# Patent

## Title
Headset

## Abstract

A headset having a loudspeaker housing and a microphone which are interconnected by a microphone boom arm that includes two opposed spaced apart arm parts, and wherein a name tag display is seatable between the arm parts and retaining tongue and grove pairs are provided at the arms and/or at the name tag display.

## Background
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/923,798, filed Oct. 7, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,571,251, which was based on U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/249,617, filed Oct. 8, 2009, the priorities of which are hereby claimed. The priority of EPO Application 09172541.6, filed Oct. 8, 2009, is also claimed.


TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a headset which is usable either alone and hooked at one ear, or is used in a headband/headset assembly, where the headset is seated in a headband, which provides an earmuff to the effect that the sounds from the environment are better controlled when the headset is used and which further comprise a flexible bracket which spans the head and provides a compression force between the earmuff and the ear.
BACKGROUND ART
Headset systems of the above kind are known where the headset part includes a microphone boom and an ear level part with a housing having a loudspeaker therein. In such systems some degree of individualization is allowed whereby the user's preference in loudness and adjustment of the headset according to use on right or left side ear. Also, users may from a hygienic point of view be mindful not to share their headset with other users or by mistake use the headset of a college. In large office or call centre settings a personal marking possibility is thus desired, which is easy for the user to use, such that the ownership of the headset may be marked in a simple manner.
The microphone boom is to extend the microphone of the headset towards the user's mouth and preferably into close proximity of the mouth of the user, however this is to be done without the boom coming into contact with the user's cheek in order to avoid unnecessary noise from such touch. This however is also for some users a problem, especially when a boom arm without adjustment properties with relation to the ear part is built into the headset.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention a headset with loudspeaker a housing and a microphone which are interconnected by a microphone boom arm is provided wherein the boom arm comprises two opposed spaced apart arms. A name tag display is seatable between the arms and retaining tongue and grove pairs are provided at the arms and/or at the name tag display.
By way of this tag display the user may attach his or her own mark onto the headset. The otherwise identical headsets used in the room becomes personalized in this way, and confusion which might arise from users inadvertently applying a colleges headset to the ear is easily avoided.
Further objects of the invention are achieved by the embodiments defined in the dependent claims and in the detailed description of the invention.
As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well (i.e. to have the meaning “at least one”), unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “comprises,” “including,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements maybe present, unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, “connected” or “coupled” as used herein may include wirelessly connected or coupled. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless expressly stated otherwise.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention will be explained more fully below in connection with a preferred embodiment and with reference to the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows the headset/headband combination cradled in a base station,
FIG. 2 shows a section view of the headset in a 3d projection,
FIG. 3 shows the headset with an ear hook cradled in the base station,
FIG. 4 shows the base station with the cradle portion,
FIG. 4a shows an enlarged view of a detail of the cradle in the base station shown in FIG. 4,
FIG. 5 shows the boom portion of the headset in a 3d projection,
FIG. 6 shows a side view of the headset electronic casing part,
FIG. 7 shows a 3d projection of the cradle part of the headband without the headset mounted therein,
FIG. 8 shows the element in FIG. 7 from a different angle,
FIG. 9 shows an exploded view of the main parts of the headband,
FIG. 10 shows the flexprint of the headband in a front view,
FIG. 10a shows the flexprint of FIG. 10 in a side view,
FIG. 11 shows the headband in a 3d projection and sectioned,
FIG. 12 shows a detail of the headband in enlarged 3d projectional view,
FIG. 13 shows a sectional view of the ear muff of the headband,
FIG. 14 shows a 3d projection of the name tag, and
FIG. 15 shows the name tag with a cheek spacer.
FIG. 16 shows a detail of the headset in 3d projection from the cheek side.



DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TEE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In most drawings a small vignette displaying the x,y and z axis of the coordinate system from which all drawings are derived. This vignette is not part of the invention and only provided to aid the reader in realizing the point of view in the 3d representations used.
In FIG. 1 the base station 100, the wireless headset 200 and the headband 300 are shown with the headset 200 and the headband 300 fastened to each other and placed in the base station 100. The headset 200 is powered by a rechargeable battery 225 which is enclosed inside casing parts thereof. In FIG. 2 a sectional view of the headset is shown, and here also the loudspeaker 226 is disclosed at a proximal part 230 of the headset. Distanced from the proximal part 230, a distal part 240 is provided at the end of a boom arm 239. Inside the distal part 240 a microphone unit is located, comprising one or more microphones 241. The base station 100 has a cradle 101 and the headset 200 has a corresponding cradle-neck 201. As seen in FIG. 3, the headset 200 may be seated in the cradle 101 of the base station by way of the cradle neck 201 being shaped to fit into the cradle 101. The cradle 101 mounts charging output points 111, 112 and the cradle-neck 201 of the headset 200 mounts charging input contact points 211, 212 and these charging input points 211, 212 are connected to the rechargeable battery 225 of the headset. The headset 200 may be cradled in a charging position as shown in FIG. 3 to ensure electrical connection between the base station 100 and the rechargeable battery 225 through the electrical contact points defined as output points 111, 112 of the base station and the input points 211, 212 of the headset, respectively.
The wireless headset 200 has first attachment sites 203 at the cradle neck 201 and further attachment sites 202 at the casing body 230 for releasably attachment thereto of the headband 300 to form a headband-headset assembly.
The headband 300 comprises a cradle portion 301 mounting charging output points 311,312 providing a releasable mechanical attachment point between this headband cradle portion 301 and the headset cradle-neck portion 201 and simultaneous electrical connection between the headband charging output points 311,312 and the cradle neck input charging points 211,212 of the headset 200.
The headband 300 also comprises a headband cradle-neck 320 (see FIG. 8) mounting charging input points 321,322 providing a releasable mechanical attachment point between this headband cradle neck 320 and the base station cradle 101 and simultaneous electrical connection between the headband charging input points 321,322 and the base station charging output points 111,112.
The charging input points 321,322 at the cradle neck portion 320 of the headband 300 and the charging output points 311,312 at the cradle portion 301 of the headband 300 are connected through electric leads 330, such that the headset battery 225 is chargeable through the headband 300 when seated in the headband 300 and the headband 300 is mounted in the base station cradle 101.
The advantage of the above described arrangement is that the headset battery 225 may be charged from the base station 100 when used alone as well as when used with the headband 300. In this way the user need not separate the headband and headset from each other in order to facilitate charging of the rechargeable battery. It is also noted that by providing the headband with a cradle neck portion of its own with charging points, and fitting the cradle of the base station, a very secure and mechanically reliable fixation of the assembled headset and headband in the base station may be provided, such that the added weight of the headband will not compromise the establishment of a secure electrical connection between the charging points of the base station 100 and the rechargeable battery 225 in the headset 200.
The headband cradle neck portion 320 and the headband cradle portion 301 are mutually rotatable with respect to each other, allowing a boom arm 230 of the headset 200 to be rotated to a position wherein it points towards the user's mouth when the headband 300 with the headset 200 is mounted on the head of a user.
This adjustment possibility allows the user to personalize the headband and headset for the shape and proportions of his or her head, and it ensures that the microphone unit 240 may always be positioned close to the user's mouth.
The electrical leads 330 between the charging input points 321,322 at the cradle neck portion 320 of the headband 300 and the charging output points 311,312 at the cradle portion 301 of the headband 300 allow the mutual rotational positioning between the headband cradle neck portion 320 and the headband cradle portion 301 without disturbance to the electrical connection. In this manner the charging of the rechargeable battery 225 may take place when the headset, seated in the headband, is turned to any position with respect to the cradle neck portion 320. This is an important advantage to the user who, regardless of the turning point of the boom arm, may cradle the headband with headset in the base station and be sure of a good charging connection being established.
