Headset communication unit

• US 7,110,535 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2001
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom Incorporated (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom Incorporated (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Pederson, Charles L., Bodley, Martin Reed, Smith, Ian Paul, Lyman, Stephen R., Bjerrum-Niese, Christian, Wojciak, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey F.
• Application Number:
  US09/813,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,010 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433.01, 381/370, 381/330, 381/381, 455/575.2, 455/575.7
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

Communication unit comprising a housing in which at least one transducer is placed, and on which a microphone arm is suspended. The housing also has means, such as an ear hook, for fastening the communication unit to the head of a user. The microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and at an outer area of the housing, so that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing. The microphone arm has a length, which in the main is less than or of the same order as the greatest extent of the housing, so that in the folded-in state the microphone arm does not project out over the circumference of the housing. The communication unit can be used on both the right and the left side of the head, in that the ear hook (6) can be suspended in two different positions, corresponding to the communication unit being worn on the right or the left ear, respectively.

Claims

1. A compact headset communication unit wearable on and supported by a users ear comprising a housing having a first surface having at least one transducer thereon, and a microphone arm suspended from said housing said microphone having longitudinal dimension, said housing having an outer peripheral edge which defines a boundary of the housing, and also having an earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, said earhook extending from said housing, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing having a single pivoting axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said first surface, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second open position in which it unfolds extending away from the housing, and that the microphone arm is of a length such that, when in the folded position does not extend generally beyond the outer periphery of the housing, so that when said microphone arm is in said folded position, a compact unit is formed with the microphone being substantially within the peripheral boundary.

2. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein face of the housing lies generally in one plane, and wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing in such a manner that the microphone arm is capable of rotating on said hinge link through a plane which is orthogonal to said one plane as it is moved from a closed to an open position.

3. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the microphone arm is connected to the housing by laterally moveable pins which extend out from a side surface of the housing, and that a first end part of the microphone arm has a hinge part which corresponds to and is disposed between the two hinge pins and wherein said hinge pins are biased against said hinge part, together said hinge pins and hinge part are adapted to urge said arm into the closer of an open or closed position.

4. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein a contact arrangement is associated with the microphone arm, so that this contact arrangement is activated by the movement of the microphone arm from the first position to the second position or vice versa.

5. Communication unit according to claim 4, wherein a securing device is associated with the microphone arm so that the microphone arm is releasable from the first position by means of a release arrangement, and that the release arrangement also activates said changeover arrangement.

6. Communication unit according to claim 5, including a microphone built into the communication unit, in which case the electrical connections to this microphone are effected thru hinge link.

7. Communication unit according to claim 1 wherein the communication unit is configured for wireless communication, and that the communication unit supports an antenna for wireless communication, which antenna is supported by the housing.

8. Communication unit according to claim 7, wherein the antenna comprises a coating on a surface in or on the housing, on its inner side surface.

9. Communication unit according to claim 8, wherein the electrical connection to the antenna is effected via the hinge link, via electrically conductive coatings on one or both hinge pins and the hinge part of the microphone arm, respectively.

10. Communication unit according to one or more of the claim 1, wherein said earhook, which is pivotally connected to the housing by a securing part and that the housing has a recess corresponding to the ear hook.

11. Communication unit according to claim 10, wherein the earhook which is removably connected to the housing in at least two positions, rightside up and upsidedown, so that the communication unit can be worn by a user on either the right or the left side of the head.

12. A headset communication unit wearable on the ear comprising a housing having a generally planar side, a microphone arm having a longitudinal dimension, said microphone arm pivoting on said housing on a single axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said planar side, such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing through a second position in which it extends perpendicularly away from the housing, a communications link circuit for connection said headset to a remote telephone communications device, said circuitry within said headset for detecting a ringing state on the remote device, and by moving said microphone arm to said second position, causing said remote device to go to an off-hook state.

13. A headset wearable on and support by a user'"'"'s ear, said communication unit comprising a housing, a microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link, and such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies up against the housing and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, said hinge link including at least one recess, said arm including at least one slidable element to be received within said recess, a bias element within said arm providing bias force against said element to maintain said element within said recess, linkage from said element to a sensor responsive to element movement to detect the position of the arm so that said sensor can determine if the arm is in an second or first position corresponding to on and off hook positions respectively.

14. A headset wearable on the ear according to claim 13 wherein said recess includes a groove, having sloping sidewalls and where said element includes a land sized to be received within said groove, said land having sloping sidewalls configured to mate with said sidewalls of said recess, so that when said element is biased toward said groove, said arm is urged in said first position.

15. A headset wearable on the ear according to claim 14 where said arm includes at least one hinge stem sized to receive said element and wherein said stem and element are keyed to prevent rotation therebetween while still permitting axial movement of said element in response to said bias.

16. A compact headset communication unit wearable on and supported by a users ear, comprising a housing having a first surface having at least one transducer thereon and a microphone arm suspended from said housing said microphone having longitudinal dimension, said housing having an outer peripheral edge which defines a boundary of the housing, and also having an earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, said earhook extending from said housing, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing having its pivoting axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said first surface, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second open position in which it unfolds extending away from the housing, and that the microphone arm is of a length such that, when in the folded position does not extend generally beyond the outer periphery of the housing, so that solely by movement of the arm on said pivot access, to a folded position, a compact unit is formed with the microphone being within the peripheral boundary.

17. A compact headset communication unit wearable on and supported by the user'"'"'s ear comprising a housing having a first surface having at least one transducer thereon, and a microphone arm suspended from said housing said microphone having longitudinal dimension, said housing having an outer peripheral edge which defines a boundary of the housing, and also having an earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, said earhook extending from said housing, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing having its pivoting axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said first surface, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second fully extended position in which it fully unfolds entirely upon movement of said pivoting axis, thereby extending away from the housing.

18. A compact headset communication unit wearable on and supported by supported the user'"'"'s ear comprising a housing having a first surface having at least one transducer thereon, and a pivotable microphone arm suspended from said housing said microphone having longitudinal dimension, said housing having an outer peripheral edge which defines a boundary of the housing, and also having pivotable earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, said earhook extending from said housing between open and storage positions, said earhook is pivotable to contact said first surface when in said storage position, and wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing having its pivoting axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said first surface, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the first surface, and a second open position in which it unfolds extending away from the housing, and that the microphone arm is of a length such that, when in the folded position does not extend generally beyond the outer periphery of the housing, so that when said microphone arm is in said folded position, a compact unit is formed with the microphone being substantially within the peripheral boundary.

19. A compact headset communication unit wearable on and supported by a users ear comprising a housing having a first surface having at least one transducer thereon, and a microphone arm suspended from said housing said microphone having longitudinal dimension, said housing having an outer peripheral edge which defines a boundary of the housing, and also having an earhook for securing the communication unit to the head of a user, said earhook extending from said housing, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing having a pivoting axis generally orthogonal to said longitudinal dimension and generally parallel with said first surface, and such that the microphone arm being moveable between a first folded position in which it lies up against the housing, and a second open position in which it unfolds extending away from the housing, and that the microphone arm is of a length such that, when in the folded position does not extend generally beyond the outer periphery of the housing, so that when said microphone arm is in said folded position, a compact unit is formed with the microphone being substantially within the peripheral boundary.