GB2518008A

GB2518008A - Wireless Headset

Info

Publication number: GB2518008A
Application number: GB1316109.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Carl Thomas
Original assignee: AUDIOWINGS Ltd
Current assignee: AUDIOWINGS Ltd
Priority date: 2013-09-10
Filing date: 2013-09-10
Publication date: 2015-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 2033-09-10
Also published as: GB2518008B; GB201316109D0; WO2015036458A1

Abstract

A wireless headset 30 is disclosed. The headset comprises a least one speaker 33,34, a touch pad 32 for tracking motion of a finger sliding thereon and a controller 31 configured to acquire motion information from the touch pad, to identify a gesture from the motion information and to provide audio feedback via the speaker(s) which depends on the gesture. The headset may be used to download or stream audio content from a content server (9) via a wireless router (4, fig.1) or to establish a short range wireless connection (eg Bluetooth RTM) with a mobile device (13) such as a mobile phone or media player. The headset may include positioning and authentication functionality for use in conjunction with a data management server (8) that hosts user data (6) and acts as a hub for audio content (7) on the content server.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Applicacion Nc,. (lB 1316109.6 RTM Dace:20 Fchruary 2014 The following term is a registered trade mark and shouki he read as such wherever it occurs in this document: Spotify Inlelleclual Property Office is an operaling name of the Pateni Office www.ipo.gov.uk Wireless headset

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to a wireless headset.

Background

Headphones (which may a'so be referred to as "headsets") are well k]low]1.

Headsets can be used to play or stream audio content from playback device, such as a portable media player, or a mobile communication device, such as a smart phone.

Headsets generafly can be divided into two groups, ]iamdy wire and wireless headsets.

EP 2362 619 Al describes a mobile communication device connected by wire to a i headset. The headset is provided with an inline bufton controller which can be used to contr& playback of audio.

WO 2009/126614 Al describes a headset which can be tethered to a device wirelessly.

The device can connect wirelessly to a website or, through a wireless network adapter, an MP3 player or laptop. In this type of device, control is performed using the website or the tethered device.

Siuninaiy According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a wireless headset (or "headphones") comprising a speaker, a touch pad for tracking motion of a finger shding thereon and a controller. The controller is configured to acquire motion information from the touch pad, to identit a gesture from the motion information and to provide audio feedback via the speaker which depends on the gesture.

Thus, the user can play audio content (which may be locally stored or being streamed) using the headset and control the headset without the need for a tethered device, such as a smart phone or other form of mobile terminaL The wireless headset may comprise ear-filling headphones (or "earbuds"), on-ear headphones (which may be referred to as "supra-aural headphones") or over-the-ear headphones (which may be referred to as "circumaural headphones").

The wireless headset maybe pthced over the crown of the head. The wireless headset may be p'aced around the neck (sometimes referred to as a "neckband wearing sty'e" headphone).

The wireless headset may be display-less.

The controller may be configured, in response to receiving a predetermined gesture, to allow further operation of the headset (i.e. "unlock" the headset).

The audio feedback may comprise a voice signal. The voice signal may confirm the command or action, such as, for example, "Switching to Radio Station ABC", "Skipping to next track" and so on.

The wireless headset may further comprise another speaker, i.e. for stereo playback.

The controfler may be configured to provide the audio feedback via one speaker or both of the speakers.

The wireless headset may comprise a multi-part body which houses the speaker, the touch pad and the controller. The speaker may be housed in a part which is releasably attached to the rest of the body.

The wireless headset may comprise first and second main body portions, a connecting portion arranged to connect the first and second body portions, and first and second detachabk headphone portions, releasahly attached to the first and second main body portions.

The controller may be configured to stream audio content from a remote server.

When the wireless headset receives audio content, it can receive the audio content without the need for a mobile communication device or portable media player. Thus, io the wireless headset can receive audio content "directly" from the remote server, via network infrastructure. However, the wirdess headset and a mobile communication device or portable media play can be paired and exchange audio content.

The wireless headset may comprise further storage, for example, in the form of flash memory. The controfler may be configured to download and store the audio content in the storage.

The wireless headset may comprise a wireless communications network interface, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) module. The controller may be configured to communicate, via a wireless communications network, with a remote server. The controller may be configured to cooperate with the remote server to authenticate the headset. The controller may be configured to retrieve content from the remote server or another remote server only when the headset is authenticated. The controller may perform authentication in response to the headset being unlock and/or in response to user instruction.

The wireless headset may further comprise a positioning device, such as a Global Positioning System receiver, for determining position of the headset. The wireless headset may comprise a wireless communications network interface, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN) module. The controller may be configured to transmit, via the wireless communications network, the position of the device to the remote server.

The wirdess headset may further comprise a short-range wirdess communications network interface, such as Near Field Communication (NFC) module or Bluetooth module. The controller may be configured to communicate, via the short-range wireless communications network, with a mobile terminal, such as a smart phone.

