Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are provided for connecting together two audio components that have different size connectors and/or a different configuration of electrical contacts between them. In one embodiment of the present invention, an audio adaptor is designed having an audio plug of one size to mate with a first electrical device, such as an integrated mediaphone such as the iPhone™, and an audio jack having a different size to mate with a second electrical device, such as a conventional cell phone headset having a single earpiece. In that instance, the plug would be a four-prong, 3.5 millimeter stereo device, while the jack would be a three-prong, 2.5 millimeter monaural device. The adaptor includes circuitry that takes one audio channel (i.e., the left or right channel), and couples it to the audio input on the monaural jack.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of copending, commonly-assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/823,925, filed Jun. 28, 2007, which is fully incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This relates to electronic devices and more particularly to methods and apparatus for connecting together two electrical devices in which the mating connectors on each device are of different sizes. 
         [0003]    Portable electronic devices, such as wireless and cellular telephones, digital media players (e.g., music players and video players), and hybrid devices that combine telephone and media playing functionality are known. These devices are typically configured to provide communications to a user in one or more modes. In some of those modes, the communications can be wireless, such as via a cellular telephone network, a Wi-Fi network, or Bluetooth communications. In those instances, the user interacts with another device or location to receive information in the form of audio, video or both. 
         [0004]    The transmission of the received audio signals to the user (from the person on the other end of the call), as well as the receipt and transmission of the audio signals from the user that are captured by the phone&#39;s microphone can be accomplished wirelessly or through the use of a wired device. While wireless communication headsets often communicate with the cellphone via the Bluetooth standard, the present invention does not address such technology. 
         [0005]    The present invention addresses problems which exist through the use of wired connections. There are great number of accessories that are available for portable electronic devices, and particularly for hybrid devices which combine the functions of a cellular telephone with one or more additional functions, such as the storing and playback of music files. In most instances, the portable electronic devices have a connector that is one of a limited number of standard sizes for audio communications. For example, many cellular telephones have an audio jack that accepts 2.5 millimeter plugs, while many multimedia devices, such as iPods and DVD players, have an audio jack that accepts 3.5 millimeter plugs. One potential reason for this variation is that conventional audio headsets typically include a microphone signal, a monaural audio signal and a ground signal. As such, those connectors often are limited to three contacts. 
         [0006]    The 3.5 millimeter connectors, on the other hand, rarely, if ever, include a microphone input, and instead, are often capable of providing stereo audio signals to the user. These devices include the family of products knows as “ear buds,” which are small devices placed in the external cavity of a user&#39;s ears, as well as full-sized sets of headphones, such as the Bose™ QuietComfort™ headphones. 
         [0007]    One problem with this scenario, occurs when a user wants to use a device having one sized jack with another device having a different sized-plug. In addition to the size difference, there are often problems with a mismatching of signals between the two devices. This leaves the user with few, if any, options. 
         [0008]    This problem becomes even larger with the further development of multi-use, hybrid devices, such as Apple&#39;s iPhone™, which includes a 3.5 millimeter jack for mating with devices such as the Bose™ QuietComfort™ headphones. For example, in the instance where a user is using the iPhone™ to watch a movie, the user may want to use high quality, noise cancellation headphones to try and maximize his/her experience. In another instance, the user may want to place a call using a wired headset, which is typically a monaural 2.5 millimeter device. 
         [0009]    Another type of electronic device where the size mismatch occurs is in the use of electronic equipment to aid the deaf in telephonic communications. These devices are often referred to as “TTY” devices. One such device is, for example, the Ameriphone Q90D Digital Cell Phone Compatible Combination TTY/VCO device. The Q90D enables a hearing-impaired individual to make cellular telephone calls by converting the audio signals to written form and displaying them to the user. These devices, however, uniformly require the use of a 2.5 millimeter plug. Thus, it would not be possible to use such devices with portable hybrid electronic devices having other sized connectors. 
         [0010]    Accordingly, what is needed are methods and apparatus for providing users with the ability to use portable electronic devices having different sized connectors. In addition, it is also a need to provide users with the ability to use together portable electronic devices which offer the user otherwise incompatible electronic signal interfaces. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0011]    Methods and apparatus are provided for connecting together two audio components that have different size connectors and which may also have a different configuration of electrical contacts between them. 
         [0012]    In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus of the present invention, an audio adaptor is designed with an audio plug of one size to mate with a first electrical device, such as an integrated media device such as Apple&#39;s iPhone™, and an audio jack having a different size to mate with a second electrical device, such as a conventional, monaural cell phone headset having a single earpiece. In that instance, the plug would be a four-prong, 3.5 millimeter stereo device, while the jack would be a three-prong, 2.5 millimeter monaural device. In this instance, the adaptor would include circuitry to take one audio channel (i.e., the left or right channel), and couple it to the audio input on the monaural jack. 
