Two-way communications earset

• US 5,606,607 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pan Communications, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pan Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Noboru, Konomi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US08/459,878
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433, 379/434, 381/68, 381/68.1, 381/68.4, 381/68.7, 381/69, 381/155, 381/169, 381/163, 381/158, 381/168, 381/183, 381/187
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A one piece two way voice communications earset which is situated in or at the ear of the user and which includes either two unidirectional microphones having their outputs combined or a single bi-directional microphone.

Claims

1. A one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device comprising:

a receiver for emitting sound primarily to the ear canal of a user; and

a transmitter, coupled to the receiver, comprising;

a first microphone for sound pickup adapted to be located outside the ear canal at a first position relative to the mouth of the user and outputting a first signal; and

a second microphone for sound pickup spaced from the first microphone and adapted to be located outside the ear canal at a second position relative to the mouth of the user farther from the mouth of the user than the first position and outputting a second signal;

subtracting means, coupled to the first and second microphones, for subtracting one of the first and second signals from the other and for outputting a third signal with a degree of amplification; and

reducing means, coupled to the subtracting means, for reducing the degree of amplification of the third signal to a first extent if a sound level at said transmitter means is greater than a selected threshold and for reducing the degree of amplification of the third signal to a greater extent than the first extent when the sound level is less than the selected threshold.

2. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the reducing means comprises:

a signal level detection circuit which receives the third signal from an input terminal and which detects the level of the third signal;

a signal generating circuit, coupled to the signal level detection circuit, for outputting a control signal based on the level detected by the signal level detection circuit;

a logarithmic amplifier, coupled to the signal generating circuit, which receives the third signal and amplifies the third signal based on the control signal output from the signal generating circuit;

a dividing circuit, coupled to the logarithmic amplifier, which divides the amplified third signal;

an amplifier, coupled to the dividing circuit, which amplifies a first output of the dividing circuit and outputs an amplified signal to the receiver; and

an output line, coupled to the dividing circuit, for outputting a second output of the dividing circuit to the transmitter.

3. A one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device comprising:

an ear cover adapted to hang at the auricle of a user'"'"'s ear;

a speaker attached to an inside portion of the ear cover and facing the entrance of the user'"'"'s ear canal;

a transmitter, coupled to an outside portion of said ear cover, comprising;

a first microphone for sound pickup adapted to be located outside the ear canal at a first position relative to the mouth of the user and outputting a first signal; and

a second microphone for sound pickup spaced a distance away from the first microphone and adapted to be located outside the ear canal at a second position relative to the mouth of the user farther from the mouth of the user than the first position and outputting a second signal;

subtracting means, coupled to the first and second microphones, for subtracting one of the first and second signals from the other and for outputting a third signal with a degree of amplification; and

reducing means, coupled to the subtracting means, for reducing the degree of amplification of the third signal to a first extent if a sound level at said transmitter means is greater than a selected threshold and for reducing the degree of amplification of the third signal to a greater extent than the first extent when the sound level is less than the selected threshold.