Headset terminal with speech functionality

• US 20070184881A1
• Filed: 02/06/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vocollect, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Viduya, Andres, Kessing, Ben, Shade, Philip, Wahl, James, Lacy, Graham, Tooze, Dominic, Byford, Roger, Logan, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection

Abstract

A headset terminal for speech applications includes a headband assembly, an earcup assembly and a power source assembly. Processing circuitry is positioned in at least one of the earcup assembly and the power source assembly and includes speech processing circuitry for recognizing and synthesizing speech. A radio communicates with a central system to process the activity information of the headset terminal user. A rotatable microphone boom assembly includes controls mounted on opposite sides of a rotation axis to maintain a consistent orientation on the boom assembly with respect to the head of a user. The boom assembly snaps together with the earcup assembly to rotate. The headband assembly includes at least one transverse band and a sliding arm coupled to the earcup assembly for dynamically adjusting the position of the earcup assembly. A latch of the power source assembly snaps into position to secure it with the assembly and slides between latched and unlatched positions to secure a battery.

Claims

1. A headset terminal for speech applications comprising:

a headband assembly for spanning across the head of a user;

an earcup assembly coupled proximate one end of the headband assembly and including a speaker for playing audio speech signals to a user and a microphone for capturing speech of a user;

a power source assembly coupled proximate the other end of the headband assembly;

processing circuitry positioned in at least one of the earcup assembly and the power source assembly, the processing circuitry including speech processing circuitry for recognizing speech captured by headphone from a user and for synthesizing speech for a user to provide a speech interface to communicate activity information with a user and collect data from a user;

a WLAN radio for communicating with a central system to process the activity information.

2. The headset terminal of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is positioned in both the earcup assembly and the power source assembly.

3. The headset terminal of claim 1 further comprising a portable RFID reader, operably coupled with the processing circuitry, the RFID reader operable for reading an RFID tag and generating an output.

4. The headset terminal of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry further comprises a WPAN device for interfacing with peripheral devices.

5. The headset terminal of claim 3 wherein the output generated by the RFID reader is location information related to the user.

6. The headset terminal of claim 3 wherein the activity information output by the RFID reader is product information regarding a product.

7. The headset terminal of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry, through the speech interface, is operable to direct the user to handle products.

8. The headset terminal of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry and speech interface are configured for operating with a product distribution program run by a central system.

9. A headset comprising:

a headband assembly for spanning across the head of a user;

an earcup assembly coupled proximate one end of the headband assembly and including;

a speaker for playing audio speech signals to a user;

a microphone boom assembly including a microphone for capturing speech of a user, the microphone boom assembly rotatably coupled in the earcup assembly to rotate on an axis;

controls mounted on the microphone boom assembly to rotate with the assembly, the controls including elements mounted on opposite sides of the axis that maintain a consistent orientation on the boom assembly with respect to the head of a user when it is rotated in either direction;

so the headset may be used on either side of a user'"'"'s head.

10. The headset of claim 9 further comprising a power source assembly coupled proximate the other end of the headband assembly and configured to fit against a side of the user'"'"'s head opposite the earcup assembly.

11. The headset of claim 10 further comprising processing circuitry positioned in at least one of the earcup assembly and the power source assembly, the processing circuitry including speech processing circuitry for recognizing speech captured by the headset from a user and for synthesizing speech to a user to provide a speech interface to communicate activity information with a user and collect data from a user.

12. The headset of claim 9 further comprising control buttons, at least one control button positioned on opposite sides of the rotational axis from each other.

13. The headset of claim 12 wherein the at least one control button on one side of the axis is shaped differently from the at least one button on the opposite side of the axis.

14. The headset of claim 12 wherein the at least one control button on one side of the axis is shaped with a convex shape and the at least one button on the opposite side of the axis is shaped with a concave shape.

15. The headset of claim 9 wherein one of the controls is configured to provide an UP function and one of the controls is configured to provide a DOWN function, the UP function control being located vertically above the DOWN function control.

16. A headset comprising:

a headband assembly for spanning across the head of a user;

an earcup assembly coupled proximate one end of the headband assembly and including a housing with a speaker and a microphone boom assembly with a microphone;

the boom assembly configured for snapping together with the housing for rotatably coupling the boom assembly in the earcup assembly to rotate on an axis.

