Abstract:
A spa enabled to permit a user to conduct hands-free mobile telephone calls while immersed in the spa, comprising a Bluetooth enabled audio system contained in one or more watertight compartments, including a microphone and one or more speakers, whereby the Bluetooth enabled audio system is adapted to be paired with and wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to permit hands-free use in the spa.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefits, under 35 U.S.C. §119(e), of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/431,834 filed Jan. 11, 2011 entitled “Hands-Free Cellular Telephone Enabled Spa” which is incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The application relates to the field of hot tubs and spas. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Hot tubs or spas (collectively “spas”) are widely installed in residences, hotels, fitness facilities and the like for relaxation, entertainment and therapeutic reasons. It is not uncommon currently for such spas to include built-in audio and speaker systems so that occupants of the spa can listen to music or television. See for example published U.S. patent applications 2004/0047484, 2004/0068787 and 2010/0046785. However, in the past if a person wished to make a cellular telephone call while immersed in the spa there was a risk of damaging the telephone due to moisture. There is therefore a need for a spa design which permits a person to make a hands-free cellular telephone call while immersed in the spa. 
     The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. In various embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed to other improvements. 
     The present invention provides a spa enabled to permit a user to conduct hands-free mobile telephone calls while immersed in the spa, comprising a Bluetooth enabled audio system contained in one or more watertight compartments, including a microphone and one or more speakers, whereby the Bluetooth enabled audio system is adapted to be paired with and wirelessly communicate with a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to permit hands-free use in the spa. 
     The present invention further provides a microphone enclosure specifically adapted for hands-free use of a mobile phone in a spa. The microphone enclosure comprises a hollow enclosure sized to extend through an aperture in a supporting wall of the spa for receiving a microphone and having a sealable flange secured around the circumference of a first end of the hollow enclosure for sealingly securing the hollow enclosure to the wall, with a passage extending through the first end sealingly covered by a sound-transmitting element, such as a plastic disc mounted on a rubber O-ring. 
     In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following detailed descriptions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in referenced figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view, partly cut-away, of a spa according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a detail plan view of a microphone mounted on a side wall of a spa according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a surface mount microphone for use in the invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a spa  10  has side walls  12  for containing a volume of heated, jetted water  14 . Seats  16  are provided for accommodating one or more individuals  20  while immersed in water  14 . 
     Many cellular telephones are enabled to use a short range wireless format such as Bluetooth™ to communicate with other devices. Bluetooth is a short range wireless connectivity standard, using short wavelength radio waves, in the ISM band from 2400 to 2480 MHZ, to communicate between two paired devices within a range of up to 50 meters. Bluetooth has the advantage of allowing many different platforms to communicate wirelessly due to the wide acceptance of the standard. The current invention preferably uses Bluetooth standard devices (or other suitable short range wireless communication format) to communicate between the user&#39;s cellphone/mobile phone and the spa&#39;s audio system. The components of handsfree Bluetooth mobile phone systems currently developed for use with automobile stereo systems can be used for the corresponding components of the present invention, as modified for the application to a spa environment as described herein. 
     Provided above the water line  14  on a side wall  12  of the spa  10 , or a top edge of side wall  12 , is a microphone enclosure  22 . Microphone enclosure  22 , in a watertight enclosure which allows sound penetration, is electrically connected, either wirelessly by Bluetooth or wired through the sidewall  12  to input its signal to a Bluetooth enabled audio system  24 , components of which, apart from the microphone and speakers, are preferably installed in a watertight compartment  30  in side wall  12 . Compartment  30  is readily accessible to allow a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to be paired to the audio system. Speakers  26  in watertight enclosures are electrically connected, either wirelessly by Bluetooth or wired through the sidewall  12  to receive an output signal from the Bluetooth enabled audio system  24 . Such speakers may be of a design such as shown in US 2004/0068787. 
     A user control interface  32  may be provided along a sidewall  12  above the water line  14  to allow the individual  20  to answer or initiate a mobile phone call, adjust volume and select stored telephone numbers from a screen display. Control interface  32  is connected to audio system  24  either by wires or wirelessly. Alternatively the system can be controlled by audio voice commands through microphone  22  which are pre-programmed in known ways. 
     To operate the system, the user places a Bluetooth-capable mobile phone near the spa within Bluetooth range. Power is provided to the Bluetooth-enabled audio system  24 , and the mobile phone is paired to the audio system  24  using the indicators on the phone and audio system. Subsequently, when the phone is within range of the audio system, whether loose or in a watertight storage compartment such as compartment  30 , when a telephone call is incoming on the mobile phone, an incoming call audio signal is communicated over speaker  26 . The user can then answer the telephone call by pressing a button on the user interface  32  or by suitable voice commands. The user can then speak handsfree into microphone  22  to talk to the initiater of the telephone call, and will, handsfree, hear the voice of the other party to the call over speaker  26 . The user can control the volume of the incoming audio using interface  32  or voice commands. 
     Individual  20  can place an outgoing telephone call, handsfree, by initiating suitable voice commands or selecting the telephone number on the interface  32  and pressing a call button. The user can then speak handsfree into microphone  22  to talk to the recipient of the telephone call, and will, handsfree, hear the voice of the other party to the call over speaker  26 . The user can again control the volume of the incoming audio using interface  32  or voice commands. 
     Alternatively, the user can use an MP3-adapted smart phone or MP3 player to communicate via Bluetooth, music files to the Bluetooth enabled audio system for playing music files stored on the smart phone/player over speakers  26 . 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded view of a slim line surface mount microphone housing  40  particularly suited for use in wet applications such as the invention. It provides an enclosure assembly that will hold a small standard microphone that will protect it from fluid penetration and moisture while minimizing impediment of voice sound transmissions, and so is suitable for use in the present spa application. It is surface mounted to provide minimal profile to be useful in the present invention. 
     According to the disclosed design, a suitable microphone (not shown) is placed into an externally threaded plastic housing  42  in the shape of a cylinder. This cylinder has a molded upper flange  44  that will allow the housing to mount flat against a flat walled surface such as the wall of the spa, with the cylindrical section of the housing  42  extending through a hole in the spa wall and the flange  44  sealing against the wall surface. This flange area also incorporates a recessed area around the microphone that is designed to support an O-ring rubber seal  48 . On top of the O-ring  48  is placed a thin disc  50  made of a suitable plastic, such as polycarbonate and of suitable thickness to act as a diaphragm or drum to transmit sound waves. The final piece of the assembly is a molded domed shaped plastic cap or cover  52 . Cap  52  has a series of radial slotted holes  54  in it that allow sound to pass through and reach the plastic disc  50 . The disc  50  is held in place by a number of small posts molded on the underside of the cap  52  that hold it against the O-ring  48  when cap  52  snap fits onto flange  44 . This then seals the microphone from fluids but allows voice vibrations to transfer through disc  50  to the microphone. 
     A drain trough  56  is molded into the housing flange  44  to assist in fluid drainage. A polymer flat seal ring  58  is used between the flange  44  and the mounting surface of the spa to seal out fluids. Finally a molded plastic threaded clamping nut  60  is used to secure the housing assembly  40  to the flat surface on a hot tub, spa or other exposed piece of equipment by screw threading onto housing  40  to tighten against the wall of the spa. 
     While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the invention be interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and sub-combinations as are within their true spirit and scope.