GB2523344A

GB2523344A - A personal listening device

Info

Publication number: GB2523344A
Application number: GB1403029.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joshua Robert Church
Original assignee: SOUND VENTURE CO Ltd
Current assignee: SOUND VENTURE CO Ltd
Priority date: 2014-02-20
Filing date: 2014-02-20
Publication date: 2015-08-26
Also published as: WO2015124940A1; HK1214446A1; GB201403029D0

Abstract

A personal listening device 300 comprises an over-ear headphone 100 and an in-ear earpiece 200. The in-ear earpieces may be stored on or within the over-the-ear headphones. The headphone 110 and earpiece 200 are releasably connectable whereby an electrical audio input signal to the earpiece 200 forms an electrical audio input signal to the headphone 110 (see figs 4-11). The electrical audio signal may be connected either by a wired connection or a wireless connection.

Description

A Personal Listening Device The present invention relates to a personal listening device.

There are a variety of both over-ear headphones and in-ear earpieces available, which allow a user to listen to music or other audio streams in a variety of locations.

Over-ear headphones are worn over a user's ear, whereas in-ear earpieces are adapted to be retained inside the user's external ear, with each arrangement having respective advantages and disadvantages.

In particular, over-ear headphones may offer better audio quality and range of sound, due to the fact that there is more space between the headphone and the user's ear for the sound waves to reach their full potential and/or due to the ability of the over-ear headphone to accommodate more than one speaker driver. Additionally, since the headphones are fitted over the ear, there can be a significant reduction in external noise reaching the ear. Noise reduction components can also be accommodated within the on-ear headphone due to the larger capacity of the headphone housing, as compared to the in-ear earpiece.

This arrangement adds to the sound quality produced by the headphone. This can make them a better product choice for those wanting to enjoy the full range and quality of sounds as intended by audio and movie studios.

Furthermore, many users find headphones more comfortable than other options, e.g. in-ear earpieces on the market, due to the over-ear padding. An additional advantage of headphones is that the large surface area of the housing of the headphones allows more scope for product branding as compared to smaller products. This is increasingly of commercial importance to manufacturers who are keen to establish and maintain brand presence in the market place.

However, a disadvantage of over-ear headphones is a lack of product versatility. The size of the headphones may be impractical and lack versatility in certain circumstances, thus rendering the product unusable for a number of day to day activities, such as running, cycling, commuting and so on.

For these types of activities, a more discreet product is better suited, such as in-ear earpieces. The small and therefore versatile nature of the in-ear earpieces allows them to be used in almost all circumstances, thus providing audio whenever and wherever desired.

However, the small size and lack of space between the in-ear earpiece and the user's ear means that the sound waves may not reach their full potential and, additionally, due to the space limitations, it is difficult to include more than one speaker driver within the in-ear earpiece. This results in a decrease in audio quality. Furthermore, some users find the inear earpiece uncomfortable after wearing them for some time and would therefore be unlikely to choose to wear them for prolonged periods. Additionally, the smaller size of the housing of in-ear earpieces as compared to headphones offers significantly more limited space for branding. This may reduce the commercial potential for promoting branding via in-ear earpieces.

A common issue between both headphones and in-ear earpieces is the cost associated with purchasing each type of product. Frequently, a higher quality version of each product will attract a significant price tag. Therefore, it may not be financially viable to invest in both products, thus meaning that some users may be forced to compromise on their desire for both products by having to choose one type of product over the other. This may result in a compromise in either audio quality or product versatility.

US 8,605,931 discloses a combined headphone set and portable speaker assembly. In this arrangement, the headphone set includes an exterior speaker for public listening and an interior speaker for personal listening by the user. One of the speaker headphones includes a switching means for listening to the interior speaker or to the exterior speaker or to the interior and exterior speakers simultaneously from each of the speaker headphones. Each of the speaker headphones includes an audio signal wire connected from an output jack of an audio device to the speaker headphones.

The aim of US 8,605,931 is therefore to provide a means of listening to audio either through personal speakers or loudspeakers, or both simultaneously.

This aim is achieved by two different means in US 8,605,931. Namely, by enabling the speakers to be disconnected from the headphone set and connected directly to an audio device, so that the speakers function as portable loud speakers, or by disconnecting the speakers from the headphone set and placing them into an interior recessed compartment of a loudspeaker, thus allowing public listening.