The controller may be configured to transmit data relating to audio content to the mobile terminal. The controfler may be configured to transmit and/or receive audio content to and/or from the mobile terminaL The touch pad may be a two-dimensional sensor. The touch pad maybe a one-dimensional sensor (or "touch slider"). The touch pad may be a touch switch.

The touch pad may be a capacitive touch pad. The touch pad may be a resistive touch io pad.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a system comprising a wireless headset and a remote server configured to provide content to the wireless headset.

The remote server maybe configured to authenticate the wir&ess headset and to provide the content to the wireless headset in response to successful authentication.

The remote server may be a first remote server and the system may further comprise a second, different remote server which serves the content. The second remote server may transmit the content to the first server and the first server may transmit the content to the wireless headset.

The second server may encrypt the content using a first encryption process. The first server may encrypt the content using a second encryption process.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method comprising acquiring motion information from a touch pad, identifying a gesture from the motion informatioi and providing audio feedback via a speaker which depends on the gesture.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a computer readable medium storing thereon the computer program.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Certain embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of an audio system which includes a wireless headset and a server providing audio content; Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wireless headset; Figure 3 is a schematic block diagram of a wireless headset including a controller; Figure 4 is a schematic block diagram of the software components implemented by the controller shown in Figure 3; io Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of a headset retrieving audio content from a database server; Figure 6 is a perspective view of a user controlling a headset via a touch pad; and Figure 7 is process flow diagram of a method of controlling the headset in response to user gesture.

Detailed Description of Certain Embodiments

Referring to Figure 1, an audio system 1 is shown which comprises a wireless headset 2 (which may also be referred to as "wireless headphones") that can establish a wireless connection 3, for example using lEE 802.11 protocols, with a wireless router 4 so as to be connected to a network j, such as the Internet.

The wireless headset 2 can download or stream audio content 6, 7, such as music, from servers 8, 9 serving content from respective databases 10, 11 via the networks. A first server 8 is a data management server that processes and hosts user data 6. The second server 9 is a third-party content server. The data management server 8 acts as a hub for third-party audio content 7.

The wireless headset 2 can be used with a peer-to-peer music streaming service, such as Spoti'. For example, thc second server 9 maybe a central server, such as that described in US 2009/0019174 Al (which is incorporated herein by reference).

The wirdess headset 2 can a'so establish a short-range wireless connection 2, for example Bluetooth protocol, with a mobile device 13, such as a portable media player or mobile communications device, such as a smart phone. As will be explained in more detail later, although the wireless headset 2 can be paired with a mobile device 13 and can exchange audio content, the mobile device 13 is not necessarily required to obtain the audio content 6, 7 from the servers 8, 9.

Referring to Figure 2, the wireless headset 2 is shown in more detail.

The headset 2 comprises first and second main body portions 21, 22 intended to sit on either side of a user's head (not shown), a connecting portion 23 which is arranged to connect (structurally and electronically) the first and second body portions 21, 22 and first and second detachable headphone portions 24, 25. The headphone portions 24, 25 are provided with inwardly-directed earpieces 26, 27 for sitting in the user's ears.

One or both of the body portions 21, 22 can be detached from the connecting portion 23, for example, to allow a body portion 21, 22 to be connected to a power supply (not shown) for recharging.

The body portions 21, 22 may include respective permanent magnets (not shown) which aflow the body portions 21, 22 to be rdeasably fastened together. This enahies the headset 2 to form a loop which can be attached around the user's neck or wrist when the headset 2 is not in use.

As shown in Figure 2, the main body portions 21, 22 are generally cylindrical in shape.

The main body portions 21, 22 house most of the headset's circuitry 30 (Figure 3), such as controller 31 (Figure 3). An outwardly facing surface 28 of the body portion 21 provides a surface for a touch pad 32 (Figure 3).

The headphone portions 24, 25 house speaker drivers (or "speakers") 33, 34 (Figure 3).

The headphone portions 24, 25 are releasably connected to the first and second main body portions 21, 22 using respective pairs ofjack phig and jack socket (not shown).

This can allow different earphones 26, 27to be used in different environments.

Referring to Figure 3, headset circuitry 30 includes a controller 31, a touch pad 32 for capturing user gestures which can be used to control the headset, speakers 33,34, a microphone 35 for voice input, (volatile) memory 36 and storage 37, for example, in the form of (non-volatile) flash memory.

The touch pad 32 takes the fonn of a two-dimensional sensor (sometimes referred to as an "x-y touch pad"). The touch pad 32 is able to sense proximity of a user's finger, for example, capacitively. The touch pad 32 is not provided as part of a touch panel disp'ay, i.e. the touch pad is a display-less touch pad 32. The headset 2 need not be provided with any display or screen. Headset 2 may include simple indicators, such as, for example, light-emitting diode(s) for indicating headset operation, content access, device paring and/or other similar functions.

