Patent ID: 7062301
Filing Date: 2006-06-13
Classification: H04B

Abstract:
1. In a communication system for use by a 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 there is carried by the rider a portable two-way radio and there is incorporated within the power sports equipment at least one of a two-way radio and public address (PA) equipment to which voice-carrying signals can be routed for transmission or broadcast therefrom and wherein the communication system includes a microphone-including arrangement including a microphone 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, the improvement comprising: the microphone-including arrangement and the portable two-way radio being connectable to one another so that messages which are spoken by the rider into the microphone of the microphone-including arrangement can be conducted to the portable two-way radio for transmission therefrom; 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 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 microphone-including arrangement including means for wirelessly relaying voice-carrying signals from the microphone-including arrangement; the control unit includes means for capturing the voice-carrying signals relayed wirelessly from the microphone-including arrangement, and the capturing means is connectable to one of the two-way radio and the PA equipment incorporated within the power sports equipment for conductance thereto of the voice-carrying signals which are received by the capturing means; and the microphone-including arrangement including a multi-path switch for selectively routing voice-carrying signals which are emitted from the microphone-including arrangement to the portable two-way radio for transmission therefrom or wirelessly to the control unit for conductance of the voice-carrying signals to one of the two-way radio and the PA equipment incorporated within the power sports equipment; the manually-operable switch mounted upon the handlebars is cooperable with the control unit to effect the condition of the multi-path switch so that actuation of the manually-operable switch selectively routes voice-carrying signals which are emitted from the microphone-including arrangement to the portable two-way radio for transmission therefrom or wirelessly to the control unit for conductance to one of the two-way radio and the PA equipment incorporated within the power sports equipment for transmission or broadcast therefrom.