In FIGS. 10 and 10a front view and side view are shown of the electrical leads 330 inside of the headband 300. The lead connect charging input points 321, 322 and charging output solder points 328,329 are shown. The leads 330 are provided in the shape of a flexprint element, wherein the electrical leads are provided as lanes on a flexible sheet material, the lanes usually being generated in electrochemical processing which is well known and will not be further described. The charging input points 321,322 are metal covered areas of the flexprint sheet material which are connectable from the outside through a suitable window in the cradle neck portion 320 of the headband 300. Each of the charging output points 311, 312 constitute a multipart springloaded electrical connection element, and are soldered to each their charging output point 328, 329 respectively.
From FIGS. 10 and 10a it can be seen that the flexprint comprise a coiled portion 345 and a cradle neck extension 346 from a first end of the coiled portion and a cradle extension 347 from a second end of the coiled portion. As the flexible print board 330 is soft and bendable it is possible to rotate the cradle extension 347 with respect to the cradle neck extension 346 while the coiled portion 345 absorbs the deformation. This rotation is naturally within certain limits, but from the shown position where the cradle and cradle neck portions are aligned with each other, the cradle is to be rotated 140 deg to either side with respect to the cradle neck. This allows the microphone boom in the headset to be pointed to the user's mouth with the headset at the right ear as well as at the left ear of the user. And this can be done without disconnection of the headband and headset from each other, and any user may then without further ado take the headset to his or her preferred ear and adjust the microphone boom arm to the right position with respect to the mouth.
Further, the cradle neck arrangement at the headband and the headset allows the user to remove the headset or the headband with headset with one hand, and cradle the device without changing the grip on the device or provide support with the other hand. The magnetic coupling at the cradle thus along with the other features of the cradle and cradle neck connections aids in facilitating the smooth operation of the device with one hand.
In FIG. 9 it can be seen how the cradle neck portion 320 is integrally molded with a ringshaped element 350 which features an internal cammed surface 351. The cradle portion 301 is integrally shaped with a shell part 302 and the shell part is connected to a circular disc shaped cam follower element 352 by a suitable connection means such as by use of screws 356. The screws 356 keep together the shell part 302 and the cam follower disc 352 and keep in place the holding elements 344, while the flexprint element 330 will be enclosed in between the shell 320 and the cam follower disc 352. The cam follower disc 352 and the shell 302 are assembled from each their side of the ringshaped element 350, and form a sub-assembly, which is rotatable with respect to the ringshaped element 350.
In FIG. 11 a sectional view of a 3D projection of the headband is shown, to better illustrate the above elements. The ringshaped element 350 with the cammed surface 351 is seen, and further opposed flanges 357 between the ringshaped element 350 and the cam follower disc 352 are disclosed, which serve as bearing in both radial and axial direction between the cam follower disk 352 and the ringshaped element 351. It is clear from the figure also that the cam follower disk is not massive but is shaped more like a wheel with spokes. Spring elements 360 are provided to ensure the springiness of the holding element 344. Cam followers 358 are shaped integrally with cam follower disk 352, and are provided to flex towards the cam surface 351 in order to securely position the microphone boom arm at well defined positions. The cam followers 355 are arranged around the circumference of the disk 352 and each cam follower is provided at a flexible spring element 359 to ensure that the cam followers 358 remain in forceful contact with cam surface 351. Also in FIG. 11 the flexprint coiled portion 345 is seen positioned at the inner side of the ringshaped element 350 and enclosed between the cam follower disk 352 and the shell 302. At both sides of the coiled portion in the radial direction space is provided such that the coil 345 may move inwardly and outwardly in the radial direction when the cradle neck and cradle portions of the headband are moved with respect to each other. An outwardly directed flange 362 is provided at the ringshaped element 350, and on this flange 362 the earmuff 363 may be attached.
Centrally in the cam follower disk an oblong opening 361 is provided and through this opening the sound from the loudspeaker 226 in the headset 200 will be guided towards the ear of the user.
