Conductive ear flange for extending the range of a sensor in a communications device

• US 8,805,452 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, NATHAN SCOTT
• Application Number:
  US13/357,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20130190058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 455/569.1, 381/74, 381/375
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups

Abstract

A headset comprising a communications device, a sensor coupled to the communications device and operative to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s body to the sensor, a detachable ear cushion coupled to the communications device; and wherein the detachable ear cushion comprises a conductive ear cushion flange to be interposed between the sensor and the user'"'"'s body for extending the detection range of the sensor.

Claims

1. A headset comprising:

a communications device;

a sensor coupled to the communications device and operative to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s body to the sensor;

an ear bud coupled to the communications device; and

a detachable ear cushion coupled to the communications device, wherein the detachable ear cushion comprises a conductive ear cushion flange to be interposed between the sensor and the user'"'"'s body for extending the detection range of the sensor, the headset configured to be worn in a first wearing mode when the detachable ear cushion is coupled to the communications device and the headset configured to be worn in a second wearing mode when the detachable ear cushion is detached from the communications device.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer (TEO) having a volume resistivity of from about 1.0E2 to about 9.9E9 ohm.cm.

3. The headset of claim 1, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises an elastomer containing particles of an electrically conductive material.

4. The headset of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a first sensor and a second sensor.

5. The headset of claim 4, wherein the first sensor is positioned to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s cavum and the second sensor is positioned to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s tragus.

6. The headset of claim 5, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange is interposed between the first sensor and the user'"'"'s cavum and interposed between the second sensor and the user'"'"'s tragus.

7. The headset of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

8. The headset of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a donned/doffed sensor.

9. The headset of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises:

a microphone; and

a speaker for providing audio to a user'"'"'s ear.

10. The headset of claim 1, wherein the ear cushion comprises a headband.

11. The headset of claim 1, wherein the detachable ear cushion is disposed over the ear bud.

12. The headset of claim 1, wherein the sensitivity level of the sensor is generally the same when the ear cushion is not coupled to the communication device relative to when the ear cushion is coupled to the communications device.

13. A system for extending the detection range of a sensor in a headset, comprising:

a communications device;

a first sensor coupled to the communications device and operative to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s body to the sensor, wherein the first sensor is positioned to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s cavum;

a second sensor coupled to the communications device positioned to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s tragus;

an ear bud coupled to the communications device; and

a detachable ear cushion coupled to the communications device, wherein the detachable ear cushion comprises a conductive ear cushion flange to be interposed between the sensor and the user'"'"'s body for extending the detection range of the sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises a thermoplastic polyolefin elastomer (TEO) having a volume resistivity of from about 1.0E2 to about 9.9E9 ohm.cm.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises an elastomer containing particles of an electrically conductive material.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange is interposed between the first sensor and the user'"'"'s cavum and interposed between the second sensor and the user'"'"'s tragus.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a capacitive sensor.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a donned/doffed sensor.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications device comprises:

a microphone; and

a speaker for providing audio to a user'"'"'s ear.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the ear cushion comprises a headband.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the detachable ear cushion is disposed over the ear bud.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensitivity level of the sensor is generally the same when the ear cushion is not coupled to the communication device relative to when the ear cushion is coupled to the communications device.

23. A method for extending the detection range of a sensor in a headset, the headset includes a communication device, a first sensor coupled to the communications device and operative to detect the proximity of a user'"'"'s body to the sensor, an ear bud coupled to the communications device, the method comprising:

coupling a detachable ear cushion to the communications device, wherein the detachable ear cushion comprises a conductive ear cushion flange to be interposed between the first sensor and the user'"'"'s body for extending the detection range of the sensor;

operating the communications device in a first wearing mode with the detachable ear cushion coupled;

detaching the detachable ear cushion from the communications device; and

operating the communications device in a second wearing mode with the detachable ear cushion detached.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises an electrostatic charge dissipative material.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the conductive ear cushion flange comprises an elastomer containing particles of an electrically conductive material.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the communication device further comprises a second sensor.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising

detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s cavum using the first sensor;

and

detecting the proximity of a user'"'"'s tragus using the second sensor.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first sensor is a capacitive sensor.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the ear cushion comprises a headband.