Abstract:
A combination hat and headset device (the “hatset”) for improved comfort, hygiene, and consistent microphone placement. The headset is a combination of speaker(s) or microphone(s) for use in communicating with some other system, such as a telephone or computer system. The hat supports the weight of the headset and provides a buffer between the headset and the user. The hat is separable from the headset, so it can be washed independently of the headset. The hat and headset are easily separable, so the hat may be user-specific while the headset is shared among multiple users. The headset is specifically designed to be able to fit any head, with several independent adjustments available for variations in ear and mouth shape, size, and position, and head proportions. The microphone boom is designed to be temporarily movable away from the user&#39;s mouth, and then rapidly and accurately restored to a formerly selected position.

Description:
[0001]    This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/249,310, filed on Jul. 14, 2000. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for transforming electrical reproductions of sound into audible sound itself or vice versa. More particularly, the field of the invention relates to headsets, which typically comprise a combination of speakers and a microphone configured to be placed on a user&#39;s head in such a manner that the speakers are in close proximity to the user&#39;s ears and the microphone is in close proximity to the user&#39;s mouth.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Prior Art  
           [0005]    Headsets are useful in a variety of applications. They generally comprise one or more speakers and a microphone in a configuration wearable on the head. Generally, speaker and microphone combinations are used in many kinds of communication systems. The communication system may be from one person to another, such as by telephone, radio, or intercom. Alternatively, the communication may be between a person and a computer system, with the computer system using speech recognition and text-to-speech or playback of pre-recorded speech for its user interface. In some instances, a user of one of these systems speaks into the microphone and listens to the sound that comes out of the speaker(s). Mounting these elements together on a headset allows the user&#39;s hands to stay free for other tasks. It also allows the user to talk and listen naturally, as if the other party was located within speaking distance.  
           [0006]    Of necessity, headsets have to attach to the head of the user and distribute their weight in some way. Some have a band that clamps over the head. One or both ends of this band may be connected to a speaker covering the ear, exerting pressure on the ear. Other headsets rest on the external part of the ear like eyeglasses. Still others are pushed inside the ear. During extended wear, all of these headsets become uncomfortable. Furthermore, if the environment is warm or the headset user is engaged in manual labor, the user may sweat into the headset, discouraging or preventing sharing of the device among different users. Also, no one would want to share a headset with someone else who was ill.  
           [0007]    People frequently wear hats or other head apparel all day long without any comfort problems. Thus it is natural that attempts have been made to combine headsets with a variety of headwear: hats, headbands, earmuffs, eyeglasses, visors, helmets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,881,390 teaches inserting speakers into a flexible headband, which may be attached to a hat or bandanna. U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,420 teaches inserting speakers into earmuffs. U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,987 teaches attaching speakers to the earpieces of eyeglasses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,165 teaches attaching pockets to a visor for speakers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,857 teaches attaching a headset inside a motorcycle helmet. Each of these embodiments provides the benefit of making the headset somewhat more comfortable, given the comfort issues of the original headsets. But none provide hygienic separation of the user from the headset elements. Nor do they provide rapid separation of the hat or head apparel from the headset elements for sharing of the headset among multiple users.  
           [0008]    Existing headsets sometimes allow adjustments in several dimensions to permit use with many head sizes and shapes. But there is enough variation in the size, shape, and position of ears and mouths that many people must wear headsets in a poorly adjusted manner. The speaker may not fit correctly over the ear, or may compress part of the ear. The microphone may not reach the mouth, or may go too far beyond the mouth for good input. Any poor adjustment will make the user less comfortable, and will also degrade the fidelity of the headset. Any poor adjustment will become more uncomfortable over time.  
           [0009]    Many attempts have been made to design a headset that more comfortably fits more users by varying the ways in which the headset can be adjusted. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,505 teaches using a headset with a ball-joint mounted speaker, for more variation in ear position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,486 teaches using a headset with a universal joint mounted microphone boom, for more variation in mouth position. While these embodiments offer more degrees of freedom than the usual headset, there remains a need for a headset where each working element, the microphone and the speakers, can be placed independently of one another.  
           [0010]    Consistent headset positioning is necessary for optimal performance. Microphone positioning is especially important when a headset is used as part of a speech recognition system. But with a headset correctly in position, the mouth and ear(s) are effectively blocked. Thus to get a drink or to scratch the ear, the headset must be moved out of position. The user must then reposition the headset for optimal performance. In existing headsets this requires making the same adjustments that were required when putting on the headset initially. Such a readjustment will rarely return the headset to the original position.  
