Patent ID: 8666461

Claim:
A headset capable of wireless two-way audio communications comprising: a first manually-operable control serving as a power switch, wherein the first manually-operable control comprises a non-momentary switch operable to an on state and an off state; a second manually-operable control serving as a control to initiate audio communications between the headset and another wireless device; an acoustic driver; a microphone; a processing device; a wireless transceiver accessible to the processing device; and a storage accessible to the processing device and storing a sequence of instructions that when executed by the processing device, causes the processing device to: in response to the first manually-operable control being operated to the off state, place the headset in a lower power mode, wherein the wireless transceiver is disabled, all use of the microphone and the acoustic driver is disabled, the first manually-operable control is monitored for an instance of the first manually-operable control being operated to the on state, and the second manually operable control is not monitored; in response to the first manually-operable control being operated to the on state, place the headset in a higher power mode, wherein the wireless transceiver is enabled, use of the microphone and the acoustic driver is enabled, and the first and second manually-operable controls are monitored for an instance of either being operated for a predetermined period of time; in response to the predetermined period of time having elapsed during the higher power state without either of the first and second manually-operable controls being operated, place the headset in a partial power mode wherein the wireless transceiver is disabled, all use of the microphone and the acoustic driver are disabled, and the first and second manually-operable controls are monitored for an instance of either being operated; and in response to the second manually-operable control being operated during the partial power mode, place the headset in the higher power mode and initiate audio communications between the headset and another wireless device.