Headset cellular telephones

• US 7,242,765 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2002
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tommy Lee Hairston
• Original Assignee: Tommy Lee Hairston
• Inventors: Hairston, Tommy Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Deane, Jr.; William J.
• Application Number:
  US10/184,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/419, 455/575.2, 455/563, 381/381, 381/373, 381/71.1, 381/186, 381/309
• US Class Current: 379/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use

Abstract

Headset cellular phones which may be worn continually and use voice recognition/speech activation for dialing telephone numbers and controlling other aspects of operation. Cell phones according to the present invention can include a microphone and preferably include both internal and external speakers to allow the user to communicate unobtrusively, check voice mail and conduct other activities while at the same time being able to hear ambient noise in the environment. Voice recognition/speech command functionally may also be used to generate and send touch tone or DTMF tones such as in response to call trees or voice recognition/speech activation functionality used by airlines, credit card companies, voice mail systems, and other applications.

Claims

1. A cellular telephonic device, comprising:

a body which contains cellular telephone circuitry, a power source, and speech activation circuitry including processing circuitiry, memory circuitry and computer program code stored in said speech activation circuitry;

an earpiece connected to said body and adapted to be positioned adjacent to the user'"'"'s ear, said earpiece including an internal speaker for delivering sound to the user'"'"'s ear, and an external speaker electrically coupled to the internal speaker for allowing the user to hear ambient noise through the internal speaker, and adapted to allow a ring tone to be heard externally of the device; and

a boom attached to the earpiece, the boom containing a microphone and physically connected to a switch, said switch adapted to be operated by movement of the boom to control operation of said device, said switch including an off position for placing the device in a standby mode, a conversation position, and a third position adapted to place the device in a mode in which said device can be programmed; and

wherein operation of said external speaker and control of placing the device in an off-hook state and an on-hook state are executed using the speech activation circuitry.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the body and the earpiece are physically coupled.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the body further contains radiofrequency circuitry adapted to allow the device to operate as a home wireless telephone.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls conferencing in a third party.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls setting up call forwarding.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls downloading voice mail.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls entering a date into a calendar.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls changing an address of a person in a contacts list.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the speech activation circuitry controls checking email.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein a porthole in the earpiece is adapted to be controlled by speech activation circuitry.