Communication unit

• US 7,391,862 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Pedersen, Charles L., Rath, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Al-Aubaidi; Rasha S.
• Application Number:
  US10/275,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20040028218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,612 Days
• Field of Search: 379/430, 379/433, 379/431
• 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 house in which at least one transducer is placed, and on which a microphone arm is suspended. The housing also has 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 at an outer area of the housing, and so that the microphone arm can be moved between a position in which it lies up against the housing, and a 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 can be suspended in two different positions.

Claims

1. Communication unit comprising a housing in which at least one transducer is placed, and on which a microphone arm is suspended, said communication unit being secured to the head of a user by an ear hook, and in that the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link at an outer area of the housing, said hinge link having a pivot extending at least from said earhook to the microphone arm and upon which both the ear hook and microphone arm pivot said pivot located toward the edge of the housing and oriented substantially tangentially thereto, and such that the microphone arm can be moved between a first position in which it lies adjacent the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing, and wherein said pivot is adjacent the peripheral edge of the housing and in a generally tangential relationship thereto.

2. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the microphone arm is pivotally connected to the housing in such a manner that an axis of rotation for the microphone arm is lying in a plane which is substantially parallel with at least a part of a side surface for the housing.

3. Communication unit according to claim 2, wherein the signal arrangement is placed on the microphone arm.

4. Communication unit according to claim 3, wherein the signal arrangement is encapsulated in an item of relatively soft material, said item reaching out to the upper surface of the microphone arm via at least one opening, and possibly extending a slightly further distance out over the surface.

5. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein the microphone arm is connected to the housing by at least one hinge pin 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 at least one hinge pin.

6. Communication unit according to claim 5, wherein the ear hook, the ear ring is pivotally connected to the housing, preferably by the hinge pins on the housing, and that the housing preferably has a recess corresponding to the ear hook or the ear ring.

7. Communication unit according to claim 6, wherein the fastener of said communication unit to the head of a user can be pivotally connected to the housing in at least two positions, whereby the communication unit can be worn by a user on either the right or the left side of the head.

8. Communication unit according to claim 7, wherein it further comprises a signal arrangement for optical signaling.

9. Communication unit according to claim 6, wherein the ear hook is configured integral with a bridge part which extends over the hinge pins and the hinge part, and is in engagement with the hinge pins.

10. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein said pivot is at least a partial shaft from said microphone arm to said ear hook.

11. Communication unit according to claim 1, wherein a microphone is built into the communication unit in which case the electrical connections to this microphone are effected via the hinge link.

12. 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.

13. Communication unit according to claim 12, wherein the antenna comprises a coating on a surface on the housing.

14. Communication unit according to claim 12, wherein the electrical connection to the antenna is effected via the hinge link via electrically conductive coatings on at least one hinge pin and the hinge part of the microphone arm, respectively.

15. A wearable headset communication unit comprising a housing , a pivot, a microphone arm pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link rotatablable on said pivot, said pivot located generally proximate the edge of the housing and oriented substantially tangentially thereto, said ear hook being pivotally connected to said housing by a hinge link rotatable on said same pivot with said pivot extending through the body at least from the earhook to the microphone arm, such that the ear hook and microphone are movable between a first position in which the inner surface lies adjacent the housing, and a second position in which it extends away from the housing.

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, a pivot, 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 pivotally extending from said housing, wherein the microphone arm and said ear hook are pivotable along the same pivot which extends at least between the ear hook and microphone arm, and pivotally connected to the housing by a hinge link on said housing by a pivot being generally parallel proximate said peripheral edge, such that the microphone arm and said ear hook being moveable between a first folded position, and a second open position in which it unfolds extending away from the housing.

17. A communications unit according to claim 16 wherein the microphone arm is of a length such that, when said microphone arm is in said folded position, a compact unit is formed with the microphone is not longer than said longitudinal dimension.

18. Communication unit according to claim 16, 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 generally orthogonal to said one plane as it is moved from a closed to an open position.