Miniaturized headset for two-way voice communication

• US 4,720,857 A
• Filed: 12/06/1985
• Issued: 01/19/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Harris, Robert L., Burris, Christine, Kolough, Victor, Young, Robert, Linville, Larry R., Scott, Charles G.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US06/805,907
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 179/111 E, 179/121 D, 179/121 R, 179/180, 179/182 R, 179/182 A, 179/156 A, 179/156 R, 179/107 A, 379/430, 379/433, 381/183, 381/187, 381/68.6
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication

Abstract

A miniaturized headset for two-way voice communication is supported and positioned by the notch in the concha portion of a wearer'"'"'s ear. The headset is reversible and may be worn on either the left or right ear. The earpiece includes sound output ports located therein to provide for alignment of a port with the auditory canal of either of the headset wearer'"'"'s ears. The earpiece is disposed within the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear and outside the auditory canal.

Claims

1. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

a housing;

means, including a microphone, connected to said housing, for converting a wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means, including a receiver, connected to said housing, for converting received electrical signals into sounds;

means including an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the received signal converting means to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece assembly including a pair of sound output ports, one of the ports being in alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of a wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear and establish rotational positioning of the earpiece assembly relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear.

2. The headset of claim 1 wherein said earpiece assembly comprises an earpiece holder attached to said housing, an earpiece and an earpiece cover of a substantially circular configuration disposed over said earpiece.

3. The headset of claim 2 wherein the sound output ports are spaced-apart arcuate openings.

4. The headset of claim 2 wherein the sound output ports are formed in the earpiece holder.

5. The headset of claim 2 wherein the sound output ports are formed in the earpiece.

6. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

an elongated housing having an opening in the lower end to permit the entry of sounds from a wearer'"'"'s speech and an opening in the upper end to permit the exit of sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

means, including a microphone, disposed within the housing proximate sound entry opening in the lower end thereof, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means, including a receiver, disposed within the housing proximate the upper end thereof, for converting received electrical signals into sounds and conveying the sounds to the sound exit opening;

an earpiece assembly carried by said housing proximate the sound exit opening at the upper end thereof, for conveying sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly adapted to fit within the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece assembly including a pair of output ports disposed to provide for alignment of a port with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece assembly is disposed; and

a shoulder formed on the upper end of the housing adjacent the earpiece for engaging the notch portion of the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear to establish rotational positioning of the earpiece assembly relative to the wearer and to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear.

7. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

a housing;

means, connected to said housing and including a microphone, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means, connected to said housing and including a receiver, for converting received electrical signals into sounds;

an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the received signal converting means to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly including an earpiece member adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece member including a pair of sound output ports disposed to provide for alignment of a port with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of a wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear, establish rotational positioning of the earpiece relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear, and position the microphone near the wearer'"'"'s mouth.

8. The headset of claim 7 wherein the earpiece assembly further comprises and earpiece holder attached to said housing and an earpiece cover of a substantially circular configuration disposed over said earpiece member.

9. The headset of claim 8 wherein the sound output ports are spaced-apart arcuate openings radially offset from the center of the earpiece member.

10. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

a housing;

means, connected to said housing and including a microphone, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means, connected to said housing and including a receiver, for converting received electrical signals into sounds;

means including an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the received signal converting means to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly including an earpiece member adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal and an earpiece holder attached to said housing and mounting said earpiece member;

said earpiece holder including a pair of sound output ports disposed to provide for alignment of a port with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of a wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear, establish rotational positioning of the earpiece assembly relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear, and position the microphone near the wearer'"'"'s mouth.

11. The headset of claim 10 further comprising an earpiece cover of a substantially circular configuration disposed over said earpiece member.

12. The headset of claim 10 wherein the sound output ports are spaced-apart arcuate openings radially offset from the center of the earpiece holder.

13. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

a housing;

transmit means, including a microphone, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals, said transmit means being connected to said housing;

receive means, including a receiver transducer, for converting received electrical signals into sounds, said receive means being connected to said housing;

means, including an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the receiver transducer to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece assembly including a sound output port disposed for alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of a wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear and establish rotational positioning of the earpiece assembly relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear.

14. A two-way voice communications headset, comprising:

an elongated housing having an opening in the lower end to permit the entry of sounds from a wearer'"'"'s speech and an opening in the upper end to permit the exit of sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

means, including a microphone, disposed within the housing proximate sound entry opening in the lower end thereof, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means, including a receiver, disposed within the housing proximate the upper end thereof, for converting received electrical signals into sounds and conveying the sounds to the sound exit opening;

an earpiece assembly carried by said housing proximate the sound exit opening at the upper end thereof, for conveying sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly adapted to fit within the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear and outside the auditory canal; and

said earpiece assembly including a sound output port disposed for alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece assembly is disposed.

15. A two-way voice communications headset, comprising:

a housing;

transmit means, including a microphone, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals, said transmit means being connected to said housing;

receive means, including a receiver, for converting received electrical signals into sounds, said receive means being connected to said housing;

an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the received signal converting means to the wearer'"'"'s ears;

said earpiece assembly including an earpiece member adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece member including a sound output port disposed for alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of a wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear, establish rotational positioning of the earpiece relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear, and position the microphone near the wearer'"'"'s mouth.

16. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

a housing;

transmit means, including a microphone, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signal, said transmit means being connected to said housing;

receive means, including a receiver transducer, for converting received electrical signals into sounds, said receive means being connected to said housing;

means including an earpiece assembly carried by said housing, for conveying sounds from the receive means to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly including an earpiece member adapted to fit within the concha of either a wearer'"'"'s left or right ear and outside the auditory canal and an earpiece holder attached to said housing and mounting said earpiece member;

said earpiece holder including a sound output port disposed for alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear regardless of which ear the earpiece is disposed; and

means carried on said housing, for engaging the notch portion of the concha of either of the wearer'"'"'s ears to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear, establish rotational positioning of the earpiece relative to the wearer'"'"'s ear, and position the microphone near the wearer'"'"'s mouth.

17. A two-way voice communication headset, comprising:

an elongated housing having an opening in the lower end to permit the entry of sounds from a wearer'"'"'s speech and an opening in the upper end to permit the exit of sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

means including a microphone, disposed within the housing proximate sound entry opening in the lower end thereof, for converting the wearer'"'"'s speech to electrical signals;

means including a receiver, disposed within the housing proximate the upper end thereof, for converting received electrical signals into sounds and conveying the sounds to the sound exit opening;

an earpiece assembly carried by said housing proximate the sound exit opening at the upper end thereof, for conveying sounds to the wearer'"'"'s ear;

said earpiece assembly being for placement within the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear and outside the auditory canal;

said earpiece assembly including a sound output port disposed for alignment with the auditory canal of the wearer'"'"'s ear; and

means disposed at the upper end of the housing adjacent the earpiece for engaging the concha of the wearer'"'"'s ear to support the housing from the wearer'"'"'s ear and for engaging the notch portion of the concha to establish positioning of the microphone relative to the wearer'"'"'s mouth.