Bone-conduction microphone built-in headset

• US 8,325,963 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-technica
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Audio-technica
• Inventors: Kimura, Tominori
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eason, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/633,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20100172519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 381/151, 381/173, 381/380, 381/370, 381/371, 381/375
• US Class Current: 381/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/02 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Abstract

A bone-conduction microphone built-in headset comprises: an ear pad; an ear cup capable of covering an ear; a piezoelectric element composing a bone-conduction microphone; a buffer material forming the ear pad; a baffle board provided between the ear pad and the ear cup; a wire laid from the piezoelectric element, in which the ear pad is provided on an opening end side of the ear cup, the piezoelectric element is provided inside the ear pad and supported by the buffer material to be pressed against a skin around the ear, the ear pad is detachably attached to the baffle board, and the baffle board has a connecter to which the wire is connected.

Claims

1. A bone-conduction microphone built-in headset comprising:

an ear pad;

an ear cup capable of covering an ear;

a piezoelectric element composing a bone-conduction microphone;

a buffer material forming the ear pad;

a baffle board provided between the ear pad and the ear cup;

a wire laid from the piezoelectric element to a first connector,

wherein the ear pad is provided on an opening end side of the ear cup,

the piezoelectric element is provided inside the ear pad and supported by the buffer material to be pressed against a skin around the ear,

the ear pad is detachably attached to the baffle board, and

the baffle board has a second connecter which is configured to matchingly engage with the first connector to connect to the wire.

2. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is attached on a surface of the buffer material forming the ear pad.

3. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is provided between the buffer material forming the ear pad and the cover of the buffer material.

4. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric element is provided on the ear pad so as to be pressed against an area around a tragus.

5. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the wire laid from the piezoelectric element passes through an inside of the ear cup via the second connector on the baffle board and is connected to a microphone cord laid from the ear cup or a third connector provided inside the ear cup.

6. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 5, wherein the wire laid from the piezoelectric element is loosely arranged in the ear pad.

7. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the ear cup incorporates a microphone amplifier that amplifies an output signal from the piezoelectric element.

8. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 7, wherein the ear cup incorporates a power source that drives the microphone amplifier.

9. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 7 further comprising a wiring to receive a power source to drive the microphone amplifier from outside.

10. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein a headphone unit is provided on the baffle board.

11. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 10 that optionally serves as an earmuff.

12. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 10 further comprising a microphone that collects an environmental noise to form an active noise canceling headphone that generates a canceling signal having a phase opposite to that of an environmental noise signal converted in the microphone and inputs the canceling signal to the headphone unit.

13. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein a switch that can cut off an output signal from the piezoelectric element is provided between the piezoelectric element and the ear cup.

14. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 2, wherein the piezoelectric element is provided on the ear pad so as to be pressed against an area around a tragus.

15. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 3, wherein the piezoelectric element is provided on the ear pad so as to be pressed against an area around a tragus.

16. The bone-conduction microphone built-in headset according to claim 1, wherein the ear pad comprises an attachment portion disposed at an outer periphery of the ear pad proximate the ear cup opening, and

the attachment portion is configured to engage with the baffle board, to detachably attach to the baffle board.