IP Library Granted Patent US 11,863,967
Granted Patent B2
US 11,863,967 · App. 17/541,567 · Granted Jan 2, 2024

Wireless headset system

Inventors: Janardhan Thodeti (Peachtree City, GA); Rajgopal Shrikanth (Peachtree City, GA); Arun Krishnan Padmakumar (Peachtree City, GA); Dallas Hickerson (Sharpsburg, GA); Jason Weida (Peachtree City, GA); Nitish James (Peachtree City, GA); Senthilnathan Subramanian (Peachtree City, GA); Shyamkumar Kurra (Peachtree City, GA)
Assignee: Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, division of Panasonic Corporation of North America
H04S7/308B60W50/14H04R3/12H04S7/302H04R2420/03H04R2420/05H04R2420/07H04R2499/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,863,967
App. No.
17/541,567
Granted
Jan 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Examples of the disclosure relate to example systems and methods for operating wireless headset system for a vehicle. An example system includes a first wireless chipset to handle communication with a smartphone, and a second wireless chipset to handle communication with a headset. The example system also includes a processor configured to execute a first virtual machine to control the first wireless chipset and a second virtual machine to control the second wireless chipset.

Claims (41)

1. A wireless headset system for a vehicle, comprising:

a first wireless chipset to handle communication with a smartphone;

a second wireless chipset to handle communication with a headset; and

a processor configured to execute a first virtual machine to control the first wireless chipset and a second virtual machine to control the second wireless chipset.

2. The wireless headset system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive audio from the smartphone and route the audio to the headset.

3. The wireless headset system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is communicatively coupled to an audio subsystem of the vehicle, and the processor is configured to enable a passenger to select an audio stream generated by the audio subsystem to be routed to the headset by the processor.

4. The wireless headset system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to insert an alert into an audio stream routed to the headset.

5. The wireless headset system of claim 4 , wherein the alert comprises at least one of:

a navigation alert generated by a navigation subsystem of the vehicle;

a safety alert describing a status of one or more of the vehicle's subsystems; and

a traffic alert received wirelessly from a remote computing device.

6. The wireless headset system of claim 1 , wherein:

the smartphone is associated with a first passenger and the first wireless chipset is to handle communication with an additional smart phone associated with a second passenger; and

the headset is associated with the first passenger and the second wireless chipset is to handle communication with an additional headset associated with the second passenger.

7. The wireless headset system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to enable the first passenger to select the second passenger to receive an intercom message, and route the intercom message from the headset associated with the first passenger to the additional headset associated with the second passenger.

8. The wireless headset system of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to enable the first passenger to select an audio stream being streamed by the second passenger, and route the audio stream from the additional smartphone associated with the second passenger to the headset associated with the first passenger.

9. The wireless headset system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to receive a voice command from the headset, process the voice command to identify an action, and perform the action.

10. The wireless headset system of claim 9 , wherein the voice command is at least one of:

a request for media to be delivered to the headset; and

a request to control a subsystem of the vehicle.

11. A method of operating a wireless headset system for a vehicle, comprising:

receiving content from a smartphone by a first wireless chipset disposed in a head infotainment unit of the vehicle;

sending the content from the first wireless chipset to a first virtual machine running on a processor of the head infotainment unit;

sending the content from the first virtual machine to a second virtual machine running on the processor of the head infotainment unit;

sending the content from the second virtual machine to a second wireless chipset disposed in the head infotainment unit; and

transmitting the content from the second wireless chipset to a wireless headset.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the content is audio being streamed to the smartphone of a passenger and the headset is associated with the passenger.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the content is an intercom message spoken into the headset by a first passenger and the headset is associated with a second passenger.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising inserting, by the second virtual machine, an audio alert into the content before sending the content to the second wireless chipset.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising receiving a voice command from the headset by the second wireless chipset, sending the voice command from the second wireless chipset to the second virtual machine, and processing the voice command via the first virtual machine to identify an action to perform, and sending a control signal to a subsystem of the vehicle in accordance with the identified action.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to direct the actions of a processor to operate a head infotainment unit of a vehicle, the instructions to direct the processor to:

receive, at a first virtual machine running on the processor, audio data from a smartphone via a first wireless chipset disposed in the head infotainment unit;

send the audio data from the first virtual machine to a second virtual machine running on the processor; and

send the audio data from the second virtual machine to a second wireless chipset disposed in the head infotainment unit, wherein the second wireless chipset is to transmit the audio data to a wireless headset to be rendered.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the audio data is streamed to the smartphone of a passenger and the headset is associated with the passenger.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the audio data is an intercom message spoken into the headset by a first passenger and the headset is associated with a second passenger.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to, by the second virtual machine, insert an audio alert into the audio data before sending the audio data to the second wireless chipset.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to:

receive, at the first virtual machine, a voice command from the headset via the second wireless chipset;

process the voice command via the first virtual machine to identify an action to perform; and

and send a control signal from the first virtual machine to a subsystem of the vehicle in accordance with the identified action.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SUPPORTIVE DOCUMENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 72222 FRAME 267. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 23, 2025
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS AMERICA, LLC.
Reel/Frame 072930/0871 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 31, 2025
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 072222/0267 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 3, 2021
From: THODETI, JANARDHAN; SHRIKANTH, RAJGOPAL; KRISHNAN PADMAKUMAR, ARUN; HICKERSON, DALLAS; WEIDA, JASON; JAMES, NITISH; SUBRAMANIAN, SENTHILNATHAN; KURRA, SHYAMKUMAR
To: PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS COMPANY OF AMERICA, DIVISION OF PANASONIC CORPORATION OF NORTH AMERICA
Reel/Frame 058281/0053 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63125111 · Dec 14, 2020
Related Publication 20220191640A1 · Jun 16, 2022