HEADSET WITH EXCHANGEABLE SPEAKER

• US 20080279409A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hupkes, Ernst
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,090 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• 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

Abstract

An earpiece speaker system including an earpiece body through which an audio signal is provided, the earpiece body having a speaker mount surface, and a plurality of speaker modules mountable to the body. Each of the speaker modules includes a mount surface for mating with the earpiece body speaker mount surface for securing the speaker module thereto in order to reproduce the audio signal.

Claims

1. An earpiece speaker system comprising:

an earpiece body through which an audio signal is provided, the earpiece body having a speaker mount surface; and

a plurality of speaker modules interchangeably mountable to the body;

wherein each of the speaker modules includes a mount surface for mating with the earpiece body speaker mount surface for securing the speaker module thereto in order to reproduce the audio signal.

2. An earpiece speaker system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the earpiece body includes electrical contacts for making an electrical connection with the speaker module when mounted thereto, the electrical contacts configured to provide a suitable audio signal to a speaker of the speaker module.

3. An earpiece system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the earpiece body includes at least two pairs of electrical contacts, each respective pair for use with a respective different type of speaker module.

4. An earpiece system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the at least two pairs of electrical contacts are formed by three electrical contacts.

5. An earpiece system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a fastener for securing a speaker module to the earpiece body.

6. An earpiece system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of speaker modules includes at least one in-ear speaker module and at least one in-concha speaker module.

7. An earpiece system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the earpiece body includes a first pair of electrical contacts configured to provide a suitable electrical signal to the in-ear speaker module when mounted thereto, and a second pair of contacts configured to provide a suitable signal to the in-concha speaker module when mounted thereto.

8. An earpiece speaker system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the speaker module mount surface of the earpiece body has a recess or protraction for mating with a corresponding recess or protrusion on the mounting surface of the speaker module when mounted thereto.

9. A headset including the earpiece speaker system as set forth in claim 1.

10. An earpiece body through which an audio signal is provided, the earpiece body comprising;

a mount surface for receiving a speaker module;

a first pair of electrical contacts for providing a suitable electrical signal to a first speaker module type; and

a second set of electrical contacts for providing a suitable electrical signal to a second speaker module type.

11. An earpiece body as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first and second pairs of electrical contacts are formed by three electrical contacts.

12. An earpiece including the earpiece body as set forth in claim 10, and a speaker module mounted thereto.

13. An earpiece body as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first pair of electrical contacts are configured to provide a suitable electrical signal to a in-ear speaker module.

14. An earpiece body as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first pair of electrical contacts are configured to provide a suitable electrical signal to a in-concha speaker module.

15. An earpiece speaker comprising:

an earpiece body through which an audio signal is provided;

a speaker for reproducing the audio signal; and

a plurality of ear inserts removably attachable to the at least one of the earpiece body and the speaker;

wherein the plurality of ear inserts include at least one in-ear insert and at least one in-concha insert.