Wireless headphones with connector socket for signal plug

The invention relates to wireless headphones, operated by means of accumulators, with a socket for plugging in a charging plug, an electrical connection to a charger, with miniature speakers, audio electronics and a receiver, and with charging electronics for monitoring the charging process of the accumulators. Headphones of this type are used more and more to increase wearing comfort and to extend the range in the audio sector, but also as accessories for televisions, hands-free systems and the like.

With wireless headphones, information is transmitted via radio or infrared, batteries or accumulators are provided in the headphones that operate the receiver and the miniaturized loudspeakers in the headphone shells, whereby accumulators have practically fully established themselves and the use of batteries is extremely rare.

In order to be able to charge the batteries without removing them from the headphones, a corresponding socket is provided into which the plug of a charger can be inserted and thus charges the batteries. In this case, suitable electronics are usually provided in the headphones, which check the state of charge of the accumulators and appropriately control or terminate the charging process when the accumulators are charged to the limit of their capacity.

For various reasons, such as universal usability or usability even with empty or defective batteries, it is desirable to be able to operate headphones of this type using the usual cables via which the loudspeakers are directly supplied with the signals in sufficient strength.

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a socket for plugging in more common

Provide signal cable on the headphones and also an electronics or switching mechanism that switches off the receiving electronics when the plug of the signal cable is plugged into the socket and transmits the data that are transmitted via the cable to the miniaturized speakers in the headphone shells.

In a preferred variant it is provided to provide a combined socket for the charging process and the signal transmission, into which either the usual jack plugs of the audio cable or the jack plugs of the charging cables, which according to the invention are similar in their dimensions, with different conductive or insulating surfaces, can be plugged , whereby according to the differently trained conductivities of the

Surface areas the switchover takes place either mechanically or electronically. In this variant, it is also conceivable to charge the batteries by means of a special cable, while the headphones are operated at the same time as conventional wired headphones.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows both the prior art and the invention in a purely schematic manner. 1 shows a conventional plug of a charging cable designed as a jack plug, and FIG. 2 shows such a charging plug and a conventional one in close proximity to one another

Stereo jack plug, FIG. 3 shows a socket according to a preferred variant of the invention when used for the charging process and FIG. 4 shows the same socket when used for the transmission of audio signals.

In the drawing, the supply device, either a charger or an audio device and a jack plug connected to it by means of a cable, is shown very schematically, with the corresponding points of current consumption in the socket, thus in the headphones, also being indicated schematically. For the sake of clarity, the socket itself is not shown with its contours, but only accessible through these contact points.

AT 414 197 Β

Fig. 1 shows a charger 1, which is connected by means of a cable 4 to a charging plug 3, whose two-pole jack in the socket is suitably contacted by a charging electronics 2, whereby the current necessary to charge the batteries (not shown) is removed and is forwarded.

Fig. 2 shows the basic embodiment of the invention, two sockets, one for receiving a charging plug 3 (the same design as that shown in Fig. 1) and another socket for receiving a conventional stereo jack plug 13, which is connected to an audio device by means of a cable 14 5 is connected. The stereo jack plug 13 has three conductive surface areas which are separated from one another by two insulating surface areas and the signals for the audio electronics 6 are picked up in the usual way and the loudspeakers 7 of the headphones are thus supplied. Connected to the audio electronics 6, preferably integrated in it, is a receiver electronics 8 which, during wireless operation, maintains the connection to a transmission system (not shown) and receives the audio signals from there. This receiver electronics 8 is shut down when a stereo jack plug 13 is inserted into the socket, preferably simply switched to a currentless state.

3 and 4 show a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, in which a single socket, not shown directly, but as a complement to the plugs 3 ', 13' tapped 20 bar, used both for the charging process and for the direct wired supply can be:

As can be seen from Fig. 3, the geometric configuration of the charging plug 3 'is chosen so that in the socket the contacts of the charging electronics 2, the two separate conductors 25 contact the surface areas of the charging plug 3', while the three contact sensors or pins that lead to audio electronics 6, only find one contact, while the other two contact pins or springs or the like. bump into insulating surface areas of the charging plug 3 'and thus switch the audio electronics 6 and thus ultimately the loudspeakers 7 de-energized and thus inactive.

When a correspondingly designed stereo plug 13 'is plugged into the same socket, it has a configuration and arrangement of the conductive or insulating areas through which the charging electronics 2 meets an insulating area with at least one contact point, while the contact points of the audio electronics 6 all Electrically conductive areas hit and thus receive the transmitted stereo signal and pass it on to the loudspeakers 7. Also in this case it is provided that the audio electronics 6 switch off or shut down the receiving part 8 of the audio electronics, which is responsible for receiving the wireless data transmission, directly or mechanically depending on the contacting of a corresponding stereo plug 13 '.

The examples shown and described show that the socket and thus also the plug can be designed in a variety of ways, whereby it is entirely possible to use commercially available stereo jack plugs as stereo plugs 13, 13 ', which is particularly advantageous for the compatibility of headphones equipped according to the invention is. Of course, it is possible without any problems and with knowledge of the invention it is easy for the person skilled in the art to devise designs and configurations of plugs that meet different requirements, be it in a geometrical respect, be it in a functional respect, so that with an appropriate arrangement of the contact pins or Contact points in the socket there is also the possibility of providing a combination plug which allows the accumulators to be charged at the same time during the wired operation of the headphones.