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| United States Patent | 5715321 |
| Link to this page | http://www.wikipatents.com/5715321.html |
| Inventor(s) | Andrea; Douglas (Old Brookville, NY);
Topf; Martin (Brooklyn, NY) |
| Abstract | A self-supporting headset worn on the ear of a user without a headband or
placed in a stand as a desk-top microphone system by a switch-function
installed in the headset. The headset includes a housing which
accommodates a receiver, an arcuate earband connected by a spring to the
housing and a pivotally connected boom microphone which extends from the
housing to near the lips of a user. The earband can have a shape
substantially corresponding to human ear structure for placement behind
the ear of the user. The arcuate housing is placed over the entire outer
ear to transmit audio signals without any need for an ear tube. An earband
member can have a female member on the bottom surface so as to connect a
member to mate with a male member located on the stand, to thereby secure
the headset on the stand. The headset can be equipped with noise
cancellation technology to remove background noise for optional use on
with telephones, computers, or any the like. |
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Title Information  |
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| Publication Date |
February 3, 1998 |
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| Filing Date |
October 23, 1995 |
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| Parent Case |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. application Ser.
No. 08/485,047, filed Jun. 7, 1995, which is a continuation-in-part of
U.S. application Ser. No. 08/339,126 filed Nov. 14, 1994, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 968,180, filed Oct. 29,
1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,473, issued on Jan. 10, 1995; and, this
application is also a continuation-in-part of design application Ser. No.
29/032,594, filed Dec. 21, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. D371,133. Reference is
also made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,251,263, issued Oct. 5, 1993. Each of the
foregoing applications and patents are hereby incorporated herein by
reference. |
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Title Information  |
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References  |
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U.S. References |
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|      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5613222 Guenther 455/575.2 Mar,1997 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5533122 Gattey 379/430 Jul,1996 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5450496 Burris 381/375 Sep,1995 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5448637 Yamaguchi 379/430 Sep,1995 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5446788 Lucey 379/430 Aug,1995 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5402497 Nishimoto 381/95 Mar,1995 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5381486 Ludeke 381/375 Jan,1995 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5327506 Stites, III 381/355 Jul,1994 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5276740 Inanaga 381/382 Jan,1994 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5260997 Gattey 379/430 Nov,1993 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5210792 Kajihara 379/430 May,1993 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5177784 Hu 379/430 Jan,1993 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5138664 Kimura 381/71.6 Aug,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5138663 Moseley 381/71.6 Aug,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5134659 Moseley 381/72 Jul,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5125032 Meister 381/72 Jun,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5117461 Moseley 381/72 May,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5091954 Sasaki 381/72 Feb,1992 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5001763 Moseley 381/71.6 Mar,1991 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4985925 Langberg 381/71.6 Jan,1991 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4972468 Murase 379/430 Nov,1990 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4932052 Lo 379/430 Jun,1990 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4882745 Silver 455/575.2 Nov,1989 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4833719 Carme 381/72 May,1989 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4672674 Clough 381/94.7 Jun,1987 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 4334740 Wray 352/11 Jun,1982 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 3890474 Glicksberg 381/72 Jun,1975 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5673325 Andrea 381/92 Dec,1969 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | 5414769 Gattey 379/430 Dec,1969 |      Your vote accepted [0 after 0 votes] | | | | | |
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Public's "Guesstimation" of Royalty Value
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Market Review  |
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Technical Review  |
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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A headset comprising:
arcuate housing for placement over a left or right ear of a wearer, said
housing having at least one receiver means for transmitting audio signals
to the ear;
arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear having an earband
member, the earband member having a female member;
first pivotal means for securing the earband member to the earband
structure;
spring means for attaching the earband structure to the housing;
a boom microphone device having two ends, one end having a first microphone
means for receiving a first acoustic sound composed of speech originating
from the wearer and background noise and for converting said first
acoustic sound to a first microphone signal and a second microphone means
arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to said first microphone
means for receiving a second acoustic sound composed of substantially said
background noise and for converting said second acoustic sound to a second
microphone signal and the other end having means for connecting the device
to the housing;
means for subtracting the second signal from said first signal so as to
obtain a signal representing substantially speech;
a second pivotal means for securing the boom microphone device to the
housing;
electrical connecting means for transmitting audio signals from and
supplying the microphone signal to an external communication system by an
adapter means; and
a stand having a male member for insertion into the female member of the
earband member.
2. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the first pivotal means for
securing the boom microphone device to the housing is a ball and socket
joint.
3. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the second pivotal means for
securing the earband member to the earband structure is a ball and socket
joint.
4. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is in a
casing covered by a protective medium.
5. The noise cancellation headset according to claim 4, wherein the
protective medium is a wind sock.
6. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the electronic connecting
means is an in-line module case having a switch function.
7. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the adapter means is comprised
of at least two jack means for insertion into sound cards of a computer.
8. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the jack means comprise a
microphone jack for insertion into a microphone receiver of the sound card
and a headset jack for insertion into a speaker receiver of the sound
card.
9. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means has means
defining holes for transmitting audio signals through the housing.
10. The headset comprising: arcuate housing placement over an ear, left or
right, of a wearer, said housing having at least one receiver means for
transmitting audio signals to the ear;
arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear;
spring means for attaching the earband structure to the housing;
boom microphone device having two ends, one end having a first and second
microphone means for receiving an acoustic sound and for converting said
acoustic sound to a microphone signal and the other end having a first
pivotal means for connecting the device to the housing;
electronic connecting means for transmitting audio signals from the
receiver means to the ear and for supplying the microphone signal from the
boom microphone device to an external communication system by adapter
means;
wherein the arcuate earband structure has two ends, the first end of the
earband structure connected to the spring means and the second end of the
earband structure opposite the first end connects the earband structure to
an earband member by a ball and socket joint; and
wherein the first microphone means receives a first acoustic sound composed
of speech originating from the wearer and background noise, and for
converting said first acoustic sound to a first microphone signal, the
second microphone means arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to
said first microphone means for receiving a second acoustic sound composed
of substantially said background noise and for converting said second
acoustic sound to a second microphone signal, and means for subtracting
the second microphone signal from said first microphone signal so as to
obtain a signal representing substantially the speech, and whereby the
headset is a noise cancellation headset.
11. A headset comprising:
arcuate housing for placement over an ear, left or right, of a wearer, said
housing having at least one receiver means for transmitting audio signals
to the ear;
arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear having a first end
and a second end;
the first end attached by movable means to an earband member;
the earband member having a distal end from attachment to the earband
structure;
the distal end having a means for matingly fitting into an upright stand;
the second end having spring means for rotatably attaching the earband
structure to the housing thereby allowing the earband structure to rotate
up to 360.degree. around the housing;
boom microphone device having a first end and a second end;
the first end having a microphone means for receiving an acoustic sound and
for converting said acoustic sound to a microphone signal;
the second end having means for connecting the boom microphone device to
the housing; and
electronic means for transmitting audio signals from the receiver means to
the ear and for supplying the microphone signal from the boom microphone
device to an external communication system by adapter means.
12. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the means for connecting the
boom microphone device to the housing is a pivotal means.
13. The headset according to claim 12, wherein the pivotal means for
connecting the boom microphone device to the housing is a ball and socket
joint.
14. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is
comprised of a first microphone and a second microphone means.
15. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is in a
casing covered by a protective medium.
16. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the protective medium is a
wind sock.
17. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the electronic means is an
in-line module case having a switch function.
18. The headset according to claim 17, wherein the adapter means is
comprised of at least two jack means for insertion into sound cards of a
computer.
19. The headset according to claim 18, wherein the jack means comprises a
microphone jack for insertion into a microphone receiver of the sound card
and a headset jack for insertion into a speaker receiver of the sound
card.
20. The headset according to claim 12 wherein the means for matingly
fitting with a stand is a female member.
21. The headset according to claim 20 including a stand wherein the female
member of the earband member mates with into the stand having a male
member.
22. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means has means
defining holes for transmitting audio signals through the housing.
23. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the earband
structure connects to the earband member by a pivotal means, and the means
for matingly fitting with a stand is a female member.
24. The headset according to claim 23, wherein the pivotal means for
connecting the earband member to the earband structure is a ball and
socket joint. |
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Claims  |
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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a headset. The headset enables the wearer to
execute multimedia and speech recognition applications for telephone,
computer, computer telephone, or dictation, and like uses. The headset
preferably is light-weight. The headset is preferably self-supporting. The
headset preferably contains at least one microphone means for canceling
background noise and at least one receiver means for transmitting audio
signals to the ear the wearer. The headset is preferably capable of being
worn on one ear (left or right) of the wearer, without a head-band. The
headset is preferably capable of attaching to a stand to allow
"hands-free" and/or "wire-free" access to communication systems, e.g., the
headset can be a "hands-free" handset.