           [0011]    Some headset users simply remove the headset when temporarily not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,094 teaches using a headset resting on top of the ear that rotates out of the way when not in use, so the user does not need to remove the headset. However, this rotation away from the head leaves the headset in a precarious position. Furthermore, after moving the headset out of the way, the process of repositioning the headset is the same as the original adjustment process for the headset.  
           [0012]    Against this background, the subject matter of this application has been developed to solve the problems of the prior art and to provide for a more comfortable and hygienic headset with better and more consistent placement and replacement of the headset elements.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    To achieve the forgoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention is directed to a combination hat and headset, termed a “hatset,” for improved comfort, hygiene, and microphone positioning. The hat part of the hatset is worn like any other hat, is adjustable to fit essentially any size adult human head, supports the weight of the headset part, distributes the weight of the headset part over the contact area of the hat part with the user, is securely attachable to the headset part, is easily and rapidly separable from the headset part, and hygienically isolates the user from the headset part.  
           [0014]    Further, the headset part of the hatset is adjustable to fit essentially any size adult human head, and has a microphone boom that can be moved from its adjusted position to a temporary not in use position and then rapidly and accurately returned to its adjusted in use position.  
           [0015]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a headset for improved comfort, hygiene, and consistent microphone placement.  
           [0016]    It is also an object of the present invention to provide a headset consisting of a hat part and a headset part, securely attachable to each other, where the headset part consists of the speaker(s), microphone(s), and mounting and connecting hardware, electronics, and wiring.  
           [0017]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a headset that a user can wear like a hat, with the headset part supported by the hat part and the hat part supported by the user.  
           [0018]    A further object of the present invention is to provide a headset that uses the hat part to keep the user separate from the headset part.  
           [0019]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a headset with a hat part that is easily separable from the headset part, so that the hat part may be user-specific and the headset part may be shared among multiple users.  
           [0020]    Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a headset that may be adjusted to fit properly on a greater variety of adult human head sizes and shapes, and ear and mouth sizes and positions.  
           [0021]    Still another object of the present invention is to provide a headset with a microphone boom that can be adjusted for a user, then moved out of the way, then rapidly and accurately restored to its previously adjusted in-use position.  
           [0022]    Additional objects, advantages and novel features of this invention shall be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following specification or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the apparatus and methods particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this application, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the descriptions serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hatset of this invention, showing one possible combination of hat and headset.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 2 is a side view of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 3 is a front view of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 5 shows the hat and headset connection of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 6 shows the earpiece and the earpiece adjustments of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 7 shows the microphone boom and the microphone boom adjustments of the hatset of this invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 8 shows the buttons on the hatset of this invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 9 shows an alternative use of the headset part of the hatset of this invention, without the hat. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]    [0033]FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 show a preferred embodiment of the complete hatset  10  in accordance with the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an overall perspective view of the complete hatset  100 . The hatset  100  is comprised of the hat  101 , the hat insert assembly  102 , and the headset  103 . The headset  103  is comprised of the earpiece support assembly  104 , the earpiece assembly  105 , and the microphone boom assembly  106 . The wind screen  108  covers the microphone  107 . Both parts are attached to the end of the microphone boom assembly  106 .  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 2 shows a side view of the hatset  200  of FIG. 1. The hatset  200  is comprised of the hat  201 , the hat insert assembly  202  and the headset  205 . The headset  205  is comprised of the earpiece support assembly  204 , the earpiece assembly  209  and the microphone boom assembly  206 . The wind screen and microphone  207  are attached to the end of the microphone boom assembly  206 . The microphone boom assembly rotates about pivot  208  relative to the other parts of the hatset  200 .  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 3 shows a front view of the hatset  300  of FIG. 1. The hatset  300  is comprised of the hat  301 , the hat insert assembly  302  and the headset  307 . The headset  307  is comprised of the earpiece support assembly  313 , the earpiece assembly  312  and the microphone boom assembly  308 . The wind screen and microphone  311  are attached to the end of the microphone boom assembly  308 . The top portion  303  of the earpiece support assembly  313  slides into the earpiece support guide  304 , thereby attaching the earpiece support assembly  313  to the hat insert assembly  302 . The earpiece support assembly  313  includes the earpiece support arm  310  which houses buttons  305 ,  306  which are located on the external side of the earpiece support arm  310 . The microphone boom assembly  310  rotates about pivot  309 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the hatset  400  of the previous figures, displaying how the hatset  400  is assembled. The hat  401  is securely attached to the hat insert assembly  402 . The hat insert band  402  may be inserted into a hat sleeve  403  in the hat  401 . Alternatively, the hat  401  is attached to the hat insert band  402  with hat loops (not shown). The hat sleeve may be in the interior or exterior of the hat  401 . The earpiece support guide  404  is attached to the hat insert band  402 .  