As seen in FIG. 12, the flange 362 has a triangular cut out portion 364 which facilitates mounting of the earmuff 363 on the flange 362, as the cut out portion allows the ear muff 363 to be mounted in simple rational motion between the flange 362 and the ear muff 363. The earmuff 363 is shown in 3D projection in a sectional view, and here an inwardly flanged portion 365 can be seen, and this portion fits over the flange 362 in the described manner. This allows easy exchange of the earmuff 363, and this allows the user to choose the earmuff material and texture according to his or her liking.
As best seen in FIG. 4a, the base station 100 has in a surface region at the cradle thereof 101 a first surface mounted magnetic means 113 displaying a first magnetic polarization and a second surface mounted magnetic means 114 adjacent thereto and displaying a second magnetic polarization which is opposite the first magnetic polarization. In FIG. 4a the first magnetic means 113 is slightly larger than the second magnetic means 114. The magnetic means 113,114 are simple round magnets being mounted in surface orifices to have an exterior surface flush with the surrounding surface region of the cradle portion to which they are attached.
The headset 200 has at a corresponding surface region at the cradle neck 201 at least a further surface mounted magnetic means 215 displaying only one of the first or the second polarization. In this way it is ensured that this further magnet is respectively attracted to and repulsed from the two magnetic means 113, 114 of the bases station cradle. As the magnets are arranged in the displayed embodiment the headset magnet 215 is arranged to be attracted to the first magnet 113 of the base station cradle 101, and repulsed from the second magnet 114 thereof. In this way the three magnets together aid to get the headset cradle neck 201 rightly positioned within the base station cradle 101. This positioning is critical as small deviations from the right position will result in the charging points not gaining contact with each other. The larger first magnet 113 at the base station cradle 101 ensures a good holding force between the headset and the base station. Also, the charging connection points 111,112 at the base station 100 are spring biased towards the headset input charging points 211,212 and the magnetic attraction between the headset magnet 215 and the first magnet 113 of the base station cradle aids to ensure a spring biasing force of a minimum size between input and output charging points.
At the cradle neck portion 320 of the headband 300 first and second surface mounted magnetic means 313,314 are provided. The magnetic means 313,314 displays polarization to cause attractions forces there between and the first and second surface mounted magnetic means 113,114 of the base station 100 when the headband cradle-neck portion 320 is cradled in the base station cradle 101. In this way it is ensured that both magnets of the base station attract each its magnet in the headband when the headband is cradled in the base station. A double attraction force results, and this facilitate the fixation of the headband-headset assembly in the cradle 101 of the base station 100 and a forceful fixation is required especially as the boom arm 239 and headset 200, in the cradle portion 301 of the headband 300 may be rotated with respect to the cradle neck portion 320 of the headband 300 and cause off axis weight load on the cradle/cradle neck connection between base station 100 and headband 300. Also the headband-headset assembly is considerably heavier than the headset 200 alone and further magnetic attraction aids to carry this weight in the cradle 101 of the base station 100.
The skilled artisan would readily know that the two separate magnets may be substituted by a single u shaped magnet embedded in the surface or by electromagnetic means. Possibly the magnetic means may be totally embedded such that they are invisible to the naked eye. Also magnets, which are more or less protruding from the surrounding surface or which are withdrawn to a subsurface level could be used.
The headset 200 has a loudspeaker 226 which is seated in an electronics housing part 230 at a proximal end thereof and a boomarm 239 with a microphone 241 at a distal end 240 thereof, whereby the cradle neck portion 201 is provided at the boomarm 239 adjacently to the electronics and housing part 230. The boomarm 239 should preferably be a lightweight construction, which extends the microphone into proximity of the users mouth as far as possible, however without causing off-axis weight load on the headset when worn on the ear without the headband. Battery charging points at the distal end of the boomarm or at the proximal end of the housing part as have previously been proposed are not desirable, as it makes a balanced cradling in a base station difficult. A cradle neck portion should be close to the center of gravity of the unit to ensure cradling and secure holding and connection to a base station.
The base station cradle 101 comprises guiding surfaces 133, 134 (best seen in FIGS. 4, and 4a) which corresponds to opposed guiding surfaces 233,244,333,334 of the boomarm 239 (seen in FIGS. 5 and 6) and of the headband 300 (seen in FIGS. 7 and 8) at cradle neck portions thereof. In the presented embodiment, the guiding surfaces 133,134 of the base station cradle are arranged opposed to each other and embrace parts of the headset or headband, whichever is seated in the cradle. Many other ways of providing mechanical interacting surfaces to fixate the headset or the headband in the base station are possible such as a simple outstanding hook on the base station and corresponding orifices on the headset and headband respectively.
