Abstract:
Disclosed is a wireless headset phone. The wireless headset phone includes: a body housing; at least one hinge support rotatably mounted to the body housing, for attaching the headset phone to the left or right ear of a user; an earpiece provided in the hinge support; and an ear hook connected to the hinge support to support the headset phone, the ear hook being fit around the ear of the user to enable the user to put on the headset phone.

Description:
PRIORITY 
   This application claims priority to a provisional application entitled “WIRELESS HEADSET PHONE OF EAR-WORN TYPE” filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 21, 2004 and assigned Ser. No. 60/638,810 and to an application entitled “EAR WEARABLE TYPE WIRELESS HEADSET PHONE” filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Nov. 10, 2005 and assigned Ser. No. 2005-107527, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a portable terminal including a DMB phone, a game phone, a camera phone, an MP3 phone, a cellular phone, a PCS, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), an HHP (Hand Held Phone), and the like, and more particularly to a wireless headset phone which is worn on an ear of a user by using a short-range wireless communication device such as Bluetooth, in order to perform functions of a portable terminal or of another communication device. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In general, a “portable communication device” refers to an electronic device that a user can carry to perform wireless communication with a desired partner. To facilitate portability, designs of such portable communication devices tend not only to be compact, slim, and light, but are also moving toward providing multimedia availability, having a wider variety of functions. In particular, future portable communication devices are expected to incorporate greater multi-functionality and are expected to be capable of multi-purpose utilization, as well as being more compact, light, and capable of being modified to be suitable for various multimedia or Internet environments. Additionally, portable communication devices are now commonly used throughout the world by people of all ages and walks of life, and are recognized by some people as a nearly indispensable commodity which should be carried all the time. 
   Further, conventional portable terminals have been developed to communicate data therethrough. In other words, as the demands of consumers increase, portable terminals will provide various services by using wireless communication technologies which can transmit high speed data. 
   As a short-range communication device, Bluetooth technology has been employed and generalized in a headset. The headset is worn on a predetermined portion of a user, for example, on a head, an ear, etc., in order to talk to a partner on a phone by using short-range communication technologies. A general headset is a wireless portable device which is worn on an ear of a user, and includes a body, an ear hook for hanging the body on the ear, and the like. 
   Bluetooth wireless communication systems are widely used in electronic devices such as computers and portable terminals, and Bluetooth headsets provide users with hands-free modes. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   However, the conventional wireless headsets, which are worn on an ear, do not stably support its size and weight. In addition, since the conventional wireless headsets be worn only on one of the right and left ears, the headset, which is designed to be worn on the left ear of a user, can be worn only on the left ear. 
   Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve at least the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless headset phone which can be conveniently and stably worn on either the right or the left ear of a user. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a wireless headset phone which is conveniently worn on either the right or the left ear of a user by using three hinge axes. 
   In order to accomplish these objects, there is provided a wireless headset phone including: a body housing; at least one hinge support rotatably mounted to the body housing, for tightly attaching the headset phone to the left or right ear of a user; an earpiece provided in the hinge support; and an ear hook connected to the hinge support to support the headset phone, the ear hook being fit around the ear of the user to enable the user to put on the headset phone. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view for showing a headset phone worn on the left ear of a user, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view for showing a headset phone worn on the right ear of a user, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view for showing the bottom portion of the headset phone of  FIG. 1 ; and 
       FIGS. 4 to 6  are perspective views for showing states in which a headset phone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is transformed to be worn on an ear of a user. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the present invention, a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein is omitted to avoid making the subject matter of the present invention unclear. 
   As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 3 , a wireless headset phone according to the present invention is a device that operates in an ear-worn state, by using a short-range wireless communication means such as Bluetooth technology. The wireless headset phone according to the present invention can be worn on either the left or the right ear of a user. The wireless headset phone includes a body housing  11 , at least one hinge support (comprised of elements  18  and  24 ), an earpiece  21  including a speaker which is not shown, and an ear hook  22 . 
   The body housing  11  has an elongated shape. The upper portion of the body housing  11  is worn on an ear of a user, and the lower portion thereof is hung off of the ear. The body housing  11  includes an upper housing  11   a  and a lower housing  11   b  engaged with the upper housing  11   a . The upper housing  11   a  includes volume regulating switches  13  and  14  which are disposed on the upper surface thereof, adjacent to the earpiece  21 , and an ON/OFF switch  12  adjacent to the volume regulating switches  13  and  14 , and disposed along the lengthwise direction of the upper housing  11   a . The lower housing  11   b  includes a battery pack  16  in the bottom portion thereof, i.e. on the opposite side of the ON/OFF switch  12 . The self weight of the battery pack  16  provides the body housing  11  with extra stability. 
   The hinge support includes a first hinge member  18  and a second hinge member  24 . As the first hinge member  18  is engaged with the body housing  11  so as to be rotated about a first hinge axis A 1  following the lengthwise direction of the body housing  11 , the earpiece  21  can be disposed on either the left or the right side of the body housing  11 .  FIG. 1  shows the earpiece  21  disposed on the right side of the body housing  11 , and  FIG. 2  shows the earpiece  21  disposed on the left side of the body housing  11 . The second hinge member  24  is connected to the first hinge member  18  so as to be rotated about a second hinge axis A 2  following the direction perpendicular to the first hinge axis A 1 . The earpiece  21  extends from an end of the second hinge member  24 , and is coaxially aligned with the second hinge axis A 2 . The earpiece  21  includes a speaker which is not shown. 
   The ear hook  22  includes a linear portion  22   a  extending in the direction perpendicular to the hinge axis A 1 , and a curved portion  22   b  which extends from the outer end of the linear portion  22   a  to a location adjacent to the earpiece  21  and is worn on an ear of a user in order to supports the body housing  11 , which is hung on the ear. The curved portion  22   b  may be either perpendicular or parallel to the first hinge axis A 1 , and is connected to the end of the linear portion  22   a  so as to be rotated about the third hinge axis A 3  always perpendicular to the second hinge axis A 2 . The curved portion  22   b  is connected to the linear portion  22   a  by a joint  25 . The joint  25  is bent at a right angle. 
   The lower housing  11   b  further includes a slot  17  for accommodating the first hinge member  18  and for rotating the second hinge member  24 . The first hinge member  18  is completely accommodated in the slot  17 , and the second hinge member  24  is rotated within 180 degrees. 
   If the earpiece  21  of  FIG. 1  is rotated by about 180 degrees about the first hinge axis A 1 , the headset phone is transformed as shown in  FIG. 2 . The earpiece  21  can be rotated by 180 degrees so as to be worn on the left or right ear of a user. 
   Hereinafter, the operation of the headset phone according to the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS. 4 to 6 . 
   In the state of  FIG. 4  in which the earpiece is inserted into an ear of the user, if the curved portion  22   b  of the ear hook  22  is rotated about the third hinge axis A 3 , the headset phone is transformed into the state of  FIG. 5 . In the state of  FIG. 5 , if the linear portion of the ear hook  22  is rotated about the second hinge axis A 2 , the headset phone is transformed into the state of  FIG. 6  in which it can be worn on an ear of a user. The ear hook  22  is hung on the rear portion of the ear, and the body housing  11  is suspended on the ear. In this state in which the headset phone is worn on the ear, the switches  12 ,  13 , and  14  face the rear side of the ear. 
   As mentioned above, the headset phone according to the present invention can be conveniently worn on an ear of a user, with the headset phone adhered to the ear. Further, it can be selectively worn on either the left or the right ear of a user. 
   While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.