WO2010080066A1

WO2010080066A1 - A headset

Info

Publication number: WO2010080066A1
Application number: PCT/SG2009/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Swee Lim Philip Tan; Wenxiang Poh
Original assignee: Xtreme Dsp Global Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2009-01-07
Filing date: 2009-01-07
Publication date: 2010-07-15

Abstract

A headset (100) is disclosed herein and in a specific embodiment, the headset (100) includes a headset body (102), and an ear hook (104) and an earpiece (106) coupled to the headset body (102). At least one of the ear hook (104) and the earpiece (106) is slidable relative to the headset body (102) to adjust the distance between the ear hook (104) and the earpiece (106). A method of securing the headset (100) against a user's ear is also disclosed.

Description

A HEADSET

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a headset and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a headset that allows a user to adjust the fitting of the headset on the user's ear.

BACKGROUND TOTHE INVENTION

Headsets have become a common accessory that is routinely used with communication devices such as mobile telephones, computers and the like to allow users to engage in conversations without having to hold a handset to their ear. The use of headsets has also proliferated as a consequence of laws that require the use of hands-free headsets to operate a mobile telephone while driving.

The typical construction of a headset includes a casing within which one or more earphones and microphones and associated circuitry are provided. It is also common for headsets to be provided with an ear hook, for instance in the form of an arm or loop, to support the headset on a user's ear in use.

Conventional constructions of headsets, however, do not provide for adjustability for different user types and usually lead to insecure or unacceptable fitting of a headset on a user's ear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is defined in the independent claims. Some optional features of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.

In one specific expression, there is provided a headset comprising: a headset body; an ear hook and an earpiece coupled to the headset body, wherein at least one of the ear hook and the earpiece is slidable relative to the headset body to adjust the distance between the ear hook and the earpiece. In another specific expression, there is provided a headset comprising: a headset body having a first end and an inner surface; an earpiece extending through or from the inner surface, the earpiece being provided at a distance from the first end; and an ear hook coupled to the headset body and being provided at or adjacent the first end, the ear hook being configured to engage a user's ear between at least a part of the ear hook and the inner surface, wherein at least one of the earpiece and the ear hook is slidable relative to the headset body to allow said distance to be adjusted.

The ear hook may be fixed to the headset body, and the earpiece may be slidable along a longitudinal axis of the headset body. The earpiece may be configured such that said distance is adjustable by between 5mm and 20mm (for instance, about 12mm or about 15mm). In one non-limiting form, the earpiece is slidable an equal distance toward and away from the ear hook (e.g. 6mm toward the ear hook and 6mm away). The ear hook may be an extension of the headset body and may be configured to engage a helix portion of a user's ear between at least part of the ear hook and the headset body. The ear hook may also be substantially non- flexible.

The earpiece may extend through an inner surface of the headset body, with the ear hook extending over part of the inner surface of the headset body. The earpiece may include an earpiece body that is slidable along one or more conductive tracks parallel to the longitudinal axis. The earpiece body may include a guide wall that is configured to guide the earpiece body within a slot in the headset body. The ear hook may be provided on a first end of the headset body, and the earpiece may be provided between the first end and a second end of the headset body.

One or more conductive clips may be provided to slidably couple the earpiece body between one or more conductive tracks and a cover plate. In one specific form, at least a portion of the conductive clip has a wave-like cross-section along the longitudinal axis.

The cover plate may comprise a planar surface on which the earpiece body is slidable, the cover plate having a first end and a second end, each of the first end and second end respectively being provided with a first step and a second step configured to limit the extent to which the earpiece body is slidable.

There may also be provided, in one non-limiting form, a pair of conductive tracks, with the earpiece body extending between the pair of conductive tracks and being slidable along a path defined by the pair of conductive tracks, the first step and the second step.

The headset may be a Bluetooth wireless headset.

In yet another specific expression, there is provided a method of securing the headset of the above specific expressions against a user's ear, the method comprising: securing the earpiece in or adjacent an ear canal opening of the user's ear, and sliding at least one of the ear hook and the earpiece toward one another such that the ear hook engages the user's ear between at least part of the ear hook and the headset body.

