Two-way communications earset with filter

• US 5,844,984 A
• Filed: 11/21/1994
• Issued: 12/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1992
• 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:
  US08/347,189
• Time in Patent Office: 1,471 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433, 381/68.2, 381/68.6, 381/69, 381/159, 381/158, 381/108, 381/94, 381/98, 381/380, 381/385
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/02 for preventing acoustic reaction , i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453

Abstract

A two way voice communications earset which is situated in the ear of the user and which includes a filter in an audio signal loop coupling a microphone and a speaker of the earset.

Claims

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

a case comprising;

an enlarged portion adapted to be placed in an ear auricle of a user, the enlarged portion including an insertion portion adapted to be inserted in an ear canal of the user, and

a hollow portion extending in a direction away from the ear, wherein the enlarged portion houses a speaker with an output led directly to the ear canal of the user and the hollow portion houses a microphone with a sole audio inlet comprising a hole, and wherein said case is configured to offset said hole of said sole audio inlet relatively far from the mouth of the user; and

filter means, comprising sound absorbing material having substantial thickness positioned in the hollow portion between the hole of the sole audio inlet and a diaphragm of the microphone, for reducing feedback between the speaker and the microphone.

3. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the sound-absorbing material comprises one of a coiled fiber sheet, glass wool, rock wool, felt, a high-density sponge, cotton fibers, and pulp fibers.

7. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter means comprises a coil having a diameter of approximately 6 mm.

8. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein the filter means passes audio frequencies in a range of approximately 300 Hz to 1000 Hz and has a high end cut off frequency below approximately 2.5 KHz.

9. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein the case has an L-shaped configuration.

10. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein a short arm of the L-shaped configuration includes the enlarged portion.

11. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 10, wherein the enlarged portion further includes an earset component portion.

12. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein a long arm of the L-shaped configuration includes the hollow portion, wherein the microphone is located at a first end of the hollow portion and the hole is located at the second end of the hollow portion.

13. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein the hollow portion comprises a sound pipe.

14. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 13, wherein the filter means is placed within the sound pipe and is situated between the microphone and the hole.

15. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the insertion portion is smaller than a diameter of the enlarged portion.

16. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device as recited in claim 1, wherein an output of the speaker is input to the insertion portion and fed into the ear canal of the user.

2. A two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device comprising:

a case comprising;

enlarged portion adapted to be placed in an ear auricle of a user, the enlarged portion including an insertion portion adapted to be inserted in an ear canal of the user, and

a hollow portion extending in a direction away from the ear, wherein the enlarged portion houses a speaker with an output led directly to the ear canal of the user and wherein the hollow portion houses a microphone with a sole audio inlet comprising a hole; and

filter means, comprising fibrous sound absorbing material and having substantial thickness positioned in the hollow portion between the hole of the sole audio inlet and a diaphragm of the microphone, for reducing feedback between the speaker and the microphone,

wherein the hole of the sole audio inlet and the sound absorbing material provide sound directivity to voice signals of the user, the sound absorbing material having an axis centered on the hole and being elongated along the axis.

4. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the sound-absorbing material comprises one of a coiled fiber sheet, glass wool, rock wool, felt, a high-density sponge, cotton fibers, and pulp fibers.

5. A two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device comprising:

a case comprising;

an enlarged portion adapted to be placed in an ear auricle of a user, the enlarged portion including an insertion portion adapted to be inserted in an ear canal of the user, and

a hollow portion extending in a direction away from the ear, wherein the enlarged portion houses a speaker with an output led directly to the car canal of the user and the hollow portion houses a microphone with a sole audio inlet comprising a hole, said case being configured to offset said hole of said sole audio inlet relatively far from the mouth of the user; and

filter means, comprising fibrous sound absorbing material having substantial thickness and positioned in the hollow portion between the hole of the sole audio inlet and a diaphragm of the microphone, for reducing feedback between the speaker and the microphone,

wherein the hole of the sole audio inlet and the sound absorbing material provide sound directivity to voice signals of the user, the sound absorbing material having an axis centered on the hole and being elongated along the axis.

6. The two-way simultaneous voice transmitting and receiving device according to claim 5, wherein the sound-absorbing material comprises one of a coiled fiber sheet, glass wool, rock wool, felt, a high-density sponge, cotton fibers, and pulp fibers.