         [0013]    The mismatch of physical characteristics can be overcome through the use of an audio adaptor unit that is constructed from a plug having one dimension, a jack having the other dimension and a coupler that physically and electrically connects the plug and jack together to form a single unit. 
         [0014]    In accordance with the principles of the present invention, it may be advantageous to provide a coupler having interconnection circuitry that connects the prongs, for example the jack, to one or more of the prongs of the plug. In one instance, the plug may be a four-prong plug where the four prongs provide a left channel audio signal, a right channel audio signal, a microphone signal and a ground signal, while the jack may be a three-prong jack having a single monaural audio signal, a microphone signal and a ground signal. 
         [0015]    The interconnection circuitry may solely be wires that are used to connect the selected prongs on the plug to the prongs on the jack (such as where only one of the left and right channel will be connected to the audio prong on the jack). Wires, however, may result in a larger coupler than is otherwise possible, in addition to the additional labor requirements that are likely to be necessary during the assembly of the device. 
         [0016]    One alternative to using wires is, in accordance with the present invention, the use of metal tabs instead of wires. The metal tabs could be soldered or otherwise attached to the appropriate prongs on the plug and on the jack. Then, in an additional process step, the tabs could be attached to each other (once again, through soldering, or some other form of connection). In addition, because of the overall stiffness of the metal tabs, it would be easier to manufacture such a device since the tabs could be easily aligned without an assembler having to hold them in place as might be required when using wires. A still further advantage of using metal tabs is that they can be manufactured to have a specific orientation which can help account for the differences between the different sized connector components. 
         [0017]    Thus, in this embodiment, a 3.5 millimeter stereo plug having a microphone input can be coupled together with a 2.5 millimeter monaural jack such that a single earpiece microphone headset can be used on a stereo device having a 3.5 millimeter jack. The audio adaptor could, if metal tabs are used for the interconnection circuitry, be a relatively small and compact device, which may make it easier to use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]    The above and other features of the present invention, its nature and various advantages will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a three dimensional, perspective view, schematic diagram of an audio adaptor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a side view schematic diagram of a portion of a connector plug that is used in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a side view sectional diagram of a connector plug that is used in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is an exploded, three dimensional, perspective view, schematic drawing of an audio adaptor constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a side view schematic diagram of a connector plug and connector jack that are used in accordance with the principles of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a three dimensional, perspective view, schematic diagram of a plug, which is a portion of an audio adaptor constructed in accordance with the principles the present invention; and 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a three dimensional, perspective view, schematic diagram of a jack, which is a portion of an audio adaptor constructed in accordance with the principles the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0026]      FIG. 1  shows a three dimensional, perspective view, schematic diagram of an illustrative audio adaptor device  100 , which is constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. Audio adaptor  100  may include plug  102 , jack  104  and coupler  106 . In one embodiment of the present invention, plug  102  is a 3.5 millimeter plug formed from multiple pieces of brass, a copper alloy or other suitable electrically conductive material (generally referred to hereinafter as “metal”), which alternate with pieces of insulating material. 
         [0027]    As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3 , plug  102 , includes a conductive metal center post  108 , insulator  110 , conductive metal ring  112 , insulator  114 , conductive metal ring  116 , insulator  118  and conductive metal ring  120 . While several of these components are described as “rings” that refers to what a user can view in the fully assembled form of audio adaptor  100 . In actuality, as can been seen more clearly in the section view of  FIG. 3 , plug  102  includes a center post that extends from both ends of plug  102 . 
         [0028]    All of the additional components that are used to construct plug  102  are placed and/or fabricated on post portion  122  of center post  108 . For example, during the assembly process, insulating ring  110  can be injection molded in place on post portion  122 . If the process were performed in that manner, ring  112  (and its prong) would be placed on post portion  122 , and then insulating ring portion  114  could be applied. The remaining sub-components can then be used to fabricate the complete plug. Alternatively, each of the “rings”, as well as center post portion  122  could be placed in an injection mold, and all of the insulating surfaces could be injection molded at one time. It should be noted that while the insulating rings are described as individual sub-components (i.e., insulating rings  110 ,  114  and  118 ), that is only how the “rings” would look to a user after the assembly is complete. All of the “insulating rings” can be formed at one time from one insulating material through, for example, an injection molding process, such that all of the “insulating rings” are, in actuality, a single subassembly. 
         [0029]    Once the sub-assembly is complete, each of the four contact portions of plug  102  (i.e., the conductive metal rings) has a corresponding prong portion that can be used to electrically connect plug  102  to jack  104 . For example, center post  108  has a prong as shown by reference numeral  132 , while conductive ring  112  has its prong at location  130 . Similarly, conductive ring  116  has its prong at location  128  and conductive ring  120  has its prong at location  126 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 4  shows an exploded, three dimensional, perspective view, schematic drawing of audio adaptor  100 . As stated above, audio adaptor  100  includes plug  102 , jack  104  and coupler  106 .  FIG. 4  also shows wires  140  and  142  that may be used to electrically connect prongs from plug  102  to prongs from jack  104 . In this instance, wires  140  and  142  would operate as coupling circuitry, along with an additional wire which is not shown. 
