Headrest and mobile body equipped with same

• US 5,151,944 A
• Filed: 05/15/1990
• Issued: 09/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamura, Souhei
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US07/460,334
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: 381/151, 381/114, 381/86
• US Class Current: 381/151
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/06 responsive to incapacity of driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/0373 Voice control in general G10L
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0017 Head-rests
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0043 for integrated articles, i.e. not substantially protruding from the surrounding parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14

Abstract

The present invention provides a headrest (1C, 2C) in which a bone-conduction microphone (1B, 2B) is mounted in such a position as to be in contact with the back side of the head of the operator. The invention also provides a mobile body comprising the headrest (1C, 2C) as a constituent member and characterized in that the output of the bone-conduction microphone is used for a telephone voice or for speech recognition control of a device such as one installed on a vehicle. The invention further provides a mobile body comprising the headrest as a constituent member and characterized in that sleep of the operator is detected by the output of the bone-conduction microphone (1B, 2B).

Claims

1. A headrest comprising a bone-condition microphone mounted thereon in a position so as to be in contact with a back side of the head of the operator during use and a power switch mounted on said headrest adjacent said bone-conduction microphone, said switch having a contact which is turned on substantially simultaneously with positive pressing of the bone-conduction microphone, such that said switch detects contact between the back side of the head of the operator and said bone-conduction microphone.

2. An operator headrest comprising a bone-conduction microphone and a power switch, said bone-conduction microphone being adapted to be in substantial contact with a back side of an operator'"'"'s head when said headrest is in use, said power switch being activated by said substantial contact of the back side of the operator'"'"'s head to activate said bone-conduction microphone.

3. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 2, wherein said power switch is pressure activated.

4. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 2, wherein said bone-conduction microphone provides signals for use in a mobile telephone system.

5. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 2, wherein said bone-conduction microphone provides signals for use in speech recognition control of an installed device.

6. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 2, wherein said operator headrest further comprises operator sound recognition means for detecting absence of an operator generated sound.

7. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 6, wherein said operator sound recognition means is connected to said bone-conduction microphone and comprises a buzzer activated by an absence of a signal supplied thereto and a signal detection circuit connected to said buzzer, said signal detection circuit comprising means for activating said buzzer after a predetermined time delay when no operator generated sound from said bone-conduction microphone is detected by said signal detection circuit.

8. An operator headrest as in claim 2 further comprising a sound detection circuit, an amplifier, a time delay circuit and a buzzer, said bone-conduction microphone being connected to said sound detection circuit and said amplifier, an output of said amplifier being connected to said time delay circuit, said time delay circuit being connected to said buzzer, said buzzer being activated after a predetermined time delay when said sound detection circuit detects an absence of sound signals from said bone-conduction microphone.

9. An operator headrest as set forth in claim 7, further comprising a sleep prevention starting switch connected in parallel with said headrest power switch, said sleep prevention starting switch being activatable when said headrest power switch is activated, said sleep prevention starting switch, when activated, maintaining power to said operator sound recognition means even when said headrest power switch is deactivated.