IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,609,198

Granted Patent B2

US 10,609,198 · App. 15/694,736 · Granted Mar 31, 2020

Personal media system including base station and wireless earbud

Inventor: Seung Jin Kim (Irvine, CA)

Assignee: Pinn, Inc.

H04M1/6066 G06F3/165 H04M1/05 H04M1/7253 H04R1/1016 H04R1/1025 H04R1/1041 H04M2201/38 H04M2250/02 H04M2250/22 H04R2205/021 H04R2420/01 H04R2420/07 H04R2499/11

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,609,198
App. No.: 15/694,736
Granted: Mar 31, 2020
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

The disclosure provides a personal media system including a base station and a wireless earbud. The personal media system interacts with a smartphone for wireless pairing. The base station has a connection hole to receive the wireless earbud. When the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the base station and wireless earbud form an integrated body.

Claims (58)

1. A mobile system comprising:

a mobile base station comprising a connection hole, a user input button, at least one processor, at least one memory, and circuitry; and

a wireless earbud configured for plugging into the connection hole of the mobile base station to form an integrated body with the mobile base station,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the mobile base station, the wireless earbud is configured to electrically connect with the circuitry of the mobile base station and further configured to perform wired data communication with the mobile base station,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the mobile base station, the circuitry of the mobile base station is configured to obtain characteristics of the wireless earbud and send the characteristics to the at least one processor,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the mobile base station, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate charging of a battery of the wireless earbud,

wherein the wireless earbud has wireless communication capability for wireless pairing with a smartphone to perform data communication with the smartphone,

wherein the mobile system is configured to generate sound when a mobile application installed on the smartphone is searching for the mobile system while the wireless earbud is paired with the smartphone,

wherein, in response to pressing of the user input button of the mobile base station, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate processing for the wireless pairing,

wherein the wireless earbud is not capable of wirelessly sending data to the mobile base station.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanical clip integrated with the mobile base station and configured for clipping a person's clothing, wherein the wireless earbud is not capable of wirelessly sending data to the mobile base station.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the system is configured such that the smartphone wirelessly communicates with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole of the mobile base station, wherein the mobile base station is configured such that battery charging of the wireless earbud is performed while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the mobile base station.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a volume control button configured to control volume of the wireless earbud, wherein the wireless earbud is not capable of wirelessly sending data to the mobile base station.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured such that, in response to plugging into the connection hole of the mobile base station, the wireless earbud initiates wired data communication with the mobile base station, wherein the wireless earbud is further configured to initiate the wireless pairing in response to unplugging out of the connection hole of the mobile base station, wherein the system is configured such that, subsequent to unplugging out of the connection hole of the mobile base station, the wireless earbud generates sound using audio data from the smartphone without an additional action of a user to the wireless earbud.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to such that, in response to plugging into the connection hole of the mobile base station, the wireless earbud stops playing sound based on audio data from the smartphone, wherein the system is configured to provide a battery status to the smartphone such that a low battery warning is displayed on the smartphone.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to unplugging the wireless earbud out of the connection hole, the system is configured to initiate processing for the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein, in response to plugging the wireless earbud into the connection hole, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate ceasing of the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to turn off the wireless pairing while the wireless earbud is being charged.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to turn off the wireless pairing while the wireless earbud is being charged, wherein, in response to plugging the wireless earbud into the connection hole, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate ceasing of the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole, wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the smartphone is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud, wherein in response to pressing the user input button, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to process the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud, wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the system is configured such that the smartphone wirelessly communicates with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole, wherein the mobile base station further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with at least one of the smartphone and the wireless earbud, wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the system is configured such that the smartphone wirelessly communicates with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole, wherein, in response to unplugging the wireless earbud out of the connection hole, the system is configured to initiate processing for the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