The headset of the present invention in one embodiment allows for convenient and effective fitting on a user's ear, which in turn allows the headset to be better secured on the user's ear in use. Not only does this reduce the possibility of the headset being damaged as a consequence of being inadvertently disengaged from the user's ear, there is also the added advantage that, by adjusting the headset fit for comfort, a user is able to wear the headset for longer periods at a time. The process of putting on and removing the headset is also made simpler and faster. Also, where an ear hook integral with the headset body is provided, the headset may be fabricated lighter than conventional headsets that are typically weighed down by relatively heavy ear hooks. By virtue of being lighter, the headset may be further securely fitted on a user's ear while improving comfort in use. The arrangement of the specific embodiment has also taken into consideration the weight distribution and balance of the headset as a whole. This is something that has not been considered by conventional constructions, which results in a tendency of the headset to sag downwards, thus making it less secure. In addition to the above, where the ear hook of the specific embodiment is provided, the headset becomes eyewear-friendly as it does not compete with a user's eyewear for hooking 'real-estate' over the ear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figures IA and IB are perspective views of one exemplary embodiment of the headset;

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the headset of Figures IA and IB;

Figures 3A to 3D are perspective, top, side and bottom views respectively of the earpiece sliding mechanism of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the earpiece sliding mechanism of Figures 3A to 3D with an inset showing an exploded view of the earpiece body and conductive clips;

Figures 5A to 5F are bottom perspective, top perspective, bottom, top, side and front views respectively of the earpiece body and conductive clips of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the conductive tracks of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the cover plate of Figure 4; and

Figures 8A and 8B are diagrams showing a method of securing the headset against a user's ear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Referring to Figures IA and IB, an example embodiment of the headset of the present invention is shown generally as 100. Although the headset 100 is shown as a wireless headset

(implementing Bluetooth technology, for instance), skilled persons will appreciate from the description below that the present invention may be implemented as a wired headset if desired.

The headset 100 principally comprises a headset body 102, an ear hook 104 and an earpiece 106 coupled to the headset body 102 , with at least one of the ear hook 104 and the earpiece 106 being slidable relative to the headset body 102to adjust a distance D between the ear hook 104 and the earpiece 106. The distance D may initially be zero (i.e. the ear hook 104 and earpiece 106 are in contact with one another). The term 'ear hook' as used in this specification denotes any hook, arm, loop or similar attachment for securing the headset on a user's ear. The ear hook illustrated in Figures IA and IB is provided as a curved extension of the headset body 102 and is configured to engage a helix portion of a user's ear between at least part of the ear hook 104 and the headset body 102. This engagement will be described in further detail with reference to Figures 8A and 8B later in this specification.

The headset 100 may alternatively be said to principally comprise a headset body 102 having a first end 108 and an inner surface 112, with the earpiece 106 extending through or from the inner surface 112. The earpiece may be provided at a distance D from the first end 108 and between the first end 108 and a second end 110. The ear hook 104 may be coupled to the headset body 102 and be provided at or adjacent the first end 108, with the ear hook 104 being configured to engage a user's ear between at least a part of the ear hook 104 and the inner surface 112. In this form, at least one of the earpiece 106 and the ear hook 104 is slidable relative to the headset body 102 to allow the distance D to be adjusted. As before, the distance D may initially be zero. An increase in distance D is shown in Figure IB, resulting from the earpiece 106 being slid away from the ear hook 104. The distance D can be conversely decreased by sliding the earpiece 106 towards the ear hook 104.

In one non-limiting embodiment, the earpiece 106 is configured to slide a distance between 5mm and 20mm. For example, the earpiece 106 may slide a distance of about 12mm.