US 8,605,931 therefore provides a combined device which allows both personal listening and public listening.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal listening device comprising an over-ear headphone and an in-ear earpiece, the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece being releasably connectible whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.

The present invention provides the advantages of both over-ear headphones and in-ear earpieces in a single personal audio arrangement, as well as the flexibility for a user to quickly and easily switch between the over-ear headphone configuration and the in-ear earpiece configuration. The single personal audio arrangement may also provide cost advantages to the consumer, as compared to separate personal audio arrangements.

It is to be understood that the term "in-ear earpiece" is intended to cover all types of speaker arrangement capable of being inserted into the outer-ear cavity, for example, in-ear earphones, earbuds and ear clippable earphones.

Similarly, the term "over-ear headphone" is intended to cover any speaker arrangement capable of being placed adjacent the outer ear cavity, for example, over-ear headphones and on-ear headphones.

The personal listening device may comprise means for releasably physically connecting the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece.

The over-ear headphone may comprise a recess for receipt of the in-ear earpiece.

The recess in the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece may be complementarily shaped.

The in-ear earpiece may be an interference fit in the recess in the over-ear headphone.

The over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece may each comprise a releasably connectible electrical contact.

When the in-ear earpiece and the over-ear headphone are electrically connected, the electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece may be diverted, either completely or partially, to the over-ear headphone.

The personal listening device may comprise a plurality of over-ear headphones and a plurality of in-ear earpieces, for example two over-ear headphones and/ or two in-ear earpieces. Each over-ear headphone may be releasably connectible with a respective in-ear earpiece.

The two over-ear headphones may be connected by a resiliently curved and adjustable band to form a headphone set. The band may comprise any suitable resiliently deformable material, including but not limited to plastics, metals or carbon fibre.

The over-ear headphone(s) may be connectible to the band via an attachment point or housing of the headphone. The attachment point may be located at any suitable pad of the housing, for example substantially centrally on the outer surface of the housing, or on an upper-(top) surface of the housing.

The electrical contact(s) on the headphone may be located within the recess.

The in-ear earpiece may comprise at least one electrical contact for diverting electrical signals from the in-ear earpiece to the headphone and vice versa.

The electrical signals may be diverted wirelessly from the in-ear earpiece to the headphone and vice versa, for example, via Bluetooth or other suitable wireless connection.

The headphone may comprise at least one projection.

The at least one projection may comprise at least one electrical contact.

The projection may comprise a wedge-shaped wall.

The in-ear earpiece may comprise at least two electrical contacts, capable of being biased towards each other.

The in-ear earpiece may comprise a biasing means for biasing the at least two electrical contacts on the in-ear earpiece towards each other.

The biasing means may comprise a spring.

The in-ear earpiece may comprise a pivoting member, capable of being pivoted or urged away from the main body of the in-ear earpiece.

The pivoting member may comprise at least one electrical contact.

The electrical contact(s) on the projection may be arranged to contact the electrical contact(s) on the in-ear earpiece when they are urged apart. For example, the contact electrical contact(s) on the projection may be arranged to contact the electrical contact point(s) on the pivoting member of the in-ear earpiece.

The in-ear earpiece may be releasably connectible to the projection.

The in-ear earpiece may be removably contained by the over-ear headphone, for example, within the housing of the over-ear headphone.

It will be appreciated that the personal listening device of the present invention provides the advantage of being able to quickly and easily switch sound between over-ear headphones and in-ear earpieces without requiring two separate sources of input electrical signals.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an over-ear headphone comprising means for releasable connection to an in-ear earpiece, whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.

The over-ear headphone may further comprise the features described above in relation to the over-ear headphone of the first aspect of the present invention.

The over-ear headphone may further comprise a layer of resiliently deformable material including, but not limited to, foam. The resiliently deformable material may be applied to the perimeter of an inner surface of the headphone housing and may be covered with a protective material including, but not limited to, leather, or any suitable soft material.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an in-ear earpiece, comprising means for releasable connection to an over-ear headphone, whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.

The earpiece may further comprise the features described above in relation to the in-ear earpiece of the first aspect of the invention.

In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal listening device, comprising an over-ear headphone and an in-ear earpiece, the in-ear earpiece being receivable and retainable in a recess in the over-ear headphone.

In one embodiment, the recess may comprise a cavity in the over-ear headphone.

The cavity may comprise a releasably closable cover.