21. A mobile system comprising:

a smartphone comprising at least one mobile application installed thereon;

a mobile apparatus comprising a main body and a wireless earbud;

the main body comprising a connection hole, a user input button, at least one processor, at least one memory, and circuitry; and

the wireless earbud configured for plugging into the connection hole of the main body to form an integrated body with the main body,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the main body, the wireless earbud is configured to electrically connect with the circuitry of the main body and further configured to perform wired data communication with the main body,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the main body, the circuitry of the main body is configured to obtain characteristics of the wireless earbud and send the characteristics to the at least one processor,

wherein, while the wireless earbud is plugged in the connection hole of the main body, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate charging of a battery of the wireless earbud,

wherein the wireless earbud and the smartphone are configured to establish wirelessly pairing for wireless data communication therebetween,

wherein the mobile apparatus is configured to generate sound when the at least one mobile application is searching for the mobile apparatus while the wireless earbud and the smartphone are paired,

wherein, in response to pressing of the user input button on the main body, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate processing for the wireless pairing,

wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole of the main body, the system is configured such that the smartphone wirelessly communicates with at least one of the main body and the wireless earbud,

wherein the wireless earbud is not capable of wirelessly sending data to the main body.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein, in response to unplugging the wireless earbud out of the connection hole, the system is configured to initiate processing for the wireless pairing with the smartphone, wherein, in response to plugging the wireless earbud into the connection hole, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate ceasing of the wireless pairing with the smartphone.

23. The system of claim 21 , wherein the system is configured to such that, in response to plugging into the connection hole of the main body, the wireless earbud stops playing sound based on audio data from the smartphone, wherein the system is configured to provide a battery status to the smartphone such that a low battery warning is displayed on the smartphone, wherein the wireless earbud is configured to initiate the wireless pairing in response to unplugging out of the connection hole of the main body, wherein the system is configured such that, subsequent to unplugging out of the connection hole of the main body, the wireless earbud generates sound using audio data from the smartphone without an additional action of a user to the wireless earbud.

24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the main body further comprises a communication module configured to interface data communication with the wireless earbud, wherein the main body is a wearable device.

25. A system comprising:

a mobile base station comprising a connection hole, a user input button, at least one processor, at least one memory, and circuitry; and

a wireless earbud capable of wireless pairing with a smartphone and configured for plugging into the connection hole of the mobile base station to form an integrated body with the mobile base station,

wherein while the wireless earbud is wirelessly paired with the smartphone, the wireless earbud is configured to perform data communication with the smartphone,

wherein the system is configured to generate sound when a mobile application installed on the smartphone is searching for the system while the wireless earbud is paired with the smartphone,

wherein the wireless earbud is not capable of wirelessly sending data to the mobile base station.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein, in response to unplugging the wireless earbud out of the connection hole, the system is configured to initiate processing for the wireless pairing with the smartphone, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine whether the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole or unplugged out of the connection hole of the mobile base station.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein, in response to plugging the wireless earbud into the connection hole of the mobile base station, the circuitry of the mobile base station is configured to obtain characteristics of the wireless earbud and send the characteristics to the at least one processor, wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the system is configured such that the smartphone wirelessly communicates with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein, in response to plugging the wireless earbud into the connection hole, the at least one processor is configured to execute computer program instructions stored in the at least one memory to initiate ceasing of the wireless pairing with the smartphone, wherein, when the wireless earbud is plugged into the connection hole, the smartphone is configured to wirelessly communicate with at least one of the mobile base station and the wireless earbud.

29. The system of claim 25 , wherein the system is configured such that, subsequent to unplugging the wireless earbud out of the connection hole of the mobile base station, the wireless earbud generates sound using audio data from the smartphone without a user input to the wireless earbud.

Assignments (6)

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2025

From: PINN, INC.

To: PINN AUDIO, LLC

Reel/Frame 072463/0681 →

CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Feb 12, 2020

From: PINN, INC.

To: PINN, INC.

Reel/Frame 051900/0445 →

ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2020

From: KIM, SEUNG JIN

To: PINN, INC.