Eyewear for hands-free communication

• US 6,729,726 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2001
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Original Assignee: Stryker Corporation
• Inventors: Miller, Eric C., Wang, Charles N., Gunday, Erhan H., Juergens, Albert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Huy
• Application Number:
  US09/972,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 941 Days
• Field of Search: 351/111, 351/123, 351/158, 381/327, 381/381, 381/237
• US Class Current: 351/158
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

Eyewear for two-way communication comprises a speaker and a microphone. The speaker is supported by an earstem of the eyewear. In some embodiments the earstem is formed into a speaker support loop. The speaker is supported by the loop and held away from the wearer'"'"'s external outer ear. Speaker position is adjustable in relation to the wearer'"'"'s ear. An electrical cord couples the microphone and speakers to a wearer unit that includes a wireless transceiver. The electrical cord functions as a neck strap to support the eyewear when removed from the head.

Claims

1. Eyewear comprising:

an eye protection portion;

an earstem coupled to the eye protection portion, wherein the earstem comprises a temple portion, an earpiece, and a speaker support loop continuously positioned between the temple portion and the earpiece; and

a speaker supported by the support loop.

2. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the speaker support loop comprises a continuous curve of the earstem.

3. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the speaker support loop is positioned to hold the speaker such that an air gap exists between the speaker and the eyewear wearer'"'"'s external outer ear.

4. The eyewear of claim 3 further comprising:

a second earstem coupled to the eye protection portion, wherein the second earstem comprises a second temple portion, a second earpiece, and a second speaker support loop positioned between the second temple portion and the second earpiece; and

a second speaker supported by the second support loop;

wherein the second speaker support loop is positioned to hold the second speaker such that an air gap exists between the second speaker and the eyewear wearer'"'"'s opposite external outer ear.

5. The eyewear of claim 1 further comprising a speaker mount positioned within the support loop, the speaker being mounted in the speaker mount.

6. The eyewear of claim 5 further comprising an axis of rotation of the speaker mount within the support loop, the speaker being mounted offset from the axis of rotation in the speaker mount.

7. The eyewear of claim 5, wherein the speaker mount comprises an oblong shape comprising a proximal end and a distal end, the speaker mount being mounted near the proximal end in the support loop, the speaker being mounted near the distal end.

8. The eyewear of claim 5, wherein the speaker mount is rotatably mounted in the support loop.

9. The eyewear of claim 5, wherein the speaker mount is slidably mounted in the support loop.

10. The eyewear of claim 1 further comprising a microphone housing and a microphone positioned within the microphone housing.

11. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the microphone is a directional microphone and the microphone housing is configured to pick up the eyewear wearer'"'"'s voice.

12. The eyewear of claim 11 comprising a second microphone mounted in a second microphone housing, wherein the second microphone is a directional microphone and the second microphone housing is configured to pick up the eyewear wearer'"'"'s voice.

13. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the microphone housing is positioned in the earstem.

14. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the eye protection portion comprises a frame and the microphone housing is positioned in the frame.

15. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the microphone is a directional microphone oriented to pick up the eyewear wearer'"'"'s voice, and wherein the speaker is positioned in a pickup sensitivity null of the directional microphone.

16. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the speaker is positioned in a pickup sensitivity null of the microphone.

17. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the speaker is positioned to output an accoustical dipole defined along an axis, and wherein the microphone is positioned in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of the dipole, whereby sound that arrives at the microphone from one lobe of the accoustical dipole is approximately 180 degrees out of phase from sound that arrives at the microphone from the opposite lobe of the accoustical dipole.

18. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the eye protection portion comprising a lens, and wherein the lens transmits a maximum 2 percent average light intensity in an ultraviolet spectrum and transmits a minimum of 95 percent of average light intensity in a range associated with brightness perception of an eye.

19. The eyewear of claim 1 further comprising a neck strap, the neck strap comprising an electrical conductor coupled to the speaker.

