Patent Publication Number: US-8538058-B2

Title: Headset

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to a headset. 
     As the number and type of mobile communication and entertainment devices grows so does the variety of headsets used with such devices. A flexible headset configuration would have the advantage of increasing user satisfaction. Further, a headset which allows a user to be exposed to ambient sounds would also be advantageous. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, a headset comprises a first connector, a second connector, a first earphone, and a second earphone. A first electrical pathway extends from a first contact point associated with the first connector to a first contact point associated with the second connector. A second electrical pathway extends from a second contact point associated with the first connector to a second contact point associated with the second connector. A third electrical pathway extends from a third contact point associated with the first connector to a third contact point associated with the second connector. At least one of the first earphone and the second earphone is connected between the first pathway and the third pathway and neither the first earphone nor the second earphone is connected between the first pathway and the second pathway. 
     In another aspect, a headset is provided with a headband, a first earphone mounted to the headband at a first fixed angle, and a second earphone mounted to the headband at a second fixed angle. The fixed first angle is equal and opposite to the fixed second angle such that the first earphone and the second earphone angle outwardly away from the headband. A first temple pad extends from the headband adjacent the first earphone and a second temple pad extends from said headband adjacent the second earphone. The first and second earphones extend rearwardly such that, in use, with the temple pads positioned at the temples of a wearer, the earphones project rearwardly and outwardly over, in spaced relation to, and approximately parallel to, ears of the wearer. In consequence of this, the wearer remains exposed to ambient sounds and remains able to distinguish the directionality of such sounds. 
     Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the figures which illustrate an example embodiment of this invention, 
         FIG. 1  is a rear perspective view of a headset made in accordance with this invention with attachments, 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the headset with attachments of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the headset of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the headset of  FIG. 1  shown worn by a user, 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of the headset of  FIG. 1  with attachments in accordance with a first embodiment, 
         FIG. 6  is a rear perspective view of the headset of  FIG. 1  with different attachments, 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram of the headset of  FIG. 1  with attachments in accordance with a second embodiment, and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic diagram of the headset of  FIG. 1  with attachments in accordance with a third embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , an adjustable headset  10  has a U-shaped headband  12  with a first projecting tang  14   a  slidably received by a first earpiece sleeve  18   a  and a second projecting tang  14   b  slidably received by a second earpiece sleeve  18   b . The headband terminates at a first end  20  in a first receptacle  22  ( FIG. 3 ) and at a second end  24  in a second receptacle  26  ( FIG. 3 ). An inwardly directed temple pad  28 ,  30  extends from the headband adjacent each of the first and second ends of the headband. Referencing  FIG. 3 , a first earphone  34  extends from the headband adjacent end  20  at a fixed first angle {acute over (α)} to a plane P extending transversely of the headset. A second earphone  38  extends from the headband adjacent end  24  at a second fixed angle β to plane P. Angles {acute over (α)} and β are equal and opposite acute angle β with respect to plane P, with angle β ranging from between about 30° and 60°. As such the earphones  34 ,  38  angle outwardly away from the headband  12 . With this arrangement, as seen in  FIG. 4 , when the headset is worn by a wearer  40 , the earphones  34 ,  38  are positioned over but spaced from, and more or less parallel to, the ears  42 ,  44  of the wearer. Because the earphones are spaced from a wearer&#39;s ears, the wearer will not only remain exposed to ambient sounds when wearing the headset but will also continue to be able to distinguish the directionality of ambient sounds. This increases safety for a wearer as well as enhancing the ability of the wearer to orally communicate with a nearby person. 
     As seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a plug  50  may be connected to receptacle  22  ( FIG. 3 ) and a plug  52  may be connected to receptacle  26  ( FIG. 3 ). A cord  48  may extend from plug  50  which cord is connected to a device, such as a cell phone, a handheld radio, a personal entertainment device (as, for example, an MP-3 player), or other device which may be used with the headset. Plug  52  is assembled with a microphone  56  on a gooseneck boom  58 . The gooseneck boom is flexible to allow adjustment of the position of the microphone. 