         [0037]    The earpiece support assembly  405  slides into the earpiece support guide  404 , thereby attaching the earpiece support assembly  405  to the hat insert assembly  406 . The earpiece support assembly  405  is comprised of the earpiece support arm  407  which houses two buttons  408 ,  409 . Buttons  408 ,  409  are located on the external side of the earpiece support arm  407 . The button printed circuit board (PCB) assembly  410  implements the electrical requirements for the buttons. The button PCB assembly  410  is located in the earpiece support arm  407 , attached by means of the button PCB assembly screws  411 .  
         [0038]    The earpiece assembly  412  attaches to the earpiece support assembly  405  by components comprising a retaining ring  415  and an inner earpiece screw  416 . The earpiece support arm  407  is attached to the upper microphone boom  425  by pivot  413 . Both upper microphone boom  425  and support arm  407  are fitted with circular ratchets  413 , which control pivotal movement of upper microphone boom  425  by permitting rotation in discrete increments dictated by the spacing of the teeth on the ratchets. This, for example, permits the microphone boom assembly  424  to be moved away from a particular position in front of a user&#39;s mouth and then returned precisely to original its position in front of the user&#39;s mouth. This feature is important, for example, in speech recognition applications.  
         [0039]    The microphone boom assembly  424  attaches to the earpiece support assembly  405  at the same place as the earpiece assembly  412 , by means of the earpiece coupling  413 . The microphone boom assembly  424  is comprised of the upper microphone boom  425 , and lower microphone boom  426 , the end boom  427 , the microphone  428 , and the microphone wind screen  429 .  
         [0040]    The inner earpiece screw  416  attaches the earpiece housing  417  to the earpiece support assembly  405 . Attached to the earpiece housing  417  are the isolation foam  418 , the speaker  419 , and the speaker grill  420 , all secured by means of the speaker grill screws  421 . The inner comfort pad  422  attaches to the speaker grill  420 . The outer comfort pad  423  attaches to the earpiece housing  417 . An optional earpiece noise shield (not shown), for high noise environments, attaches between the earpiece housing  417  and the isolation foam  418  when in use.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 5 displays the means by which the hatset  500  is attached to the hat insert assembly  502 , and thereby to the headset  503 . The hat loops  504  or the hat sleeve  505  are secured to the hat  501 , and define a specific position for the hat insert band  506  to be attached to the hat  501 . The hat insert band  506  and the hat  501  then move together as a unit. The weight of the hatset  500  apart from the hat  501  rests on the hat  501 .  
         [0042]    The hat insert assembly  502  forms a boundary between the hat  501  and the headset  503 . The hat  501  may be separated from the headset  503  either by separating the hat  501  from the hat insert assembly  502 , or by separating the hat insert assembly  502  from the headset  503 . The hat  501  is separated from the hat insert assembly  502  by detaching the hat insert band  506  from the hat  501 . The headset  503  is separated from the hat insert assembly  502  by removing the earpiece support arm  507  from the earpiece support guide  508 . Furthermore, separating the earpiece support guide  508  from the hat insert band  506  may separate the hat  501  from the headset  503 .  
         [0043]    Hygienic isolation of the user from the headset  503  is accomplished by means of the hat  501 , and also the inner comfort pad  509 , the outer comfort pad  510 , and the microphone wind screen  511 . The hat  501 , the inner comfort pad  509 , the outer comfort pad  510 , and the microphone wind screen  511  are meant to be user specific and are not to be shared among multiple users, even when the headset  503  is shared among multiple users.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 6 displays the adjustments available for the earpiece assembly  600  for positioning the speaker  601  correctly over the user&#39;s ear. These adjustments take place at the earpiece support guide  602 . The earpiece support arm  604  may be adjusted along bi-directional arrow  607 , sliding in or out of the earpiece support guide  602 , to change the distance from the earpiece support guide  602  to the end of the earpiece support arm  604 . The earpiece support guide  602  may be rotated along bi-directional arrow  605  to adjust the angle the earpiece support arm  604  makes with a vertical line through the ear in the approximate plane of the side of the face.  