The various magnetic means 313, 314, 215, 113, 114 and the charging input and output connection pints 111, 112, 211, 212, 321, 322 of the base station, of the headset and of the head band cradle neck portions are provided at the guiding surfaces 333, 334, 233, 324, 133, 134 and two electrical charging connection are placed respectively, one at each side of a corresponding magnetic means. In FIGS. 4a, 5 and 8, the magnetic means 313, 314, 215, 113, 114 and the charging connection points 111, 112, 211, 212, 321, 322 are shown, and at each instance, the magnets are placed centered between the guiding surfaces, and at each side of the magnet in the space between the guiding surface and the magnet a charging connection point is provided. The guiding surfaces of the base station 100 will interact with opposed surfaces of the headset 200 or headband 300 respectively and ensure sideway fixation of the headset or headband in the base station whereas the magnets will aid to ensure that a connection force between the mating electrical connection points is maintained. Thus a distance relation exist between the guiding surfaces of the base station and the guiding surfaces of the headset and headband respectively in that the distance between the guiding surfaces of the base station correspond to the width of the boom arm and the headband at the cradle neck portions thereof.
When the headset 200 is to be worn alone without the headband 300, some means of attaching the headset to the ear is needed and to this end an earhook 260 is connectable to the headset 200 through an aperture 203 provided at the cradle neck portion 201 of the headset. The earhook 260 is seen in FIG. 3, and as displayed, the headset 200 may be seated in the cradle 101 of the base station 100 with the earhook 260 mounted in the aperture 203. As seen in FIG. 1, the headband 300 and headset 200 assembly does not allow the earhook 260 to be mounted to the headset 200, and also this would be counter-productive, as the both the earhook 260 and the headband 300 serve to maintain the headset in an operational position on a users head, but in each their unique and well known manner.
At the cradle portion 301 the headband 300 further comprises movable protrusions 340, 341 sized to enter the earhook aperture 203 when the headset 200 is connected to the headband 300. The protrusions 340, 341 are provided on flexible stags 342,343 on each side of the cradle portion 301 of the headband. The stags 342, 343, are springy movable in the direction away from each other, and as a result the headset cradle neck portion may be forced into the space between the stags forcing these away from each other, and when the headset cradle neck is secured in the cradle 301 of the headband, the protrusions 340, 431 will enter the through going aperture 203 from each their side and thus help to maintain the headset 200 and headband 300 together.
The movable protrusions 340,341 are part of the cradle portion 301 of the headband 300 as seen in FIG. 7, and they are arranged adjacently to the charging input and output points 311, 312, 211, 212 of the headband 200 and headset 300 respectively when the headset is cradled in the headband. Hereby it is ensured that the connection points for charging maintain a secure electrical connection when the headset 200 is cradled in the headband 300.
Apart from the protrusion mentioned above a further set of mating holding means are provided between headset 200 and headband 300. These comprise a click in attachment site 202 on the headset 200 and corresponding holding element 344 on the headband cradle part. The attachment cites and holding elements are repeated on opposed sides of the headband and the headset respectively. The holding elements 344 are mounted springy such that they may click into and out of the attachment cites 202 in a manner well known in the art.
As seen in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5 the boom arm 239 comprise a first arm part 242 and second arm part 243 defining a through going oblong opening 246. As seen in FIG. 5, a name tag display 247 is attached between the arm parts. The name tag display 247 is optional for the user but offers a possibility of personalization of the headset, and this is an advantage in settings where numerous individuals work with their respective headset in the same room.
The name tag display 247 is separately shown in FIG. 14 in a 3D projectional view. The name tag display 247 comprises a transparent display window part 250 and a tag holder 251, a slit-formed opening 252 being defined between the display window part 250 and the tag holder 251. The slit-formed opening allows access to a cavity 254 between the transparent display window part 250 and the tag holder 251. The user may slide a piece of paper (not shown) with an identity sign or other personal tag printed or written thereon through the slit-formed opening and into the cavity, such that the sign can be read through the transparent display window part 250.
