Patent Description:
The disclosure relates generally to the field of communications systems. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a two-way radio system that is ear mounted.

The document <CIT>, shows an ear-interphone, which has an interphone main body provided with an opening annular structure that is integrally formed with a long rod structure, where the end of the long rod structure is connected with an end of the open annular structure and provided with a microphone.

According to claim <NUM>, a two-way radio system includes a plurality of units. Each of the units has a hub, a speaker, a primary clip, a secondary clip, an antenna, and a microphone. The hub has an exterior side and an interior side defining a hub cavity therebetween. The interior side has a speaker opening. The speaker is in the hub cavity and has an output directed to the speaker opening. The primary clip extends from the hub for selective attachment to a wearer's ear such that the speaker opening is directed to an ear canal of the wearer. The secondary clip extends outwardly from the hub exterior side such that the hub exterior side is between the secondary clip and the hub interior side. The secondary clip has an antenna support and an antenna cap; the antenna support is on an interior side of the secondary clip, and the antenna cap is on an exterior side of the secondary clip. The antenna support and the antenna cap define an antenna cavity, and the antenna is in the antenna cavity.

Illustrative embodiments of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached figures.

<FIG> disclose short-range communication systems having two-way radio units that are ear mounted. A two-way radio according to an embodiment <NUM> includes a hub <NUM>, a primary clip <NUM>, a secondary clip <NUM>, and various electronic components (e.g., a first circuit board <NUM>; a speaker <NUM>; a microphone <NUM>; a push to talk button <NUM>; a second circuit board <NUM>; user inputs <NUM> such as switches, buttons, knobs, et cetera; a battery <NUM>; and/or an antenna <NUM>).

The hub <NUM> has an exterior side 111a and an interior side 111b and defines a hub cavity <NUM> therebetween. In the embodiment <NUM>, the hub <NUM> has an exterior housing <NUM> at the exterior side 111a and an interior housing <NUM> at the interior side 111b. The interior side 111b has at least one speaker opening <NUM>, and (as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) the interior side 111b may have an annular surface <NUM> and a recessed central area <NUM> therein which includes at least some of the speaker openings <NUM>. The exterior and interior housings <NUM>, <NUM> may be constructed of any appropriate materials (e.g., plastic, composite, metal, and/or rubber, et cetera), may include subportions, and may be coupled together by any appropriate fastening devices and techniques (e.g., clips, screws, and/or adhesive, et cetera).

It may be particularly desirable for a neck lock <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) to be fastened to the exterior housing <NUM> and/or the interior housing <NUM> (e.g., through clips, screws, and/or adhesive, et cetera) for locking the primary clip <NUM> to the hub <NUM>, as discussed in additional detail below.

A support bridge <NUM> (<FIG>, <FIG>, and <FIG>) may be located in the hub cavity <NUM> for supporting the push to talk button <NUM> such that the push to talk button <NUM> is accessible at the hub exterior side 111a without interfering with any components inside the hub <NUM>. For example, the push to talk button <NUM> may be accessible at a flexible area 113a of the exterior housing <NUM>. Or, said differently, the flexible area 113a may define a user interface of the push to talk button <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the speaker <NUM> is located in the hub cavity <NUM> such that an output of the speaker <NUM> is directed to the speaker openings <NUM>, and the first circuit board <NUM> is located in the hub cavity <NUM> between the speaker <NUM> and the hub exterior side 111a.

The primary clip <NUM> extends from the hub <NUM> for selective attachment to a wearer's ear such that the speaker opening <NUM> is directed to an ear canal of the wearer. In the embodiment <NUM>, the primary clip <NUM> has a distal segment <NUM> and a proximal segment <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, it may be particularly desirable for a diameter D of the primary clip <NUM> to progressively enlarge along the proximal and distal segments <NUM>, <NUM>, with the diameter D having a maximum value at the distal segment <NUM>. Both a near side 131a and a far side 131b of the primary clip <NUM> may be generally arcuate along at least a portion of the proximal and distal segments <NUM>, <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>, with the arc of the far side 131b having a larger radius than the arc of the near side 131a and with a center point of each arc being offset relative to one another.

The distal segment <NUM> defines a cavity <NUM> and may be initially formed in at least two pieces that can be permanently or removably attached together (e.g., through clips, screws, and/or adhesive, et cetera). Various components may be housed in the cavity <NUM> - for example, the second circuit board <NUM> and the battery <NUM>. And other components (e.g., the user inputs <NUM>) may extend from the distal segment <NUM> and optionally extend into the cavity <NUM>. By including both the first and second circuit boards <NUM>, <NUM>, the size of the hub <NUM> may be reduced relative to embodiments having only a single (larger) circuit board. In addition, placing the second circuit board <NUM> and the battery <NUM> in the distal segment <NUM> may provide an improved weight balance for the user. Other (nonexclusive) example components that may be included in the distal segment <NUM> include orientation magnets <NUM> for orienting the unit <NUM> relative to a charging device and charging components (e.g., contacts) <NUM> for transferring energy from the charging device to the battery <NUM>. While it may be particularly desirable for the distal segment <NUM> to be generally rigid, rubberized or other appropriate coatings may be applied through over molding, dipping, or other manufacturing processes (whether now known or later developed).

The proximal segment <NUM> connects the distal segment <NUM> to the hub <NUM> and is preferably resiliently flexible such that a distance between the hub <NUM> and the primary clip distal segment <NUM> is variable. To allow such resilient flexibility, rubber and/or other appropriate materials may be used (either with or without flexible metal or other internal support) for the proximal segment <NUM>.

