Headset communication device

• US 6,795,718 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Young Engineering Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Young Engineering Incorporated
• Inventors: Bae, Hyon S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan A
• Application Number:
  US10/077,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20030157972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 455/568, 455/568.1, 455/41-- 4, 455/66, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/569.1, 455/550, 455/575.2, 455/344, 455/347, 455/350, 379/420-1-4, 379/428-1-4, 379/430, 379/433.01, 379/433.02, 379/433.08, D14/204-206, D14/223-224, D14/248-249
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly

Abstract

A headset is described for use in connection with either mobile telephones, conventional landline telephones or personal computers. When used with wireless applications, the headset is housed in a generally elongated casing having an ear bud, having a speaker therein, and a battery pack extending therefrom which are used in conjunction with one another to secure the headset against a user'"'"'s ear. The battery pack includes a lip that is designed to cradle the helix of a user'"'"'s ear against the casing and is positioned distal of the ear bud such that the battery pack is located behind a user'"'"'s ear when the headset is in its operating position. The battery pack and the ear bud are further positioned on the casing to equally distribute the weight of the headset about the ear bud and prevent unnecessary movement of the headset about ear during operation.

Claims

1. A wireless headset for communicating with a base, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear, the headset comprising:

an elongated casing having an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end and a second end, said inner surface facing the user and said outer surface being generally parallel to said inner surface;

a speaker extending substantially perpendicularly from said inner surface of the elongated casing for positioning of said speaker within an ear canal opening of said user;

a microphone positioned at the first end of the elongated casing;

a battery pack extending from the second end of the elongated casing generally parallel to the speaker, the battery pack designed to act in conjunction with the speaker to secure the headset against the user'"'"'s ear; and

a transceiver within the elongated casing and electronically connected to the speaker, the microphone and the battery pack for permitting communication between the headset and the base.

2. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, wherein the battery pack has a lip extending therefrom for engaging the user'"'"'s ear between the lip and the elongated casing, the battery pack extending from the elongated casing at a distance from the speaker such that the lip engages an exterior of the user'"'"'s ear when the speaker is positioned within an the ear canal opening of the user'"'"'s ear.

3. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one reference point on the casing and laterally aligned with the speaker, the at least one reference point permitting the user to reference the location of the speaker along the elongated casing as the reference point and the speaker are substantially at a same distance from said first and second ends.

4. The wireless headset recited in claim 3, wherein the reference point includes two opposing indentations in lateral alignment with the speaker and with each other.

5. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, wherein said battery pack further comprises a rechargeable battery.

6. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, wherein the battery pack is removably attached to the elongated casing.

7. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, wherein the weight of the headset is equally distributed on each side of the speaker to prevent the unnecessary rotation of the headset about the speaker.

8. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, further comprising an ear bud that incorporates the speaker therein.

9. The wireless headset recited in claim 1, further comprising a power button for controlling the operation of the headset.

10. A wireless headset for communicating with a base, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear, the headset comprising:

an elongated casing having a first end and a second end;

a speaker extending from an inner surface of the elongated casing for insertion of said speaker within an ear canal opening of said user;

a microphone positioned at the first end of the elongated casing;

a battery pack extending generally parallel with the speaker from the second end of the elongated casing, and positioned relative to the speaker such that the weight of the elongated casing is equally distributed on each side of the speaker to prevent the unnecessary rotation of the headset about the speaker, said battery pack, when the speaker is inserted within the ear canal opening of the user'"'"'s ear, remaining above said user'"'"'s ear canal opening; and

a transceiver within the elongated casing and electronically connected to the speaker, the microphone and the battery pack for permitting communication between the headset and the base.

11. The wireless headset recited in claim 10, further comprising an ear bud that incorporates the speaker therein.

12. The wireless headset recited in claim 10, wherein the battery pack is designed to engage the pinna of the user'"'"'s ear.

13. The wireless headset recited in claim 12, wherein the battery pack is designed to act in conjunction with the speaker to secure the headset against the user'"'"'s ear.

14. The wireless headset recited in claim 12, wherein the battery pack has a lip extending therefrom substantially parallel to said inner surface of said elongated casing for engaging the user'"'"'s ear between the lip and said inner surface.

15. The wireless headset recited in claim 10, further comprising at least one reference point on the casing laterally aligned with the speaker, the at least one reference point permitting the user to reference the location of the speaker along the elongated casing.

