Helmet-supported radio transceiver and broadcast receiver system

• US 4,524,461 A
• Filed: 07/18/1983
• Issued: 06/18/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Sciabbarrasi
• Original Assignee: American Transceiver Corporation
• Inventors: Sciabbarrasi, Michael, Grossman, Walter B., Kostanty, Raymond G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bookbinder, Marc E.
• Application Number:
  US06/514,843
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 455/79, 455/82, 455/88, 455/89, 455/90, 455/140, 455/351, 381/110
• US Class Current: 455/79
• CPC Class Codes: A42B 3/30 Mounting radio sets or communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/46 by voice-frequency signals; by pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head

Abstract

A system is disclosed which includes a radio transceiver and a radio broadcast-band receiver housed in a package that is supported by a helmet of the type worn by mobile users such as motorcycle, bicycle, moped and skateboard riders and the like; or by non-mobile users such as policeman, fireman, construction workers and the like. In the absence of signals to or from the transceiver the user listens to radio broadcasts. Voice actuated circuitry disables the radio receiver and enables the transceiver transmitter for message transmission by the user to a remote station against a background of silence, or against a background of the user'"'"'s voice. Other circuitry is responsive to a message from a remote station received by the transceiver receiver for disabling the radio receiver so that message is heard by the user against a background of silence. The arrangement is such that the circuitry automatically detects the presence of transceiver signals and responds by: (1) disabling just the radio receiver; or (2) by disabling the radio receiver, disabling the transceiver receiver and enabling the transceiver transmitter for predetermined intervals.

Claims

1. A helmet-supported radio transceiver and radio receiver system, comprising:

a flexible, relatively resilient housing having a plurality of interconnected modules, and supported by the helmet;

radio receiver means disposed within the modules and normally enabled for receiving radio broadcasts;

radio transceiver means disposed within the modules for transmitting and receiving messages to and from a remote station, the receiver of the radio transceiver means being normally enabled and the transmitter thereof being normally disabled;

circuit means including power supply means disposed within the modules and connected to the radio receiver means and to the transceiver means;

the circuit means being responsive to messages received through the receiver of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means so that said received messages are heard by a user against a background of silence;

the circuit means being operative in a mode so as to be responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means and the receiver of the transceiver means, and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means so that the messages are transmitted to the remote station; and

said circuit means including means responsive to the messages received through the receiver of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means after a first predetermined interval and for maintaining said radio receiver means disabled for a second predetermined interval after the received message ends, means operative in one mode and responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means and the receiver of the transceiver means and for enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means after a third predetermined interval, and for maintaining the transmitter of the transceiver means enabled for a fourth predetermined interval after the transmitted messages end, and means for enabling the radio receiver means after the transmission and reception of messages through the transmitter and the receiver of the transceiver means, respectively, have been absent for a fifth predetermined interval.

2. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the circuit means is responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means, and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means so that the messages are transmitted to the remote station against a background of silence.

3. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the circuit means is responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means, and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means so that the messages are transmitted to the remote station against a background of the user'"'"'s voice.

4. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the housing supported by the helmet is disposed on the inside of the helmet near the bottom thereof and assumes the contours of the inside of the helmet; and

means are provided in association with the inside of the helmet and with the housing for maintaining the housing so disposed on the inside of the helmet.

5. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the housing supported by the helmet is disposed on the inside of the helmet near the bottom thereof and assumes the contours of the inside of the helmet; and

means are provided in association with the inside of the helmet and with the housing for maintaining the housing so disposed on the inside of the helmet.

6. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the circuit means is operative in another mode so as to be responsible to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means, with the receiver of the transceiver means remaining enabled, so that messages are transmitted and received to and from the remote station.

7. A system as described by claim 1, wherein:

the means operative in one mode is operative in another mode so as to be responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means, with the receiver of the transceiver means remaining enabled, after the third predetermined interval.

8. A helmet-supported radio transceiver and radio receiver system, comprising:

a flexible, relatively resilient housing having a plurality of interconnected modules, and supported by the helmet;

radio transceiver means and radio receiver means supported within the modules;

a microphone supported by the housing and connected to the transceiver means;

speaker means supported by the housing and connected to the transceiver means and to the radio receiver means;

circuit means including supply means supported within the modules and connected to the transceiver means, the radio receiver means, the microphone and the speaker means;

the circuit means including first means responsive to the voice of a user spoken through the microphone to transmit a message to a remote station and to disable the radio receiver means, and second means responsive to the voice of the user for disabling the receiver of the transceiver means and enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means;

the first means including first time delay means for disabling the radio receiver means for a first predetermined interval;

the second means including second time delay means for disabling the receiver of the transceiver means and enabling the transmitter of said transceiver means while the user speaks into the microphone and for a second predetermined interval thereafter, and the second time delay means disabling the transmitter of the transceiver means and enabling the receiver of said transceiver means after the second predetermined interval so that the user can hear a message from a remote station; and

the first time delay means effective for maintaining the radio receiver means disabled for a third predetermined interval after the end of transmission and reception of messages through the transmitter and the receiver, respectively, of the transceiver means.

9. A system as described by claim 8, wherein:

the housing supported by the helmet is disposed on the inside of the helmet near the bottom thereof and assumes the contours of the inside of the helmet; and

means are provided in association with the inside of the helmet and with the housing for maintaining the housing so disposed on the inside of the helmet.

10. A system as described by claim 8, wherein:

the first means responsive to the voice of a user spoken through the microphone to transmit a message to a remote station disables the radio receiver means, and the second means responsive to the voice of the user disables the receiver of the transceiver means and enables the transmitter of the transceiver means through the power supply means.

11. A system as described by claim 8, wherein:

the second means is responsive to the voice of the user for enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means, with the receiver of the transceiver means remaining enabled.

12. A helmet supported radio transceiver and radio receiver system, comprising:

a flexible, relatively resilient housing having a plurality of interconnected modules, and supported on the inside of the helmet near the bottom thereof so as to assume the contour of the inside of the helmet;

means provided in association with the helmet and with the housing for maintaining the housing so disposed on the inside of the helmet;

radio transceiver means and radio receiver means supported within the modules;

a microphone supported by the housing and connected to the transceiver means;

speaker means supported by the housing and connected to the transceiver means and to the radio receiver means;

circuit means including power supply means supported within the modules and connected to the transceiver means, the radio receiver means, the microphone and the speaker means, and effective for disabling the radio receiver means when a user transmits a message to a remote station through the microphone and the transmitter of the transceiver means and effective for disabling the radio receiver means when the user receives a message from the remote station through the speaker means and the receiver of the transceiver means, so that the messages are transmitted and received without radio broadcasts being received through the radio receiver means and the speaker means; and

said circuit means including means responsive to the messages received through the receiver of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means after a first predetermined interval and for maintaining said radio receiver means disabled for a second predetermined interval after the received messages end, means operative in one mode and responsive to messages transmitted by the user through the transmitter of the transceiver means for disabling the radio receiver means and the receiver of the transceiver means and for enabling the transmitter of the transceiver means after a third predetermined interval, and for maintaining the transmitter of the transceiver means enabled for a fourth predetermined interval after the transmitted messages end, and means for enabling the radio receiver means after the transmission and reception of messages through the transmitter and the receiver of the transceiver means, respectively, have been absent for a fifth predetermined interval.

13. A system as described by claim 12, wherein:

the modules are interconnected through channels; and

the radio transceiver means, the radio receiver means, the microphone, the speaker means and the circuit means are electrically connected by connecting means extending through the channels from one module to another.