Telephone handset with enhanced handset/handsfree receiving and alerting audio quality

• US 6,324,284 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Hawker, Larry E., Dolezal, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US09/630,568
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 379/433, 379/420, 379/428, 381/386, 381/395, 381/335, 381/336
• US Class Current: 379/433.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2803 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2819 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2842 for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

A handset comprising a sealed unit receiver and a loudspeaker, first apparatus for providing sound from the receiver to the ear of a user when the ear of the user is sealed to the handset, and second apparatus for providing sound from both the receiver and from the loudspeaker to the ear of the user when the ear of the user is only partly sealed to the handset.

Claims

1. A handset comprising a region for sealing engagement with the ear of a user, a sealed unit receiver for providing sound to said ear, and a loudspeaker, first means for providing sound from substantially only the sealed unit receiver to the ear of a user when the ear of the user is sealed to the handset, and second means outside said region for providing said sound from both the sealed unit receiver and from said loudspeaker to the ear of the user when the ear of the user is not sealed to the handset.

2. A handset as defined in claim 1 in which the first means is comprised of at least one port coupling sound from the receiver within said region of the handset intended to be in sealing contact with the ear of a user, and in which the second means is comprised of at least one further port coupling sound from the loudspeaker to the ear of the user outside of said region.

3. A handset comprising at least one acoustic enclosure, the enclosure containing at least one port in a front surface thereof, the at least one port communicating with and being contained within a defined ear-to-handset sealing region of the handset, a sealed unit receiver for emitting sound through the at least one port sealed between the enclosure and the at least one port, a loudspeaker disposed within the enclosure for emitting a low frequency component of said sound, and at least one further port in a front surface of the enclosure communicating with and being located outside said sealing region of the handset for emitting the low frequency sound to a user when an ear of the user is not sealed to the handset within said sealing region.

4. A method of operating a handset comprising coupling sound from substantially only a receiver to the ear of a user within a defined ear-to-handset sealing region, and coupling a low frequency component of said sound from an auxiliary loudspeaker to said ear outside of said sealing region during use of the handset when the ear is not completely sealed to the handset.

5. A handset comprising a region for sealing engagement with the ear of a user, a sealed unit receiver and a loudspeaker, a first coupling structure for providing sound from substantially only said sealed unit receiver to the ear of a user when the ear of the user is sealed to said region, and a second coupling structure for providing sound from both the sealed unit receiver and from said loudspeaker to the ear of the user when the ear of the user is not sealed to the handset.

6. A handset as defined in claim 5 in which the first coupling structure is comprised of at least one port coupling sound from the receiver within said region, and in which the second coupling structure is comprised of at least one further port coupling sound from the loudspeaker to the ear of the user outside of said region.