Wireless headphone

• US 5,095,382 A
• Filed: 03/14/1990
• Issued: 03/10/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Abe, Kensasku
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Negash, Kinfe-Michael
• Application Number:
  US07/493,289
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 455/619, 455/600, 455/603, 455/74, 381/25, 381/72, 381/74, 320/2, 200/2
• US Class Current: 398/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/114 Indoor or close-range type systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

A wireless headphone in which an infra-red light signal transmitted from a transmitting apparatus is received and reproduced as an audible sound by a headphone unit portion. A first light receiving element is provided on a top portion of a head band portion of the headphone so that, when a listener wears the wireless headphone, a light receiving surface included in the first light receiving element is directed rearward. Second and third light receiving elements are provided on the pair of headphone unit portions so that, when the listener wears the wireless headphone light receiving surfaces included in the second and third light receiving elements are directed forward.

Claims

1. A wireless headphone having charging terminals for charging a secondary battery included within said wireless headphone, said wireless headphone comprising:

change-over switch means included in said headphone for selectively changing-over between an operable state, in which power is supplied from said secondary battery to said headphone so as to turn on said headphone, and an inoperable state, in which power is inhibited from being supplied from said secondary battery to said headphone so as to effectively turn off said headphone; and

opening and closing means coupled to said switch means for respectively uncovering and covering said charging terminals in accordance with the operation of said switch means, said opening and closing means covering said charging terminals when said switch means switches said headphone to said operable state and said opening and closing means uncovering said charging terminals when said switch means switches said headphone to said inoperable state, so as to provide access to said charging terminals to allow said secondary battery to be recharged.

2. A wireless headphone according to claim 1, wherein said charging terminals are located on said headphone at positions which are adjacent to a listener'"'"'s head when said listener wears said headphone.

3. A wireless headphone according to claim 2, wherein said headphone includes a head band portion and, in which, said charging terminals are located on an inner surface side of said head band portion.

4. A wireless headphone according to claim 1, wherein said opening and closing means includes a switch knob which is slidably provided on said headphone and, in which said change-over switch means is operated in response to the slidably movement of said knob.

5. An improved wireless headphone system for transmitting and receiving a signal having transmitting means for transmitting said signal and a wireless headphone including receiving means for receiving said signal from said transmitting means, in which the improvement comprises:

said wireless headphone powered by a secondary battery and having a charging portion; and

said transmitting means having terminals which are engageable with said charging portion for enabling recharging of said secondary battery.

6. A wireless headphone system according to claim 5, wherein said secondary battery operates said receiving means and said transmitting means includes charging means for charging said secondary battery.

7. A wireless headphone system according to claim 6, wherein said charging portion includes charging terminals and said terminals of said transmitting means are output terminals for said charging means.

8. A wireless headphone system according to claim 5, wherein said transmitting means includes a transmitting portion arrangeable to adjust the angle at which said signal is transmitted.