17. The headset of claim 16 further comprising a retainer secured in the housing, the boom assembly configured to snap together with the retainer.

18. The headset of claim 17 wherein the retainer includes a plurality of snaps positioned around the retainer, a flange of the boom assembly being captured by the snaps.

19. The headset of claim 16 wherein the boom assembly includes a circuit board for supporting circuit components for the headset.

20. The headset of claim 16 further comprising a power source assembly coupled proximate the other end of the headband assembly and configured to fit against a side of the user'"'"'s head opposite the earcup assembly.

21. The headset of claim 20 further comprising a circuit board with circuit components thereon positioned in at least one of the earcup assembly and the power source assembly.

22. The headset of claim 21 wherein the circuit components include processing circuitry including speech processing circuitry for recognizing speech captured by headphone from a user and for synthesizing speech to a user to provide a speech interface.

23. An adjustable headset comprising:

a headband assembly for spanning across the head of a user;

an earcup assembly coupled proximate one end of the headband assembly including a speaker and microphone;

a power source assembly coupled proximate the other end of the headband assembly;

the headband assembly including at least one transverse band and a sliding arm that is slidingly coupled with the transverse band, the earcup assembly being coupled to the sliding arm for dynamically adjusting the position of the earcup assembly with respect to the headband assembly;

an elongated cable extending between the power source assembly and earcup assembly along the transverse band, the cable articulating inside of a hidden cavity inside of the sliding arm to remain hidden when the earcup assembly is adjusted and the effective length of the cable varies;

to provide a desirable aesthetic to the adjustable headset.

24. The adjustable headset of claim 23 wherein the earcup assembly includes a rotatable microphone boom assembly for mounting the microphone.

25. The adjustable headset of claim 23 further comprising at least one guide structure positioned in the hidden cavity, the articulating cable wrapping back on itself around the guide structure.

26. The adjustable headset of claim 25 further comprising a plurality of guide structures positioned in the hidden cavity, the articulating cable wrapping back on itself multiple times around the guide structures.

27. The adjustable headset of claim 23 further comprising a slot extending along the length of the sliding arm, the slot extending along the cavity for allowing passage of the cable from the transverse band to the cavity for articulating in the cavity when the position of the earcup is adjusted.

28. The adjustable headset of claim 23 further comprising a saddle coupled to an end of the transverse band, the sliding arm operable to slide in the saddle to adjust the position of the earcup.

29. The adjustable headset of claim 28 wherein the saddle includes a passage for directing the cable between the transverse band end and the sliding arm.

30. The adjustable headset of claim 23 further comprising a cover for covering the cavity and the articulating cable in the cavity.

31. The adjustable headset of claim 23 further comprising a plurality of transverse bands for spanning side by side across the head of a user.

32. The adjustable headset of claim 31 further comprising a stabilizing strap extending between the plurality of transverse bands for stabilizing the headset.

33. A headset comprising:

a headband assembly for spanning across the head of a user;

an earcup assembly coupled proximate one end of the headband assembly;

a power source assembly coupled proximate the other end of the headband assembly and including a housing and a power source element coupled to the earcup assembly;

a latch slidable on the housing between a latch position and an unlatch position and configured to secure the power source element with the housing in the latch position;

at least one latch retention snap coupled to the housing and configured to engage a retention rib on the latch so that the latch may be slid onto the housing and snapped into position to secure it with the housing.

34. The headset of claim 33 further comprising a plurality of retention snaps and respective retention ribs for securing the latch.

35. The headset of claim 33 wherein the earcup assembly includes a speaker, a microphone and processing circuitry for operating the headset, the power source element coupled to the processing circuitry.

36. The headset of claim 33 wherein a cavity is formed in the housing to receive the power source element, the latch secured proximate one end of the cavity.

37. The headset of claim 33 wherein the latch further comprises retention tabs, the housing including rail surfaces that overlie the retention tabs when the latch is secured to the housing, the tabs and rail surfaces providing a load path for the power source element secured with the housing by the latch in the latch position.