AU603151B2 - Telephone equipment utilizing ear microphone - Google Patents

Description

s ~:WI 60 151 11 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Original) FOR OFFICE USE Class Int. Class Application Number: Lodged: SComplete Specification Lodged: Ii Accepted: Published: *Priority: Related Art: o This docurmunnt contains the amendln): rs j iac Lindr Section 49 and is correct for printing.

4 **Name of Applicant: TEMCO JAPAN CO., LTD.

:-*Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: No. 6-41-106, 7-chome, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN Jiro NAWA Hiroaki YANAGISAWA DAVIES COLLISON, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Complete specification for the invention entitled: "TELEPHONE EQUIPMENT UTILIZING EAR MICROPHONE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us 1 ir~# -2 ij 1 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 2 3 FIELD OF THE INVENTION 4 The present invention relates to telephone equipment 6 suitable for use under noisy circumstances.

7 8 DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 9 11 12 13 14 Soo*6 16 99 17 18 19 21 000 22 00*0S 23 :6 24 000 25 26 sO.. 27 *So 28 *29 31 32 33 34 36 A conventional telephone set gonerally has, as shown, for example, in Fig. 8, a dial unit 1 and a hand set 2 to be connected through a bell and a hook circuit to a main wire 3. Alternatively, the hand set 2 may comprise a microphone, a speaker being provided separately such that a user can talk while keeping hands free.

When conventional telephone equipment is used in a noisy-location, for instance on a construction site, speech is hardly clarified due to environmental noises. Further.when a telephone set is carried in an automobile, difficultiois arise in its operability because of environmental noise. A telephone set in which a speaker and a microphone are separately disposed is readily affected by environmental noise, and further suffers from the drawbacks that it is difficult to keep the subject matter of a conversation secret, and it is also hard to inexpensively construct the telephone set.

A conventional wireless telephone set has, as shown, for example, in Fig. 9, a first unit 4 containing radio equipment, and a second unit 5 for communicating signals by radio with the first unit 4 and for forming signals adapted for transmission to a wired network. The second unit 5 may communicate with th~e first unit 4 by high frequency wave through antennae 6 and 7. Reference numeral 8 in Fig. 9 designates a general exchange for use in an ordinary telephone exchange.

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2 Fig. 10 shows conventional equipment in which a hand 3 set 9 with a dial, and radio equipment 10, are separately 4 provided, being arranged to transmit and receive through antennae 6, 7 in a manner similar to that of the equipment 6 shown in Fig. 9. This example may also be used as a 7 transceiver without using a dial unit and an exchange 8.

8 9 When these conventional examples are used in a noisy environment such as a construction site, similar drawbacks 11 to the above arise, in that it is difficult to talk due to 12 environmental noise.

.13 14 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION oo 16 Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to S 17 provide telephone equipment which has a simple construction, 18 is relatively little affected by environmental noise, may 19 provide secret communication and may be operated while keeping hands free.

00., 21 22 Such telephone equipment may be wireless.

23 24 According to the present invention, there is provided telephone equipment comprising an ear microphone including 26 transceiving means for converting speech to an outgoing 27 signal for transmission, and for converting an incoming 28 signal to an audio signal, said transceiving means 29 comprising a converter for converting speech-generat d vibration of an external auditory canal wall into said 31 outgoing signal, a speaker provided in a housing with the 32 converter for converting said incoming, transmitted signal 33 into said audio signal, the housing being adapted to be 34 inserted substantially into an external auditory canal for use, and interface means for modifying said outgoing signal 36 to a form suitable for supply to a telephone circuit, the X BA 37 equipment thereby providing for hands free communication to 900613,gcpope.002,temco,3 i 1.111~ 4 9 11 12 06 13 14 g e S 16 17 18 19 *fee 21 22 23 S 24 ~25 26 so. 27 ~28 e 29 31 32 33 34 36 a telephone network.

Embodiments of the present invention are particularly suited to use in noisy environments by providing an ear microphone and hence a vibration pick-up mechanism for picking up a bone conduction voice signal from the external auditory canal wall of the ear and a speaker for converting the received signal to a voice.

Features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, in which embodiments of the present invention are described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a perspective view of telephone equipment utilizing an ear microphone, according to a first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of telephone equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a view showing an ear microphone according to the first embodiment of the invention, in use; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the ear microphone of the equipment of Figure 1; Fig. 5 is a view showing an ear microphone according to a second embodiment of telephone equipment according to the invention; Fig. 6 is an explanatory view indicating the principle of a third embodiment of the invention; Fig. 7 shows the arrangement of a fourth embodiment of telephone equipment according to the invention; Fig. 8 is a front view of conventional telephone equipment; and Figs. 9 and 10 are views showing conventional wireless telephone sets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS i 90O613,gcpspe.02,temco,4 ii j L_ 5 A preferable embodiment of the present invention now be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings.

will the ~j 6 7 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 26 27 @500 28 29 31 32 33 34 36 /BAL _3 7 Figs. 1 to 4 show an embodiment of telephone equipment according to the present invention. The telephone equipment comprises a telephone set 11 having dial push-.buttons 13, a transceiver 12 to be inserted into an external auditory canal, an amplifier 14 for amplifying a voice signal generated from the transceiver 12, and a network control circuit 15. Reference numeral 16 designates an exchange connected through a main wire to the telephone set 11.

Numeral 17 denotes a handset which may be provided together with the transceiver 12, or may be separately provided from the transceiver 12. Fig. 3 shows the transceiver 12 inserted into an external auditory canal 18 to transmit an electric signal through-leads 19. Fig. 4 shows .the internal structure -of the transceiver 12. The transceiver 12 is constructed to be able to transmit an external acoustic sound through a duct 20 directly to an external auditory canal, and the vibration of a voice transmitted through a living body bone is converted by a vibration type microphone 21 into an electric signal. Numeral 22 designates a speaker for converting the electric signal into an acoustic sound, which. is of conduction type or electrostatic type to be utilized., The leads 23, 24 from the microphone 21 and the speaker 22 are connected to the telephone set 11 shown in Fig. 1. The telephone set 11 may be composed as an automotive telephone set. In this case, the telephone set 11 is connected by radio equipment to the exchange 16. When the telephone is called, the bell or buzzer rings. When an operator picks up the transceiver 12 or presses the button for response, the telephone set enters a talking state.

After the operator attaches the transceiver 12 to the external auditory canal, his hands may be kept free. Since a voice is supplied as a direct vibration to the converter, 900613 ,gcpspe.002, telmco, 6 e.g

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speech by the transceiver 12 is heard slightly different in sound as compared with the ordinary collection of sound by a receiver. Thus, operation by the transceiver 12 may be limited if required by use of a handset 17 for talking, as shown in Fig. 1.

In the construction described above, the bone conduction voice signal (vibration) of the external auditory canal wall is converted to an electric signal, and amplified by an amplifier 14 contained in the telephone set 11 to the level capable of transmitting to a telephone channel. Sound receiving volume is also regulated to a suitable level to be heard, and transmitted to the transceiver 12.

The transceiver 12 integrally contains a bidirectional converter, a vibration type microphone 21 and. a or s-GukcAAtacia\ -orC-tao-ecA speaker 22, and is constructed to be containedA in the external auditory canal. Thus, the transceiver 12 can be utilized while keeping hands free to eliminate the disturbance of manual work.

Figs. 5 to 7 show an embodiment of a wireless telephone equipment according to the present invention. The telephone equipment comprises a transceiver 12 to be inserted into an external auditory canal, a transceiver 25 having a battery and a transceiver unit, and an antenna 26 for transmitting and receiving a radio wave. The transceiver 25 communicates by means of a high frequency signal through antennae 26, 28 to a transceiver 27, as shown in Fig. 6.

In the embodiment described above, a bone conduction voice signal (vibration) of an external auditory canal wall in a living body, received at the transceiver 12, is transmitted as a radio wave by the antenna 26 to the transceiver 27, and a voice signal from the main wire is radiated as a radio wave signal from the antenna 28, and received by the receiver in the transceiver 12.

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S. 005 8 The dial unit 29 can be operated by radio at the time of a call and the calling sound is produced by a bell or buzzer in the transceiver 12, or the bell sound is produced in the transceiver 27.

Fig. 7 exemplifies telephone equipment in which a transceivergA and a transceiver 12 are separately provided.

In the telephone equipment, a battery 31 and the transceiver are contained in a separate vessel. The transceiver 12 is attached to the external auditory canal at the time of making a call, to set in a hook-on state. A switch is provided for operation to set the equipment to a speech set state. In addition, a speech state can beAst by operating specific buttons of a dial unit 29, as shown in Fig. 6.

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Claims (8)

1. Telephone terminal equipment comprising an ear microphone including transceiving means for converting speech to an outgoing signal for transmission, and for converting an incoming signal to an audio signal, said transceiving means comprising a housing, a converter mounted in the housing for converting speech-generated vibration of an external auditory canal wall into said outgoing signal, a speaker provided adjacent the converter in the housing for converting said incoming, transmitted signal into said audio signal, the housing being adapted to be inserted substantially into an external auditory canal for use, and interface means for modifying said outgoing signal to a form suitable for supply to a telephone circuit, the equipment thereby providing for hands free communication to a telephone network.

2. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said -interface means comprises an associated telephone set.

3. Equipment according to claim 2 wherein said telephone set is connected by wire to a telephone exchange.

4. Equipment according to claim 1 wherein said ear microphone and said interface means are each provided with an antenna for wireless communication therebetween of said outgoing and incoming signals, said transceiving means comprising means for converting said speech-generated vibration into a radio signal, and means for converting an incoming radio signal to an electrical signal suitable for supply to said speaker. 600 0 I i i 900810,gcpspe. 002,temco,8 L-- i Ba Equipment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said interface means comprises an amplifier for amplifying said outgoing signal.

6. Equipment according to either one of claims 4 or 6 7 8 9 :.go 12 ,00: 13 14 S C 16 17 18 19 21 IS 22 23 24 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 34 900810,gcpspe.002, temco.9 A i h C r 9 wherein said ear microphone is provided with battery connection means, for connection of a battery to power said transceiving means.

7. Telephone equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.

8. Wireless telephone equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figures 1 to 7 of the accompanying drawings. S See. S. S S Is I-i C E i ti ::i 'S'S S 5555

55.5 0S S. S S'S S .55. S DATED this 13th day of June, 1990 TEMCO JAPAN CO., LTD. By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON 1 900613,gcpspe.002,temco,9 ii~:i ;n L