16. The wireless headset recited in claim 15, wherein the reference point includes two opposing indentations in lateral alignment with the speaker and with each other.

17. The wireless headset recited in claim 10, wherein said battery pack further comprises a rechargeable battery.

18. The wireless headset recited in claim 10, further comprising a power button for controlling the operation of the headset.

19. A wireless headset for communicating with a base, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear having an ear canal opening, the headset comprising:

an elongated generally pontoon-shaped casing;

an ear bud extending substantially perpendicularly from an inner surface of the elongated casing having a speaker incorporated therein, said ear bud for positioning of said speaker within an ear canal opening of said user;

a battery pack with a compact, generally barrel-shaped body extending from one end of the elongated casing and generally parallel to the ear bud, the battery pack having a lip extending therefrom for engaging the user'"'"'s car between the lip and the casing, the battery pack positioned at said one end of the elongated casing at a distance from the ear bud such that when the ear bud is positioned within the ear canal opening of the user'"'"'s ear, the lip engages an exterior of the user'"'"'s ear and the body of the battery pack remains above said ear canal opening;

a microphone positioned within the elongated casing; and

a transceiver within the elongated casing and electronically connected to the speaker, the microphone and the battery pack for permitting communication between the headset and the base.

20. The wireless headset recited in claim 19, further comprising at least one reference point on the casing and laterally aligned with the ear bud, the at least one reference point permitting the user to reference the location of the ear bud along the elongated casing.

21. The wireless headset recited in claim 20, wherein the reference point includes two opposing indentations in lateral alignment with the ear bud.

22. The wireless headset recited in claim 19, wherein said battery pack further comprises a rechargeable battery.

23. The wireless headset recited in claim 19, wherein the battery pack is removably attached to the elongated casing.

24. The wireless headset recited in claim 19, wherein the weight of the headset is equally distributed on each side of the speaker to prevent the unnecessary rotation of the headset about the speaker.

25. A wireless headset for communicating with a base, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear, the headset comprising:

an elongated casing having an inner surface facing the user'"'"'s ear and an outer surface that is generally parallel to said inner surface;

an ear bud with a speaker extending from the inner surface of the elongated casing;

a battery pack extending from one end of the elongated casing generally parallel to with the speaker, the battery pack having a lip extending substantially parallel with said inner surface designed to act in conjunction with the speaker ear bud, in an absence of any additional securing mechanism, to secure the headset against the user'"'"'s ear; and

a microphone within the elongated casing;

a first transceiver within the elongated casing and electronically connected to the speaker, the microphone and the battery pack for permitting communication between the headset and the base; and

a base station having an interface for receiving electrical power, an interface for electronically coupling a telephone with the base station to permit the base station to communicate with the telephone and a second transceiver for permitting communication with the first transceiver of the headset.

26. A headset for communicating with a telephone, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear, the user'"'"'s ear having an ear canal opening, the headset comprising:

an elongated casing;

a speaker extending substantially perpendicularly from the elongated casing;

an ear piece assembly extending from one end of the elongated casing generally parallel to the speaker, the ear piece assembly having a lip extending therefrom for engaging the user'"'"'s ear between the lip and the elongated casing, the ear piece assembly extending from the elongated casing at a distance from the speaker such that the lip of the ear piece assembly can engage the user'"'"'s ear when the speaker is positioned near the ear canal opening of the user'"'"'s ear, said ear piece assembly, when the sneaker is positioned within the ear canal opening of the user'"'"'s ear, remaining above said user'"'"'s ear canal opening;

a microphone within the casing; and

a device for electronically coupling the headset with the telephone to allow for communication between the headset and the telephone.

27. A headset for communicating with a telephone, the headset to be secured against a user'"'"'s ear, the headset comprising:

an elongated casing;

a speaker extending outwardly from an inner surface of the elongated casing, said elongated casing further including at least one reference point positioned on a side surface of the casing generally in lateral alignment with the speaker to permit the user to reference the location of the speaker along the elongated body casing as being immediately adjacent said reference point;

an ear piece assembly extending outwardly from the inner surface of one end of the elongated casing generally parallel to with the speaker, the ear piece assembly designed to act in conjunction with the extending speaker to secure the headset against the user'"'"'s ear in an absence of any additional securing mechanism;

a microphone within the elongated casing; and

a device for electronically coupling the headset with the telephone to permit communication between the headset and the telephone.