     Turning to  FIG. 5 , headset  10  may be wired as follows. A first electrical pathway  61  extends from a first, tip, contact point  71   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  to a first, tip, contact point  71   b  associated with the second receptacle  26 . A second electrical pathway  62  extends from a second, medial, contact point  72   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  to a second, medial, contact point  72   b  associated with the second receptacle  26  and a third electrical pathway  63  extends from a third, sleeve, contact point  73   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  to a third, sleeve, contact point  73   b  associated with the second receptacle  26 . 
     Notably, the first, tip, contact point  71   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  is located at a corresponding location to the tip contact point  71   b  associated with the second receptacle  26 . Similarly, the second, medial, point  72   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  is located at a corresponding location to the second point  72   b  associated with the second receptacle  26 , and the sleeve contact point  73   a  associated with the first receptacle  22  is located at a corresponding location to the sleeve contact point  73   b  associated with the second receptacle  26 . 
     The speaker  66  which is part of the first earphone  34  ( FIG. 1 ) is connected between the first pathway  61  and the third pathway  63 . Similarly, the speaker  68  which is part of the second earphone  38  ( FIG. 1 ) is connected between the first pathway  61  and the third pathway  63 . 
     Plug  50  has three electrically conductive zones separated by non-conducting rings  76 : a first, apical, zone  81 , a second, medial, zone  82 , and a third, basal, zone  83 . A wire  91  of cord  48  ( FIG. 1 ) is connected between the first zone  81  and a ground (common) connection of a device  86  with which the headset is used. A wire  92  of the cord is connected between the second zone  82  of the plug and a microphone input of the device  86 . A wire  93  of the cord is connected between the third zone  83  of the plug and an audio source of the device  86 . (If the device with which the headset is used lacked a microphone input, wire  92  would simply be unterminated.) 
     Plug  52  has three electrically conductive zones separated by non-conducting rings  106 : a first zone  101 , second zone  102 , and third zone  103 . The first zone  101  connects to the ground side of microphone  56  via wire  111  and the second zone  102  connects to the other side of the microphone through wire  112 . The third conductive zone  103  is unterminated. 
     Notably, the first conductive zone  81  of plug  50  is located at the same position (namely the tip) of plug  50  as is the first conductive zone  101  of plug  52 . Similarly, the second conductive zone  82  of plug  50  is located at the same position (namely the middle) of plug  50  as is the second conductive zone  102  of plug  52 . 
     With this arrangement, when (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) plug  50  is plugged into receptacle  22 , the first zone  81  of the plug is electrically connected to first contact point  71   a  of the receptacle, the second zone  82  of the plug is electrically connected to the second contact point  72   a  of the receptacle, and the third zone  83  of the plug is electrically connected to third contact point  73   a  of the receptacle. In consequence, audio signals on wire  93  are connected to the third electrical pathway  63  of the headset and, therefore, to speakers  66  and  68 . Additionally, any signals on the second electrical pathway  62  are directed on wire  92  to the microphone input of device  86 . The third electrical pathway is common to both the microphone input and the speakers and completes both electrical circuits. 
     With (as seen in  FIG. 1 ) plug  52  plugged into receptacle  26 , first zone  101  of the plug is electrically connected to first contact point  71   b  of the receptacle, second zone  102  of the plug is electrically connected to the second contact point  72   b  of the receptacle, and third zone  103  of the plug is electrically connected to third contact point  73   b  of the receptacle. In consequence, audio signals from the microphone  56  are connected to the second electrical pathway  62  of the headset and, therefore, to wire  92  of plug  50 , assuming that plug  50  is plugged into receptacle  22 . 
     Notably, rather than plugging plug  50  into receptacle  22 , this plug could be plugged into receptacle  26  and the first  91 , second  92 , and third  93  wires from the plug would still be connected to the first  61 , second  62 , and third  63  electrical pathways of the headset. Similarly, plug  52  could be plugged into receptacle  22  and the first  111  and second  112  wires associated with the plug would still be connected to the first  61  and second  62  electrical pathways of the headset.  FIG. 6  illustrates headset  10  with plug  50  plugged into receptacle  26  and plug  52  plugged into receptacle  22 . In  FIG. 6 , the boom  58  of microphone  56  has been bent around so that the microphone will lie in front of the mouth of a user. Thus, headset  10  can accommodate a user preference for the microphone to extend from the left side of his face or from the right side of his face. The headset can also accommodate a user preference for the cord  48  to extend down from the left side of his head or the right side of his head. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an alternate wiring for the headset wherein like parts to the wiring of  FIG. 5  have been given like reference numerals. Turning to  FIG. 7 , in addition to first  71   a ,  71   b ; second  72   a ,  72   b ; and third  73   a ,  73   b  contact points on receptacles  122  and  126 , respectively, each receptacle has a fourth contact point  74   a ,  74   b  which connects to a fourth electrical pathway  64  of the headset. With this arrangement, speaker  66  connects across the first and fourth pathways  61 ,  64  and speaker  68  connects across the first and third pathways  61 ,  63 . 