         [0031]    Wire  142  can be connected to prong  144  of jack  104  in such manner as to be physically and electrically connected, such as by soldering them together. Wire  140  can be connected in a similar manner to prong  146 , and the additional wire (not shown), can be connected to prong  148 . This can provide a way for each of the three contacts in jack  104  to have an electrical connection to plug  102 . 
         [0032]    It also may be advantageous to use metal tabs as conductors instead of wires. They can provide a number of benefits. For example, metal tabs can take up significantly less space than wires (all of the “connection circuitry” must fit within the interior of coupler  106 . In addition, that manufacturing process may be more efficient through the use of metal tabs instead of wires, because the tabs can be formed to substantially retain a specific orientation within audio adaptor  100  during the assembly process. It also may be advantageous to use a combination of tabs and wire, such as by connecting a tab to prong  144  and wires to prongs  146  and  148 . 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the assembly process for audio adaptor  100  would include prefabricating plug  102  and jack  104 , connecting wires or tabs to the prongs of each device and placing the sub-assembly in an injection mold so that coupler  106  can be injection molded into place to physically combine plug  102  and jack  104  into a single physical unit  100 . One advantage of this approach is that the connection circuitry, whether it be wires or metal tabs, would be encapsulated by the injection molded materials, which would help insure that the connections remain in place throughout the life of audio adaptor  104 . 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of audio adaptor  100  prior to the injection molding process (or other, similar process) that forms coupler  106 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , wire  142  is connected (both physically and electrically) to jack  104  via prong  144 . In addition, the other end of wire  142  is connected to prong  128  of plug  102 . Similarly, wire  140  is shown as being connected from prong  148  on jack  104  to prong  126  on plug  102 . Moreover, as described above, “wires”  140  and  142  may easily be replaced as metal tabs. 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  shows a three dimensional perspective view of fully-assembled plug  102 . As previously described, plug  102  includes various sub-components, such as conductive surfaces  108 ,  112 ,  116  and  120 , insulating surfaces  110 ,  114  and  118 , and four prongs  126 ,  128 ,  130  and  132 .  FIG. 6  shows plug  102  as it would exist prior to inclusion audio adaptor  100 , such that the conductive surfaces and the insulating surfaces all appear as rings. However, as previously described, the conductive surfaces all run along paths within plug  102  to the prongs. 
         [0036]      FIG. 7  shows a three dimensional perspective view of fully-assembled jack  104 . As previously described, jack  104  includes various sub-components, such as prongs  144 ,  146  and  148 , and insulated body portions  156  and  158 . The connection circuitry can be physically attached to the prongs located on jack  104  by, for example, soldering them in place. For additional reliability and performance, particularly if wires are used as the connection circuitry, the wires may be secured to holes  152  and  154 , as appropriate, to insure that good contact exists between the wire and the prong, as well as to improve the likelihood that the wires will remain in place throughout the operational life of audio adaptor  100 . 
         [0037]    In a practical example of the present invention, assume that a user wishes to use an Apple iPhone with the Ameriphone Q90D TTY device previously described. The iPhone has a 3.5 millimeter stereo jack, which includes 4 contact elements (left audio, right audio, microphone and ground). The Q90D has a 2.5 millimeter monaural jack (that complies with TSB-121, an industry standard). In order to use the two products together, the user needs a solution that addresses the physical differences between devices, as well as the different electrical configurations. The use of audio adaptor  100 , however, provides just that solution, by converting the dimensions of the cable from the Q90D to 3.5 millimeters, and by connecting only one of the audio contacts in the iPhone to the audio line on the Q90D. 
         [0038]    The present invention can also be used to provide a solution to the previously described “electrical mismatching” in situations where the plug and the jack are the same size. For example, while previous descriptions have indicated that audio adaptor  100  may include a 3.5 millimeter plug as plug  102  and a 2.5 millimeter jack as jack  104 , the principles of the present invention may also be applied to the circumstance where both the plug and jack are the same size but, for example, the plug is a stereo plug having four prongs, while the jack is a monaural jack having only three prongs. In that instance, an audio adaptor can be constructed using wires and/or metal tabs to couple a 3.5 millimeter stereo plug to a 3.5 millimeter monaural jack. 
         [0039]    Thus it is seen that methods and apparatus for connecting together two audio components that have different size connectors and/or a different configuration of electrical contacts between them are provided. It is understood that the apparatus and methods shown in the figures discussed above are merely illustrative and that these methods and apparatus may be modified, added or omitted. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention can be practiced by other than the described embodiments, which are presented for purposes of illustration rather than of limitation, and the invention is limited only by the claims which follow.