Patent ID: 9578407
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: H04R

Claim:
1. A multi-mode audio device, comprising: a headphone body; one or more speakers attached to the headphone body, the one or more speakers configured to emit sound responsive to an audio signal input; a sound output control on the headphone body and communicatively coupled to the one or more speakers and configured to control a maximum level of sound emitted by the one or more speakers, the sound output control having: a control interface configured to receive selection of an operative mode of the multi-mode audio device from among a managed mode and a normal mode, wherein if the operative mode is set to managed mode, then the sound output control limits the maximum level of sound emitted by the one or more speakers to a level predetermined to be a safe maximum level, and if the operative mode is set to normal mode, then the sound output control configures the one or more speakers to emit sound based on a maximum dB output limit of the audio source; and an access control that is communicatively coupled to the sound output control and requires an authentication to switch from the managed mode to the normal mode; an electronic button attached to the headphone body that when activated switches from the managed mode to the normal mode if the authentication is received by the control interface; a mode indicator communicatively coupled to the sound output control and configured to provide a visual indication of the operative mode; and a monitoring system interface that monitors mode usage of the managed mode and the normal mode.