Abstract:
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method to permit control and operation of an electronic device while participating in another activity, including a variety of sports and recreational activities. A fabric helmet liner, one or more speakers, a microphone, a breakaway connector, and a slap switch are provided and configured to enhance the ability of users to answer or end telephone calls or start, stop, or resume audio output t the speakers while a user is in motion or wearing gloves that would render the use of conventional call answer buttons difficult or impossible.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a Continuation of pending U.S. Nonprovisional Patent Application No. 13/186,467, filed on Jul. 19, 2011 and entitled “Sports MusiCom Headset”. Said application claimed benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/386,114, filed on Sep. 24, 2010 and entitled “Sports MusiCom Headset”. The instant application is commonly owned with, claims the benefit of, and incorporates herein by reference both of the applications enumerated above in their entireties. In this regard, in the event of inconsistency between anything stated in this specification and anything incorporated by reference in this specification, this specification shall govern. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to stereophonic cellular telephone headset systems, specifically to systems adapted for use in conjunction with a variety of sports and recreational activities, and providing a means for connecting external speakers and microphones to cellular telephones. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When communicating through a cellular telephone, it is often desirable, for convenience and safety purposes, to utilize external speakers and microphones. 
     The external devices are connected to the cellular telephone either by wires or through wireless communication. These devices allow the user to communicate without having to hold the cellular telephone next to their ear, which would otherwise be necessary to allow the speaker and microphone to function properly. The user&#39;s hand, which would normally be used to hold the cellular telephone, is then free to be used for other tasks. It also prevents fatigue of the arm that can occur when holding a telephone for extended periods of time. Furthermore, it is safer because the user&#39;s coordination and focus are enhanced for alternative purposes. This is of particular concern when the user is performing sports or recreational activities that require the continuous use of both hands, e.g. snow skiing, biking, or motorcycle riding to name a few. Finally, there is concern over the safety of radio waves emitted by cellular phones when the phones are in close proximity to the head of a user. Thus, the cellular telephone can be moved away from the user&#39;s head, thereby reducing the impact of such radiation. 
     Cellular telephones are often packaged with external speaker/microphone devices that allow for hands-free functionality. These devices are not always acceptable to the user. The devices often contain “ear-buds” that are uncomfortable and/or prone to disengaging with the ear and falling out, or otherwise of undesirable quality. As such, a variety of third-party products have been introduced to the market. Third-party products are produced with modified ear bud assemblies or headphones, and sometimes relocated microphones. Both wired and wireless (Bluetooth®) varieties are available. 
     There are three basic types of third-party devices available on the market. One type of device is a combination speaker/microphone unit connected wirelessly to the cellular telephone. A second type of device is a combination speaker/microphone unit connected to the cellular telephone using wires. A third type of device uses a wired configuration containing an integral microphone and headphone plug. This allows any standard headphone to be connected to the adapter cable, but has the drawback of requiring the use of the supplied microphone. This microphone may be inconvenient to the user due to its location along the adapter cable (including possibility of picking up excess background noise) or low quality. 
     A significant disadvantage of the available adapter cables is that they do not allow the use of third-party wired combination speaker/microphone units with standard, independent speaker and female phone jacks. These units are widely available for use in, among other things, communications via personal computer. Many users prefer specific devices due to comfort and functionality that suits their individual purposes. These devices cannot generally be connected to cellular telephones due to non-standard plug connections present on most models. 
     In particular, the Apple iPhone®, which has achieved enormous commercial success, uses a non-standard speaker/microphone female phone jack. No known adapters are available that provide standard female headphone jacks and microphone jacks to allow a standard combination speaker/microphone unit with independent male headphone and microphone plugs to be connected to an iPhone®. 
     Additionally, for certain sports and recreational activities where the user is in motion, many of the available devices are particularly problematic because the headsets may not be securely held in place, and free wires may snag on foreign objects such as tree branches in the vicinity of the user. In addition, microphone placement may be sub-optimal, even to the point of being non-functional, due to excessive wind noise or muffling due to the user&#39;s clothing blocking the microphone. Finally, while these devices are often equipped with remote buttons for answering incoming telephone calls, user interface with the button may be difficult due to the button&#39;s placement or configuration, especially if the user is wearing gloves or other clothing that may interfere with the operation. Answer buttons are typically very small, require a significant degree of dexterity to operate, and may even be difficult to locate in some circumstances. Due to operational difficulties, users of these devices may fail to answer incoming telephone calls that they wish to answer. 
     Certain devices adapted to specific sports or recreational activities have been developed to solve some of the above-mentioned issues. However, none of the presently known devices are universally adapted to a variety of non-related activities. 
