Abstract:
An audio accessory for a headset. The accessory includes a first circuit for wirelessly receiving audio signals from a first external source of audio signals, a second circuit for mechanically coupling to a second external source of audio signals for receiving the audio signals from the second external source of audio signals, controlling circuitry for controlling the relative amplitude of audio signals from the first external source and the second external source transmitted to a playback device, a connector for detachably coupling to the playback device to transmit audio signals from the controlling circuitry to the playback device, and circuitry communicatingly coupling the controlling circuitry and the connector for transmitting audio signals from the controlling circuitry to the connector

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     This specification describes an audio accessory intended for use with a headphone or a headset to manage multiple sources of audio signals.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0002]     In one aspect of the invention, an audio accessory includes a first circuit for wirelessly receiving audio signals from a first external source of audio signals; a second circuit for mechanically coupling to a second external source of audio signals for receiving the audio signals from the second external source of audio signals; controlling circuitry for controlling the relative amplitude of audio signals from the first external source and the second external source transmitted to a playback device; a connector for detachably coupling to the playback device to transmit audio signals from the controlling circuitry to the playback device; and circuitry communicatingly coupling the controlling circuitry and the connector for transmitting audio signals from the controlling circuitry to the connector. The second circuit may be constructed and arranged to wirelessly receive audio signals. The connector may be constructed and arranged to mate with a headset. The first external audio signal source may be a cellular telephone and the audio accessory may further include a microphone for providing voice audio signals and circuitry constructed and arranged to transmit the voice audio signals from the microphone to the cellular telephone. The microphone may be a boom microphone includes a boom assembly and the circuitry may be constructed and arranged to transmit the voice audio signals from the microphone and the connector may include circuitry integrated into the boom assembly coupling the microphone and the connector. The connector may be constructed and arranged to mechanically and electrically couple the boom microphone to a headset. The audio accessory may be configured so that the boom microphone has a retracted position and an unretracted position. In the retracted position, the boom microphone may be configured as an omnidirectional microphone and in the unretracted position, the boom microphone may be configured as a bidirectional microphone. The controlling circuitry may include a switch to select audio signals from one of the first circuit and the second circuit, and the audio accessory may be configured so that moving the boom microphone from the retracted position to the unretracted position causes the switch to select the audio signals from the first circuit. The microphone may be a noise reducing microphone. The audio accessory may further include a cable constructed and arranged to transmit electrical power to at least one of the audio accessory, the first audio signal source and the second audio signal source. The controlling circuitry may include a switch for alternately selecting from the audio signals from the first audio signal source and audio signals from the second audio signal source for transmission to the connector. The audio accessory may further include a third circuit for receiving audio signals from a third audio signal source and the selecting circuitry may be constructed and arranged to alternatively select audio signals from the first external source, the second external source, and the third external source for transmission to the external playback device. The audio accessory may further include circuitry for pausing the operation of the external source generating the nonselected audio signals. The audio accessory may further include circuitry for communicating with a third external source of audio signals. The circuitry for communicating with a third external source of audio signals and the first circuit may share physical components. The communicatingly coupling circuitry may be an electrical cable. The audio accessory may further include circuitry for generating a side tone for transmission to the external playback device.  
         [0003]     In another aspect of the invention, the headset assembly, includes: a headset; a accessory device for providing audio signals to the headset through a single input jack of the headset, the accessory device includes receiving circuitry for receiving audio signals from a plurality of audio signal sources, the receiving circuitry includes circuitry for wirelessly receiving audio signals from a wireless transmitter, and controlling circuitry for controlling the relative amplitude of audio signals from the plurality of audio signal sources for transmission to the headset through the single input jack. The receiving circuitry for wirelessly receiving audio signals may be constructed and arranged to receive audio signals wirelessly transmitted from a cellular telephone. The headset may further include a microphone for transducing pressure waves to voice audio signal and the accessory device may be further constructed and arranged to transmit the voice audio signals from the microphone to the cellular telephone. The accessory device may further include a boom microphone, wherein a plug and the single input jack mechanically couple the accessory device to the headset. The accessory device may be further constructed and arranged to transmit electrical power from the headset to the receiving circuitry. The controlling circuitry may includes a switch for alternatively selecting audio signals from one of the plurality of audio signal sources and another of the plurality of audio signal sources for transmission to the headset through the single input jack. The accessory device may further include circuitry for pausing the operation of the source of the nonselected audio signals.  