More particularly, the invention relates to a headset preferably comprising
a housing having at least one receiver means for placing over a left or
right auditory canal of the user. The headset also comprises an earband
structure attached to the housing, preferably by spring means. The earband
structure is for placing behind the ear, and is preferably arcuate in
shape. Preferably, the earband structure has a movable earband member at a
lower portion, towards the or at end opposite the attachment to the
housing. The movable earband member is preferably tear drop shaped, for
placement behind the ear. The headset further comprises a pivotal boom
microphone containing at least one, preferably two, microphone(s) for
transmitting the user's voice, preferably with the voice substantially
free of background noise. The earband structure is also preferably contour
shaped for better contact with surfaces behind the ear, for instance, the
earband structure can have a shape on each side which substantially
matingly fits surfaces behind the ear (e.g., to matingly fit behind the
auricle, e.g., behind the fossa of helix and/or anti-helix, and/or over
the mastoid bone protruding from the skull behind the ear, i.e., between
the back of the ear and the skull). The earband member can also serve to
support the headset in the stand so that the headset acts as a microphone
system for far-field speech and sound recording by the installation of a
simple electronic switching means in the headset.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Some prior art headsets have included various intermediate supporting
structures for supporting the headset in cooperative relationship with the
ear and mouth of the user. Such structures have included headbands and
means for attachment to the temple of eyeglasses. Prior art headsets
suffer from several disadvantages.
One of the problems of prior art headsets relates to headbands per se,
which are necessary with most headset designs to provide the needed
support. Headbands are inherently bulky, add to the cost of the headset,
and must be maintained and stored. For some applications as, for example,
when other heavy headgear must also be worn, headbands are frequently
inconvenient or unsuitable. Moreover, to a large number of
hairdress-conscious women operators, headbands of any type are anathema
because of their bulk and tendency to snag and disturb the hair.
Headsets have evolved from bulky, uncomfortable headphones which clamped to
the cranium, to light-weight miniature headsets which clip to the ear or
to eyeglasses. In the state of the art, the transducers are placed in a
housing which is clipped behind the ear, with tubes leading from the
transducers to the mouth and auditory meatus of the operator.
Alternatively, the housing is clamped to the temple bar of a head bracket
which resembles an eyeglass frame, with the same sort of tubes used to
conduct the sound to and from the transducers.
Other methods of avoiding headband support include suspending the set from
a loop placed around the ear, similar to eyeglass frames, or suspending
the set from the eyeglass frame itself. The eyeglass clip method, however,
tends to shift the optical axis, and is limited in any case to persons who
wear glasses. The over-ear loop lacks stability and also disturbs the
optical axis if glasses are also worn. These structures have been rather
cumbersome. In practice, the eyeglass frame head bracket is uncomfortable
and unwieldy. The housing disposed behind the ear tends to hang on the
helix of the ear in an annoying fashion, and the tube extending into the
meatus is also irritating. In both cases, the headsets must be
manufactured in left and right ear models.
Another means for avoiding headband support on is ear molds for supporting
the headset from inside the ear. This necessitates fitting of the ear mold
to individual users. Headsets without the headband have not been adopted
in any extensive commercial practice primarily because such headband-free
headsets do not adapt to average ear variations and, therefore, have not
closely or properly fit and have easily fallen from the ear.
An increasing concern for operator comfort as well as equipment performance
has prompted recent efforts to improve radio and telephone headsets.
Broadly, the two prime causes of wearer discomfort are the weight and bulk
of the set, and the distribution of whatever weight is involved.
Significant weight and size reductions are achieved by replacing the heavy
magnetic core receivers and carbon-type transmitters with miniature
balanced armature transducers of the type routinely used in hearing aid
devices. These transducers have been used with acoustic pick-up tubes, and
this expedient has also been employed in the telephone headset art to
reduce weight.
Another general problem of prior headsets involves the support or
suspension mechanisms for positioning the headset in accordance with the
wearer's mouth-ear geometry. An aspect of this problem is that
conventional supports in headset designs employ very complicated and bulky
adjustment features. Simplified support designs have sacrificed at least
to some extent adjustability. Further, earlier support designs did not
adequately take into account certain wearer preferences, particularly of
telephone operators, which include location of the supportive pressure,
manner of putting on and removing the headset and movement of the
transmitter independently of the receiver.
A further problem of prior headsets, principally one of acoustics but
bearing importantly on operator comfort, relates to the receiver-to-ear
seal. Tight seals are desirable from the transmission standpoint, but are
achieved in today's headsets with considerable sacrifice in operator
comfort.
Thus, the prior art has failed to provide an adjustable communication
headset. The prior art has not provided a computer headset which has good
fidelity i | | |