Hands-free device with button for cellular telephone send/end and two-way radio push-to-talk

• US 6,970,727 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Issued: 11/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Klein Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Klein Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Klein, Richard Ira
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Nay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu X
• Application Number:
  US10/155,310
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 376/430, 455/575.2, 455/3.05, 455/518, 455/566, 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/519, 455/90.2, 455/15, 455/557, 379/174, 379/428.02, 379/430, 379/427, 379/428.04
• US Class Current: 455/575.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3877 Arrangements for enabling portable transceivers to be used in a fixed position, e.g. cradles or boosters

Abstract

The send, end, and push-to-talk functions of a combination cellular telephone/two-way radio, are controlled with a single button on a hands-free device having a cable attached to the button, a microphone, and an earpiece. The button is pressed to instruct the cellular telephone/two-way radio to transmit in a half-duplex communications mode for a two-way radio conversation. The user speaks while continuing to press the button, to transmit the user'"'"'s words in the two-way radio conversation. Next, the user releases the button, to instruct the cellular telephone/two-way radio to cease transmitting, to permit the user to hear words transmitted by the other party to the two-way radio conversation. Additionally, the user may answer an incoming cellular telephone call by pressing the button used during the two-way radio conversation, to instruct the cellular telephone/two-way radio to establish communications for a full duplex cellular telephone conversation.

Claims

1. A hands-free device for hands-free communications with a cellular telephone/two-way radio and for instructing the cellular telephone/two-way radio to transmit in a half duplex communications mode for a two-way radio conversation, and for instructing the cellular telephone/two-way radio to establish communications for a full duplex cellular telephone conversation, the hands-free device comprising:

a plug assembly, the plug assembly having a plug and a plug assembly circuit board, the plug having a VCC pin, a ground pin, a transmit pin, a receive pin, and a PTT pin, the plug assembly circuit board having a transmit connection area coupled to the transmit pin, a receive connection area coupled to the receive pin, an analog ground connection area coupled to the ground pin, a PTT connection area coupled to the PTT pin, and a PTT ground connection area coupled to the ground pin;

a switch assembly, the switch assembly comprising;

a momentary contact switch having a depressed position and a nondepressed position, and a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal when the momentary contact switch is in the depressed position;

a switch assembly circuit board having a primary transmit pad coupled to a secondary transmit pad, a primary receive pad coupled to a secondary receive pad, and a primary analog ground pad coupled to a secondary analog ground pad;

a microphone assembly comprising;

a microphone having a first lead and a second lead; and

a microphone assembly circuit board, the microphone assembly circuit board having a transmit pad and an analog ground pad;

an earpiece having a first connector and a second connector; and

a single cable, the single cable comprising a base section and an extension section, the base section comprising;

a transmit wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the transmit wire being coupled to the transmit connection area, and the distal end of the transmit wire being coupled to the primary transmit pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

a receive wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the receive wire being coupled to the receive connection area, and the distal end of the receive wire being coupled to the primary receive pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

an analog ground wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the analog ground wire being coupled to the ground connection area, and the distal end of the analog ground wire being coupled to the primary analog ground pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

a PTT wire having a proximal end and distal end, the proximal end of the PTT wire being coupled to the PTT connection area, and the distal end of the PTT wire being coupled to the first terminal of the momentary contact switch; and

a PTT ground wire having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the PTT ground wire being coupled to the PTT ground connection area, and the distal end of the PTT wire being coupled to the second terminal of the momentary contact switch;

the extension section of the single cable comprising;

a transmit wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary transmit pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the transmit pad on the microphone assembly circuit board;

a receive wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary receive pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the first connector of the earpiece;

a first analog ground wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary analog ground pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the analog ground pad on the microphone assembly circuit board; and

a second analog ground wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary analog ground pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the second connector of the earpiece.

2. The hands-free device of claim 1, wherein the single cable further comprises:

a first insulating sheath enclosing the transmit wire, the receive wire, the analog ground wire, the PTT wire, and the PTT ground wire, between the plug assembly and the switch assembly;

a second insulating sheath enclosing the transmit wire extension and the first analog ground wire extension, between the switch assembly and the microphone assembly; and

a third insulating sheath enclosing the receive wire extension and the second analog ground wire extension between the switch assembly and the earpiece.

