Patent Publication Number: US-11653129-B2

Title: Multimodal audio broadcast assembly

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
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     INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM 
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     STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to broadcast assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new broadcast assembly for selectively enabling individual and group listening. The present invention discloses a broadcast assembly comprising a docking station, to which a speaker is engaged, and a pair of earbuds. Either the speaker or the earbuds can be paired with an electronic device for broadcasting an audio signal for group or individual enjoyment, respectively. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to broadcast assemblies. Related prior art broadcast assemblies may comprise headphones also employable as wireless speakers, wireless speakers, and earbud docking assemblies. What is lacking in the prior art is a broadcast assembly comprising a docking station, to which a speaker is engaged, and a pair of earbuds. Either the speaker or the earbuds can be paired with an electronic device for broadcasting an audio signal for group or individual enjoyment, respectively. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pair of earbuds and a docking station. Each earbud is configured to selectively engage a respective ear of a user so that the earbud is removably engaged to the respective ear. The earbuds are configured to receive wirelessly an audio signal from an electronic device and to broadcast the audio signal into the ears of the user. The docking station is configured to operationally engage the pair of earbuds so that the docking station is positioned to charge the pair of earbuds. The docking station also is configured to receive the audio signal from the electronic device. A dock speaker is engaged to the docking station and is positioned to selectively broadcast the audio signal. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG.  1    is an isometric perspective view of a multimodal audio broadcast assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is an isometric perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS.  1  through  6    thereof, a new broadcast assembly embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS.  1  through  6   , the multimodal audio broadcast assembly  10  generally comprises a pair of earbuds  12  and a docking station  24 . Each earbud  12  is configured to selectively engage a respective ear of a user so that the earbud  12  is removably engaged to the respective ear. The earbuds  12  are configured to receive wirelessly an audio signal from an electronic device (not shown, but including phones, tablets, portable media players, and the like) and to broadcast the audio signal into the ears of the user. 
     Each earbud  12  comprises a body  14 , which is configured to engage a respective ear of the user. A bud battery  16  and a bud receiver  18  are positioned in the body  14 . A bud speaker  20  is engaged to the body  14 . The bud receiver  18  and the bud speaker  20  are operationally engaged to the bud battery  16 . The bud receiver  18  is configured to receive the audio signal. The bud speaker  20  is configured to broadcast the audio signal into the respective ear of the user. A first connector  22  is engaged to the body  14  and is operationally engaged to the bud battery  16 . As will be apparent to those skilled in the art of earphones, a wide variety of configurations of earbuds  12  are known. 
     The docking station  24  is configured to operationally engage the pair of earbuds  12  so that the docking station  24  is positioned to charge the pair of earbuds  12 . The docking station  24  also is configured to receive the audio signal from the electronic device. A dock speaker  26  is engaged to the docking station  24  and is positioned to selectively broadcast the audio signal. 
     The docking station  24  comprises a housing  28 , which defines an interior space  30 . A dock battery  32 , a microprocessor  34 , and a dock receiver  36  are engaged to the housing  28  and are positioned in the interior space  30 . The microprocessor  34  is operationally engaged to the dock battery  32 , the dock receiver  36 , and the dock speaker  26 . The microprocessor  34  is positioned to selectively actuate the dock receiver  36 . The dock receiver  36  is configured to receive an audio signal from the electronic device, positioning the microprocessor  34  to actuate the dock speaker  26  to broadcast the audio signal. 
     A lid  38  is hingedly engaged to the housing  28  and is positioned to selectively cover an upper face  40  of the housing  28 . The dock speaker  26  is engaged to the housing  28  or to the lid  38 . A pair of first recesses  42  positioned in the upper face  40  of the housing  28 . Each first recess  42  is complementary to a respective earbud  12  so that the respective earbud  12  is at least partially insertable into the first recess  42  to removably engage the respective earbud  12  to the housing  28  and to operationally engage the earbud  12  to the dock battery  32  to charge the respective earbud  12 . A pair of second recesses  44  is positioned in the lid  38 , each second recess  44  is positioned for insertion of a portion  46  of a respective earbud  12  protruding from an associated first recess  42 . 
     A pair of second connectors  48  is engaged to the housing  28 . Each second connector  48  is operationally engaged to the dock battery  32  and is positioned in a respective first recess  42 . The second connector  48  is positioned to selectively engage a first connector  22  of a respective earbud  12  upon insertion of the respective earbud  12  into the respective first recess  42 . 
     The dock battery  32  is rechargeable via a port  50 , which is engaged to the housing  28  and operationally engaged to the dock battery  32 . The port  50  is configured to engage a plug of a charging cord (not shown) to charge the dock battery  32 . The present invention also anticipates the dock battery  32  being configured for wireless charging. A charge indicator  52  is engaged to the housing  28  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  34 . The microprocessor  34  is positioned to selectively actuate the charge indicator  52  to present a visual indication of a charge state of the dock battery  32 . 
     A switch  54  is engaged to the housing  28  and is operationally engaged to the dock battery  32  and the microprocessor  34 . The switch  54  is configured to be selectively switched to operationally engage the microprocessor  34  to the battery. The switch  54  may comprise a push-button  56 , as shown in  FIG.  2   , or other switching means, such as, but not limited to, toggles, slides, and the like. An indicator light  58  is engaged to the housing  28  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  34 . The microprocessor  34  is positioned to selectively actuate the indicator light  58  to indicate an operational state of the docking station  24 , for example, on or off. 
     A button  60 , which is depressible, is engaged to the housing  28  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  34 . The button  60  is configured to be selectively depressed to signal the microprocessor  34  to pair the dock receiver  36  with the electronic device. An indicating light  62  is engaged to the housing  28  and is operationally engaged to the microprocessor  34 . The microprocessor  34  is positioned to selectively actuate the indicating light  62  to indicate a pairing state of the dock receiver  36 , for example, illuminated for paired, blinking for active pairing, and off for unpaired. 
     In use, the earbuds  12  are removed from the docking station  24  and are positioned in the ears of the user. Upon pairing of the earbuds  12  with an electronic device, the user can listen individually to an audio broadcast. Should the user wish to share the audio broadcast with others, the earbuds  12  are replaced in the docking station  24 , which causes them to unpair with the electronic device. The user then pushes the button  60  so that the dock receiver  36  pairs with the electronic device and the audio signal is broadcast from the dock speaker  26 . 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.