# US 2019/0356977 A1 · Enhanced digital headsets > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0356977 A1 - Document ID: US20190356977A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/980,059 - Filed: 2018-05-15 - Published: 2019-11-21 - Earliest claimed: 2018-05-15 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google LLC - Inventors: Leng Ooi; Changzhan Gu; Jae-won Hwang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190356977A1 ## CPC - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - H04R 1/1033: {Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels (cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06)} - H04R 2420/09: Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Methods, systems, and devices for enhanced digital headsets are disclosed. An enhanced USB-C headset includes a USB-C connector, a cable extending from the USB-C connector, an inline control box coupled to the USB-C connector through the cable, and a first earphone and a second earphone. The cable includes conductors for transmitting DC bus power, power return, and differential digital signals and extends at least one foot in length. The control box includes a single circuit board, with circuitry for managing digital communications, converting audio data, and providing output signals to drive analog speaker elements of the earphones. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Universal Serial Bus Type C (USB-C) headset comprising: a USB-C connector to receive direct current (DC) bus power and digital signals over a USB interface; a cable extending from the USB-C connector, the cable comprising a power conductor for transmitting DC bus power, a ground conductor for power return, and a differential signaling pair of conductors for transmitting digital signals, the cable having a length of one foot or more; an inline control box coupled to the USB-C connector through the cable, the inline control box comprising a single circuit board having associated circuitry mounted thereon that is powered by the DC bus power received over the USB interface, the cable being configured to space the inline control box apart from the USB-C connector with the length of the cable extending between the USB-C connector and the inline control box, wherein the associated circuitry comprises (i) USB interface circuitry configured to manage digital communication over the USB interface, (ii) decoding circuitry configured to convert digital audio data received over the differential signaling pair of conductors into stereo analog audio signals, and (iii) driver circuitry configured to provide at least two outputs to drive analog speaker elements based on the stereo audio signals; a first earphone and a second earphone, the earphones each coupled to the inline control box to respectively receive one of the outputs of the driver circuitry; wherein the control box includes an electromagnetic shielding element, the single circuit board and associated circuitry being housed within the electromagnetic shielding element. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, further comprising one or more physical controls accessible at the exterior of the inline control box, the one or more physical controls comprising at least one of a button, a slider, a dial, or a switch. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The USB-C headset of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of buttons accessible at the exterior of the inline control box, each of the plurality of buttons being communicatively coupled with the single circuit board to control operation of the USB-C headset. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The USB-C headset of claim 3, wherein the plurality of buttons are mounted to the single circuit board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, wherein the differential signaling pair of conductors is a first digital signaling pair of conductors, and the cable further comprises a second differential signaling pair of conductors, wherein the USB interface circuitry is configured to receive digital audio data through the first digital signaling pair of conductors and to transmit digital audio data through the second digital signaling pair of conductors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The USB-C headset of claim 5, wherein the inline control box comprises a microphone, and wherein the associated circuitry mounted on the single circuit board comprises encoding circuitry configured to encode audio signals generated by the microphone as digital audio data transmitted over the USB interface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, wherein the cable extends for at least at least two feet between the USB-C connector and the inline control box. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The USB-C headset of claim 7, wherein the earphones are each respectively connected to the inline control box by a respective cable that is at least 5 inches but not more than 18 inches long. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, wherein the cable comprises an electromagnetic shielding layer that extends along the length of the cable and extends around at least the digital signaling pair of conductors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The USB-C headset of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic shielding layer comprises a wire braid, and the electromagnetic shielding element is electrically connected with the wire braid. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic shielding element is a metal can or metal sheath around the single circuit board and the associated circuitry. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The USB-C headset of claim 1, wherein the single circuit board has a top layer, a bottom layer, and multiple intermediate layers located between the top layer and bottom layer, wherein the top layer and bottom layers are ground plane metal layers, and the electromagnetic shielding element is electrically connected to the ground plane metal layers. ### Claim 13 A Universal Serial Bus Type C (USB-C) headset comprising: a USB-C connector; a cable extending from the USB-C connector, the cable comprising a power conductor for transmitting DC bus power, a ground conductor for power return, and a differential signaling pair of conductors for transmitting digital signals; a control box coupled to the USB-C connector through the cable, the cable arranged to enable digital signals to be transmitted from the USB-C connector to the control box through the cable with the control box being spaced apart from the USB-C connector by one foot or more, the control box comprising a circuit board having associated circuitry mounted on the circuit board, wherein the associated circuitry comprises (i) a USB interface integrated circuit, (ii) a codec integrated circuit to convert digital audio data into analog audio signals, and (iii) at least one audio power amplifier, the circuit board and associated circuitry being electromagnetically shielded by one or more metal elements extending around the circuit board and associated circuitry; and earphones configured to receive outputs of the at least one audio power amplifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The USB-C headset of claim 13, further comprising one or more physical controls accessible at the exterior of the inline control box, the one or more physical controls comprising at least one of a button, a slider, a dial, or a switch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The USB-C headset of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of buttons accessible at the exterior of the inline control box, each of the plurality of buttons being communicatively coupled with the circuit board to control operation of the USB-C headset. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The USB-C headset of claim 15, wherein the plurality of buttons are mounted to the circuit board. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The USB-C headset of claim 13, wherein the differential signaling pair of conductors is a first digital signaling pair of conductors, and the cable further comprises a second differential signaling pair of conductors, wherein the USB interface integrated circuit is configured to receive digital audio data through the first digital signaling pair of conductors and to transmit digital audio data through the second digital signaling pair of conductors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The USB-C headset of claim 17, wherein the control box comprises a microphone, and wherein the associated circuitry mounted on the single circuit board comprises encoding circuitry configured to encode audio signals generated by the microphone as digital audio data transmitted over the USB interface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The USB-C headset of claim 13, wherein the cable extends for at least at least two feet between the USB-C connector and the control box; and wherein the earphones are each respectively connected to the control box by a respective cable that is at least 5 inches but not more than 18 inches long. ### Claim 20 A method comprising: receiving, at a USB-C connector of a headset, an input digital audio signal; transmitting the input digital audio signal from the USB-C connector to a control box along a cable permanently fixed between the USB-C connector and the control box, the cable being configured to space apart the USB-C connector from the control box by one foot or more; converting, at the control box, the digital audio signal into analog audio signals using decoding circuitry mounted on a circuit board in the control box, the control box comprising only a single circuit board; amplifying the analog audio signals using power amplifier circuitry mounted to the circuit board in the control box, the power amplifier circuitry being powered by USB bus power received through the USB-C connector; and providing the amplified analog audio signals to earphones of the headset.