In another embodiment, the in-ear earpiece may be partially exposed when it is received in the recess in the over-ear headphone.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of personal listening device in accordance with the invention, illustrating an over-ear headphone component and an in-ear earpiece component; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the headphone of the personal listening device of Figure 1, illustrating a recessed docking portion into which the in-ear earpiece component can be received; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1 in assembled form, illustrating the in-ear earpiece inserted into the recessed receiving portion of the headphone set; and Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 3, using dotted lines to indicate electrical wiring within components of the device; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the headphone of Figure 4, showing the in-ear earpiece removed from the recessed receiving portion; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the embodiment of an in-ear earpiece illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4; and Figure 7a is a side view of a second embodiment of in-ear earpiece in accordance with the invention, illustrating a pivoting member biased towards an outer surface of the in-ear earpiece housing; and Figure 7b is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 7a, illustrating the pivoting member biased away from the outer surface of the in-ear earpiece housing and forming a V-shaped receiving portion.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a personal listening device in accordance with the invention, in which the in-ear earpiece comprises a biased receiving portion as shown in Figures 7a and 7b and illustrating the in-ear earpiece docked into a receiving portion of the headphone; and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the personal listening device of Figure 8, illustrating the in-ear earpiece separated from the recessed receiving portion of the headphone; and Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a projection comprising the receiving portion of the personal listening device of Figures 8 and 9, illustrating the connection of electrical contacts between the projection and the in-ear earpiece device.

Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a personal listening device in accordance with the invention, comprising a wireless transceiver for diverting input electrical signals between the in-ear earpiece and the over-ear headphone; and Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of a circuit which can form part of the first embodiment of personal listening device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of a circuit which can form part of the third embodiment of personal listening device in accordance with the invention; and Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a personal listening device in accordance with the invention, comprising a cavity within the over-ear headphone for removably containing the in-ear earpiece.

In this description, the term "over-ear headphone" is intended to describe a headphone, which, in use, is located over the user's ear.

Moreover, in this description, the term "in-ear earpiec& is intended to refer to an earpiece which is placed and retained inside a user's outer ear and which converts input electrical signals into sound, as will be described.

A first embodiment of personal listening device 300 illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 comprises a generally conventional pair of identical over-ear headphones connected by a resilient curved and adjustable band 112. The headphones are identical in construction and operation and the description of one applies equally to the other. The band 112 comprises plastics and is worn over the top portion of a user's head and biases the headphones 110 towards and over the user's ears to form a substantially conventional headphone set 100 when the device 300 is in use. The headphone set 100 is generally conventional in that each of the headphones 110 comprises a speaker 118 which is capable of producing sound in response to input of electrical signals.

Each of the over-ear headphones 110 is releasably connectible to one of a pair of identical in-ear earpieces 200. Each in-ear earpiece 200 converts input electrical signals into sound and is releasably receivable and retainable in a complementarily shaped recess 126 located in the housing 116 of a respective over-ear headphone 110, so as to releasably secure the in-ear earpieces 200 to the over-ear headphones 110. The input electrical signals received by the in-ear earpiece 200 are diverted to the over-ear headphone 110 when the in-ear earpiece 200 is located in the recess of the over-ear headphone 110, as will be explained.

As illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, each over-ear headphone 110 comprises a housing 116, which surrounds and provides protection for the speaker 118. A layer of resiliently deformable material, such as foam 120, is applied to the perimeter of an inner surface of the over-ear headphone housing 116, to provide padding around the user's ears when the headphone set 100 is worn. The foam is covered with soft leather 122 to improve its durability. The foam 120 not only provides additional comfort around the ear area, but also assists in absorbing external noise and thus reducing the amount of extemal noise transmitted to the ears.

The outer surface of the housing 116, i.e. the area of the housing on the opposite side to the speaker output, comprises a conventional attachment point 124 for connecting the resiliently deformable headband 112, which connects the pair of over-ear headphones 110 comprising the headphone set 100. The attachment point 124 is located substantially centrally on the outer surface of the housing 116, as shown in Figure 2.

Each recess 126 for receipt of the respective in-ear earpiece 200 is located on a lower portion of the outer surface of the housing 116, below the headband attachment point 124. The recess 126 is coniplementarily shaped with respect to an in-ear earpiece 200, so as to releasably receive and retain the in-ear earpiece 200 within the recess 126, as illustrated in Figure 4.

