US 11,792,561 B2
Wireless earphones that play lossy compressed streaming audio
Michael J. Koss, Milwaukee, WI (US); Michael J. Pelland, Princeton, WI (US); Michael Sagan, Fairfield, CA (US); Steven R. Reckamp, Crystal Lake, IL (US); Gregory J. Hallingstad, Deforest, WI (US); Jeffrey K. Bovee, Sterling, IL (US); and Morgan J. Lowery, Deforest, WI (US)
Assigned to Koss Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Filed by Koss Corporation, Milwaukee, WI (US)
Filed on Aug. 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/821,612.
Application 17/821,612 is a continuation of application No. 17/818,475, filed on Aug. 9, 2022.
Application 17/818,475 is a continuation of application No. 17/812,911, filed on Jul. 15, 2022.
Application 17/812,911 is a continuation of application No. 17/178,946, filed on Feb. 18, 2021, granted, now 11,425,485, issued on Aug. 23, 2022.
Application 17/178,946 is a continuation of application No. 17/070,363, filed on Oct. 14, 2020, granted, now 10,959,012, issued on Mar. 23, 2021.
Application 17/070,363 is a continuation of application No. 16/900,035, filed on Jun. 12, 2020, granted, now 10,848,852, issued on Nov. 24, 2020.
Application 16/900,035 is a continuation of application No. 16/375,879, filed on Apr. 5, 2019, granted, now 10,469,934, issued on Nov. 5, 2019.
Application 16/375,879 is a continuation of application No. 16/182,927, filed on Nov. 7, 2018, granted, now 10,368,155, issued on Jun. 30, 2019.
Application 16/182,927 is a continuation of application No. 15/962,305, filed on Apr. 25, 2018, granted, now 10,206,025, issued on Feb. 12, 2019.
Application 15/962,305 is a continuation of application No. 15/650,362, filed on Jul. 14, 2017, granted, now 9,986,325, issued on May 29, 2018.
Application 15/650,362 is a continuation of application No. 15/293,785, filed on Oct. 14, 2016, granted, now 9,729,959, issued on Aug. 8, 2017.
Application 15/293,785 is a continuation of application No. 15/082,040, filed on Mar. 28, 2016, granted, now 9,497,535, issued on Nov. 15, 2016.
Application 15/082,040 is a continuation of application No. 14/695,696, filed on Apr. 24, 2015, granted, now 9,438,987, issued on Sep. 6, 2016.
Application 14/695,696 is a continuation of application No. 13/609,409, filed on Sep. 11, 2012, granted, now 9,049,502, issued on Jun. 2, 2015.
Application 13/609,409 is a continuation of application No. 13/459,291, filed on Apr. 30, 2012, granted, now 8,571,544, issued on Oct. 29, 2013.
Application 13/459,291 is a continuation of application No. 12/936,488, granted, now 8,190,203, issued on May 29, 2012, previously published as PCT/US2009/039754, filed on Apr. 7, 2009.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/123,265, filed on Apr. 7, 2008.
Prior Publication US 2022/0400345 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04R 1/10 (2006.01); H04M 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 5/033 (2006.01); H04R 5/04 (2006.01); H03K 17/96 (2006.01); H04W 4/80 (2018.01); H04W 76/20 (2018.01); G06F 8/654 (2018.01); G06F 3/04847 (2022.01); G06F 8/65 (2018.01); H04R 3/04 (2006.01); H04R 3/00 (2006.01); H04W 48/20 (2009.01); H03G 3/02 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04H 20/95 (2008.01); H04R 25/00 (2006.01); H04L 101/668 (2022.01); H04W 84/22 (2009.01); H04W 84/18 (2009.01); H04W 84/12 (2009.01)
CPC H04R 1/1041 (2013.01) [G06F 3/04847 (2013.01); G06F 8/65 (2013.01); G06F 8/654 (2018.02); H03G 3/02 (2013.01); H03K 17/9622 (2013.01); H04H 20/95 (2013.01); H04M 1/0254 (2013.01); H04R 1/02 (2013.01); H04R 1/1083 (2013.01); H04R 1/1091 (2013.01); H04R 3/00 (2013.01); H04R 3/04 (2013.01); H04R 5/033 (2013.01); H04R 5/04 (2013.01); H04W 4/80 (2018.02); H04W 48/20 (2013.01); H04W 76/20 (2018.02); H03K 2217/960785 (2013.01); H04L 2101/668 (2022.05); H04R 25/554 (2013.01); H04R 2201/103 (2013.01); H04R 2201/107 (2013.01); H04R 2225/55 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01); H04W 84/12 (2013.01); H04W 84/18 (2013.01); H04W 84/22 (2013.01)] 29 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
23. A system comprising:
a mobile computing device of a first user; and
earphones comprising a left earphone and a right earphone, wherein the left and right earphone are independently wireless such that the left and right earphones are not physically connected when worn by a user, wherein:
the left earphone comprises:
a left-side body portion, wherein the left-side body portion comprises a left-side system-on-chip (SOC), wherein the left-side SOC comprises:
a left-side memory, wherein the left earphone is further configured to receive from a remote computing device, and store in the left-side memory, a firmware update;
a left-side wireless communication circuit for demodulating signals transmitted wirelessly to the left earphone from a remote source; and
a left-side processor for executing firmware, including the firmware update, stored in the left-side memory; and
a left-side speaker for playing audio streamed in a lossy compressed format to the left earphone from the mobile computing device via first ad hoc wireless communication link; and
the right earphone comprises:
a right-side body portion, wherein the right-side body portion comprises a right-side SOC, wherein the right-side SOC comprises:
a right-side memory, wherein the right earphone is further configured to receive from the remote computing device, and store in the right-side memory, the firmware update;
a right-side wireless communication circuit for demodulating signals transmitted wirelessly to the right earphone from the remote source; and
a right-side processor for executing firmware, including the firmware update, stored in the right-side memory; and
a right-side speaker for playing audio streamed in the lossy compressed format to the right earphone from the mobile computing device via a second ad hoc wireless communication link,
wherein the left-side and right-side processors transition automatically from playing audio content received wirelessly from a first digital audio source via a first wireless communication link to playing audio content received wirelessly from a second digital audio source via a second wireless communication link based on a signal strength level for the second wireless communication link.