20. The eyewear of claim 19 further comprising a plug electrically coupling the neck strap and the earstem.

21. The eyewear of claim 19, wherein the neck strap comprises a first electrical conductor coupled to the speaker and a second conductor coupled to a microphone.

22. A method of fabricating eyewear, comprising the acts of:

providing an eye protection portion;

providing an earstem comprising a temple portion, an earpiece, and a speaker support loop positioned between the temple portion and the earpiece;

coupling the earstem to the eye protection portion; and

using the speaker support loop to support a speaker.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein providing the speaker support loop comprises forming the loop as a continuous curve of the earstem.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein providing the speaker support loop comprises positioning the loop to support the speaker such than an air gap exists between the speaker and the eyewear wearer'"'"'s external outer ear.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising the acts of:

providing a second earstem comprising a temple portion, an earpiece, and a speaker support loop positioned between the temple portion and the earpiece;

coupling the second earstem to the eye protection portion; and

supporting a second speaker in the second speaker support loop;

wherein providing the second earstem comprises forming the second loop to support the second speaker such that an air gap exists between the second speaker and the eyewear wearer'"'"'s opposite external outer ear.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising the acts of:

positioning a speaker mount in the support loop such that the speaker mount rotates within the support loop around an axis of rotation; and

positioning the speaker in the speaker mount to be offset from the axis of rotation.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of positioning a speaker mount in the support loop such that the speaker mount translates within the support loop.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of mounting a microphone in the eyewear.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the microphone is a directional microphone, and wherein mounting the microphone comprises orienting the microphone to selectively pick up the eyewear wearer'"'"'s voice.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising the act positioning the speaker in a pickup sensitivity null of the microphone.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of using a lens in the eye protection portion to transmit a maximum 2 percent average light intensity in an ultraviolet spectrum and transmit a minimum of 95 percent of average light intensity in a range associated with brightness perception of an eye.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising the act of providing in a neck strap an electrical conductor to be coupled to the speaker.

33. A method of fabricating eyewear, comprising the acts of providing a frame, a speaker supported by the frame, and a microphone supported by the frame;

wherein the speaker is positioned to output an accoustical dipole defined along an axis, and wherein the microphone is positioned in a plane approximately perpendicular to the axis of the dipole, whereby sound that arrives at the microphone from one lobe of the accoustical dipole is approximately 180 degrees out of phase from sound that arrives at the microphone from the opposite lobe of the accoustical dipole.

34. A method of providing eyewear for two-way communication, comprising the acts of:

positioning a speaker with the eyewear such that the speaker outputs a first lobe of an accoustical dipole towards an ear of a user wearing the eyewear; and

positioning a microphone with the eyewear such that the microphone receives the voice of the user wearing the eyewear;

wherein sound that arrives at the microphone from the first lobe of the accoustical dipole is approximately 180 degrees out of phase from sound that arrives at the microphone from a second lobe of the accoustical dipole opposite the first lobe.

35. A method of providing eyewear for two-way communication, comprising the acts of:

positioning a microphone with the eyewear such that the microphone receives the voice of a user wearing the eyewear; and

positioning a speaker with the eyewear such that sound from the speaker outputs sound towards an ear of the user wearing the eyewear;

wherein sound from the speaker arrives at a pickup sensitivity null of the microphone.

36. An eyewear earstem comprising:

a first end portion;

a second end portion opposite the first end portion;

a support loop continuously positioned between the first and second end portions; and

a speaker supported by at least a portion of the support loop.

37. The earstem of claim 36, wherein the second end portion is shaped to rest on at least a portion of a wearer'"'"'s external outer ear.

38. The earstem of claim 36, wherein the support loop is positioned to hold the speaker away from a wearer'"'"'s external outer ear such that an air gap exists between at least a portion of the speaker and the external outer ear.

39. The earstem of claim 36 further comprising a microphone positioned in the first end portion.