Combined headphone set and portable speaker assembly

• US 20080166002A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infinite Imagineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Infinite Imagineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Amsel, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,085,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/025 Arrangements for fixing loudspeaker transducers, e.g. in a box, furniture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/026 Supports for loudspeaker casings
• 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 1/1066 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 2205/021 Aspects relating to docking-station type assemblies to obtain an acoustical effect, e.g. the type of connection to external loudspeakers or housings, frequency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A combined headphone set including a speaker assembly. The headphone set includes a headband having a speaker headphone on opposing ends of the headband. Each of the speaker headphones includes an exterior speaker for public listening and an interior speaker for personal listening by the user. One of the speaker headphones includes switching means for listening to the interior speaker or to the exterior speaker or to the interior and exterior speakers simultaneously from each of the speaker headphones. Each of the speaker headphones includes an audio signal wire connected from an output jack of an audio device to the speaker headphones.

Claims

1. A combined headphone set including a speaker assembly, comprising:

a) a headphone set including a headband having a speaker headphone on opposing ends of said headband;

b) each of said speaker headphones including an exterior speaker for public listening and an interior speaker for personal listening by the user;

c) one of said speaker headphones including switching means for listening to said interior speaker or to said exterior speaker or to said interior and exterior speakers simultaneously from each of said speaker headphones; and

d) said speaker headphones including an audio signal wire being connected from an output jack of an audio device to said speaker headphones.

2. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said switching means includes a three-way switch.

3. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said audio signal from each of said speaker headphones includes wireless technology means having a wireless transmitter connected from said output jack of said audio device in order to send said audio signal to a receiver on said speaker headphones.

4. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 3, wherein each of said speaker headphones includes a perimeter wall and each of said perimeter walls on each of said speaker headphones includes an input jack connector member for detachably connecting to each of said input jacks of each of said audio signal wires.

5. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said opposing ends of said headband are permanently attached to a connection member on each of said speaker headphones.

6. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said speaker headphones includes a pivotally-connected ring stand attached thereto, each of said ring sands are movable from a closed position to an open position for being positioned on a surface as stand-alone speakers.

7. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of said ring stands being positioned on said perimeter wall of each of said speaker headphones, respectively, when said ring stand is in said closed position.

8. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said perimeter walls on each of said speaker headphones includes an input jack connector member for detachably connecting to each of said input jacks of each of said audio signal wires.

9. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said exterior speakers includes an amplifier member for amplifying the sound from said audio device.

10. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 9, wherein each of said exterior speakers includes a power source for powering said amplifier members in each of said exterior speakers.

11. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 10, wherein said exterior speaker is electrically connected by an electrical connector wire to said power source, to said three-way switch, to said amplifier member, and to said input jack connector.

12. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said speaker headphones has a rectangular shape, a square shape, a triangular shape, an oval shape, an octagon shape, or a cylindrical shape.

13. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of said speaker headphones include sensor means for detecting said headphone set on the user'"'"'s head.

14. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 13, wherein said sensor means include an infrared beam of light, an audio sensor signal or a pressure sensitive sensor.

15. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said stand-alone speakers automatically switch to said exterior speakers on each of said speaker headphones when said speaker headphones are not on the user'"'"'s head.

16. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said audio signal wire is connected from said output jack of said audio device to said input jack of one of said speaker headphones.

17. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein said audio signal wire is connected from said output jack of said audio device to said input jacks of both of said speaker headphones.

18. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 3, wherein said wireless technology means include 49 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.8 GHz, Bluetooth, Infrared, wireless USB or 802.11b pathways.

19. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said speaker headphones includes a pair of stereo headphone driver units in order to increase the volume/audio level when said speaker headphones are not positioned on the user'"'"'s head.

20. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 19, wherein said amplifier is between said exterior speaker and one of said stereo headphone driver units within each of said speaker headphones.

21. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 19, wherein said sensor means detects the proximity of said stereo headphone driver unit to the user'"'"'s head for permitting a safety measure that limits the volume/audio level to increase to below a point of causing hearing damage to the user'"'"'s ears from said excessively loud audio signals.

22. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 19, wherein each of said speaker headphones includes at least two headphone driver units.

23. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 19, wherein each of said headphone driver units includes a volume controlling means for regulating and presetting the volume level for said exterior speakers and said interior speakers.

24. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein each of said speaker headphones includes a monaural system such that either a left channel or right channel audio signal is sent into both speaker headphones simultaneously.

25. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said speaker headphones includes a signal pass-through port enabling a second user to plug-in their own headphone set in order to listen to the same audio source form the original user.

26. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said exterior speakers on said speaker headphone includes a pocket having a receiving slot opening for receiving an audio device therein, or a memory card.

27. A combined headphone set including a detachable speaker assembly, comprising:

a) a headphone set including a headband having a speaker headphone on opposing ends of said headband;

b) said headband having detachable connector members on said opposing ends for detachably connecting to each of said speaker headphones thereto;

c) each of said speaker headphones including an exterior side and an interior side;

said exterior side of said speaker headphone including an exterior speaker and said interior side including an interior speaker for listening by each of the user'"'"'s ears;

d) each of said speaker headphones having a pivotally-connected ring stand attached thereto, each of said ring stands are movable from a closed position to an open position being positioned on a surface as stand-alone speakers;

e) each of said ring stands being positioned on a perimeter edging of each of said speaker headphones, respectively, when said ring stand is in said closed position;

f) said perimeter edging of said speaker headphone including a three-way switch for listening to said interior speaker or to said exterior speaker or to said interior and exterior speakers simultaneously from each of said speaker headphones; and

g) each of said speaker headphones including an audio signal wire for producing an audio signal being connected from an output jack of an audio device to an input jack of each of said speaker headphones.

28. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 27, wherein said detachable connector members on said opposing ends of said headband include first and second male insert snap members, respectively.

29. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 27, wherein each of said speaker headphones include connector means for detachable connecting to said detachable connector members.

30. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 29, wherein said connector means include first and second female receiving snap members for receiving said first and second male insert snap members therein in order to attach said headband to each of said speaker headphones.

31. A combined headphone set including a detachable speaker assembly, comprising:

a) a headphone set including an ear-bud headphone housing having an interior ear-bud speaker on one side and an exterior convex member having a plurality of spaced-apart exterior electrical contact points thereon being positioned on the other side;

b) said ear-bud headphone housing including a stem member for receiving an audio signal wire therethrough for electrically connecting to said interior ear-bud speaker;

said audio signal wire detachably connected to an audio device;

c) a detachable speaker assembly including a speaker housing having an exterior speaker on one side and an interior side having an interior recessed compartment;

d) said interior recessed compartment including a plurality of spaced-apart interior electrical contact points thereon; and

e) said exterior electrical contact points of said ear-bud headphone housing inserted and matched with said interior electrical contact points within said interior recessed compartment of said speaker housing in order for said exterior speaker to send out sound/music from said audio device.

32. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 31, wherein each of said exterior electrical contact points are made of copper.

33. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 31, wherein each of said interior electrical contact points are made of copper.

34. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 31, wherein said combined headphone set is used as a stand-alone speaker.

35. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 31, wherein said interior recessed compartment is located on a top, a back, a side or a bottom of said speaker housing.

36. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 31, wherein said headphone set uses an external audio signal passthrough system which enables personal listening using said interior ear-bud speaker or an interior clip-on speaker or a standard interior speaker.

37. A combined headphone set including a speaker assembly, comprising:

a) a headphone set including a headband having a speaker headphone on opposing ends of said headband;

b) each of said speaker headphones including an exterior speaker for public listening and an interior speaker for personal listening by the user;

c) each of said exterior speakers and said interior speakers being configured in side-by-side configuration within each of said speaker headphones;

d) one of said speaker headphones including switching means for listening to said interior speaker or to said exterior speaker from each of speaker headphones; and

e) said speaker headphones including an audio signal wire being connected from an output jack of an audio device to said speaker headphones.

38. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 37, wherein each of said speaker headphones are movable from a personal listening position to a public listening position.

39. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 37, wherein each of said speaker headphones are swivable about a pivot point on opposing ends of said headband.

40. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 37, wherein each of said exterior speakers are detachably connected to each of said speaker headphones.

41. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 40, wherein each of said exterior speakers detachably slide away from each of said speaker headphones.

42. A combined headphone set in accordance with claim 40, wherein each of said exterior speakers detachably pops away from each of said speaker headphones.