         [0004]     In another aspect of the invention, a method for operating a personal audio system, includes wirelessly receiving first audio signals from a first audio signal source; receiving second audio signals from a second audio signal source; controlling the relative amplitude of the first audio signals and the second audio signals for transmission to a playback device to provide amplitude controlled first audio signals and second audio signals; and transmitting the amplitude controlled first and second audio signals through a single cable to the playback device. The receiving the second audio signals may include wirelessly receiving the second audio signals. The first audio signal source may include a cellular telephone, and the method may further include transducing pressure waves to voice audio signals and transmitting the voice audio signals to the cellular telephone. Transmitting the voice audio signals may include transmitting the voice audio signals through the single plug, jack, and cable. The method may further include providing electrical power from the playback device to at least one of circuitry for receiving the first audio signals, circuitry for receiving the second audio signals, and circuitry for controlling the relative amplitude of the first audio signals and the second audio signals. The controlling may include alternatively selecting audio signals from one of the first audio signal source and the second audio signal source for transmission to the playback device. The method may further include pausing the audio signal source providing the nonselected signals. The method may further include providing a side tone to the playback device.  
         [0005]     In another aspect of the invention, a headset includes a headset; a accessory device for providing audio signals to the headset through a single input jack of the headset. The accessory device includes receiving circuitry for receiving audio signals from a plurality of audio signal sources. The receiving circuitry includes circuitry for wirelessly receiving audio signals from a wireless transmitter; a switch for selecting one of receiving audio signals from the wireless transmitter and not receiving audio signals from the wireless transmitter. The headset includes a boom microphone having a first position near a user&#39;s mouth and a second position not near a user&#39;s mouth. The headset assembly is configured so that moving the boom microphone from the second position to the first position causes the switch to select receiving audio signals from the wireless transmitter. The first position may be an unretracted position and the second position may be a retracted position.  
         [0006]     In another aspect of the invention, a headset includes a boom microphone having a first position near a user&#39;s mouth and a second position not near a user&#39;s mouth. The boom microphone may be configured as a bidirectional microphone in the first position and an omnidirectional microphone in the second position. The first position may be an unretracted position and the second position may be a retracted position.  
         [0007]     In yet another aspect of the invention, an accessory for use with a headset, includes a boom microphone having a first position near a user&#39;s mouth and a second position not near a user&#39;s mouth and further includes a connector, for connecting the boom microphone to a device includes two selectable sources of audio signals. The boom microphone may be constructed and arranged to select one of the audio sources in the first position and the other of the audio sources in the second position. The boom microphone may be constructed and arranged to non-exclusively select one of the audio signal sources in the first position and exclusively select the other of the audio signal sources in the second position. The first position may be an unretracted position and the second position may be a retracted position.  
         [0008]     Other features, objects, and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, when read in connection with the following drawing, in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0009]      FIGS. 1A-1D  are diagrammatic views of an audio accessory device;  
         [0010]      FIGS. 2A-2D  are diagrammatic views of a personal audio system including the accessory device of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ;  
         [0011]      FIGS. 3A-3D  are diagrammatic views of an audio accessory device;  
         [0012]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrammatic views of an expanded personal audio system; and  
         [0013]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  are diagrammatic views of a headset. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     Though the elements of several views of the drawing may be shown and described as discrete elements in a block diagram and may be referred to as “circuitry”, unless otherwise indicated, the elements may be implemented as one of, or a combination of, analog circuitry, digital circuitry, or one or more microprocessors executing software instructions. The software instructions may include digital signal processing (DSP) instructions. Unless otherwise indicated, signal lines may be implemented as discrete analog or digital signal lines, as a single discrete digital signal line with appropriate signal processing to process separate streams of audio signals, or as elements of a wireless communication system. Unless otherwise indicated, audio signals may be encoded in either digital or analog form. In this specification, an “earphone” refers to a device to fit in, on, or around an ear, typically including structure for sealing in, to, or around the ear, and including an acoustic driver to radiate acoustic energy into an earphone cavity. According to industry usage, the term “headphone” is frequently used to refer to a device including two earphones typically connected by a headband, but not including a microphone and the term “headset” refers to a device having a microphone either connected to it or as an integral part of it. Because the devices described in this specification are designed to be used with a headset or be used with a headphone to form a headset, the term “headset” is used throughout. In the several views of the drawing, some elements, such as accessory device  10 , module  18 , and others have different configurations in some of the views. The same reference numeral will be used throughout the specification, and the differences between the elements in the several views will be noted in the specification.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 1A-1D  show an audio accessory device intended to be used with a headset to form elements of a personal audio system. In  FIG. 1A , an accessory device  10  includes a module  18 , coupled to playback device detachable connector element  14  by cable portion  12 A and coupled to audio signal source detachable connector element  16  by cable portion  12 B. Module  18  includes wireless communication circuitry  20  and switch  22 , which alternatively couples wireless communication circuitry  20  and audio signal source detachable connector element  16  to playback device detachable connector element  14 . Wireless communication circuitry  20  may include a microphone  24 , antenna  26 , and processing circuitry  28 , which may include radio circuitry and signal processing circuitry. In  FIG. 1B , cable portion  12 B and audio signal source detachable connector element  16  of  FIG. 1A  are replaced by wireless communication circuitry  20 ′. In  FIG. 1C , the microphone  24  is absent so that accessory device  10  has no microphone. In devices using the configuration of  FIG. 1C , there may be a microphone as a part of another component of a personal audio system, as will be described below. In the implementation of  FIG. 1D , switch  22  is replaced by circuitry including amplifier  48  coupled to audio signal source detachable connector element  16  and to summer  52 , which is coupled to playback device detachable connector element  14 . Amplifier  48  may also be coupled to processing circuitry  28 . The audio accessory device may include other amplifiers, which are not shown.  