     For instance, cold weather hats for use with, e.g. snow skiing, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,451 to Graham, have been fitted with headphones and are connectable to portable music players. These hats are not, however, fitted with microphones and may not be connectable to cellular telephones for two-way communication. These hats are typically manufactured with heavy fabric well-suited for cold weather sports but ill-suited for warm weather activities. 
     Also in the prior art are helmet systems with integrated communications. U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,256 to Steelman discloses a motorcycle helmet with a built-in speaker and microphone, whereby the rider and passenger may communicate with one another. These devices are permanently mounted to the interior of the motorcycle helmet, and thus may not be adapted to uses that do not require use of the helmet. 
     Other known devices may have wider application but present some operational difficulties for use with sports activities. U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,964 to Yang discloses an earphone arrangement comprising a band traversing the back of the head to hold the speakers in place, and a boom microphone. This device may be less comfortable or secure than desired by a user performing sports or recreational activities, and the microphone will likely function inadequately in windy conditions. 
     There are no known existing solutions to address the difficulties of the present cellular telephone call answer buttons. “Walkie-talkie” type buttons, such as that depicted in International Patent Publication No. WO/2004/107787 of Bataillard, are typically mounted to the body of the transceiver or to a remote speaker/microphone device wired back to the transceiver. These devices are not ideally suited for sports and recreation activities. They are relatively bulky, heavy, and expensive to produce. Additionally, they would be more difficult to operate than the slap switch described herein. 
     What is needed, therefore, is a universal headset device functional for a variety of sports and recreational activities. The headset, speaker, and microphone should be securely held in place, even while the user is in motion. The microphone should be placed in a position that will enhance the pickup response while limiting the interference from, e.g. wind or clothing. A breakaway connector between the cellular telephone and headset would prevent potentially dangerous or destructive snags on foreign objects and further provide the user with the ability to disengage the headset portion from the remaining components of the device. The headset itself would secure the earphones and microphone in place on the wearer&#39;s head comfortably even while wearing a helmet or other headgear over it. Additionally, an answer button in the style of a “slap switch” should be included to facilitate its operation even while the user is wearing, e.g. heavy gloves. Ideally, this headset would be suitable for both cold and warm weather activities. Moreover, the headset could also be used to listen to music since many modern cellular telephones are also portable music players. 
     Additional functionality would be realized by incorporating an adapter cable that would allow the user to connect independent headphones and microphones of their choice to their cellular telephone. The slap switch may also be incorporated into the adapter. A further benefit would be provided by supplying “patch” cables that allow the adapter to be connected to a variety of common cellular telephone models. 
     In conclusion, insofar as I am aware, no cellular telephone headset system exists that meets the above design criteria, particularly in the configurations disclosed herein. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cellular telephone headset with at least one speaker (and preferably two speakers for stereophonic music reproduction) and a microphone mounted within a universal helmet-liner suitable for use in conjunction with a variety of sports and recreational helmets and hats. The speaker and microphone are held in place by, e.g. a hook and loop fastening system (e.g., Velcro®) or stretchable fabric, so they may be removed to wash the helmet-liner. The helmet-liner is ideally constructed of a breathable material, making it suitable for warm weather use without overheating the user. The microphone is ideally placed on or near the chinstrap for optimum clarity and minimal wind and clothing interference. A noise canceling microphone may be provided, which is built into the chin strap so as to rest the microphone against the user&#39;s throat, thereby minimizing disturbances from external sources, such as wind. Other headgear, such as a motorcycle helmet, bicycle helmet, or ski hat may be placed over the helmet-liner, as desired by the user. 
     It is another object of the invention to enhance the ability of users to answer or end telephone calls while the user is in motion or wearing gloves that would render the use of conventional call answer buttons difficult or impossible. A telephone answer button in the style of a “slap switch” will avoid the need for the user to search for the button and fumble with the operation thereof. The call is answered by momentary shorting of the two wires leading to the microphone connection when the user slaps the switch. Ideally, the slap switch would be relatively large compared to prior art cellular telephone answer switches, but compact enough to avoid excessive bulkiness. An active area suitable for engaging the switch of at least one square inch is desired. Approximately four square inches is preferable, and the active area may range in sizes of nine square inches or larger. This eliminates the need for precision, thus making the device suitable for use with sports and recreational activities. The slap switch may be clipped onto the users clothing or placed inside a pocket, as desired. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a breakaway collar connector between the helmet-liner and the slap switch to prevent snags. The breakaway connector comprises two “halves” containing a plurality of electrical contact elements and one or more magnets to hold the halves in place during normal operation. One half of the breakaway connector is wired to the slap switch and then from the slap switch to a cellular telephone connector tip. The other half of the breakaway connector is wired to the speakers and microphone of the headset. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide an adapter comprising a standard (3.5-mm) female phone jack, with a cellular telephone audio input/output jack on the opposite end, which will allow operation with a standard headset of the user&#39;s choice. A slap switch may also be incorporated into the adapter. This will allow use of the slap switch with a user&#39;s preferred headset, in the case that the user selects a headset other than the head liner system described herein. Two independent connections are therefore provided: one standard headphone connector, and one standard microphone connector. These independent connections can be located adjacent to one another in a duplex arrangement or on separate wires branching off of the cellular telephone connection in a simplex arrangement. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide “patch” cables to allow use of the headset device with different cellular telephone models, which may contain nonstandard audio input/output connections. 