The headset circuitry 30 includes a set of wireless interfaces 38. For example, the wirdess interfaces 38 can include a Near Field Communication (NFC) module 39, a WiTh (i.e. IEEE 802.11) module 4° and a Bluetooth (e.g. Bhietooth v4) module 41.

Optionally, the wireless interfaces 38 can include a mobile network module 42. Each module 39, 40, 41, 42 is provided with a respective antenna 43, 44, 45, 46.

The wireless interfaces 38 can be used for one or more purposes.

An interface 38 can be used to establish a connection 12 (Figure i) with a mobile device 13 (Figure i) and allow transmission of audio and/or data signals between the headset 2 and the device 13 (Figure i).

An interface 38 can be used to establish a connection with the data management server 8, via a wireless router 4, to allow transmission of audio content and/or data signals between the headset 2 and the data management server 8.

The controller 31 and other circuits are powered by a rechargeable battery 47 via a power manager 48.

Optionally, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver 49 and antenna 50 may be provided.

Referring to Figure 4, headset system architecture 61 is shown. The system includes application software 62, kernel 63 and hardware 64. The apphcation software 62 inchides a p'urality of executable modules 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72.

The application software 62 includes a security module 65 which implements security policies for both user access to the headset and headphone access to the data management server 8 (Figure i). The application software 62 includes a user interface modules 66 which includes a local user interface module 67 which handles local user interactions and generates feedback tones and audio prompts for the local user, and a remote user interface module 68 which handles remote user interactions. The application software 62 also includes an audio output module 69 which provides playback of audio content and prompts, a data management server access module 70 which handles interactions with the data management server 8 (Figure i), a status and statistics module 71 which collects, stores and prepares upload, status and statistical information, and generates user alerts, and a database management module 72 which Jo manages data, such as audio content data and other non-audio content data (for example, play lists, preferences etc.) held in storage 37 (Figure 3).

The headset 2 can be used as a portable media player to playback audio content 7 (Figure i), e.g. music, downloaded from the content server 9 (Figure i), and/or to stream Bye audio content 7 (Figure i) from the content server 9 (Figure i).

The audio content 7 (Figure i) need not be downloaded first to a mobile device 13 (Figure i) and then transferred to the headset 2. Thus, the headset 2 can be used independently.

Figure 5 illustrates communication between the content server 9 and the headset 2 which employs encryption.

Referring to Figures 1, 2,3,4 and 5, when a user starts to use the headset 2, for example, for the first time after the headset 2 is switched on or after a period of inactivity, the user is required to unlock the headset 2 to permit further use. As will be explained in more detail later, unlocking the headset 2 involves using a predetermined gesture or code.

A security module 81 in the database management server 8 sends an authentication request (not shown) to the headset 2. The headset 2 returns an authentication token 82.

If the token 82 is valid, then the headset 2 is authenticated and the user is free to download and/or stream content 7 via the database management server 8. If the token 82 is not validated by the security module 81 in the database management server 8, then an error message (not shown) or error message identifier (not shown) is -10-transmitted to the headset 2. The audio output module 69 outputs an audible error message. The user maybe asked to input a predetermined security gesture using the touch pad 32 to re-authenticate the headset 2.

The user may identify content 7 held by the content database ii which he or she wishes to consume. The user instructs the headset 2 to send a request 83 to download or stream the content 7 to the database management server 8. The request 83 includes a content identifier to identify specific content, such as a music track, or a source of content, such as radio station. I0

The database management server 8 passes a request 84 (which maybe a copy of the request 83) to the content server 9.

The content server 9 retrieves the content 7. A security module 85 in the content server is 9 encrypts the content 7 with a first key and transmits the encrypted content 7 to the database management server 8.

The security module 81 in the database management server 8 encrypts the content with a second key and transmits the doubly-encrypted content to the headset 2 via network 5 In the headset 2, the security module 65 decrypts the content 7 and passes the decrypted content to the audio output module 69 for playback by the speakers 33, 34.

Figure 6 illustrates user control of the headset 2 (Figure 2) using gestures, such as tap, double tap, single forward swipe, and so on.

Referring to Figures 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7, a method of controlling the headset 2 using gestures will now be described in more detail.

o The controfler 31 repeateffly polls the touch pad 32 to identify any user input (steps Si & S2). If the user has touched the touch pad 32, the controller 32 identifies the gesture (step S3). The controfler 32 determines whether the gesture corresponds to one of a fixed number of gestures (step S4).

s If the controller 31 identifies the gesture, then it retrieves message data, for example data for speech synthesis, from storage 37 (step Sn). The controller 31 outputs a -11 -message, for example to a voice synthesiser, which is output as an audible message via one or both speakers 33, 34 (step S6). The controller 31 executes the command (step S7).