         [0016]      FIGS. 2A-2C  show one of the accessory devices  10  of  FIGS. 1A and 1C  as a component of various configurations of a personal audio system, illustrating how the accessory device functions. In  FIG. 2A , playback device detachable connector element  14  (not shown in this view) is detachably mated with an input jack of headset  32 . Wireless communication circuitry  20  is constructed and arranged to communicate wirelessly with cellular telephone  30 . Audio signal source detachable connector element  16  (not shown in this view) is detachably mated with an output jack of audio signal source  34 . Optional control line  29  may couple processing circuitry  28  and audio signal source  34 .  FIG. 2B  shows the microphoneless accessory device  10  of  FIG. 1C  mated with the input jack of a headset  32  equipped with a microphone, such as a boom microphone  44 . In the configuration of  FIG. 2B , detachable connector element  14  (not identified in this view) and cable portion  12 A are configured to transmit the audio signal from the boom microphone  44  to wireless communication circuitry  20 . In the implementation of  FIG. 2C , boom microphone  44  is a component of accessory device  10 . Playback device detachable connector element  14  may couple, electrically and mechanically, boom microphone  44  and module  18  to headset  32  via a jack in headset  32 .  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 2D , the operation of the accessory device will be described using the configuration of  FIG. 2A , it being understood that the configuration of  FIGS. 2B and 2C  may function in a similar manner. In normal operation, accessory device  10  transmits to headset  32  audio signals from external audio signal source  34  as shown in  FIG. 2A . If an audio signal transmission is received by wireless communication circuitry  20  from an external audio signal source such as cellular phone  30  (as indicated by wireless transmission symbols  31  and remote wireless transmission device  33  of  FIG. 2D ), the position of switch  22  is changed, as shown in  FIG. 2D , so that signals from wireless communication circuitry  20  are transmitted to headset  32 , causing microphone  24  and headset  32  to act as components of a “hands free” cellular telephone system. Prior to the changing of the position of switch  22 , the accessory device may transmit a control signal over optional control line  29  to the audio signal source  34  to pause the transmission of audio signals from audio signal source  34  to headset  32 . When the communication from cellular telephone  30  to wireless communication circuitry is terminated, the position of switch may change so that audio signals may resume being transmitted from audio signal source  34  to headset  32 . If necessary, a control signal may be transmitted to audio signal source  34  over optional control line  29  to unpause the transmission of audio signals from audio signal source  34  to headset  32  so that the musical piece that the user was listening to resumes from the same point in the musical piece as it was prior to the pause. If cellular telephone  30  does not generate a side tone, wireless communication circuitry  20  may be constructed and arranged to generate the side tone. A side tone is an audio signal proportional to the microphone signal that is transmitted to the headset  32  to allow the user to hear through the headset  32 , what the user says. A side tone is especially desirable if the headset  32  is a high performance passive or active noise reduction headset. In a high performance noise reduction headset, the attenuation of the user&#39;s own voice may result in the user not being able to hear him/her self well, which seems unnatural or uncomfortable. If the side tone is not provided locally (for example if the side tone is provided by transmitting from microphone  24  to cellular telephone  30 , from cellular telephone  30  to processing circuitry  28  to headset  32  using a compressed wireless link), the delay may be annoying. If a side tone is generated it is desirable for microphone  24  to be a noise reducing microphone (for example a bi-directional microphone located in close proximity to the mouth) so that the side tone does not include ambient noise that the noise reducing headset is designed to attenuate. If the implementations of  FIGS. 2A-2D  are implemented with the accessory device of  FIG. 1D , a user of headset  32  could hear both sound transmitted through wireless communication circuitry  20  and sound corresponding to audio signals from audio signal source  34 , as indicated by the mixing of the audio signals at summer  52  of  FIG. 1D . Optionally, a person conversing with the headset user over the wireless communication circuitry  20  could hear both sound from the headset user and sound corresponding to signals from audio signal source  34 . The gain G of amplifier  48  of  FIG. 1D  can be controllable to permit the user of the headset to control the relative amount of sound from the wireless communication circuitry and sound from the audio signal source  34  and optionally to control the relative amount of sound from the microphone  24  and the sound from the audio signal source  34  as indicated by signal line  35 . If the gain G of amplifier  48  of  FIG. 1D  is zero when there is transmission from wireless communications circuitry  20  and unity when there is no transmission from wireless communications circuitry  20 , an audio accessory device of  FIG. 1D  functions equivalently to the audio accessory device of  FIG. 1A . In another alternative, the function of switch  22  could be implemented as muting circuitry that, in the event of transmission from wireless communications circuitry  20 , mutes the input from audio signal source  34 .  
