Hands-free kit for mobile radio-telephone handset

• US 20040033820A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: We Though of It 1ST Limited
• Original Assignee: We Though of It 1ST Limited
• Inventors: Lewis, Marcus
• Granted Patent: US 7,477,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A hands-free kit for a mobile radio-telephone handset, the hands-free kit having an earpiece and an infra-red transmitter with the transmitter being able to relay audio signals from the handset to the earpiece. The earpiece includes an infra-red receiver for receiving audio signals from the transmitter. By positioning the transmitter in the line of sight of the earpiece receiver, audio signals may be relayed from the handset to the earpiece with the reduced likelihood of the earpiece becoming dislodged as the user moves his head.

Claims

1. ) A hands-free kit for a mobile radio-telephone handset, the kit comprising an earpiece and an infra-red transmitter, the transmitter being arranged to relay audio signals from the handset to the earpiece, the earpiece comprising an infra-red receiver for receiving audio signals from the transmitter.

2. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter communicates with the handset via a wired connection.

3. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitter communicates with the handset via a wireless connection.

4. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the receiver is located at the distal end of a portion of the earpiece which, in use, projects forwards from the user'"'"'s ear.

5. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the receiver comprises a plurality of photosensitive devices arranged to receive infra-red signals from different respective directions including the direction of the transmitter.

6. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, wherein means are provided on a forwards projecting portion of the earpiece, for reflecting audio signals from at least the direction of the transmitter towards the receiver.

7. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter is arranged to be worn on the user'"'"'s front, in line-of-sight of the earpiece receiver or of said eflecting means.

8. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a microphone for connecting to the handset

9. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the microphone comprises part of an integrated unit also comprising the transmitter.

10. ) if hands-free kit as claimed in claim 8 appended to claim 3, wherein the microphone and the transmitter each communicate with the handset via the same wireless connection.

11. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter comprises a re-chargeable power supply.

12. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the earpiece comprises a re-chargeable power supply.

13. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 12 appended to claim 11, wherein the kit comprises a holder for the earpiece and the transmitter via which the re-chargeable power supplies of the two devices may be charged.

14. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the holder is arranged to charge the earpiece and transmitter directly from an external supply.

15. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the holder is arranged to charge the earpiece and transmitter directly via its own re-chargeable supply.

16. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15, wherein the holder is arranged prevent the earpiece from being charged independently of the transmitter.

17. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16, wherein the holder is arranged to prevent the transmitter from being charged independently of the earpiece.

18. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any claim 15, wherein the holder is provided with means for visibly indicating its state of charge.

19. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 13 to 18, wherein the holder is provided with means for visibly indicating the state of charge of the transmitter and/or of the earpiece.

20. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 11 or claim 13, wherein the transmitter is provided with means for visibly indicating its state of charge.

21. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claims 12 or claim 13, wherein the earpiece is provided with means for visibly indicating its state of charge.

22. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 appended to claim 13, wherein the holder comprises a lidded case having a portion which is at least partially transparent and through which the charge indicating means of the transmitter and/or the earpiece may be viewed.

23. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 18 to 22, wherein the or each said indicating means comprises a respective light.

24. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 23, wherein said light is constantly illuminated, extinguished or illuminated intermittently to indicate different states of charge.

25. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the earpiece emits an audible warning signal to indicate when the power supply of the transmitter and/or the earpiece is nearing exhaustion.

26. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 25, wherein said audible signal comprises a periodic signal, which increases in frequency as the power supply of the earpiece and/or the transmitter is exhausted.

27. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein signals transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver are encrypted.

28. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 27, wherein the transmitter and receiver are arranged to respectively encode and decode signals using a unique encryption algorithm.

29. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 27, wherein the transmitter and receiver are arranged to respectively encode and decode signals using one of a plurality of encryption algorithms chosen on a random basis.

30. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 27 to 29, wherein the transmitter and receiver are pre-programmed with an appropriate encryption key.

31. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 27 to 29, wherein the encryption key is transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver

32. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 31 wherein the encryption key is generated by the transmitter.

33. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the encryption key is derived from the phone number or other identification code of the handset with which the hands-free kit is to be used.

34. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the encryption key is chosen at random.

35. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 34, wherein a new key, chosen at random, is transmitted to the receiver on a periodic basis.

36. ). A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter is arranged to transmit an identification signal to identify itself to the earpiece.

37. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 36, wherein the identification signal is unique

38. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 36, wherein the identification signal is chosen at random from one of a plurality of possible signals.

39. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 36 to 38, wherein the transmitter and receiver are pre-programmed to operate using a particular identification signal.

40. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 36 to 38, wherein the identification signal is communicated from the transmitter to the receiver

41. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 40, wherein the identification signal is generated by the transmitter.

42. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 41, wherein the identification signal is derived from the phone number or other identification code of the handset with which the hands-free kit is to be used.

43. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 41, wherein the identification signal is chosen at random.

44. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 43, wherein a new signal, chosen at random, is communicated to the earpiece on a periodic basis.

45. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 36 to 44, wherein the earpiece is arranged to respond to an invalid identification signal by emitting an audible warning signal.

46. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 36 to 45, wherein the transmitter is arranged to periodically transmit said identification signal within a stream of audio signals.

47. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 46, wherein the earpiece is arranged to provide an audible alarm signal if a valid identification signal is not received over a predetermined period of time.

48. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the earpiece is arranged to operate for periods in a standby mode, wherein one or more functions of the earpiece are disabled to conserve power.

49. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 48, wherein the earpiece is arranged to enter the standby mode in the absence of a received signal.

50. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claim 48 appended to any of claims 36 to 47, wherein the earpiece is arranged to enter the standby mode if a valid identification signal is not received.

51. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 48 to 50, wherein the or each disabled function is restored in response to a received signal.

52. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in claims 51, wherein the or each disabled function is restored only if the received signal comprises a valid identification signal.

53. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 48 to 52, wherein entry into the standby mode is immediate

54. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any of claims 48 to 52, wherein entry into the standby mode is delayed.

55. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the transmitter is arranged to operate for periods in a standby mode, wherein one or more functions of the transmitter are disabled to conserve power, in the absence of an audio signal from the handset.

56. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising a second infra-red receiver, located adjacent the transmitter, and means for varying the intensity of the infra-red light emitted by the transmitter according the amount of infra-red light received by the second receiver.

57. ) A hands-free kit as claimed in any preceding claim, arranged to provide a set-up mode, wherein the transmitter emits a light signal of substantially constant amplitude and the earpiece emits a periodic audible signal, whose periodicity varies in accordance with the amount of light received from the transmitter as the position of the transmitter is adjusted by a user.

58. ) A mobile radio-telephone arrangement comprising an earpiece and a mobile radio-telephone handset comprising an infra-red transmitter for relaying audio signals front the handset to the earpiece, the earpiece comprising an infra-red receiver for receiving audio signals from the transmitter.

59. ) A mobile radio-telephone arrangement comprising a mobile radio-telephone handset and a hands-free kit comprising an infra-red transmitter located at the breast of a user for relaying incoming audio signals from the handset to an earpiece worn by the user, the earpiece comprising an infra-red receiver arranged to receive audio signals from the transmitter.

60. ) An earpiece for attaching to an ear of a user and comprising an infrared receiver.

61. ) An earpiece as claimed in claim 60, wherein the receiver is arranged to receive signals from an infra-red transmitter positioned at the breast of a person wearing the earpiece.

62. ) An earpiece as claimed in claim 60 or claim 61, comprising a tail portion for hooking around the ear of the wearer, a portion which extends over and forwards from the user'"'"'s ear and a portion which extends rearwards from the front of the device to position a microphone over the external auditory canal of the wearer.

63. ) An earpiece as claimed in claim 62, having an elastomeric grip fitted to the tail portion of the earpiece.

64. ) An earpiece as claimed in claim 63, wherein said elastomeric grip is replaceable.

65. ) An earpiece as claimed in any of claims 62 to 64, wherein the front of the earpiece is provided with a window, behind which a pair of photosensitive devices are arranged to receive infra-red signals from different respective directions.

66. ) An earpiece as claimed in any of claims 62 to 65, wherein the tail portion of the earpiece houses electronic circuitry and a rechargeable power supply.

67. ) An earpiece as claimed in any of claims 62 to 66, wherein said microphone is rotatable about the axis of said rearwardly projecting portion, to enable the earpiece to be configured for fitting to either the left or the right ear of the wearer.

68. ) An earpiece as claimed in claim 67, wherein abutting parts of the rearwardly projecting portion and a housing of the microphone ensure that the microphone can only be rotated through 180 degrees between its left and right handed orientations.

69. ) An infra-red transmitter arranged relay signals from a mobile radio-telephone handset to an earpiece worn by a user.

70. ) An infra-red transmitter as claimed in claim 69 arranged to be worn at the breast of the user.

71. ) An intra-red transmitter as claimed in claim 69 or claim 70 arranged to communicate with the handset via a wired connection.

72. ) An infra-red transmitter as claimed in claim 69 or claim 70 arranged to communicate with the handset via a wireless connection.

73. ) An audio apparatus comprising a headset, an infra-red transmitter for transmitting audio signals to the headset, an infra-red receiver located adjacent the transmitter and means for varying the intensity of the infrared light emitted by the transmitter according to the amount of infrared light received by the receiver.