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 Title: |
US5680465:
Headband audio system with acoustically transparent material
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Boyden, James H.; Los Altos Hills, CA
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| Assignee: |
Interval Research Corporation, Palo Alto, CA
other patents from INTERVAL RESEARCH CORPORATION (715526) (approx. 102)
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| Published / Filed: |
1997-10-21
/ 1995-04-05
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| Application Number: |
US1995000417310
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
H04R 3/12;
H04R 5/02;
H04R 5/033;
H04R 5/04;
IPC-7:
H04R 5/02;
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| ECLA Code: |
H04R5/033H; H04R3/12; H04R5/02; H04R5/02B; T04R5/04; T04R201/023;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
381/309;
381/370;
381/385;
D14/192;
Original:
381/025;
381/183;
381/187;
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| Field of Search: |
381/024,25,183,187,74
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| Priority Number: |
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| Abstract: |
A device with a speaker system and adapted to wear on the head of a wearer, such as a headband, is provided. Transducers are situated in a wearable device and positioned on opposite sides of the wearer's head, adjacent the ears. In one embodiment, the transducers share a common enclosure and are driven 180 DEG out of phase, so that back pressures cancel and low frequency response is enhanced. In another embodiment, two vented enclosures are provided, each with its own transducers. In other embodiments, acoustic concentrators can be incorporated to direct the audio more directly toward the wearer's ears. The speaker system is connected to or in communication with a conventional source of audio signals, such as a radio, tape player, CD player, cellular telephone or the like.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Brooks & Kushman ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Isen, Forester W.;
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Parent Case: |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/400,901, filed Mar. 8, 1995.
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| Designated Country: |
AL AM AP AT AZ BB BG BR BY CA CH CN CZ DE DK EE EP ES FI GB GE HU IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LK LR LS LT LU LV MD MG MK MN
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| Family: |
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First Claim:
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It is claimed:
1. A personal portable communication device for wearing on the head of a wearer, said device comprising:
- first and second hollow structural members incorporated in said device and positioned to lie adjacent opposed portions of the wearer's head when said device is worn;
- a first and second transducer means mounted on said first and second structural members, respectively;
- said first structural member having a first aperture in spaced relation to said first transducer means; and
- said second structural member having a second aperture in spaced relation to said second transducer means;
- driver means for driving said first and second transducer means; and
- means for supplying audio signals to said first and second transducer means;
- wherein each of said first and second structural members are filled with an acoustically transparent material other than air;
- whereby when said device is worn on the wearer's head with the first transducer means being positioned adjacent, but not blocking or covering one of the wearer's ears, the second transducer means being positioned adjacent, but not blocking or covering the other of the wearer's ears, and the first and second apertures each being positioned at a distance from the wearer's, the system provides a low frequency response which approximates that provided by conventional headphones and earphones that cover the wearer's ears and significantly block external sounds to the ears.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 53 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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