     The headset wiring of  FIG. 7  may be used with the plug  50  and device  86  of  FIG. 5 . In such instance, the third zone  83  of the plug  50  will be electrically connected to both the third and fourth points  73   a ,  74   a  of receptacle  122 . Consequently, both pathways  63  and  64  will be connected to this third zone of the plug and so, therefore, speakers  66  and  68  will be simultaneously connected to this third zone. Alternatively, plug  50  may be replaced by plug  150  which has a fourth zone  84  such that one audio signal is supplied by a device  186  to the third zone  83  and a second audio signal is supplied by the device  186  to the fourth zone  84 . The audio signal supplied to the third zone will be applied to speaker  68  and the audio signal supplied to the fourth zone will be applied to speaker  66 . In this way, device  186  may supply a stereo signal to the speakers. 
     The headset wiring of  FIG. 7  could not be used with the plug  52  of  FIG. 5  since the unterminated third zone  103  would short the third  63  and fourth  64  pathways. Therefore, a plug  152  is used instead. Plug  152  has a first zone  101  connected via wiring  111  to one side of microphone  56 , a second zone  102  connected via wiring  112  to the other side of the microphone and unterminated electrically isolated zones  103  and  104 . 
     As with the wiring of  FIG. 5 , plugs  150  (or  50 ) and  152  can each be inserted in either one of receptacles  122  and  126 . 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a further wiring for the headset wherein like parts to the wiring of  FIG. 7  have been given like reference numerals. Turning to  FIG. 8 , in addition to first  71   a ,  71   b ; second  72   a ,  72   b ; third  73   a ,  73   b ; and fourth  74   a ,  74   b  contact points on receptacles  222  and  226 , respectively, each receptacle has a fifth contact point  75   a ,  75   b  which connects to a fifth electrical pathway  65  of the headset. With this arrangement, speaker  66  connects across the first and fourth pathways  61 ,  64  and speaker  68  connects across the first and fifth pathways  61 ,  65 . 
     The headset wiring of  FIG. 8  may be used with plug  250  which has a fifth zone  85  such that one audio signal is supplied by a device  286  to the fourth zone  84  and a second audio signal is supplied by the device  286  to the fifth zone  85 . The audio signal supplied to the fourth zone will be applied to speaker  66  and the audio signal supplied to the fifth zone will be applied to speaker  68 . In this way, device  286  may supply a stereo signal to the speakers. The third zone  83 , which is connected to wire  93  of cord  248  may be connected to an alternate application of device  286  such as a voltage supply for light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the headset or, if unused, may simply be connected to ground. 
     The microphone  56  is associated with a plug  252  which has a first zone  101  connected via wiring  111  to one side of microphone  56 , a second zone  102  connected via wiring  112  to the other side of the microphone and unterminated electrically isolated zones  103 ,  104 , and  105 . 
     As with the wiring of  FIG. 5 , plugs  250  and  252  can each be inserted in either one of receptacles  222  and  226 . 
     In alternate embodiments, the male and female connectors could be reversed. Thus, the described plugs could project from the headset  10  and the described receptacles could terminate the attachments (e.g., cord  48  and microphone  56 ). In place of the described receptacle and plug connectors other connector pairs could be substituted, such as miniature circular connectors or mixed gender connectors. 
     Other attachments than those shown could be provided. For example, a plug could be coupled with a short range transceiver (e.g., a BLUETOOTH™ transceiver) in place of connection cord  48 . 
     Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and, therefore, the invention is defined in the claims.