3. A hands-free device for hands-free communications with a cellular telephone/two-way radio and for instructing the cellular telephone/two-way radio to transmit in a half duplex communications mode for a two-way radio conversation, and for instructing the cellular telephone/two-way radio to establish communications for a full duplex cellular telephone conversation, the hands-free device comprising:

a plug assembly, the plug assembly having a plug and a plug assembly circuit board/terminal interface, the plug having a POW pin, an audio out pin, a ground pin, a VCC pin, a PTT pin, an audio in pin, and an analog ground pin, the plug assembly circuit board/terminal interface having a POW connection area coupled to the POW pin, an audio out connection area coupled to the audio out pin, a ground connection area coupled to the ground pin, a VCC connection area coupled to the VCC pin, a PTT connection area coupled to the PTT pin, an audio in connection area coupled to the audio in pin, and an analog ground connection area coupled to the analog ground pin;

an interface circuit board, comprising;

a POW pad, an audio out pad, a first ground pad, a VCC pad, a first PTT pad, an audio in pad, an analog ground pad, a positive speaker pad, a negative speaker pad, a second PTT pad, a second ground pad, a mic pad, and a second analog ground pad;

a switch assembly, comprising;

a momentary contact switch having a depressed position and a nondepressed position, and a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal when the momentary contact switch is in the depressed position;

a switch assembly circuit board having a primary positive speaker pad coupled to a secondary positive speaker pad, a primary negative speaker pad coupled to a secondary negative speaker pad, a primary mic pad coupled to a secondary mic pad, and a primary analog ground pad coupled to a secondary analog ground pad;

a microphone having a mic connection area and an analog ground connection area;

an earpiece having a positive speaker connection area and a negative speaker connection area; and

a single cable, the single cable comprising a base section, a middle section, and an extension section, the base section comprising;

a POW wire having a proximal end coupled to the POW connection area and a distal end coupled to the POW pad, an audio out wire having a proximal end coupled to the audio out connection area and a distal end coupled to the audio out pad, a ground wire having a proximal end coupled to the ground connection area and a distal end coupled to the first ground pad, a VCC wire having a proximal end coupled to the VCC connection area and a distal end coupled to the VCC pad, a PTT wire having a proximal end coupled to the PTT connection area and a distal end coupled to the first PTT pad, an audio in wire having a proximal end coupled to the audio in connection area and a distal end coupled to the audio in pad, and an analog ground wire having a proximal end coupled to the analog ground connection area and a distal end coupled to the analog ground pad;

the middle section of the single cable comprising;

a positive speaker wire having a proximal end coupled to the positive speaker pad on the interface circuit board and a distal end coupled to the primary positive speaker pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

a negative speaker wire having a proximal end coupled to the negative speaker pad on the interface circuit board and a distal end coupled to the primary negative speaker pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

a PTT wire having a proximal end coupled to the second PTT pad on the interface circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the first terminal of the momentary contact switch; and

a PTT ground wire having a proximal end coupled to the second ground pad on the interface circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the second terminal of the momentary contact switch;

a mic wire having a proximal end coupled to the ground pad on the interface circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the primary mic pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

an analog ground wire having a proximal end coupled to the second analog ground pad on the interface circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the primary analog ground pad on the switch assembly circuit board;

the extension section of the single cable comprising;

a positive speaker wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary positive speaker pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the positive speaker connection area on the earpiece;

a negative speaker wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary negative speaker pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the negative speaker connection area on the earpiece;

a mic wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary mic pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the mic connection area on the microphone; and

an analog ground wire extension having a proximal end coupled to the secondary analog ground pad on the switch assembly circuit board, and a distal end coupled to the analog ground connection area on the microphone.

4. The hands-free device of claim 3, wherein the plug further comprises a mode pin, and wherein the plug assembly circuit board/terminal interface further comprises a mode connection area coupled to the mode pin, and wherein the interface circuit board further comprises a mode pad, and wherein the base section of the single cable further comprises a mode wire having a proximal end coupled to the mode connection area and a distal end coupled to the mode pad on the interface circuit board.

5. The hands-free device of claim 3, wherein the single cable further comprises:

a first insulating sheath enclosing the POW wire, the audio out wire, the ground wire, the VCC wire, the PTT wire, the audio in wire, and the analog ground wire, in the base section of the single cable;

a second insulating sheath enclosing the positive speaker wire, the negative speaker wire, the PTT wire, the PTT ground wire, the mic wire, and the analog ground wire in the middle section of the single cable; and

a third insulating sheath enclosing the positive speaker wire extension, the negative speaker wire extension, the mic wire extension, and the analog ground wire extension over at least a portion of the extension section of the single cable.