Noise cancellation headset for use with stand or worn on ear

• US 5,715,321 A
• Filed: 10/23/1995
• Issued: 02/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andrea Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Andrea Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Andrea, Douglas, Topf, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US08/535,353
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 381/94, 381/93, 381/72, 381/71, 381/183, 381/188, 381/69, 381/68.7, 381/187, 379/430, 379/431
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/006 Microphone matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A self-supporting headset worn on the ear of a user without a headband or placed in a stand as a desk-top microphone system by a switch-function installed in the headset. The headset includes a housing which accommodates a receiver, an arcuate earband connected by a spring to the housing and a pivotally connected boom microphone which extends from the housing to near the lips of a user. The earband can have a shape substantially corresponding to human ear structure for placement behind the ear of the user. The arcuate housing is placed over the entire outer ear to transmit audio signals without any need for an ear tube. An earband member can have a female member on the bottom surface so as to connect a member to mate with a male member located on the stand, to thereby secure the headset on the stand. The headset can be equipped with noise cancellation technology to remove background noise for optional use on with telephones, computers, or any the like.

Claims

1. A headset comprising:

arcuate housing for placement over a left or right ear of a wearer, said housing having at least one receiver means for transmitting audio signals to the ear;

arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear having an earband member, the earband member having a female member;

first pivotal means for securing the earband member to the earband structure;

spring means for attaching the earband structure to the housing;

a boom microphone device having two ends, one end having a first microphone means for receiving a first acoustic sound composed of speech originating from the wearer and background noise and for converting said first acoustic sound to a first microphone signal and a second microphone means arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to said first microphone means for receiving a second acoustic sound composed of substantially said background noise and for converting said second acoustic sound to a second microphone signal and the other end having means for connecting the device to the housing;

means for subtracting the second signal from said first signal so as to obtain a signal representing substantially speech;

a second pivotal means for securing the boom microphone device to the housing;

electrical connecting means for transmitting audio signals from and supplying the microphone signal to an external communication system by an adapter means; and

a stand having a male member for insertion into the female member of the earband member.

2. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the first pivotal means for securing the boom microphone device to the housing is a ball and socket joint.

3. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the second pivotal means for securing the earband member to the earband structure is a ball and socket joint.

4. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is in a casing covered by a protective medium.

5. The noise cancellation headset according to claim 4, wherein the protective medium is a wind sock.

6. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the electronic connecting means is an in-line module case having a switch function.

7. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the adapter means is comprised of at least two jack means for insertion into sound cards of a computer.

8. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the jack means comprise a microphone jack for insertion into a microphone receiver of the sound card and a headset jack for insertion into a speaker receiver of the sound card.

9. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means has means defining holes for transmitting audio signals through the housing.

12. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the means for connecting the boom microphone device to the housing is a pivotal means.

13. The headset according to claim 12, wherein the pivotal means for connecting the boom microphone device to the housing is a ball and socket joint.

14. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is comprised of a first microphone and a second microphone means.

15. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the microphone means is in a casing covered by a protective medium.

16. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the protective medium is a wind sock.

17. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the electronic means is an in-line module case having a switch function.

18. The headset according to claim 17, wherein the adapter means is comprised of at least two jack means for insertion into sound cards of a computer.

19. The headset according to claim 18, wherein the jack means comprises a microphone jack for insertion into a microphone receiver of the sound card and a headset jack for insertion into a speaker receiver of the sound card.

20. The headset according to claim 12 wherein the means for matingly fitting with a stand is a female member.

21. The headset according to claim 20 including a stand wherein the female member of the earband member mates with into the stand having a male member.

22. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the receiver means has means defining holes for transmitting audio signals through the housing.

23. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the first end of the earband structure connects to the earband member by a pivotal means, and the means for matingly fitting with a stand is a female member.

24. The headset according to claim 23, wherein the pivotal means for connecting the earband member to the earband structure is a ball and socket joint.

10. The headset comprising:

arcuate housing placement over an ear, left or right, of a wearer, said housing having at least one receiver means for transmitting audio signals to the ear;

arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear;

spring means for attaching the earband structure to the housing;

boom microphone device having two ends, one end having a first and second microphone means for receiving an acoustic sound and for converting said acoustic sound to a microphone signal and the other end having a first pivotal means for connecting the device to the housing;

electronic connecting means for transmitting audio signals from the receiver means to the ear and for supplying the microphone signal from the boom microphone device to an external communication system by adapter means;

wherein the arcuate earband structure has two ends, the first end of the earband structure connected to the spring means and the second end of the earband structure opposite the first end connects the earband structure to an earband member by a ball and socket joint; and

wherein the first microphone means receives a first acoustic sound composed of speech originating from the wearer and background noise, and for converting said first acoustic sound to a first microphone signal, the second microphone means arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to said first microphone means for receiving a second acoustic sound composed of substantially said background noise and for converting said second acoustic sound to a second microphone signal, and means for subtracting the second microphone signal from said first microphone signal so as to obtain a signal representing substantially the speech, and whereby the headset is a noise cancellation headset.

11. A headset comprising:

arcuate housing for placement over an ear, left or right, of a wearer, said housing having at least one receiver means for transmitting audio signals to the ear;

arcuate earband structure for placement behind the ear having a first end and a second end;

the first end attached by movable means to an earband member;

the earband member having a distal end from attachment to the earband structure;

the distal end having a means for matingly fitting into an upright stand;

the second end having spring means for rotatably attaching the earband structure to the housing thereby allowing the earband structure to rotate up to 360°

around the housing;

boom microphone device having a first end and a second end;

the first end having a microphone means for receiving an acoustic sound and for converting said acoustic sound to a microphone signal;

the second end having means for connecting the boom microphone device to the housing; and

electronic means for transmitting audio signals from the receiver means to the ear and for supplying the microphone signal from the boom microphone device to an external communication system by adapter means.