In the embodiments illustrated in the figures, the earpiece 106 is shown slidable along a longitudinal axis L or slidable to adjust the distance D, and the ear hook 104 is shown fixed to the headset body 102. This arrangement is not essential, however. Where necessary or desired, the ear hook 104 may be made slidable instead, or both the earpiece 106 and the ear hook 104 may be made slidable. Skilled persons will appreciate that all that is necessary is that the slidability of at least one of the ear hook 104 and the earpiece 106 provides a mechanism by which the fitting of the headset to a user's ear may be adjusted. Also, the embodiment illustrated provides the earpiece 106 extending through the inner surface 112 of the headset body 102, with the ear hook 104 extending over part of the inner surface 112 of the headset body 102. Where necessary or desired, the earpiece 106 may extend from the inner surface 112 of the headset body 102, and the ear hook 104 may extend from an outer surface of the headset body 102. Other variants of ear hook attachments as will be known to skilled persons may also be used.

Referring now to Figure 2, an exploded view of the headset of Figures IA and IB is shown generally as 200. The headset as shown is comprised of an elongated body comprising a back half 202 and a front half 204. Where desired, the back half 202, which provides the outer surface of the headset, may be provided with one or more cosmetic trims and the like. The front half 204, which provides the inner surface of the headset, further includes a slot 203 through which the earpiece of the headset extends, and an optional cap 205 configured to be located over an attachment point of the back half 202 and the front half 204 (a screw attachment, in one example). The slot 203 is provided for embodiments where the earpiece is slidable. Where the earpiece is not slidable and the ear hook is slidable, the slot 203 may be dispensed with and the earpiece may fixedly project from the inner surface. It will be appreciated that the two halves 202, 204 of the headset body define a volume within which the components below are located or coupled to and, additionally, within which conventional components such as a Bluetooth module, amplifier circuitry, one or more earphones and microphones are provided.

The exemplary ear hook of the headset shown has an internal projection 206 and an external projection 208, with the external projection 208 being configured to receive at least part of the internal projection 206. This arrangement is, however, not crucial. For instance, an ear hook may be integrally formed with the back half 202 of the headset body. Where the ear hook is slidable, it is envisaged that the internal projection 206 may be provided on slidable tracks or may otherwise be slidably attached to the headset body. In one specific form, the ear hook is substantially non-flexible.

The earpiece of the headset includes an earpiece body 210 that houses one or more earphones. In the specific embodiment illustrated, the earpiece body 210 is configured to be coupled to an earbud 212. The coupling of the earpiece body 210 to the earbud 212 may include an earpiece casing 214 and an earpiece cover 216. In other embodiments, the earbud 212 may directly couple the earpiece body 210 (i.e. earpiece casing 214 and an earpiece cover 216 are dispensed with), or the earbud 212 or the earpiece body 210 may be formed integrally with one or more of the earpiece casing 214 and an earpiece cover 216. It is not necessary that a typical earbud or earphone arrangement be provided and, accordingly, the term 'earpiece' as used in this specification should be read to include other forms of speakers, sound-producing devices or transducers that are configured to be received in a user's ear.

The headset of Figure 2 may also include components such as a microphone holder 218 configured to support a microphone (not shown) in the headset, a USB door 220 to allow access by a USB connector to a USB port within the headset body (for charging of a wireless headset, for example), and a power button 222. Other optional known components not shown in the figure, such as volume control buttons, a display and one or more tight emitting diodes, may additionally be provided.

As noted earlier, one exemplary embodiment provides an earpiece that is slidable and an ear hook that is fixedly positioned on the headset body. The sliding mechanism of the earpiece will now be described in further detail. Skilled persons will appreciate that the earpiece may be fixedly positioned and the ear hook may be made slidable as noted earlier, for instance, by way of being coupled to the headset body via one or more slidable tracks.

The sliding mechanism in Figure 2 comprises primarily the earpiece body 210, one or more conductive clips 224, one or more conductive tracks 226 and a cover plate 228. The one or more conductive clips 224 are provided to slidably couple the earpiece body 210 to the one or more conductive tracks 226 and the cover plate 228. More specifically, the conductive clips 224 include a portion that is fixedly attached to the earpiece body 210 and another portion that is slidably located between the one or more conductive tracks 226 and the cover plate 228. Details of this construction will be described later with reference to Figure 4. In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 2, once assembled, the earpiece body 210 extends through the front half 204 of the headset body (i.e. through the slot 203 in the inner surface of the headset body) and is slidable along the slot 203.

Figures 3A to 3D respectively show perspective, top, side and bottom views of the assembled sliding mechanism 300 comprising the earpiece body 302, conductive clips 304, conductive tracks 306 and the cover plate 308. In the specific embodiment illustrated, two conductive tracks 306 are provided and two conductive clips 304 are provided, each clip 304 having a portion that is located between a conductive track 306 and the cover plate 308. The cover plate 308 may be provided with a first step 310 at a first end and a second step 312 at an opposite second end along the longitudinal axis L, as shown in Figure 3C. In this arrangement, a path is formed defined by the pair of conductive tracks 306, the first step 310 and the second step 312. This path, shown in shade in Figure 3B, is the path along which the earpiece body 302 is slidable.

An exploded view of the above arrangement is shown in Figure 4, whereby the assembly of the earpiece body and two conductive clips is indicated generally as 400, the pair of conductive tracks is indicated as 402 and the cover plate is indicated as 404. Figure 4 also includes an inset in dashed lines showing an exploded view of the assembly 400, which comprises the earpiece body 406 and two conductive clips 408. Each conductive clip 408 may comprise a clip body 408a and arms 408b, with at least a portion of the clip body 408a being received in the earpiece body 406 for attachment. In one form, at least a portion of each conductive clip 408 has a wave-like cross-section along the longitudinal axis. As illustrated, the specific embodiment provides a wave-like cross-section on both arms 408b of each clip 408. The benefit of providing a wave-like cross-section is that the clips have some resiliency. Accordingly, when the arms 408b are pressed or sandwiched between the conductive tracks and the cover plate (as best shown in Figure 3A), there is improved circuit connectivity between the earphone in the earpiece body and a printed circuit board (PCB) that is configured to send signals to the earphone. The pressure exerted by the clips on the tracks and cover plate further provides resistance to the slidability of the earpiece, and so it may be configured to obtain a desired amount of resistance to slidability. Put simply, the circuit arrangement of the embodiment illustrated provides a main PCB where audio output electrical signals are generated for delivery to a transducer or earphone in the earpiece body 406 by way of the conductive tracks and clips 408 having a wave-like cross-section. The wave-like cross- section of the clips 408 provide some pressure against the conductive tracks to achieve two objectives: (i) providing critical connectivity to channel the electrical signals from the main PCB to the earphone, the wave-like nature of the clips 408 ensuring that there is more than one contact point for the electrical signals thus reducing the tolerance resistance (the tolerance resistance is the highest possible electrical resistance tolerable before the audio quality through the earpiece deteriorates to an unacceptable level or becomes unacceptably noisy), and (ii) providing sliding resistance in the sliding mechanism such that when the earpiece slides, it does not become loose quickly and does not render the earpiece non-functional in regulating the distance between the ear hook and the earpiece. The term 'wave-like cross- section' as used in this specification denotes not only simple curves but also any general form of regular or irregular undulation, including a kinked or zigzagged cross-section. The clips 408, in one form, may be attached to the earpiece body 406 at the time the earpiece body 406 is formed, such as by way of insert molding and the like. In other forms, the clips 408 may be inserted into a preformed earpiece body 406 or be otherwise attached to the earpiece body 406.

Details of the attachment of the conductive clips to the earpiece body will now be described with reference to Figures 5A to 5F. Figures 5A and 5C respectively show a bottom perspective and bottom view of the assembly 400 of Figure 4 comprising the earpiece body 500 and conductive clips 502, and more particularly show areas 504 and 506 at which wires or contacts from the earphone in the earpiece body 500 can be soldered or otherwise conductively attached to the clips.

As shown in Figures 5B and 5D to 5F, the earpiece body 500 may include guide walls 508 configured to guide the earpiece body 500 within the slot of the headset body. The dimensions of the guide walls 508 can be tailored depending on the smoothness of sliding desired; that is to say, a tighter fit between the guide walls 508 and the slot of the headset body promotes tougher sliding and a more secure positioning of the earpiece within the slot, while a looser fit promotes smoother sliding but a less secure positioning of the earpiece (and consequently a degradation in electrical connectivity due to increased probability in exceeding the tolerance resistance noted earlier or due to electrical contact breaking altogether). The guide walls 508 may be formed as part of an extension (shown as a generally square extension, best illustrated in Figures 5B and 5D) extending from a planar surface 510 of the earpiece body 500, the extension having at least two parallel and substantially vertical sides acting as the guide walls 508. The extension may itself be provided with a planar surface 512 on which a protrusion 514 may be provided within which one or more earphones are provided and on which an earbud or other ear-canal attachments may be provided. In one form, all sides of the extension have substantially vertical sides. The other two substantially vertical sides 516 that do not form the guide walls 508 may then be configured to match substantially the ends of the slot within which the earpiece is slidable. Of course if the slot ends are not flat (e.g. curved etc), the sides 516 may be made to match the profile of the slot ends.

As will be appreciated from Figures SB and 5D, the planar surface 510 (shown as a generally square shape larger than the extension noted earlier) of the earpiece body 500 is also configured to reduce or prevent wobbling of the earpiece body 500 within the slot. Specifically, once assembled, the planar surface 510 will be substantially in contact with the interior of the headset body adjacent the slot. Since the planar surface 510 is larger than the slot in the headset body, the planar surface contact will serve to stabilise the earpiece body 500 in the slot (e.g. the planar surface 510 may reduce or prevent vertical wobbling of the earpiece). The earpiece body 500 may also be provided with two substantially vertical edges 520 that are configured to engage substantially vertical steps on the cover plate (as described earlier with reference to Figures 3A to 3D) to limit the extent to which the earpiece is slidable. Skilled persons will appreciate that the edges and steps need not be vertical or flat-edged; any shape may be provided that allows engagement of the earpiece body edges 520 and the cover plate steps to limit the extent of sliding of the earpiece.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the pair of conductive tracks 600 of the exemplary embodiment. The tracks 600 both include holes 602, 603 at each end for attaching (e.g. by way of heat sticking) the tracks 600 to the headset body. In one specific embodiment, a distance between the hole 602 and the first end is larger than a distance between the hole 603 and the second end. This provides a larger area 604 at one end of both tracks 600 to be used for soldering purposes (e.g. for soldering a connection to the PCB mentioned earlier so as to allow PCB audio output signals to travel from the PCB to the earpiece via the conductive tracks 600 and the conductive clips).

Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the cover plate 700 of the exemplar/ embodiment. The cover plate 700 comprises a planar surface 702 on which the earpiece body is slidable. The cover plate 700 also has, at a first end and a second end respectively, a first step 704 and a second step 706 configured to limit the extent to which the earpiece body is slidable. The limiting of the slidability of the earpiece body was described with reference to Figure 3B earlier. Where necessary or desired, the planar surface 702 may be provided with ridges, bumps, notches or the like with corresponding features on the surface of the earpiece body that contacts the planar surface 702. The ridges, bumps, notches or the like may be configured to provide tactile feedback, regulate or controllably lock the sliding of the earpiece body.

With reference to Figures 8A and 8B, an exemplary method of securing the headset of the present invention against a user's ear is shown. In Figure 8A, a headset 800 is provided including a headset body 802 , an ear hook 804 and an earpiece 806 coupled to the headset body 802. In accordance with the method, the earpiece 806 is secured in or adjacent an ear canal opening of the user's ear, and at least one of the ear hook 804 and the earpiece 806 is slid toward one another such that the ear hook 804 engages the user's ear between the ear hook 804 and the headset body 802. As before, in one non-limiting embodiment, the earpiece 106 is slidable along a longitudinal axis L or slidable to adjust the distance between the ear hook 804 and the earpiece 806, with the ear hook 804 being fixed to the body 802. The direction of sliding is shown with block arrow S in Figure 8B. The ear hook 804, in one form, may engage a helix portion of a user's ear between at least part of the ear hook 804 and the headset body 802. As will be known to skilled persons, the helix of a person's ear comprises the folded-over outside edge of the ear (i.e. the rim of the pinna).

The described exemplary embodiments should not be construed as limitative. For example, instead of conductive tracks 600 to ensure electrical conductivity with the earpiece 806 when the latter slides so that signals can be transmitted to the user's ear, electrical wires may be used, although this is not preferred.

While there has been described in the foregoing description exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations or modifications in details of design, construction or operation may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as claimed.

Claims

1. A headset comprising: a headset body; and an ear hook and an earpiece coupled to the headset body, wherein at least one of the ear hook and the earpiece is slidable relative to the headset body to adjust the distance between the ear hook and the earpiece.

2. The headset of claim 1, wherein the ear hook is fixed to the headset body, and the earpiece is slidable along a longitudinal axis.

3. The headset of claim 2, wherein the headset body is an elongate body, with the ear hook being provided on a first end of the headset body, and the earpiece being provided between the first end and a second end of the headset body.

4. The headset of claim 3, wherein the earpiece extends through an inner surface of the headset body, and wherein the ear hook extends over part of the inner surface of the headset body.

5. The headset of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the earpiece includes an earpiece body, the earpiece body being slidable along one or more conductive tracks parallel to the longitudinal axis.

6. The headset of claim 5, further comprising one or more conductive clips to slidably couple the earpiece body to the one or more conductive tracks and a cover plate.

7. The headset of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of each conductive clip has a wave-like cross-section along the longitudinal axis.

8. The headset of any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the earpiece body includes a guide wall that is configured to guide the earpiece body along a slot in the headset body.

9. The headset of claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the cover plate comprises a planar surface on which the earpiece body is slidable.

10. The headset of claim 9, wherein the cover plate has a first end and a second end that are respectively provided with a first step and a second step configured to limit the extent to which the earpiece body is slidable.

11. The headset of claim 10, further comprising a pair of conductive tracks with the earpiece body extending between the pair of conductive tracks and being slidable along a path defined by the pair of conductive tracks, the first step and the second step.

12. The headset of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ear hook is a curved extension of the headset body and is configured to engage a helix portion of a user's ear between at least part of the ear hook and the headset body.

13. A headset comprising: a headset body having a first end and an inner surface; an earpiece extending through or from the inner surface, the earpiece being provided at a distance from the first end; and an ear hook coupled to the headset body and being provided at or adjacent the first end, the ear hook being configured to engage a user's ear between at least a part of the ear hook and the inner surface, wherein at least one of the earpiece and the ear hook is slidable relative to the headset body to allow said distance to be adjusted.

14. The headset of claim 13, wherein the ear hook is fixed to the headset body, and the earpiece is slidable to allow said distance to be adjusted.

15. The headset of claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the ear hook extends over part of the inner surface.

16. The headset of any one of claims 13 to 15, wherein the earpiece includes an earpiece body, the earpiece body being slidable along one or more conductive tracks.

17. The headset of claim 16, further comprising one or more conductive clips to slidably couple the earpiece body to the one or more conductive tracks and a cover plate.

18. The headset of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the conductive clip has a wave-like cross-section along a longitudinal axis of the headset body.

19. The headset of claim 16, wherein the earpiece body includes a guide wall that is configured to guide the earpiece body within a slot in the headset body.

20. The headset of claim 17 or claim 18, wherein the cover plate comprises a planar surface on which the earpiece body is slidable.

21. The headset of claim 20, wherein the cover plate has a first end and a second end that are respectively provided with a first step and a second step configured to limit the extent to which the earpiece body is slidable.

22. The headset of claim 21, further comprising a pair of conductive tracks, with the earpiece body extending between the pair of conductive tracks and being slidable along a path defined by the pair of conductive tracks, the first step and the second step.

23. The headset of any one of claims 13 to 22, wherein the ear hook is an extension of the headset body and is configured to engage a helix portion of a user's ear between at least part of the ear hook and the inner surface of the headset body.

24. The headset of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the earpiece is slidable to adjust said distance by between 5mm and 20mm.

25. The headset of claim 24, wherein the earpiece is slidable to adjust said distance by about 12mm.

26. A method of securing the headset of any preceding claim against a user's ear, the method comprising: securing the earpiece in or adjacent an ear canal opening of the user's ear, and sliding at least one of the ear hook and the earpiece towards one another such that the ear hook engages the user's ear between at least part of the ear hook and the headset body.