Personal communications unit

• US 6,041,243 A
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Davidson, Steven Frederic, Vollendorf, Kim David, DiCicco, Michael Frank, Stone, Jeffrey Jay, Collar, Stuart John
• Primary Examiner(s): TO, DORIS HA
• Application Number:
  US09/079,655
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 455/90, 455/575, 455/345, 455/346, 455/347, 455/350, 455/369, 455/569, 455/550, 455/556, 455/568, 455/95, 455/344, 455/351, 455/557
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 1/005 with embedded cable or connector
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/086 Portable receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3855 carried in a belt or harness
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head

Abstract

A personal communications unit facilitates both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom. The personal communications unit has a headset, an intercom connection cable placeable in electrical communication with the wired headset and also placeable in electrical communication with the wired intercom, a radio transceiver which is placeable in electrical communication with the headset, and a switching circuit which is configured to place the intercom connection cable in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is in electrical communication with the wired intercom and which is configured to place the radio transceiver in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is not in electrical communication with the headset. Wired communications with the wire intercom are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is connected to the wired intercom and wireless communications with the wired intercom are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is disconnected from the wired intercom.

Claims

1. A personal communications unit for facilitating both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom system, the personal communications unit comprising:

a) a headset cable for connection to a variety of headsets;

b) an intercom connection cable placeable in electrical communication with the headset and placeable in electrical communication with the wired intercom system;

c) a radio transceiver which is placeable into electrical communication with the headset;

d) a switching circuit configured to place the intercom connection cable in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is in electrical communication with the wired intercom system, and to place the radio transceiver in electrical communication with the headset when the intercom connection cable is not in electrical communication with the headset; and

e) wherein wired communications with the wired intercom system are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is in electrical communication with the wired intercom system, and wireless communications with the wired intercom system are facilitated when the intercom connection cable is not in electrical communication with the wired intercom system.

2. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the intercom connection cable comprises a plug connector for placing the intercom connection cable in electrical communication with the wired intercom system.

3. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 1, wherein the switching circuit comprises a solid state switch for placing one of the intercom connection cable and the radio transceiver in electrical communication with the headset.

4. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 1, further comprising a docking station to which the headset and the intercom connection cables are electrically connected and to which the radio transceiver is removably mechanically connectable.

5. A personal communications unit for facilitating both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom system, wired communications being performed utilizing a headset which is in electrical communication with the wired intercom system, the personal communications unit comprising:

a) a docking station station having a first port for facilitating electrical communication with the headset and a second port for facilitating electrical communication with the wired intercom system;

b) a radio transceiver in electrical communication with the docking station, the radio transceiver being separable from the docking station so as to break electrical communication with the docking station;

c) wherein attachment of the radio transceiver to the docking station facilitates one of wired and wireless communications between the headset and the wired intercom system, and separation of the radio transceiver from the docking station facilitates wireless communications between the radio transceiver and the wired intercom system.

6. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the first and second ports of the docking station are defined by cable connectors.

7. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the docking station and the radio transceiver comprise complimentary electrical connectors for facilitating electrical communication therebetween.

8. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the docking station and the radio transceiver comprise complimentary mechanical connectors for facilitating mechanical attachment therebetween.

9. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the docking station and the radio transceiver comprise complimentary electro mechanical connectors for facilitating both electrical communication and mechanical attachment therebetween.

10. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the radio transceiver and the docking station attach to one another so as to form a single unit, thereby placing the radio transceiver in electrical communication with the docking station.

11. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the radio transceiver comprises circuitry for cooperating with the docking station so as to facilitate communications via the wired intercom system.

12. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the radio transceiver comprises an amplifier circuit for cooperating with the docking station so as to facilitate communications via the wired intercom.

13. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

a) a headset cable;

b) an intercom connection cable;

c) a vest to which the docking station is attached and into which the headset cable and the intercom connection cable are extended;

d) wherein a crew member may discard the vest and the headset, and then use the radio transceiver for wireless communications; and

e) wherein the headset and intercom connection cables can be constrained, routed and located in the vest to prevent them from hampering movement of the crew member.

14. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the docking station comprises a guide for aligning the radio transceiver with the docking station so as to facilitate mechanical and electrical interconnection of the docking station and the radio transceiver.

15. The personal communications unit as recited in claim 5, wherein the docking station comprises a guide for aligning the radio transceiver with the docking station so as to facilitate mechanical and electrical interconnection of the docking station and the radio transceiver, the guide being configured as a sleeve sized to receive at least a portion of the radio transceiver.

16. A personal communications unit for facilitating both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom system, the personal communications unit comprising:

a docking station configured to be placeable into electrical communication with a headset and the wired intercom system; and

a radio transceiver releasably attached to the docking station, the radio transceiver being in electrical communication with the docking station when attached thereto;

at least one of the docking station and the radio transceiver including circuitry operative to facilitate wired communications between the headset and the wired intercom system when the docking station is placed into electrical communication with the headset and the wired intercom system, wireless communications between the headset and the wired intercom system when the docking station is placed into electrical communication with only the headset, and wireless communications between the radio transceiver and the wired intercom system when the radio transceiver is detached from the docking station.

17. The personal communications unit of claims 16 further comprising:

a headset cable electrically connected to the docking station for placing the docking station into electrical communication with the headset; and

an intercom connection cable electrically connected to the docking station for placing the docking station into electrical communication with the wired intercom system.

18. A personal communications unit for facilitating both wired and wireless communications with a wired intercom system, the personal communications unit comprising:

a docking station configured to be placeable into electrical communication with the wired intercom system;

a headset electrically connected to the docking station;

a radio transceiver releasably attached to and in electrical communication with the docking station;

the docking station being operative to facilitate wired communications between the headset and the wired intercom system when placed into electrical communication with the wired intercom system, and wireless communications between the headset and the wired intercom system when not placed into electrical communication with the wired intercom system, with the radio transceiver being operative to facilitate wireless communications with the wired intercom system when detached from the docking station.

19. The personal communications unit of claim 18 further comprising:

a headset cable electrically connected to the headset and the docking station; and

an intercom connection cable electrically connected to the docking station for placing the docking station into electrical communication with the wired intercom system.