Preferably the transparent window part 250 is arranged to face away from the user's head when the headset is used, whereby this window faces the opposite direction relative to the direction of the sound output from the loudspeaker. When mounted between the arms of the headset boom 239, the display window part 250 will be flush with the exterior surface of the two arms 242, 243 and the slit-formed opening 252 will be between the arms, which will prevent the paper with the identity sign thereon from falling out through the slit-formed opening 252.
The name tag 247 further has a holder part 253 arranged generally perpendicular to the transparent display window 250 and name holder 251. The holder part 253 comprise usual tongue and groove connection elements allowing the holder part to connect to corresponding tongue and grooves in the headset and thereby be securely seated between the arms of the headset boom proximal to the cradle neck part thereof as seen in FIG. 5.
In FIG. 15 the nametag 247 is shown with a cheek-spacer 255, comprising a loop-shaped addition provided in the angle spanned between the window part 250 and the holder part 253. The cheek-spacer 255 will prevent the boom arm 239 from touching the cheek of the user, in applications were the headset is used without the headband. When the headset is mounted on the ear, the cheek-spacer 255 will gently abut the cheek of the user next to the ear, and thereby level the microphone boom arm of the headset away from the cheek. This will reduce the noise which would otherwise be generated from the occasional contact between boom arm and cheek. Some users may not need a cheek-spacer due to the proportions of their head, and thus the user may choose to either use a name tag with or one without the cheek spacer 255. Further, when the headset is to be used with a headband, the cheek-spacer needs to be removed, so a name-tag without the cheeks-spacer should be included. The cheek spacer 255 may be made in many ways being either loop shaped as shown or having some other shape, whereby the general idea of the invention resides in the changeability between a nametag with and one without the cheek spacer 255 depending on the user's needs.
To facilitate easy insertion of the name tag display 247, be it with or without the cheekspacer 255, the holder part 253 comprises two tongues 256, one at each side, which corresponds to two recesses 257 provided at each arm part of the headset next to the loudspeaker casing as best seen in FIG. 16. A recess 258 in the tag display 247 corresponds to a protrusion 259 in the headset situated between the boom arms. Through this arrangement the name tag display 247 may be inserted from the cheek side of the headset between the boom arms while the tongues 256 glide into the recesses 257 and the protrusion 259 catches the recess 258. If the user should wish to remove the name tag display 247, eg to insert a different name tag in the cavity 254, this is easily done by exerting a gentle pressure on the transparent window part whereby the name tag display will glide out of its seat between the arms 242,243.
The invention is defined by the features of the independent claim(s). Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. Any reference numerals in the claims are intended to be non-limiting for their scope.

## Claims

1. A headset which comprises:
a loudspeaker housing,
a microphone,
a boom arm connected between said loudspeaker housing and said microphone, said boom arm comprising two separated arm parts, and
a holder part seatable between said two arm parts, said holder part including a removable spacer element for projecting toward a cheek of a user of the headset when the headset is mounted on the user's ear, wherein the two separated arm parts of said boom arm include opposing grooves, and wherein said holder part includes tongues on opposite sides thereof which slide into said opposing grooves for connecting the holder part to the two arms.

2. The headset as claimed in claim 1, including a name tag display connected to said holder part, said name tag display including a tag support and a transparent window separated from the tag support by a cavity.

3. The headset as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tag support and said transparent window provide a slit-formed side opening that enables access to said cavity.

4. The headset as claimed in claim 3, wherein said slit-formed opening is blocked by at least one of said two arm parts when said name tag display is seated between said two arm parts.

5. The headset as claimed in claim 4, wherein said tag support is between said transparent window and the user's head when the headset is mounted on the user's ear.

6. The headset as claimed in claim 5, wherein said two arm parts define respective surfaces which face away from the user's head when the headset is mounted on the user's ear, and wherein said transparent window is flush with or retracted from said surfaces.

7. The headset as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer element is loop-shaped.