audio signal into the audio data to be transmitted by the second wireless radio to the first wireless radio for output by the earbud.

9. The audio system of claim 8 wherein the earbud is a first earbud in a pair of earbuds, the audio system further comprises a second earbud in the pair of earbuds, and the housing of the case includes a first receptacle sized and shaped to receive the first earbud and a second receptacle sized and shaped to receive the second earbud.

10. The audio system of claim 9 further comprising a controller, separate from the case and the earbud, and operable to stop and start transmission of the audio data from the second wireless radio to the pair of earbuds.

11. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the controller further comprises volume control inputs that control the volume of sound on the first and second earbuds.

12. The audio system of claim 11 wherein the controller further comprises a clip configured to attach the control to clothing worn by a user.

13. The audio system of claim 10 wherein the case further includes a third receptacle sized and shaped to receive the controller.

14. The audio system of claim 13 wherein the third receptacle is disposed between the first and second receptacles and wherein the case further includes a lid coupled to the housing by a hinge, the lid being moveable between a closed position in which the lid covers encases the first and second earbuds and the controller within the case and an open position in which a user can remove one or more of the first and second earbuds or the controller from the case.

15. The audio system of claim 9 wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery and the case includes a second connector configured to electrically couple the case to an external power source to charge the rechargeable battery and/or provide power to the first and second earbuds when the earbuds are received in the first and second receptacles, respectively.

16. The audio system of claim 8 wherein the circuitry that converts the audio signal into the audio data to be transmitted by the second wireless radio converts an analog audio signal received over the connector to digital audio data.

17. A case for a portable listening device having a first wireless radio, the case comprising:
a housing having a receptacle configured to receive the portable listening device;
a rechargeable case battery disposed in the housing;
charging circuitry coupled to the rechargeable battery and the receptacle and configured to charge the portable listening device when the portable listening device is received in the receptacle;
a memory disposed in the housing and configured to store audio data;
a processor disposed in the housing and operably coupled to access audio data stored in the memory;
a second wireless radio operatively coupled to receive audio data from the processor and transmit the audio data to the first wireless radio to be output by the portable listening device; and
a user interface disposed at an exterior surface of the housing, the user interface including one or more controls that enable a user to stop and start the transmission of audio data from case to the portable listening device.

18. The case set forth in claim 17 wherein the portable listening device is a pair of earbuds that includes a first earbud and a second earbud, and wherein the housing includes a first receptacle sized and shaped to receive the first earbud and a second receptacle sized and shaped to receive the second earbud.

19. The case of claim 18 further comprising a lid coupled to the housing by a hinge, the lid being moveable between a closed position in which the lid covers encases the first and second earbuds and an open position in which a user can remove one or more of the first and second earbuds from the case.

20. The case of claim 17 wherein the user interface comprises volume control inputs.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Minoo Jahan C
• Panecki Lee M
• Rich Zachary C
• Ryan Patrick T

Classifications

• H02J7/731

  specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries (H02J7/751 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/70

  characterised by the mechanical construction · CPC title

• H04R1/1016

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R1/1091

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• H04R2420/09

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