Headset communication unit

• US 20020021800A1
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Published: 02/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom Incorporated (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom Incorporated (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Lyman, Stephen R., Bodley, Martin Reed, Bjerrum-Niese, Christian, Smith, Ian Paul, Wojciak, Paul, Pederson, Charles L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,110,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

Communication unit comprising a housing in which at least one transducer is placed, and on which a microphone arm is suspended. The housing also has means, such as an ear hook, for fastening the communication unit to the head of a user. The microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and at an outer area of the housing, so that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing. The microphone arm has a length, which in the main is less than or of the same order as the greatest extent of the housing, so that in the folded-in state the microphone arm does not project out over the circumference of the housing. The communication unit can be used on both the right and the left side of the head, in that the ear hook (6) can be suspended in two different positions, corresponding to the communication unit being worn on the right or the left ear, respectively.

Claims

1. A compact headset communication unit comprising a housing in which at least one transducer is placed, and on which a microphone arm is suspended, said housing, having an outer peripheral edge, and also having a earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second open position in which it extends away from the housing, and that the microphone arm is of a length such that, when in the folded position does not extend generally beyond the outer periphery of the housing.

2. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing in such a manner that an axis of rotation for the microhone arm is lying in a plane which is substantially parallel with at least a part of a side surface of the housing.

3. Communication unit according to claim 1 wherein the microphone arm is connected to the housing by two hinge pins which extend out from a side surface of the housing, and that a first end part of the microphone arm has a hinge part which corresponds to and is disposed between the two hinge pins.

4. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein a contact arrangement is associated with the microphone arm, so that this contact arrangement is activated by the movement of the microphone arm from the first position to the second position or vice versa.

5. Communication unit according to claim 4 wherein a securing device is associated with the microphone arm so that the microphone arm is releaseable from the first position by means of a release arrangement, and that the release arrangement possibly also activates said changeover arrangement.

6. Communication unit according to claim 5, including a microphone built into the communication unit, in which case the electrical connections to this microphone are effected thru hinge link.

7. Communication unit according to claim 1 wherein the communication unit is configured for wireless communication, and that the communication unit supports an antenna for wireless communication, which antenna is supported by the housing.

8. Communication unit according to claim 7, wherein the antenna comprises a coating on a surface in or on the housing, on its inner side surface.

9. Communication unit according to claim 8, wherein the electrical connection to the antenna is effected via the hinge link, via electrically conductive coatings on one or both hinge pins and the hinge part of the microphone arm, respectively.

10. Communication unit according to one or more of the claim 1, wherein said earhook, which is pivotally connected to the housing by means of a securing part and that the housing has a recess corresponding to the ear hook.

11. Communication unit according to claim 10, wherein the earhook can be pivotally connected to the housing (1) in at least two positions so that the communication unit can be worn by a user on either the right or the left side of the head.

14. A headset according to claim 13 wherein said function switch include upper and lower switches, and wherein said the function of said upper switch is swapped with said lower switch when said earhook is switched from right to left ear usage.

15. A headset according to claim 13 wherein said detector includes a switch in said housing for detecting the present of a portion of the earhook.

16. A headset according to claim 13 where body include a hinge and wherein said earhook includes first and second portions which rotatably engage said hinge and wherein said first portion is configured to actuate said detector when said earhook is positioned for use on one of wearer'"'"'s ear, but not the other, so that said upper and lower switches retain their same function even when their positioned are reversed when the wearer reverses said earhook from right to left usage.

17. A headset according to claim 14 wherein said detector is a switch in said housing and wherein said first portion of said earhook actuates said switch in when used on wearer'"'"'s one ear and not when used on wearer'"'"'s other ear.

19. A wearable headset according to claim 18 wherein said recess includes a groove, having sloping sidewalls and where said pin includes a land sized to be received within said groove, said land having sloping slidewalls configured to mate with said sidewalls of said recess, so that when said pin is biased toward said groove, said arm is urged in said first position.

20. A wearable headset according to claim 19 where said arm includes at least one hinge sleeve sized to receive said pin and wherein said sleeve and pin are keyed to prevent rotation of the pin with said sleeve while still permitting axial movement of said pin in response to said bias.

12. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing, a microphone arm pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, a communications link circuit for connection said headset to a remote telephone communications device, said circuitry within said headset for detecting a ringing state on the remote device, and by moving said microphone arm to said second position, causing said remote device to go to an off-hook state.

13. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing, a reversable earhook piviotally attached to said housing and, capable of reversing between left and right wearing positions, function switches on said housing for adjusting features of the unit'"'"'s performance, a detector for detecting the position of said earhook, circuitry responsive to said detector for changing the operation of said function switches in response to detection of whether the earhook is on the wearer'"'"'s right or left ear.

18. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing, a microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing (1) by a hinge link, and such that the microphone arm (2) can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing (1), and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, said hinge link including at least one recess, said arm including at least one slidable pin to be received within said recess, a bias element within said arm providing bias force against said pin to maintain said pin within said recess.

21. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing, a microphone arm pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, said arm having an outer surface and an inner surface which lies against said housing when in said second position, and wherein said outer surface includes a visual indicator for indicating an in-use condition of the headset.

22. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing, a microphone arm pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, said arm having an outer surface and an inner surface which lies against said housing when in said second position, and wherein said inner surface includes a an aperture for an audio receiver and visual indicator for indicating an in-use condition of the headset, surrounding said audio aperture.

24. A headset according to claim 23 wherein said shaft is sized to be just slighly larger than said aperture, to create limited frictional impediment to rotation of said shaft when inserted into said aperture, thereby preventing said shaft from falling out even if the key and keyway are accidentally aligned for removal.

23. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing and a transducer for reproducing sound, an aperture in said housing having at least one keyway, an attaching pin having a shaft size to be received within said aperture, said shaft having a key sized to be received within said keyway, an attachment point on said pin for receiving a lanyard, so that said pin and lanyard may be quickly removed from said headset.