     It is envisioned that the present invention could be configured to be adaptable to portable music players. An additional configuration of the device is for use with two-way portable radio communications. Law enforcement personnel, for instance, may find this embodiment to be particularly useful. Without limitation, these and other embodiments may be incorporated without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features and advantages of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing the headset worn by a user. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing the headset worn by a user underneath a helmet. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention showing use of the present invention in conjunction with a standard headset. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the breakaway connector, the slap switch, and the duplex female phone jack. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the male half of the breakaway connector. 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of the slap switch. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3  utilizing a duplex-type speaker and microphone connection. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic wiring diagram of the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3  utilizing two simplex-type speaker and microphone connections. 
     
    
    
     It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are merely schematic representations, not intended to portray all specific parameters of the invention. The drawings are intended to depict only typical embodiments of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements among the drawings. In other words, for the sake of clarity and brevity, like elements and components of each embodiment bear the same designations throughout the description. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts helmet-liner  20  secured to a user&#39;s head, preferably through the use of a hook and loop fastener (e.g., Velcro®) connector on chinstrap  32  or other suitable means known in the art, such as stretchable fabric. Left and right speakers  28  are mounted within helmet-liner  20  in position next to the user&#39;s ears. (Only the left speaker is shown in  FIG. 1 ). Microphone  30  is mounted within chin strap  32  near the user&#39;s chin. Connecting wires (not shown) for speakers  28  and microphone  30  are preferably contained within helmet-liner  20  and chin strap  32 . Wire  34  connects speaker  28  and microphone  30  to breakaway connector  40 . In a preferred embodiment, speakers  28 , microphone  30 , and connecting wires are contained in secure pockets of helmet-liner  20  but are removable by the user to facilitate washing of helmet-liner  20 . 
     Breakaway connector  40  is designed to release wire  34  from wire  54  in the event that excessive tension is placed on the line (e.g., from a snag) or if the user desires to separate helmet-liner  20  and associated components from the remaining components of headset  10 . Slap switch  60  is used to answer or hang up telephone calls and to start and stop music, and has the advantage of being easy to operate when the user is participating in sports or recreational activities, especially where the particular activity would render it difficult or impossible to toggle a micro switch. Slap switch  60  is connected to cellular telephone plug  74  by wire  72 . 
       FIG. 2  depicts headset  10  secured to a user, with a sports helmet (not part of the present invention) worn over top of helmet-liner  20 . Headset  10  comprises helmet-liner  20 , breakaway connector  40 , wire clip  76 , slap switch  60 , and cellular telephone plug  74 . Use of the sports helmet is optional. Helmet-liner  20  may also be worn independently, if desired. An optional carrying case  82  (also not part of the present invention) encapsulates the cellular telephone. 
       FIG. 3  depicts another embodiment of the present invention. Again, an optional carrying case  82  is shown. Female duplex plug  80  comprises standard (3.5-mm) headphone and microphone connections. Female duplex plug  80  may alternatively be comprised of two simplex plugs. User-selected headset  84  (not part of the present invention) is worn by the user and connected to female duplex plug  80 . Not depicted in  FIG. 3 , but contained within a pouch that is part of optional carrying case  82 , is slap switch  60 . Slap switch  60  may also be attached to a user&#39;s clothing as shown in  FIG. 2 . A breakaway connector may also be provided with this arrangement. Similarly, standard 3.5-mm speaker and microphone connections, as shown in  FIG. 3 , may be incorporated into the headset system of  FIG. 2 . The resulting system would, therefore, be compatible both with helmet-liner  20  and a standard headset selected by the user, thereby allowing the user to select the most suitable headset arrangement for a given situation. 
       FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of breakaway connector  40 , slap switch  60 , and female duplex plug  80 . Breakaway connector  40  comprises male connector  42  and female connector  43  with internal electrical contacts and retaining magnets. Slap switch  60  is shown in a substantially triangular shape, although one skilled in the art can appreciate that a variety of shapes are possible. Female duplex plug  80  comprises speaker plug  85  and microphone plug  86 . An alternative embodiment employs two female simplex plugs in place of female duplex plug  80 . 
