Listening device for hands-free system

• US 20040101154A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Company Limited (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation, Tohoku Pioneer Company Limited (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Maekawa, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,088,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/380
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles

Abstract

A listening device for a hands-free system includes a bone conduction actuator and a holder for holding the actuator. The holder includes a first contact part for contacting the actuator to a body part, a second contact part protruded at a spaced apart location from the first contact part, and a pivot part between the first and second contact parts. The holder is supported such as to be rotatable around a shaft in the pivot part orthogonally to a plane containing the contact parts and the pivot part. Thus, provided is a listening device which uses a bone conduction actuator having a contact part which can be contacted to a surface of a human body with a constant and appropriate pressure so as to achieve a constant level of signal transmission irrespective of the differences in the shape of the body part or the movements of the user.

Claims

1. A listening device using an actuator for transmitting a voice signal through a human bone when contacting the actuator to a human body, comprising

a holder for holding said actuator, said holder including a first contact part for contacting said actuator to a human body part, a second contact part protruded at a spaced apart location from said first contact part, and a pivot part between said first contact part and said second contact part.

2. The listening device according to claim 1, wherein said holder is supported such as to be rotatable around a shaft in said pivot part orthogonally to a plane containing said first and second contact parts and said pivot part.

3. The listening device according to claim 1, wherein said holder is supported in said pivot part at a distal end of an arm, said arm being supported at the other end thereof on a support member such that said holder is pressed against the human body part with a resilient bias applied through said arm.

4. The listening device according to claim 3, further comprising a resilient biasing member in a supporting portion of said arm and said support member.

5. The listening device according to claim 3, wherein said resilient bias is provided by a reaction force created in said arm.

6. The listening device according to claim 3, wherein said support member supports the other end of said arm rotatably such as to be capable of retaining said arm at any desired location and retracting said arm from the human body part.

7. The listening device according to claim 3, wherein said holder is detachably supported at the distal end of said arm.

8. The listening device according to claim 3, wherein said support member is a support member provided to a part of a vehicle seat.

9. The listening device according to claim 1, wherein said actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of electromotive, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and magnetostrictive actuators.

10. A method of using a listening device having an actuator for transmitting a voice signal through a human bone when contacting the actuator to a human body, comprising the steps of:

contacting a holder for holding said actuator to a human body part at two points, one at a contact part of said actuator and the other at another contact part protruded at a spaced apart location from the contact part of said actuator; and

rotating and supporting said holder around a shaft in a pivot part between said contact parts, said shaft being orthogonal to a plane containing said contact parts and said pivot part.

11. The method according to claim 10, further including the steps of pressing said holder against the human body part with a constant pressure, and retaining said holder at a given location.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein said actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of electromotive, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and magnetostrictive actuators.

13. A listening system using an actuator for transmitting a voice signal through a human bone when contacting the actuator to a human body, comprising:

a holder including a first contact part for contacting said actuator to a human body part, a second contact part protruded at a spaced apart location from said first contact part, and a pivot part between said first contact part and said second contact part;

an arm for supporting said holder such as to be rotatable around a shaft in said pivot part orthogonally to a plane containing said first and second contact parts and said pivot part;

a support member for rotatably supporting said arm such as to be capable of retaining said arm at any desired location and retracting said arm from the human body part; and

a resilient biasing member provided between said arm and said support member so that said holder is pressed against the human body part with a resilient bias applied through said arm.

14. The listening system according to claim 13, wherein said actuator is of a type selected from the group consisting of electromotive, piezoelectric, electromagnetic, and magnetostrictive actuators.