         [0045]    Furthermore, the earpiece support guide  602  may be rotated along bi-directional arrow  603 . This is accomplished by means of the weight of the headset, which keeps the earpiece assembly  600  and the speaker  601  positioned over the ear of the user. The earpiece housing  606  is designed to be large enough to fit over essentially any human adult external ear. The extent of the adjustment motions along bi-directional arrows  607 ,  605 , and  603  are designed to be large enough to place the earpiece assembly  600  over essentially any human adult external ear position.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7 displays the adjustments available for the microphone boom assembly  700  for positioning the microphone  701  correctly in place by the user&#39;s mouth. The microphone boom assembly  700  may be adjusted along any of the bi-directional arrows  702 ,  703 ,  704 ,  705  and  706 . The microphone  701  is typically a directional microphone for use with a speech recognition system. This requires that the microphone  701  be adjusted not only for position, but also for orientation, so that speech from the mouth is directed toward the input direction of the microphone  701 , typically by orienting the speech direction to be perpendicular to the plane of the microphone  701 . The five adjustments along the bi-directional arrows  702 , 703 , 704 , 705  and  706  are used to position the microphone  701  and orient the microphone  701  for best directional sensitivity to the input speech from the user. The extent of the adjustments along bi-directional arrows  702 , 703 , 704 , 705  and  706  are designed to be large enough to place the microphone  701  correctly in front of any human adult mouth.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 7 also shows how the microphone boom assembly  700  may be temporarily removed from the speaking position and then rapidly restored to the correct speaking position. Adjustments along the bi-directional arrow  702  move the microphone  701  away from the user&#39;s mouth without changing the other adjustments along bi-directional arrows  703 , 704 , 705  and  706 . There are circular ratchets at the junction between the earpiece support arm  707  and the microphone upper boom  708 , which define the adjustment positions along bi-directional arrow  702 . If the microphone boom assembly  700  is moved along bi-directional arrow  702  to a vertical position, the microphone boom assembly  700  will be completely clear of the mouth. To return the microphone boom assembly  700  to its correct in-use position, the microphone boom assembly is rotated back along bi-directional arrow  702  toward the mouth. Once the microphone boom assembly  700  is near the original adjusted position, a detent will guide the microphone boom assembly  700  back into the exact original position.  
         [0048]    Also, adjustments along the bi-directional arrow  703  move the microphone  701  away from the user&#39;s mouth without changing the other adjustments along bi-directional arrows  702 ,  704 ,  705  and  706 . There are circular ratchets at the junction between the microphone upper boom  708  and the microphone lower boom  709 , which define the adjustment positions along bi-directional arrow  703 . If the microphone boom assembly  700  is moved along bi-directional arrow  703  to a position away from the face, the microphone boom assembly  700  will be completely clear of the mouth. To return the microphone boom assembly  700  to its correct in-use position, the microphone boom assembly is rotated back along bi-directional arrow  703  toward the mouth. Once the microphone boom assembly  700  is near the original adjusted position, a detent will guide the microphone boom assembly  700  back into the exact original position.  
         [0049]    An adjustment along bi-directional arrow  702  is also used to switch the headset  710  from right-handed (over the right ear) to left-handed (over the left ear). First, the microphone boom assembly  700  is moved along bi-directional arrow  702  from the right side of the earpiece assembly  710  to the left side of the earpiece assembly  710 . Then the earpiece support guide  716  is removed from the right side of the hat insert band  712  and reattached to the left side of the hat insert band  712 . Then the hatset is in position to be used in a left-handed manner (over the left ear).  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 7 shows how the buttons, button  713  and button  714 , on the earpiece support  715  are easily distinguished. The hatset has two buttons, button  713  and button  714 . The buttons are positioned above and below each other on the earpiece support arm  715  with a ridge in between them so that they may be easily distinguished. They are designed to be big enough to be found on the earpiece support arm  715  by a user, even if the user is wearing thick gloves. Button  713  is the first button found by tracing down the earpiece support arm  715  from the top, where the earpiece support arm  715  attaches to the earpiece support guide  716 . Button  714  is the first button found by tracing up the earpiece support arm  715  from the bottom, where the earpiece support arm  715  attaches to the earpiece assembly  710  and the microphone boom assembly  700 .  
         [0051]    The buttons, button  713  and button  714 , are electric push buttons that may be used to send a signal to the system using the hatset. For example, a speech recognition system may use a button press as a signal to start or stop listening, or to transition from an active mode to a standby mode. For another example a telephone system may use a button press to indicate the termination (hang up) of a call.  
         [0052]    [0052]FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment of the hatset  800  without the hat  801 , using the hat insert band  802  for support of the remaining hatset  800 . The hat insert band  802  may be separated from the hat  801  and used to mount the remaining hatset  800  on the user&#39;s head. The hat insert band  802  is positioned over the head in this case. Here the hat insert band  802  is not kept hygienically separate from the user. However, the earpiece support guide  803  and the rest of the headset  804  are kept hygienically separate from the user, except for the inner comfort pad  805 , the outer comfort pad  806 , and the microphone wind screen  807 , as usual.  
         [0053]    While the exemplary preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, those skilled in the art will recognize various changes, modifications, additions, and applications other than those specifically mentioned herein which fall within the spirit of this invention.