         [0018]     In one embodiment, cable portions  12 A and  12 B may be conventional stereo audio cable. Playback device detachable connector element  14  and audio signal source detachable connector element  16  may be a plug constructed and arranged to mate with a 3.5 mm stereo jack to detachably couple the accessory device  10  to playback device such as headset  32  or to an external music source  34 , respectively. Module  18  may be implemented as a so-called “dongle” between cable portions  12 A and  12 B. Antenna  26  and processing circuitry  28  may be conventional elements associated with wireless “hands free” devices for cell phone systems. Cell phone  30  may be a conventional cell phone adapted to transmit wirelessly according to voice bandwidth hands-free profile (HFP) or the headset profile (HSP) of the Bluetooth wireless communications standard defined by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), available at URL address www.bluetooth.org. For purposes of explanation, switch  22  is shown as a two position switch. In some implementations, switch  22  may be implemented as a suitably programmed digital signal processing (DSP) device so that, for example, control signals can be communicated between processing circuitry  20  and audio signal device  34  as discussed in the description of the function of control line  29 , so that control line  29  can be integrated into cable portion  12 B, and so that the implementations of  FIGS. 1A-1C  can be implemented with the same components as the implementation of  FIG. 1D . In other implementations, switch  22  may be implemented as a manually or electronically controllable analog switch. Audio signal source  34  may be an MP3 player, such as an iPod® mobile digital device manufactured by Apple Corporation of Cupertino, Calif., or a CD player, or a jack of an audio system of an airplane, or others. Headset  32  may be one of a wide variety of devices, such as a single earbud “hands free” cell phone headset; an interaural, circumaural, or supra-aural stereo passive or active noise reduction headset; or a communications headset; or the like.  
         [0019]      FIGS. 3A-3D  show the accessory device  10  of  FIG. 1A  with an additional feature. The device of  FIG. 3A  has the components of  FIG. 1A , and in addition has a power cable  36 , with suitable connectors, such as detachable connector elements  38  and  40  at the two ends. In operation, detachable connector element  38  may be inserted into a power input/output jack of audio signal source  34  and detachable connector element  40  may be inserted into a power output/input of headset  32 . The accessory device of  FIG. 3A  permits headset  32  to supply power to audio signal source  34  or permits audio signal source  34  to supply power to headset  32  and permits audio signal source  34  (of  FIGS. 2A-2D ) or headset  32  (of  FIGS. 2A-2D ) to supply power for the electronic components of the audio accessory device  10 . If audio signal source  34  and headset  32  each have their own power source, the electronic components of the audio accessory device  10  may be powered by the headset  32 , as shown in  FIG. 3B , or may be powered by the audio signal source  34 , as shown in  FIG. 3C . For clarity of explanation, detachable connector elements  14 ,  16 ,  38 , and  40  are shown as separate elements. In an actual implementation, detachable connector elements  14  and  40  and detachable connector elements  16  and  38  can be combined in a single plug. Power from the headset and audio source can be managed using the devices and techniques described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/191,873. Power cable  36  may be physically integrated with cable portions  12 A and  12 B. Alternatively, the audio accessory may be powered by an internal battery  42 , as shown in  FIG. 3D . The configurations of  FIGS. 3A-3D  can also be implemented with the microphoneless wireless communication circuitry  20 C of  FIG. 1C  or  1 C.  
