Patent ID: 7203525
Filing Date: 2007-04-10
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. In a communication system for use by a helmeted rider of power sports equipment having handlebars about which the hands of the rider are positioned during operation of the power sports equipment and wherein the communication system includes a microphone-including arrangement to be carried by the rider and a manually-operable switch mounted upon the handlebars of the power sports equipment for controlling operating characteristics of the communication system as the hands of the rider remain positioned about the handlebars of the power sports equipment wherein the microphone-including arrangement includes a helmet-mounted microphone into which voice messages which are spoken by the rider are wirelessly transmitted in the form of voice-carrying signals and wherein there is mounted upon the power sports eguipment at least one of a two-way radio for wireless transmission of voice-carrying signals to a remote site and public address (PA) eguipment for broadcast of voice-carrying signals in the form of audible messages, the improvement comprising: a control unit mountable upon the power sports equipment and connectable to the manually-operable switch mountable upon the handlebars of the power sports equipment and to the at least one of the two-way radio and the PA eguipment mounted upon the power sports eguipment, and the control unit is adapted to receive the voice-carrying signals from the helmet-mounted microphone for conductance to the two-way radio for transmission to a remote site or for conductance to the PA equipment for broadcast in the form of audible messages; the control unit and the microphone-including arrangement including means for wirelessly communicating with one another so that control of operating characteristics of the communication system can be had by way of the manually-operable switch mounted upon the handlebars of the power sports equipment without any need for wires connected between the microphone-including arrangement and the power sports equipment, the means for wirelessly communicating is comprised of a first set of components which is associated with the microphone-including arrangement and a second set of components which is associated with the control unit; and the entirety of said first set of components of the means for wirelessly-communicating is supported by the helmet of the rider so that no wires extend between the helmet of the rider and the person of the rider to effect communication between the microphone-including arrangement and the control unit and so that removal of the helmet from the rider does not require the disconnection of any helmet-carried component from the person of the rider.