       FIG. 5  shows male connector  42  of breakaway connector  40 . Male connector  42  comprises magnets  46  and electrical prongs  50 A,  50 B,  50 C, and  50 D. Female connector  43  (not shown) is configured to mate with male connector  42 , and contains magnets or metallic plates that correspond in position to magnets  46  to hold both connector halves in place during normal operation. Also, electrical recesses are included to mate with male prongs  50 A,  50 B,  50 C, and  50 D to close the electrical connections between mating segments of breakaway connector  40 . 
       FIG. 6  depicts an embodiment of slap switch  60 . Electrically parallel switches  68 , positioned between base  62  and slap pad  64 , are functional for answering or hanging up cellular telephone calls when depressed, or for starting, stopping, and resuming music. The location of switches  68  near the perimeter of slap pad  64  facilitates their operation when force is applied to slap pad  64  at irregular positions or angles. Switches  68  are normally held open by, e.g. springs or elastomeric materials of construction that apply a force opposing the internal electrical switch contacts (not pictured). Support guides  66  and  70  hold base  62  and slap pad  64  together and allow for a limited degree of swiveling to close one or more electrical switches  68  when slap switch  60  is activated by the user. Wires  54  and  72  (not shown on  FIG. 6 ) are attached to base  62 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the schematic wiring of the embodiment presented in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . Slap switch  60  is shown with three parallel electrical switches, which may be appropriate for a triangular-shaped slap switch. This is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, as any reasonable number of parallel switches, or a single switch, may be used with this device. Cellular telephone plug  74  comprises electrical contacts  90 A,  90 B,  90 C, and  90 D that mate with internal electrical contacts of a cellular telephone. The contacts  90 A-D are electrically connected to speakers  28  and microphone  30  via insulated conductors in the manner shown. Slap switch  60  is a resilient switch that remains in the open position, as shown, when not pressed by the user to activate. When slap switch  60  is pressed, at least one of parallel electrical switches  68  close to complete an electrical circuit and short out the leads across microphone  30 . This activates functions on the cellular telephone. Specifically, it answers and hangs up telephone calls, or starts, stops, and resumes music play. Use of slap switch  60  may also activate other functions on the phone, such as starting and stopping the streaming of music to speakers  28 . 
       FIG. 8  depicts adapter  73  with a standard 3.5-mm, four-connector, male plug for insertion into many cellular telephone models. At the opposite end of adapter  73  is female duplex plug  80  (or, alternatively, two female simplex plugs) for connection to a variety of standard headsets. Slap switch  60  is included to facilitate starting, stopping, and resuming music play, and answering and ending cellular telephone calls. 
       FIG. 9  depicts the wiring system for connection of a cellular telephone to a standard headset, or alternatively to one or more speakers and a microphone with standard 3.5-mm male plugs. Cellular telephone plug  74  is electrically connected to speaker plug  85  and microphone plug  86  via insulated conductors  92 , in the manner shown. Female duplex plug  80  comprises speaker plug  85  and microphone plug  86 , which are both standard 3.5-mm female jacks. Slap switch  60  may be activated to momentarily short the leads across the microphone terminals, as described herein. 
       FIG. 10  shows an electrically equivalent arrangement as that depicted in  FIG. 9 , but with speaker plug  85  and microphone plug  86  arranged in a simplex configuration. Cellular telephone plug  74  is electrically connected to speaker plug  85  via insulator conductor  94 , and to microphone plug  86  via insulated conductor  96 . 
     Operation 
     In operation, cellular telephone plug  74  is inserted into a cellular telephone female audio input/output connection. Alternatively, a patch cable may be used to translate a nonstandard cellular telephone connection to a standard 3.5-mm plug, and cellular telephone plug  74  may then be inserted into a female plug of the patch cable. Helmet-liner  20  is worn over the user&#39;s head, and male segment  42  is engaged with female segment  43  of breakaway connector  40 . Many modern cellular telephones can send an audio (e.g., music) signal to speakers  28 . Generally, an audible signal will be transmitted on top of the audio signal when the user receives an incoming telephone call. The user may then momentarily activate slap switch  60  to answer the call, and activate it again to hang up. Alternatively, when the cellular telephone is being utilized as a portable music player, slap switch  60  is used to start, stop, and resume music play. 
     Operation for the configuration depicted in  FIG. 2  is similar. Male speaker and microphone plugs are inserted into female speaker plug  85  and microphone plug  86 , respectively. The operation of slap switch  60  is as described above. 
     Since other modifications and changes to the novel headset will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention is not considered limited to the description above for purposes of disclosure, and covers all changes and modifications which do not constitute departures from the true spirit and scope of this invention. 
     Having thus described the invention, what is desired to be protected by Patent is presented in the subsequently appended claims.