Mounted in the uppermost portion of the recess 126 (i.e. the portion nearest to the attachment point 124 are two spaced apart electrical contacts 130 which protrude slightly into the recess 126 and are electrically connected to the speaker 118 within the over-ear headphone housing 116 by means of internal wiring 132.

The over-ear headphone does not comprise an independent audio input.

Rather, the audio input for the over-ear headphone relies on an electrical ii connection from the in-ear earpieces 200, as will be described more fully. The in-ear earpieces 200 are identical in construction and operation and the description of one applies equally to the other.

Each in-ear earpiece 200 is generally conventional and comprises a speaker 218, which is surrounded by a housing 216, the speaker 218 being connected via electrical wiring 222 to an audio output jack of an audio device (not shown).

The inner surface of the in-ear earpiece housing 216, i.e. the surface upon which the in-ear earpiece audio output is located, comprises a substantially planar surface, from which the speaker 218 projects. The in-ear earpiece housing 216 is designed to be placed inside the outer ear cavity and is surrounded by foam 220. The foam 220 moulds itself to the shape of a user's ear and provides additional comfort for the wearer, when the housing 216 is inserted into the outer ear. The outer surface 242 of the housing 216 lies substantially flush with the user's outer ear when the in-ear earpieces 200 are in use, as in known in-ear earpiece arrangements.

However, in contrast to known in-ear earpiece arrangements and as shown in Figure 6, the inwardly facing surface of the in-ear earpiece housing 216 comprises two spaced apart electrical contacts 230. The electrical contacts 230 are located towards the top of the inwardly facing surface of the in-ear earpiece housing 216, i.e. opposite to the connection point of the electrical wiring 222 to the housing 216. The electrical contacts 230 are connected via electrical wiring to both the speaker 218 and the wiring 222 which receives the input electrical signal.

These two electrical contacts 230 correspond in size and spacing to the two spaced apart electrical contacts 130 which depend from the electrical switch housing 128 in the recess 126, such that the two sets of electrical contacts 230, can abut against one another to form an electrical connection when the in-ear earpiece 200 is connected to the over-ear headphone 1101 as will be described) In use, when a user requires a more discreet earpiece arrangement, then the in-ear earpieces 200 are used on their own to receive input electrical signals from an external audio device. This is achieved by connecting each in-ear earpiece 200 with the audio output jack of the audio device, via the speaker wire 222. The in-ear earpiece speaker 218 then converts the received electrical signals into sounds, in a conventional manner, thus allowing the user to listen to audio via the in-ear earpieces 200.

In this arrangement, the larger over-ear headphones 110 are not used. If a user chooses to switch from using the in-ear earpiece 200 to the over-ear headphones 110, the in-ear earpieces 200 are removed from the user's ears.

The left (as marked on the earpiece housing) in-ear earpiece 200 is then inserted into the recess 126 of the left (as marked on the earpiece housing) over-ear headphone 110 and the right in-ear earpiece 200 is inserted into the recess 126 of the right over-ear headphone 110. This configuration ensures that the audio input to the speakers is still correct when sound is diverted from the in-ear earpiece to the over-ear headphone set 100, thus avoiding any distortion of sound.

The recess 126 of each over-ear headphone 110 is complementarily shaped to form an interference fit with the in-ear earpiece 200, so as to retain the in-ear earpiece 200 securely within the recess 126 of the over ear headphone in a single, predetermined orientation.

When each in-ear earpiece 200 is fully inserted, or docked, into the recess 126, the spaced apart electrical contacts 230 on the in-ear earpiece 200 abut the correspondingly located electrical contacts 130 depending from the electrical switch housing 128, located in the uppermost portion of the recess 126, as shown in Figure 4, so as to form an electrical connection between the electrical contact points 130, 230.

This connection of electrical contact points 130, 230 electrically connects the partial circuit within each over-ear headphone 100 with the electrical circuit of each in-ear earpiece 230, as shown in Figure 4.

The electrical connection between the in-ear earpiece 200 and the over-ear headphone causes the input electrical signals received by the in-ear earpiece to be diverted to the over-ear headphone. The over-ear headphone 110 then converts the diverted input electrical signals into sound, via the speaker 118 in the conventional manner, Therefore the electrical signals are now received by the headphone set 100 via the docking connection of the in-ear earpieces 200.

This allows the user to enjoy the comfort and sound quality of the over-ear headphone set 100 whilst using the in-ear earpieces 200 as an input source of electrical audio signals.

When the user wishes to return to using the in-ear earpieces 200 to listen to music, then the in-ear earpieces 200 are simply removed, or un-docked, from each recess 126, thus breaking the circuit between the in-ear earpiece 200 and the headphone 110.

Disconnecting the in-ear earpiece 200 from the over-ear headphone 110 prevents diversion of the input electrical signals to the over-ear headphone 100.

Therefore, after disconnection, the input electrical signals are received directly by the in-ear earpiece 200 via the direct wired connection 222, as described before.

This allows the user to listen to music using the in-ear earpieces 200 alone. The disconnected headphone set 100 can simply be stored away for later use when required.

A second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 7 to 10.

The second embodiment of the personal listening device 700 is similar to the first embodiment, the main exception being that each in-ear earpiece 500 is adapted to be received in a complementarily shaped recess 626 in the lowermost portion of a respective over-ear headphone 600 in order to cut off the electrical signals to the in-ear earpiece and divert them to the over-ear headphones.

Each over-ear headphone 600 comprises a housing 612 having a rectangular shaped recess 626 in its lowermost portion, for receipt of a complementarily-shaped in-ear earpiece 500. When the earpiece is received within the recess 626, the electrical audio signals supplied to the in-ear earpieces are diverted from the earpieces to the over-ear headphones, as will be explained.

Each in-ear earpiece 500 comprises an earpiece housing 516 within which is located a conventional earpiece speaker 518. The earpiece housing is pivotally connected at pivot 552 to a base member 550 to which electrical audio signals can be fed via wiring 522, the opposite end of which terminates in a conventional jack plug for connection to an audio device.

The earpiece housing 516 and the base member 550 are biased towards engagement with one another by means of a torsion spring (not visible in the drawings) around the pivot 552. When the earpiece housing 516 and base member 550 are in engagement with each other, two circular electrical connections 530a on the earpiece housing are in electrical connection with two identical connections 530b on the base member, thereby connecting the signals in the wiring 522 to the speaker 518.

As best seen in Figs. 8 to 10, the outermost portion of the recess 626 in each over-ear headphone 600 is defined by a wedge-shaped wall 660. The outer, inclined face of the wall 660 is provided with two circular electrical contacts 630b which are connected by internal wiring 632 to conventional speakers 618 of the headphone. The connections 630b are configured to engage with the electrical connections 530b of a corresponding in-ear earpiece 500 when the earpiece is received in the recess 626 of the headphone, whereby audio electrical signals in the wiring 522 connected to the earpiece 500 are diverted to the headphone 600.

As the in-ear earpiece 500 is inserted into the complementarily shaped recess 626, the edge of the wedge-shaped wall 660 engages the interface of the earpiece housing 516 and the base member 550. Further insertion of the earpiece 500 causes the earpiece housing 516 and the base member 500 to pivot away from each other, against the restoring force of the spring, which results in disengagement of the electrical contacts 530a, 530b. Further insertion of the earpiece into the recess 626 results in engagement of the electrical contacts 530b of the base portion 550 of the earpiece with the electrical contacts 63Db on the wedge-shaped wall, thereby supplying electrical audio signals to the speaker 618 of the headphone 600.

Removal of the earpiece from the recess 626 results in disengagement of the electrical contacts 630b and the electrical contacts 530b on the base portion 550 of the earpiece. The earpiece housing 516 and the base portion 550 are then brought back into contact with each other by the restoring force of the spring, thereby re-engaging the electrical contacts 530a, 530b and re-establishing the supply of audio electrical signals to the earpiece speaker 518.

An example of a circuit for achieving the aforementioned diversion of signals between the in-ear earpiece 200 and the over-ear headphone 110 with the first embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figure 12. The circuit corresponds to the arrangement illustrated schematically in Figure 4, hence corresponding features in Figure 12 are labelled using the same reference numerals as in Figure 4.

The skilled person will appreciate that other suitable circuit components would be needed or could be used and that the circuit shown in Figure 12 is a schematic illustration only. For example, the electrical switch is represented in the present example as a transistor. However, it will be appreciated that other types of electrical switch or logic devices may also be appropriate.

The circuit diagram shows an example of the respective headphone and earpiece circuits being separated from one another. The headphone circuit comprises the two electrical contacts 130 which are connected to the headphone speaker 118 via the wiring 132. As described previously, the pair of input wires 222 receive input electrical signals from an audio source (not shown). The earpiece circuit is connected in parallel to the pair of wires 222 via wiring 880. An electrical switch, shown as a transistor 882 in Figure 12, is positioned in the wiring 880 between one of the input wires 222 and the earpiece speaker 218.

The base of the transistor 882 is connected to the output of a NAND logic gate 884 which is in tum connected to the input wire 222 connected to the transistor 882.

When the in-ear earpiece is not docked with the over-ear headphone, the pairs of electrical contacts 130, 230 are disengaged from each other and consequently the earpiece circuit and the headphone circuit are disconnected from one another, as illustrated in Figure 12.

Docking of the in-ear earpiece with the over-ear headphone causes the pairs of contacts 130 and 230 to engage each other and alters the circuit impedance and the resultant voltage level observed at the input of the logic gate 884. It is this voltage, which is associated with connection of the headphone and earpiece circuits that causes the transistor 882 to turn off when the in-ear earpiece and over-ear headphone are docked.

Turning the transistor 882 off breaks the earpiece circuit, thus effectively switching off the earpiece speaker 218. The electrical signals received from the audio source (not shown) flow through the input wire 222, via the electrical contacts 230 and 130. and to the headphone speaker 118 via the wiring 132, thus completing the headphone circuit.

Conversely, a change in voltage at the input of logic gate 884 occurs when the two circuits are disconnected which is sufficient to turn the transistor 882 on. This re-establishes the earpiece circuit and allows the flow of electrical signals from the audio source (not shown) to the earpiece speaker 218 via wiring 222 and 880.

An example of a circuit for achieving diversion of signals wirelessly between the in-ear earpiece 200 and the over-ear headphone 110 is illustrated in Figure 13.

The skilled person will appreciate that other suitable circuit components would be needed or could be used and that the circuit shown in Figure 13 is a schematic illustration only.

Wireless connection and disconnection is controlled by a switch 886 located on the in-ear earpiece 200. When the switch 886 is in the open position, as illustrated in Figure 13, it is operable to turn on a Bluetooth transceiver 295 which transmits signals being received by the earpiece 200 via the input wire 222 wirelessly to a paired Bluetooth receiver 190 in the headphone 110. This transmission of signals is schematically illustrated by the dotted line on Figure 11 Since the switch 886 is in the open position, it is not possible for electrical signals to reach the in-ear speaker 218. Accordingly, the in-ear speaker 218 is effectively switched off.

Conversely, closing the switch 886 turns the transceiver 295 off, thus disconnecting the wireless connection between the earpiece 200 and headphone 110. Closing the switch 886 re-establishes the earpiece circuit and allows the flow of electrical signals from the audio source (not shown) to the earpiece speaker 218 via wiring 222 and 880.

In Figure 13, Bluetooth connections are shown, but other wireless connections can be used.

A fourth embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figure 14.

The fourth embodiment of the personal listening device 1300 is similar to the first embodiment, and corresponding features have been given the same reference numerals, but increased by 1000. The main difference is that each over-ear headphone 1100 is adapted to receive at least one in-ear earpiece 1200 in a complementarily shaped cavity 1127, within the lowermost portion of the over-ear headphone housing 1116. The whole of the earpiece 1200 is contained within the cavity, in contrast to the earlier embodiments in which most of the earpiece is received in a recess in the headphone, but a portion is still exposed.

The cavity 1127 need not necessarily comprise electrical contacts for electrically connecting the over-ear headphone 1100 and in-ear earpiece(s) 1200, since its primary function is storage of the in-ear earpiece(s) 1200.

However, the skilled person will appreciate that the possibility of the cavity 1127 comprising electrical contacts is not excluded.

The cavity 1127 comprises a hinged cover 1129, which is adapted to releasably lock with an adjacent portion of the headphone housing 1116.

Opening the cover 1129 allows access to the cavity 1127, into which one or more in-ear earpieces 1200, with or without wiring (not shown), can be placed. The cover 1129 can be clicked shut to retain the cover 1129 in the closed position. As a consequence, the one or more in-ear earpieces 1200 are securely retained within the cavity 1127.

The cavity 1127 provides a storage region for the in-ear earpiece(s) 1200 within the headphone housing 1116, which may be particularly useful, for example, when the personal listening device 1300 is not in use. The cavity 1127 is also capable of storing the in-ear earpiece wiring 222, if required.

The storage capacity of the cavity 1127 may also be particularly beneficial in a wireless arrangement of the present invention. Such an arrangement may include a wireless headphone, adapted to removably contain a wireless in-ear earpiece.

It will be appreciated that in such a wireless arrangement, the personal listening device may still be operable to receive sound from a wirelessly connected audio device (not shown) when the in-ear earpiece is contained within the cavity 1127, by virtue of a wireless connection between the audio device and the in-ear earpiece and/or over-ear headphone.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiments,

Claims

CLAIMS1. A personal listening device comprising an over-ear headphone and an in-ear earpiece, the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece being releasably connectible whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.
2. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for releasably physically connecting the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece.
3, A personal listening device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the over-ear headphone comprises a recess for receipt of the in-ear earpiece.
4. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the recess in the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece are complementarily shaped.
5. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the in-ear earpiece is an interference fit in the recess in the over-ear headphone.
6. A personal listening device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece each comprise a releasably connectible electrical contact which engage with each other when the in-ear earpiece is connected to the over-ear headphone.
7. A personal listening device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein when the in-ear earpiece and the over-ear headphone are connected, the electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece is completely diverted to the over-ear headphone.
8. A personal listening device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the electrical audio input signal is diverted via a wired connection.
9. A personal listening device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of over-ear headphones and a plurality of in-ear earpieces, each over-ear headphone being releasably connectible with a respective in-ear earpiece.
10. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electrical audio input signal is diverted via a wireless connection.
11. An over-ear headphone comprising means for releasable connection to an in-ear earpiece, whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.
12. An over-ear headphone as claimed in claim 11, comprising means for releasably physically connecting the over-ear headphone and the in-ear earpiece.
13. An over-ear headphone as claimed in claim 12, comprising a recess for receipt of the in-ear earpiece.
14. An over-ear headphone as claimed in claim 13, wherein the recess and the in-ear earpiece are complementarily shaped.
15.An over-ear headphone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the in-ear earpiece is an interference fit in the recess in the over-ear headphone.
16. An over-ear headphone as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the over-ear headphone comprises an electrical contact for releasably connecting to the in-ear earpiece.
17. An over-ear headphone as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15, wherein the over-ear headphone comprises a wireless receiver.
18. An in-ear earpiece comprising means for releasable connection to an over-ear headphone, whereby an electrical audio input signal to the in-ear earpiece forms an electrical audio input signal to the over-ear headphone.
19. An in-ear earpiece as claimed in claim 18, comprising means for releasably physically connecting the in-ear earpiece with the over-ear headphone.
20. An in-ear earpiece as claimed in claim 19, wherein the in-ear earpiece is an interference fit in the recess in the over-ear headphone.
21. An in-ear earpiece as claimed in any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the in-ear earpiece comprises at least one electrical contact for releasable connection to the over-ear headphone.
22.An in-ear earpiece as claimed in any of claims 18 to 20, wherein the in-ear earpiece comprises a wireless transceiver.
23. A personal listening device as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the over-ear headphone comprises at least one projection for engaging with the in-ear earpiece.
24. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 23, wherein the projection comprises at least one electrical contact.
25. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the in-ear earpiece comprises at least two electrical contacts, capable of being biased towards each other into engagement.
26. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 25, wherein the device is arranged to be moveable between a first configuration, in which the electrical contacts on the in-ear earpiece are in engagement, and a second configuration in which the electrical contacts are disengaged.
27. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 26, wherein in the second configuration, electrical contacts on the in-ear earpiece and the projection are brought into engagement.
28. An over-ear headphone as claimed in any of claims 11-16, wherein the headphone comprises at least one projection and optionally, the projection comprises at least one electrical contact.
29. An in-ear earpiece as claimed in any of claims 18-21, wherein the in-ear earpiece comprises biasing means.
30. A personal listening device comprising an over-ear headphone and an in-ear earpiece, the in-ear earpiece being removably receivable and retainable in a recess in the over-ear headphone.
31. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 30, wherein the recess comprises a cavity in the over-ear headphone.
32. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 31, wherein the cavity comprises a releasably closable cover.
33. A personal listening device as claimed in claim 30, wherein the in-ear earpiece is partially exposed when it is received in the recess in the over-ear headphone.
34. A personal listening device substantially as herein described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
35. An over-ear headphone substantially as herein described and with reference to Figures 2, 4, 5, 9 and 14.
36. An in-ear earpiece substantially as herein described and with reference to Figures 6, 7a and 7b.