Apparatus, method and system for ultra short range communication

• US 6,738,485 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Martha Trout
• Original Assignee: Peter V Boesen
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US09/707,515
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 381/110, 381/312, 381/314, 381/315, 381/316, 381/328, 381/330, 704/275, 455/66, 455/68, 455/69, 455/70, 455/90, 455/403, 455/550, 455/557, 455/563, 455/568, 455/569, 379/67.1, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/90.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.07, 128/899, 600/300
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0256 wherein the modules are operable in the detached state, e.g. one module for the user interface and one module for the transceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Abstract

A system for voice sound communicated control includes an earpiece adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of the user and having a bone conduction sensor being adapted to sense bone conductive vibrations in the external auditory canal and an air conduction sensor being adapted to sense air vibrations, a processor electrically connected to the bone conduction sensor and the air conduction sensor and adapted to provide a voice sound signal. A local unit can be controlled by the earpiece. The local unit includes a reciever, a speech processor, a control unit and a device, the functions of the device being controlled via voice sound information received from the earpiece.

Claims

1. A system for voice sound communicated control comprising:

an earpiece adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of a user and having a bone conduction sensor being adapted to sense bone conductive vibrations in the external auditory canal and an air conduction sensor being adapted to sense air vibrations, and a processor electronically connected to the bone conduction sensor and the air conduction sensor and adapted to provide a voice sound signal;

a local unit comprising;

(1) a receiver for wirelessly receiving transmitted voice sound information over a distance;

(2) a speech processing unit for processing the received voice sound information;

(3) a control unit electrically connected to the speech processing unit for receiving the processed voice sound information;

(4) a device, wherein the device is electrically connected to the control unit and the control unit controls the device based on the voice sound information;

the earpiece in operative communication with the local unit.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the speech processing unit includes a voice recognition component.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the speech processing unit includes a voice identification component.

4. The system of claim 1 where in the speech processing unit includes a voice recognition component and a translation component.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is a frequency modulation receiver.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency within the 88-108 MHz band.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency of approximately 2450.0 MHz.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver is a spread spectrum receiver.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency within the range of 902 MHz to 960 MHz.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is selected from the set consisting of a processor, a digital signal processor, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and an integrated circuit.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the control unit and the speech processing unit are located on the same chip.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the device is selected from the set consisting of an appliance, a vehicle, a store display, and an electronic consumer device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance is less than approximately 30 feet.

14. The local unit of claim 1 wherein the distance is less than approximately 12 feet.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the distance is within the normal hearing range of normal voice communications.

16. The system of claim 1 further having a keypad in operative connection with the control unit.

17. The system of claim 1 further having a touch screen in operative connection with the control unit.

18. The system of claim 1 further having a display in operative connection with the control unit.

19. A new personal unit for personal communications comprising:

an earpiece adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of a user and having a bone conduction sensor being adapted to sense a portion of the external auditory canal adjacent the mastoid bone to convert bone conductive voice vibrations of the voice sound information of the user into electrical signals and an air conduction sensor being adapted to convert air vibrations of the voice sound information into electrical signals, a speech processor disposed within the earpiece, the speech processor being adapted to receive the electrical signals from the bone conduction sensor and the air conduction sensor and produce a voice sound signal; and

a voice recognition component in communication with the speech processor, the voice recognition component receiving the voice sound signal, applying voice recognition to recognize a message, and outputting a signal based on the message.

20. The personal unit of claim 19 wherein the voice recognition component is selected from the set consisting of software, hardware, firmware, and an integrated circuit, a portion of a SOC.

21. The personal unit of claim 19 wherein the voice recognition component is a portion of the speech processor.

22. The personal unit of claim 19 wherein the one or more components of the personal unit is contained on a SOC.

23. The personal unit of claim 19 wherein the air conduction sensor is an electret microphone.

24. The personal unit of claim 19 wherein the bone conduction sensor is a linear accelerometer.

25. The personal unit of claim 19 further comprising a transmitter for transmitting the voice sound signal.

26. The personal unit of claim 25 wherein the transmitter transmits at a power of less than approximately 1 mW.

27. The personal unit of claim 25 wherein the transmitter transmits at a power of less than approximately 0.5 mW.

28. The personal unit of claim 25 wherein the transmitter has a power density of less than approximately 150 μ

W/cm².

29. The personal unit of claim 25 wherein the transmitter has a power density of less than approximately 75 μ

W/cm².

30. A new system for remote voice control comprising:

a voice sound transmitting unit including an earpiece adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of a user and having a bone conduction sensor being adapted to sense a portion of the external auditory canal adjacent the mastoid bone to convert bone conductive voice vibrations of the voice sound information of the user into electrical signals and an air conduction sensor being adapted to convert air vibrations of the voice sound information into electrical signals, a signal processor disposed within the earpiece to receive the electrical signals from the bone conduction sensor and air conduction sensor to produce a true voice signal and to produce an identifying signal that identifies the voice sound transmitting unit or an operator of the voice sound transmitting unit, a transmitter operatively connected with the signal processor to receive the voice sound signal and the identifying signal for transmission; and

a receiver unit including a receiver capable of receiving the voice sound signal and the identifying signal and a control unit electrically connected to the receiver for processing the voice sound signal into control information.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the receiver unit and the transmitting unit are located within 30 feet of each other.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein the receiver unit and the transmitting unit are located within 12 feet of each other.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein the transmitting unit has a transmitting power of less than approximately 1 mW.

34. The system of claim 30 wherein the transmitting unit has a transmitting power of less than approximately 0.5 mW.

35. The system of claim 30 wherein the transmitting unit has a power density of less than approximately 150 μ

W/cm2.

36. The system of claim 30 wherein the transmitting unit has a power density of less than approximately 75 μ

W/cm2.

37. A system for personal communications comprising:

an earpiece adapted to be inserted into the external auditory canal of a user and having a bone conduction sensor being adapted to sense bone conductive vibrations in the external auditory canal and an air conduction sensor being adapted to sense air vibrations, and a processor electronically connected to the bone conduction sensor and the air conduction sensor and adapted to provide a voice sound signal;

a local unit comprising;

(1) a receiver for receiving voice sound information;

(2) a voice recognition component in communication with the receiver for processing the voice sound information and producing an output;

(3) a device;

(4) a control unit in communication with the voice recognition component and the device, the control unit controlling the device based on the output of the voice recognition component;

the earpiece in communication with the local unit.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the receiver demodulates a FM signal.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency approximately within the range of 88 MHz to 108 MHz.

40. The system of claim 37 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency of approximately 2450 MHz.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein the receiver operates at a frequency within the range of 902 MHz to 960 MHz.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the voice recognition component, receiver, and control unit are housed in the same integrated circuit.

43. The system of claim 37 further comprising a transmitter.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a power output of less than approximately 1 mW.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a power output of less than approximately 0.5 mW.

46. The system of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a limited range of transmission of approximately 30 feet.

47. The local unit of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a limited range of transmission of approximately 12 feet.

48. The system of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a power density of less than approximately 150 μ

W/cm2.

49. The system of claim 43 wherein the transmitter has a power density of less than approximately 75 μ

W/cm2.