Lips blockers, headsets and systems

• US 8,996,382 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2011
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guy Mcclung
• Original Assignee: Guy Mcclung
• Inventors: McClung, Guy L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): GUERRA-ERAZO, EDGAR X
• Application Number:
  US13/317,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20120095768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270, 704/270.1, 704/272, 704/275, 704/278, 704/226, 704/235, 704/246
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/227 of the speaker; Human-factor methodology
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/12 for acoustic communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/14 for the transfer of light or images, e.g. for video-surveillance, for television or from a computer screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/16 for telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/68 using passive jamming, e.g. by shielding or reflection shielding of apparatus or components against electric or magnetic field H05K9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/825 by jamming
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's

Abstract

Systems and methods for inhibiting access to the lips of speaking person including a sound receiving device for receiving speech of a person speaking, the person having lips that move when the person speaks, a blocker connected to the device for blocking the lips of the person speaking while the person is speaking; and, in some aspects, such a blocker with a material addition apparatus to provide added material for the breath of a person speaking, e.g., for preventing the spread of disease or to freshen a speaker'"'"'s breath. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A system for inhibiting access to the lips of a speaking person comprising

a sound receiving device for receiving speech of a person speaking, the person having lips that move when the person speaks,

a blocker positionable adjacent the lips of the person speaking for blocking the lips of the person speaking while the person is speaking, and

material addition apparatus adjacent the blocker for adding added material near the lips of the person speaking.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the added material is one of killing material for killing living things in the breath of the person speaking, sterilizing material, antifungal material, antibacterial material, antiviral material, mouthwash, mouth freshener (material, antiseptic material, scent material, and breath freshening material.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the added material can be added when a person'"'"'s breath is expelled, during a cough or during a sneeze.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound receiving device comprises one of microphone, webcam, computer, helmet, headset, and cellphone.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the blocker is movably connected to a part of the sound receiving device for movement to and from a lips blocking position.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising

movement apparatus for moving the blocker to and from a lips blocking position.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising

activation apparatus for activating the movement apparatus,

the activation apparatus being one of:

device locally activatable by the person speaking, device locally activatable by a person other than the person speaking, pushbutton device locally or remotely activatable, device remotely activatable by a person other than the person speaking, device remotely activatable by a remote activation device, device voice activatable by voice activation apparatus in communication with the movement apparatus, and device voice activatable by voice activation apparatus connected to the sound receiving device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the blocker includes a viewable screen, the viewable screen viewable by one of the person speaking and a person other than the person speaking.

9. The system of claim 1 is in the shape of one of word, words, color, symbol, logo, trademark, sign, and indicia.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound receiving device includes a housing and the blocker is movably storable within the housing for selective movement therefrom from a stored position within the housing to a position outside the housing in a lips blocking position.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the sound receiving device includes one of:

wired communication apparatus for wired communication with the sound receiving device; and

wireless communication apparatus for wireless communication with the sound receiving device.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising

a headgear comprising

a body,

the sound receiving device connected to the headgear for receiving speech of a person speaking and wearing the headgear,

the blocker connected to a part of the headgear or to the sound receiving device.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the headgear is one

of:

hat, cap, helmet, flexible head covering, and solid head covering.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising

communication system for communication with the blocker, the communication system being one of wired communication system or wireless communication system.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising

the communication system for communicating with a network,

the network being one of a local network and the Internet.

14. The system of 1 wherein the blocker has thereon information viewable by a person other than the person speaking.

17. A method for selectively blocking lips of a person who is speaking with a blocker, the blocker movably connected to a member for selective movement to block a view of the lips of the person who is speaking, the person using a sound device including an apparatus into which the person speaks, the sound device including the member to which the blocker is movably connected, at least part of the sound device positionable adjacent the lips of the person, the sound device including material addition apparatus for adding added material near the lips of the person speaking, the method comprising

positioning at least part of the sound device adjacent the lips of the speaker,

connecting the blocker to the sound device in proximity to the lips of the person, said connection being a movable connection of the blocker to the sound device so that the blocker is movable with respect to the sound device,

moving the blocker into position in front of the lips of the person so that, when the person speaks and the person'"'"'s lips are moving, reading the lips of the person is inhibited by the blocker blocking the view of the lips of the person, and

with the material addition apparatus, adding material near the flips of the person.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the added material is one of killing material for killing living things in the breath of the person speaking, sterilizing material, antifungal material, antibacterial material, antiviral material, mouthwash, mouth freshener material, antiseptic material, scent material, and breath freshening material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the added material is added when a person'"'"'s breath is expelled, during a cough or during a sneeze.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the sound device is a sound receiving device, and the sound receiving device comprises one of microphone, webcam, computer, helmet, headset, and cellphone.