Wireless headphones with selective connection to auxiliary audio devices and a cellular telephone

• US 6,873,862 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marc Alan Reshefsky
• Original Assignee: Marc Alan Reshefsky
• Inventors: Reshefsky, Marc Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aminzay, Shaima Q
• Application Number:
  US09/910,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20030022703A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/550.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/559, 455/563, 455/569.1, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/575.6, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 455/353, 381/74, 381/384, 381/370, 381/371, 381/374, 381/375, 381/376, 379/428.02, 379/430
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a pair of headphones which have selective port connections formed in their housings allowing connection with an auxiliary audio appliances such as an AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette players, MP3 player as well as a cellular telephone. The apparatus specifically has one port for connection to a cellular telephone which is connected to a switching circuit which when activated by the occurrence a telephonic connection interrupts the audio from the auxiliary audio appliance.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

a pair of headphones, each of which has a housing containing a speaker;

a head band connecting each of said headphones adapted to be fitted over the head of a user so that the headphones fit over a user'"'"'s ears, said head band also containing electrical transmission means electrically connecting the speakers in the headphones;

at least one of said headphones being provided with at least a pair of female ports adapted to receive cable plugs which are formed on the end of cables leading to an external auxiliary audio device and an external cellular telephone separate from said auxiliary audio device and means in at least one headphone to terminate an audio signal emanating from said auxiliary audio device; and

a microphone mounted on a cable leading to said cellular telephone with means for receiving and transmitting audible messages during a telephone conversation.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone contains a switch for activating and deactivating said cellular phone.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said headphone housing contains a switching circuit which is activated by an incoming telephone call to switch off the audio signal from the auxiliary audio device.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one headphone housing is provided with marking indicia to indicate which female port is to be used with a cell phone and which female port is to be used with an auxiliary audio device.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary sound device consists of a group selected from AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette players, MP3 player.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone contains voice activated software which controls volume of the cellular telephone audio volume.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone contains voice activated software for activating and deactivating said cellular telephone.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone contains voice activated software which controls volume of the cellular telephone audio volume.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone contains voice activated software for activating and deactivating said cellular telephone.

8. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

a pair of headphones, each headphone being provided with a housing with a speaker mounted therein;

a head band connecting said headphones adapted to be fitted over the head of a user, said head band also containing electrical transmission means connected to the speakers in the headphones;

at least one of said headphones housings being provided with at least a pair of female ports adapted to receive cable plugs secured to the end of cables, said cables being constructed to engage an auxiliary audio device and a cellular telephone;

switching circuit means located in said housing in connection with at least one of said female ports to interrupt audio signals transmitted from an auxiliary audio device when a cellular telephone is activated by an incoming call; and

a microphone mounted on a cable leading from said housing to said cellular telephone for receiving and transmitting audible messages occurring during a telephone conversation.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said microphone contains voice activation software for calling a preprogrammed number on said cellular telephone.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said female ports are provided with marking indicia to indicate which female port is to be used with a cell phone and which female port is to be used with an auxiliary sound device.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said auxiliary audio device consists of a group selected from AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette players, MP3 player.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said microphone contains voice activation software for changing the volume on calls received on said cellular telephone.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said microphone contains voice activation software for activating said switching circuit to allow transmission of audio signals from said auxiliary audio device.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said switching circuit causes said microphone containing a voice activation software to announce another caller during a pending telephone conversation.

15. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

a pair of headphones having a housing with speaker means mounted therein;

a head band connecting said headphone adapted to be fitted over the head of a user, said head band also containing electrical means electrically connected to the speakers in the headphones;

at least one of said headphones being provided with at least a pair of female ports, receiver means mounted to said female ports, said receiver means being constructed to receive signals emanating from an auxiliary audio device and a cellular telephone;

switching circuit means located in said housing with said female ports to interrupt audio signals received by said receiver means from an auxiliary audio device before such signals are transmitted to a speaker when said cellular telephone is activated by an incoming call and emits a signal; and

a microphone connected to said housing for receiving audible messages from said user to a caller.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said microphone contains a switch for activating and deactivating said cellular telephone.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said female ports are provided with marking indicia to indicate which female port is to be used with a cell phone and which female port is to be used with an auxiliary audio device.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said auxiliary audio device consists of a group selected from AM/FM radio, CD player, cassette players, MP3 player.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said receiver means is a infrared receiver.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 15 wherein said receiver means is a RF receiver.

21. An apparatus for providing portable audio programming for a user while preventing the user from missing telephone calls comprising:

a pair of headphones each of which has a housing containing a speaker;

at least one housing containing a switching circuit which is activated by an incoming telephone call to switch off the audio signal from an auxiliary audio device;

a head band connecting each of said headphones adapted to be fitted over the head of a user so that the headphones fits over a user'"'"'s ears, said head band also containing electrical transmission means electrically connecting the speakers in the headphones;

at least one of said headphones being provided with at least a pair of female ports adapted to receive cable plugs which are formed on the end of cables leading to an auxiliary audio device and a cellular telephone; and

a microphone mounted on a cable leading to said cellular telephone for receiving and transmitting audible messages during a telephone conversation, said microphone containing a switch for activating and deactivating said cell phone.