The controller 31 may request that the user confirm the action, wait for a gesture to confirm the action and, in response to receiving confirmation within a given period of time, execute the command.

If the controller 31 does not identify the gesture or it identifies the gesture by the io command is invalid, then it retrieves an error message data from storage 37 (step SB) and outputs the message via speaker(s) 33,34 (step 59).

The process is ongoing until, for example, the headset 2 is switched off (step Sm).

As expthined earlier, when the user first uses the headset 2 or when they wish to reset the security settings, a user can set a security gesture which can be used permit further operation of the headset 2. The gesture is input using touch pad 32 and is encoded into a gesture descriptor (not shown). The gesture descriptor is transmitted to the security module Si and is stored for subsequent verification of user identity.

Once the user has set the security gesture, the security gesture is required to permit further interaction with the headset 2. If the user enters an incorrect gesture, they may be prompted to re-try. Up to 5 incorrect entries may be permitted before the headset 2 is temporarily blocked and requires a PIN or command issued from the data management server S to unlock the device.

In some embodiments, the gesture can also be input on a paired mobile device 13 and transmitted, via the headset 2, to the security module Si.

It will be appreciated that many modifications may be made to the embodiments hereinbefore described.

For example, the touch pad 32 may be disposed in one of the headphone portions 24, 25. In particular, the touch pad may be located at a distal end of the headphone portions 24, 25 which is adjacent to the user's ear. This can make the touch pad 32 easier to locate.

-12 -More than one touch pad 32 maybe provided, for example, one touch pad on each body portion 21, 22.

The touch pad 32 need not necessarily detect motion in 2 dimensions, i.e. it need not necessarily be an x-y touch pad. The touch pad 32 may take the form of a touch slider (for example, a linear touch slider or an arcuate track slider) for detecting motion along a line. Thus, the slider can be used to detect, for example, direction and speed of a continuous stroke along the slider or a pattern of taps. The touch pad 32 may take the io form of a touch switch, for example, which can detect simple gestures such a single tap and/or multip'e taps. It can detect taps of different durations (e.g. short or long) and muhipe taps of different patterns (e.g. double short tap and double long tap).

The headset can take the forms of over-the-ear headphones.

The main body portions 21, 22 need not be cylindrical. Instead, the main body portions 21, 22 can be rectangular.

The touch pad 32 need not be a capacitive touch pad. The touch pad 32 may be a resistive touch pad.

Claims

-13 -Claims 1. A w]reless headset comprising: a speaker; a touch pad for tracking motion of a finger sliding thereon; a controller configured to acquire motion information from the touch pad, to identify a gesture from the motion information and to provide audio feedback via the speaker which depends on the gesture.

Jo
2. A wireless headset according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured, in response to receiving a predetermined gesture, to allow further operation of the headset.
3. A wireless headset according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the audio feedback comprises a voice signaL
4. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, further comprising: another speaker, wherein the controller is configured to provide the audio feedback via one or both of the speakers.
5. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, comprising a multi-part body which houses the speaker, the touch pad and the controller.
6. A wireless headset according to claims, wherein the speaker is housed in a part which is releasably attached to the rest of the body.
7. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller is configured to stream audio content from a remote server.
8. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, further comprising: storage; wherein the controller is configured to download and store the audio content in the storage.
9. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a wireless communications network interface; wherein the controller is configured to communicate, via a wireless interface, with a remote server.
10. A wireless headset according to claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to cooperate with the remote server to authenticate the headset.
ii. A wireless headset according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve content from the remote server or another remote server only when the io headset is authenticated.
12. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a positioning device for determining position of the headset.
13. A wireless headset according to claim 12, further comprising: a wireless communications network interface; wherein the controfler is configured to transmit, via a wireless interface, the position of the device to the remote server.
14. A wireless headset according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a short-range wireless communications network interface; wherein the controller is configured to communicate, via a short-range wireless communications network, with a mobile terminal.
15. A wireless headset according to claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to transmit data relating to audio content to the mobile terminal.
16. A wireless headset according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the controller is configured to transmit and/or reccive audio content to and/or from the mobile terminaL
17. A system comprising: a wireless headset according to any preceding claim; and a remote server configured to provide content to the wireless headset.-15 -
18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the remote server is configured to authenticate the wireless headset and to provide the content to the wireless headset in response to successful authentication.
19. A system according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the remote server is a first remote server and the system further comprises: a second, different remote server which serves the content; wherein the second remote server transmits the content to the first server and wherein the first server transmits the content to the wireless headset. I020. A method, comprising: acquiring motion information from a touch pad; identifying a gesture from the motion information; providing audio feedback via a speaker which depends on the gesture.21. A computer program comprising instruction which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform the method.22. A computer readable medium storing thereon a computer program according to claim 21.