Two-way communications earset

• US 5,664,014 A
• Filed: 06/06/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• 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): CHIANG, JACK
• Application Number:
  US08/470,505
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433, 379/434, 379/406, 379/410, 381/68, 381/68.6, 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, 381/71, 381/83, 381/94, 381/93
• 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. The earset also includes a combination circuit for adding or subtracting the first and second signals output from the first and second microphones respectively.

Claims

1. A one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device wearable at an ear, comprising:

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

transmitter means, coupled to the receiver means, 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, the first microphone being one of the unidirectional, bidirectional, or omnidirectional 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, the second position is farther from the mouth of the user than the first position, the second microphone being unidirectional if the first microphone is unidirectional, or bidirectional if the first microphone is bidirectional, or omnidirectional if the first microphone is omnidirectional, and outputting a second signal; and

means for subtracting the second signal from the first signal when in phase, or for adding the first and second signals when out of phase.

2. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second microphones are bi-directional microphones.

3. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second microphones are unidirectional microphones.

4. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to fit within the ear canal of the user.

5. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to hang at the ear of the user.

6. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the first and second microphones are substantially identical in shape and electrical performance characteristics.

7. The one piece two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 3, wherein the first and second microphones are substantially identical in shape and electrical performance characteristics.

8. A 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; and

a transmitter attached to an outside portion of the ear cover and having a first microphone for sound pickup adapted to be located at a first position relative to the mouth of the user, the first microphone being one of unidirectional, bidirectional, or omnidirectional and outputting a first signal, and a second microphone for sound pickup spaced from the first microphone and adapted to be located at a second position relative to the mouth of the user, the second position is farther away from the mouth of the user than the first position, the second microphone being unidirectional if the first microphone is unidirectional, bidirectional if the first microphone is bidirectional, or omnidirectional if the first microphone is omnidirectional, and outputting a second signal; and

a combination circuit, coupled to the transmitter, the combination circuit subtracts the second signal from the first signal when in phase, or adds the first and second signals when out of phase.