         [0020]     An accessory device  10  according to  FIGS. 1-3  is advantageous over conventional auxiliary input devices because it requires a headset with only one input jack; because it can be adapted to be used with any headset with an input jack; because it allows the user great flexibility in the selection of a cellular telephone component, an audio signal source component, and a headset component of a personal audio system; and because it can be used with a headset that does not contain wireless communications circuitry or circuitry to select between audio signal sources. An accessory device that generates a side tone avoids the unnatural and uncomfortable sensation that may occur when the active or passive noise reduction attenuates the user&#39;s own voice and avoids the delay that may result from the transmission of voice signals over a compressed wireless link such as a Bluetooth link.  
         [0021]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , there is shown an expanded personal audio system. The systems of  FIGS. 4A and 4B  have the elements of  FIG. 2B  and in addition circuitry for communicating with a third source of audio signals.  FIG. 4A  includes, for example second wireless communication circuitry  20 ′, which could be for communicating in a wireless intercom network separate from the cell phone network.  FIG. 4B  includes an additional cable  12 C and detachable connector element  16  (not shown in this view) for electrically and mechanically connecting with an external device  46 , which could be, for example, a wired local communications system in a building, ship or airliner. The expansion to accommodate the third source of audio signals can be easily done by modification to circuitry in the module  18  such as the switch  22  and does not require redesign of the physical circuitry or the structure of the headset (such as adding additional input jacks). For explanatory purposes, second wireless communications circuitry  20 ′ is shown as distinct from wireless communications circuitry  20 . In an actual implementation, wireless communications circuitry  20  and second wireless communications circuitry  20 ′ may share physical components, such as antenna  26 . In some implementations, second wireless communications circuitry  20  may be implemented as DSP instructions operating on wireless communications circuitry  20 .  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , there is shown an additional optional feature of the audio device. A headset  32  is mechanically coupled to microphone  44  by a boom  54 . The microphone may be a bidirectional microphone with two opposed ports  56  and  58 . In  FIG. 5A , boom  54  is positioned so that the microphone is near the user&#39;s mouth, for example within 4 cm of the corner of the mouth. In  FIG. 5B , boom  54  is positioned so that microphone  44  is not near the user&#39;s mouth, for example more than 5 cm from the corner of the mouth. Microphone  44  may be configured so that in the position of  FIG. 5B  with the microphone not near the user&#39;s mouth, one of the ports  58  is covered so that microphone  44  is an omnidirectional microphone.  
         [0023]     Providing the two positions for the boom microphone can be done in a number of ways, for example by hinging the boom or by making boom  54  to be retractable. Boom  54  can be made retractable in a number of ways. For example, it can be made to retract into earphone  60 , into an accessory boom mounting structure attached to earphone  60 , and it can include telescoping sections. In the discussion following, the position near the user&#39;s mouth and the position not near the user&#39;s mouth are done by making the boom retractable. The features discussed below can also be done by, for example, hinging the boom.  
         [0024]     The retraction mechanism can be integrated with circuitry constructed and arranged so that the act of moving the microphone from the position of  FIG. 5B  to the position of  FIG. 5A  causes wireless communications circuitry  20  to answer a call from cellular telephone  30 . The boom microphone can be used in a similar manner with audio signal source equipped cell phones that store audio signals in some format (such as the MP3 format) and which also function as cell phones. The circuitry may be constructed and arranged so that the act of moving the microphone from the unretracted position of  FIG. 5A  to the retracted position of  FIG. 5B  the circuitry disconnects from a cell phone call or causes the audio source equipped cell phone to act exclusively as an audio signal source or both. The act of moving the microphone from the retracted position of  FIG. 5B  to the unretracted position of  FIG. 5A  answers a cell phone call and/or pauses the transmission from the audio source, and causes the audio source equipped cell phone to operate as a cell phone, with the boom microphone providing voice input to the cell phone. In this configuration, the audio signal source equipped cell phone operates either exclusively as a cell phone, or operates as a cell phone in combination with operating as an audio signal source so that the user can hear both transmissions from the cell phone and music corresponding to the audio signals on the audio signal source. The boom microphone may also be configured so that in the retracted position, one of the ports  58  of  FIG. 5A  of the bi-directional microphone may be covered, as shown in  FIG. 5B  so that the microphone is an omnidirectional microphone. In the position of  FIG. 5A , the microphone can be used in high noise environments to produce a good speech-to-noise ratio and in the position of  FIG. 5B , the microphone can be in a less conspicuous, less distracting, location relative to the user when being used in a low noise environment.  
         [0025]     Numerous uses of and departures from the specific apparatus and techniques disclosed herein may be made without departing from the inventive concepts. Consequently, the invention is to be construed as embracing each and every novel feature and novel combination of features disclosed herein and limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims.