Personal communications apparatus

• US 6,859,657 B1
• Filed: 08/24/1999
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Barnard, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US09/379,955
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/557, 455/575, 455/347, 455/90, 455/525, 4554561-4566, 455/344, 4555751-5757, 455/90.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.1, 455/41.3, 455/523, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.6, 455/343.1, 455/348, 379/430, 379/433
• US Class Current: 455/575.6
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3866 carried on the head
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3872 with extendable microphones or earphones

Abstract

A personal communications apparatus comprises a first part, having a microphone (114), and a second part, having a loudspeaker (118). The first part is adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s wrist (202) and the second part is adapted to be worn on their finger. In use, the user'"'"'s hand is held up to the side of their head, thereby placing the microphone (114) adjacent to their mouth and the loudspeaker (118) adjacent to their ear. Communication between first and second parts of the apparatus is by means of signals transmitted via the user'"'"'s skin.

In a non-illustrated embodiment the second part is adapted to be worn on the ear.

Claims

1. A personal communications apparatus comprising:

a first part comprising, co-disposed in a single physically distinct unit,

a microphone;

a strap for attachment to a wrist; and

a second part comprising, co-disposed in a single physically distinct unit,

means for attaching to a user body part other than the wrist;

a loudspeaker; and

means for communicating with said first part using signals transmitted via the skin of the user, wherein the second part has means for deriving its power from the signals transmitted by the first part.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in the first part further comprises a case incorporating a transceiver and baseband processing circuitry.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second part is adapted to be carried by a finger.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the second part includes an electrode for receiving signals from the user'"'"'s skin.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second part is affixed to a finger ring.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second part is adapted to be worn as an earpiece.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in the first part further comprises a case incorporating a transceiver and baseband processing circuitry.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the second part includes an electrode for receiving signals from the user'"'"'s skin.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the second part comprises means for deriving power from the signals from the user'"'"'s skin.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microphone is mounted on the strap.

11. An apparatus for personal communications comprising:

a first pad comprising;

a microphone;

means for communicating via a user'"'"'s skin;

a second part comprising;

a loudspeaker;

means for communicating with the first part via the user'"'"'s skin; and

means for deriving power for operation of the second part from signals received from the first part via the user'"'"'s skin.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a strap for attaching to the user'"'"'s wrist, wherein the microphone is mounted on the strap.

13. Personal communications device comprising:

means for communicating with a user'"'"'s ear comprising;

a finger ring; and

at least one unit mechanically integrated with the finger ring comprising;

means for receiving input signals via the user'"'"'s skin; and

means for providing audible signals derived from the input signals to the user'"'"'s car, wherein the means for providing audible signals further comprises means for driving power from received input signals; and

a base station unit comprising;

a wrist strap;

at last one unit mechanically integrated with the wrist strap, including;

transceiver means for communicating with at least one external device;

means for receiving audible signals from the user'"'"'s mouth and providing them to the transceiver means for transmission to the external device; and

means for communicating signals from the external device via the skin to the means for communicating with the user'"'"'s car.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the unit mechanically integrated with the wrist strap further comprises:

display means for communicating visual information to the user; and

means for receiving numeric input from the user for specifying how to locate the external device.

15. A communication device comprising:

a sound producing unit, comprising;

a finger ring;

at least one unit integrated with the finger ring comprising;

means for receiving input signals; and

means for providing audible signals derived from the input signals to user'"'"'s ear, wherein the means for providing audible signals further comprises means for deriving power from received input signals; and

a base station comprising;

a wrist strap;

at least one unit integrated with the wrist strap, including;

transceiver means for communicating with at least one external device;

means for receiving audible signals from the user'"'"'s mouth and providing them to the transceiver means for transmission to the external device; and

means for transmitting signals from the external device to the sound producing unit.