US 2012/0237046 A1Published application

Intercom headset connection and disconnection responses

AssigneeBose Corporation

InventorsPaul G. Yamkovoy, David D. Pape

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Abstract

A headset is able to be coupled via a cable to an intercom system, is able to be wirelessly coupled to a wireless device via a wireless transceiver of the headset, and is able to be connected to a wired device via another cable. A controller of the headset separately monitors the microphone conductors and audio conductors by which the headset may be coupled to the intercom system to detect whether or not one or both of a communications microphone and an acoustic driver of the headset are coupled to the intercom system, and monitors the operating state of the wireless transceiver to detect whether or not the wireless transceiver is inactive, on standby or in use; and selectively couples a system ground conductor to one of the microphone conductors, and selectively provides a local microphone bias voltage in response to what is observed through such monitoring.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of responding to coupling of a headset to an intercom system, the method comprising:

monitoring results of a first test of at least one audio conductor used to convey a signal representing audio to an acoustic driver of the headset to determine whether the at least one audio conductor is coupled to the intercom system;
monitoring results of a second test of at least one microphone conductor of a pair of microphone conductors used to convey signals representing audio detected by a communications microphone of the headset to determine whether the at least one microphone is coupled to the intercom system;
monitoring a wireless transceiver of the headset to determine whether the wireless transceiver is inactive, on standby in preparation to be used in two-way communications, or in use in two-way communications;
and
coupling a ground conductor associated with the at least one audio conductor to a microphone conductor of the pair of microphone conductors, and providing a microphone bias voltage across the pair of microphone conductors in response to the at least one microphone conductor not being coupled to the intercom system, and in response to the wireless transceiver being in use.

2 more elements

A headset comprising:

an acoustic driver to acoustically output audio to an ear of a user;
a communications microphone to detect speech sounds of the user;
a wireless transceiver to wirelessly couple the headset to a wireless device;
a cable assembly to couple the headset to an intercom system, the cable assembly comprising:
an audio conductor used to convey a signal representing audio to the acoustic driver;
a ground conductor associated with the audio conductor;
and
a pair of microphone conductors used to convey signals representing audio detected by the communications microphone;
a ground coupler to couple the ground conductor to one of the microphone conductors of the pair of microphone conductors in response to at least one microphone conductor of the pair of microphone conductors not being coupled to the intercom system, and in response to the wireless transceiver being in use;
and
a bias voltage supply to provide a microphone bias voltage across the pair of microphone conductors in response to the at least one microphone conductor not being coupled to the intercom system, and in response to the wireless transceiver being in use.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/488,781Filed 5 Jun 2012
Priority: 29 Apr 2009
Published: 20 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04R 5/04
Stereophonic arrangements: circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker…
H04R 5/033
Stereophonic arrangements: headphones for stereophonic communication
H04R 29/001
Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements: for loudspeakers
H04R 29/004
Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements: for microphones

Family

Application12/431,959Continuation · filed 29 Apr 2009
Application13/488,781Continuation
US 2010/0278348 A1Published application
US 8,222,641 B2Related patent
US 8,666,083 B2Related patent
US 2012/0237046 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.