Portable communications device

• US 7,096,048 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SENHOP Company
• Original Assignee: Donald T. Sanders, Sherri Sherrod
• Inventors: Sanders, Donald T., Sherrod, Sherri
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo N.
• Application Number:
  US10/404,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/569.1, 455/579.1, 455/579.2, 455/579.6, 455/90.3, 455/550.1, 381/338, 381/325, 381376-379, 381/381, 379431-433, 379/428
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• 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 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast

Abstract

A portable communications device having a base that can be worn on the user'"'"'s wrist, a wireless earpiece that can be concealed when worn, and a novel audio link that allows the earpiece to communicate with the base. Each audio link is programmed to communicate with any base unit of the present invention but with only one earpiece. The audio links and earpieces can be packaged and sold together, and the base units can be packaged and sold separately. The base includes a novel keypad having keys that are positioned around the periphery of the base in a sequence which matches that used on old rotary dial phones and which allows the user to access the keys without having to look at them. The earpiece includes the microphone into which the user talks. The microphone can easily detect and transmit the user'"'"'s voice, yet is mostly concealed from passersby. Thus, the user can use the portable communications device while conducting other activities but without making it obvious to observers that he or she is using the device.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a plurality of portable communications devices from a plurality of bases, a plurality of earpieces, and a plurality of audio links, any one of the plurality of audio links being detachably mountable to any one of the plurality of bases, said method comprising:

(a) selecting a first audio link from the plurality of audio links and selecting a first earpiece from the plurality of earpieces;

(b) programming the first audio link to communicate with each one of the plurality of bases when mounted thereto;

(c) programming one of the first earpiece and the first audio link such that the first earpiece is communicably linked to the first audio link;

(d) repeating steps (a)-(c) for the remainder of the plurality of audio links and earpieces, thereby generating a plurality of pairs of associated earpieces and audio links; and

(e) combining any one of the plurality of the pairs with any one of the plurality of the bases to produce an activated one of the plurality of communications devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising packaging the plurality of pairs separately from the plurality of bases.