Earphone for a cellular phone

• US 20040125979A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sygnet Technologies International (2001) Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sygnet Technologies International (2001) Ltd.
• Inventors: Mager, Michael, Elidan, Josef
• Application Number:
  US10/344,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20040125979A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/382
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

An earphone for use with portable communication devices (PCDs), particularly cellular phones, where the electro-magnetic (EM) radiation of the device is distanced from the head of the user, while acoustic waves are collected and brought through an acoustic tube to the ear of the user. The earphone may employ a coupler where the coupler contains a microphone and speaker acoustically insulated from each other. The coupler is positioned distant from both the ear of the user and the PCD. The coupler delivers acoustic waves to an acoustic tube for transmittal to the ear.

Claims

1. An earphone for use with a portable communication device having apparatus for receiving electrical signal energy corresponding to voice signals, a speaker for providing to a user in response to the electrical signal energy audible acoustic energy corresponding to the voice signals, and an audio socket for accessing the electrical signal energy, the earphone including:

a collector portion arranged for connection to the portable communication device so as to receive therefrom energy corresponding to the voice signals received thereby;

an acoustic energy delivery portion configured for fastening in association with the ear of a user, for delivering acoustic energy corresponding to the voice signals; and

an acoustic tube for receiving an energy output from said collector portion and for providing to said delivery portion acoustic energy for delivery to the ear of the user.

2. An earphone according to claim 1, wherein said collector portion includes an acoustic collector arranged for fastening to the speaker of the portable communications device, said acoustic collector being operative to collect audible acoustic energy from the speaker, and to focus it along said acoustic tube for delivery to the ear of a user via said acoustic energy delivery portion.

3. An earphone according to claim 1, wherein said collector portion includes an audio plug arranged for coupling with the audio socket of the portable communications device,

said earphone also including an acoustic energy transformer;

and

an electrical signal conductor for conducting electrical signal energy from said audio plug to said acoustic energy transformer,

wherein said acoustic energy transformer is operative to transform the electrical signal energy into audible acoustic energy, and to focus it along said acoustic tube for delivery to the ear of a user via said acoustic energy delivery portion.

4. An earphone according to claim 3, wherein said audio plug, said signal conductor, and said acoustic energy transformer are formed as a unitary plug element, configured for coupling with the audio socket of the portable communications device.

5. An earphone according to claim 1 wherein the speaker of the device is an external speaker and said collector portion of said earphone is attached thereto.

6. An earphone according to claim 5 wherein said collector portion of the earphone is attached to the speaker by at least one of the following means of attachment:

(i) a mechanical element;

(ii) a magnetic element;

(iii) an adhesive material; and

(iv) a vacuum.

7. An earphone according to claim 1 wherein the speaker of the device is an internal speaker and said collector portion of said earphone is attached thereto.

8. An earphone according to claim 7 wherein said collector portion of said earphone is attached to said speaker by at least one of the following means of attachment:

(i) a mechanical element;

(ii) a magnetic element;

(iii) an adhesive material; and

(iv) a vacuum.

9. An earphone according to claim 1 wherein said acoustic energy delivery portion is configured for insertion into the ear canal or for proximal attachment to the external ear of a user.

10. An earphone according to claim 1, wherein said acoustic tube is a bifurcated acoustic tube having two acoustic energy delivery portions for providing acoustic waves to both ears of a user simultaneously.

11. An earphone according to claim 1, and also including an additional speaker for attaching to said collector portion of said earphone.

12. An earphone according to claim 3 further comprising:

a microphone, said microphone receiving acoustic signals from a user, converting them to electrical signals and delivering said electric signals to the device via an electrical signal conductor connected to said audio plug.

13. An earphone according to claim 12 and also including a casing wherein said microphone and said acoustic energy transformer are positioned in acoustically insulated proximity.

14. An earphone according to claim 13 and also including acoustic insulation means disposed within said casing wherein said acoustic energy transformer and said microphone are separated and acoustically insulated by at least one insulating layer of said insulating means, said insulating layer chosen from acoustic barrier elements and acoustically insulating paste.

15. An earphone according to claim 12 and also including separate casings for said microphone and said acoustic energy transformer.

16. An earphone according to claim 1 wherein said collector portion is positioned inside the portable communication device and in communication with an internal speaker therein.

17. A coupler for an earphone used with a portable communication device, said coupler containing a microphone and an acoustic energy transformer proximately positioned inside at least one casing and acoustically insulated from each other, said acoustic energy transformer converting the electrical output of the device to acoustic waves collected by a collector portion of the earphone, said earphone providing the acoustic waves to the ear of a user.

18. A coupler for an earphone according to claim 17 where the acoustic insulation comprises at least one of the following:

(i) at least one acoustic barrier element; and

(ii) at least one layer of acoustic insulation paste.

19. A coupler for an earphone according to claim 17, said at least one casing is two casings, one casing containing said microphone and one casing said acoustic energy transformer, said casings in acoustic isolation from each other.

20. A coupler for an earphone according to claim 17, wherein the acoustic energy transformer is proximately positioned with respect to a hollow element, the element defining an acoustic collecting space where sound waves emitted from said acoustic energy transformer are collected and passed on to an acoustic tube.

21. A coupler according to claim 20 wherein said hollow element is an integrally formed part of the coupler casing.

22. A method for delivering a transmission from a portable communication device to a user with reduced electromagnetic radiation exposure to the user, the method including the following steps:

converting electromagnetic signals into acoustic waves by the portable communication device;

collecting the acoustic waves; and

conveying the collected acoustic waves to the ear of the user through a hollow tube capable of conveying the acoustic waves.

23. A method as in claim 22 wherein the converting step is effected inside the portable communication device.

24. A method as in claim 22 wherein the converting step is effected outside to the portable communication device.

25. A method as in claim 22 further comprising the step of:

transmitting received electromagnetic signals over a wire from the portable communication device to a coupler,

the converting step being effected within said coupler.