The proximal segment <NUM> may further be rotatably coupled to the hub <NUM> such that the primary clip <NUM> is orbital about the hub <NUM>, i.e., is either partially or completely rotatable (for example, in path P1) around the hub <NUM>. Like the distal segment <NUM>, the proximal segment <NUM> may include multiple pieces. In the embodiment <NUM>, the proximal segment <NUM> includes a neck <NUM> that may be coupled to a body <NUM> through a press fit, adhesive, and/or any other appropriate fastening device or method. The neck <NUM> includes a recess 137a, and the neck lock <NUM> has a protrusion 122a that fits inside the recess 137a and locks the neck <NUM> (and thus the proximal segment <NUM>) to the hub <NUM> when the neck lock <NUM> is fastened. By extending the recess 137a around part or all of the neck <NUM>, the neck <NUM> may rotate relative to the neck lock <NUM>.

The secondary clip <NUM> extends outwardly from the hub exterior side 111a such that the push to talk button <NUM> is unobscured by the secondary clip <NUM> and the hub exterior side 111a is between the secondary clip <NUM> and the hub interior side 111b. The secondary clip <NUM> may include an antenna support <NUM> and an antenna cap <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>), with the antenna support <NUM> being on an interior side 151a of the secondary clip <NUM> and the antenna cap <NUM> being on an exterior side 151b of the secondary clip <NUM> (<FIG> and <FIG>). The antenna support <NUM> and the antenna cap <NUM> are coupled together (e.g., by clips, screws, and/or adhesive, et cetera) and define an antenna cavity <NUM> housing the antenna <NUM>.

As described, the speaker <NUM>, the first circuit board <NUM>, the exterior housing <NUM>, and the antenna support <NUM> are between the hub interior housing <NUM> and the antenna <NUM>. In fact, the hub interior housing <NUM>, the speaker <NUM>, the first circuit board <NUM>, the exterior housing <NUM>, and the antenna support <NUM> are between the wearer and the antenna <NUM> when the unit <NUM> is worn at the ear as intended. And still further, the antenna support <NUM> spaces the antenna <NUM> out away from the wearer. All of this may be particularly important in reducing an amount of energy from the antenna <NUM> that reaches the wearer's head. Additionally, a shield (or "reflector") may be positioned between the antenna <NUM> and the wearer inside the unit <NUM>. While such a reflector may be located in the antenna support <NUM> between the antenna <NUM> and the hub <NUM> or located at various places inside the hub <NUM> (or even on an outer surface of the antenna support <NUM> or the hub <NUM>), it may be particularly beneficial to provide the reflector as a solid or mesh copper layer formed with or attached to the first circuit board <NUM>. Such embodiments may allow sufficient transmission from the antenna <NUM> without undue interference while blocking a significant amount of energy from reaching the wearer and also maintaining a desirable size of the hub <NUM> and facilitating assembly.

<FIG> shows an example arrangement of the various electronic components. The speaker <NUM>, the microphone <NUM>, and the push to talk button <NUM> are shown in communication with the first circuit board <NUM>, the user inputs <NUM> and the antenna <NUM> are shown in communication with the second circuit board <NUM>, and the first and second circuit boards <NUM>, <NUM> are shown in communication with one another. While this arrangement is currently preferred, other arrangements are of course possible and may nevertheless constitute improvements over the prior art.

<FIG> shows a short-range communication system <NUM> having the two-way radio unit <NUM> of <FIG>. The system <NUM> includes multiple two-way radio units <NUM> for communication between one another. For example, the wearer of one of the units <NUM> may push the push to talk button <NUM>. Upon actuation of the push to talk button <NUM>, the unit's first circuit board <NUM> and/or the second circuit board <NUM> may cause the antenna <NUM> to output radio waves to transmit sounds obtained through the microphone <NUM>. Those radio waves may then be received by the other units <NUM>, and their first and/or second circuit boards <NUM>, <NUM> may cause audible sound corresponding to the radio waves to be output through their respective speakers <NUM>. The user inputs <NUM> of the various units <NUM> may be used to power the units <NUM> on/off, to adjust such things as speaker volume and radio channel, et cetera. While two units <NUM> are shown in <FIG>, substantially more units <NUM> may be included. A handheld unit (or "walkie-talkie") <NUM> is also shown and may be used in the system <NUM> in addition to the ear-mounted units <NUM>. Though significant benefits are associated with the ear-mounted units <NUM>, handheld units <NUM> having a transmitter and a receiver or other radios having a transmitter and a receiver may nevertheless be used to transmit and receive radio waves on frequencies compatible with the units <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A two-way radio system comprising a plurality of units, each said unit comprising:
a hub (<NUM>) having an exterior side (111a) and an interior side (111b) and defining a hub cavity (<NUM>) therebetween, the interior side (111b) having a speaker opening (<NUM>);
a speaker (<NUM>) in the hub cavity (<NUM>), the speaker (<NUM>) having an output directed to the speaker opening (<NUM>);
a microphone (<NUM>);
a primary clip (<NUM>) extending from the hub (<NUM>) for selective attachment to a wearer's ear such that the speaker opening (<NUM>) is directed to an ear canal of the wearer;
characterised in that each said unit further comprises:
a secondary clip (<NUM>) extending outwardly from the hub exterior side (111a) such that the hub exterior side (111a) is between the secondary clip (<NUM>) and the hub interior side (111b), the secondary clip (<NUM>) having an antenna support (<NUM>) and an antenna cap (<NUM>), the antenna support (<NUM>) being on an interior side (151a) of the secondary clip (<NUM>), the antenna cap (<NUM>) being on an exterior side (151b) of the secondary clip (<NUM>), the antenna support (<NUM>) and the antenna cap (<NUM>) defining an antenna cavity (<NUM>);
an antenna (<NUM>) in the antenna cavity (<NUM>).