Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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COMMtJNICA~fION SYSTEM FOR TELEPI-LONE
13AC'KC~ROLJND OF THE INVENTION
1~ field oh Invention
a The present invention relates to a communication system for telephone. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a communication system using
infrared or
radio wave as a medium for transmittin b voice signal. The communication
system
also employs an earphone to transmit voice signal to the user's ear and a
microphone to
collect voice output from the user so that hands-free, telephone communication
is
possible.
Description of Related Art
In today's society. communication equipment is indispensable to our daily
life.
Through our telephone network, communication across great distances becomes
possible and people around the world are pulled closer to each other than ever
before.
Nowadays. products i-or communication are developed at a fast pace. Besides
being
lightweight and convenient to use. newer generations of communication products
can be
used almost anywhere from inside an office or a household to outdoor area such
as the
street or inside a car. Normally, wireless or cordless telephones are used
within an
office area or at home and mobile or cellular telephones are mainly used
outdoors.
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1-IoWever. tall:in~_ through a mobile or cellular telephone while driving a
car is
Vel'y dtlil'~LI'OIIS. St~IIISIICS S110WS 11)fll Illally aCCldeIltS OCCLI1'
Wllell a Cll'lVe1' is Cll'IVlng a
car with one hand while holding a mobile or cellular telephone with the other.
The
reason is that tall:in~~ over the telel)hone causes great distraction.
Sufticient
distractions may rob the driver's concentration on the wheel and the road so
that
roadside accidents increase. 'therefore, many countries are in the process of
enacting
laws forbidding drivers to talk over a handheld telephone while driving. One
solution
is to use hands-free headset that contains an earphone and a microphone.
However.
using a headset with wires linking to a mobile or cellular telephone, for
example. can
still cause some problems. The wires from the headset may tangle with the
steering
wheel or the gear-shitting stick inside the car during driving. Hence, the
earphone may
be abruptly removed from the user's head, which leads to distractions that may
affect
road safety.
Similarly. a wireless telephone users also experiences the same type of
l a Il1CO11Vt:I11e11CeS as a car driver when he or she is using a telephone in
an office or at
home. Because the users has to hold the handset with one hands, the user's
hand may
get tired after a period of use. In addition, if the user needs to use both
hands to
perform some other tasks. he or she lnay have co use his or her shoulder and
heck to grip
the handset. After using a wireless telephone in this fashion for some time,
chronic
2o neck pain may occur.
In light of the fore~~oing, there is a need to provide a conllnunication
system for
telephone conversation that is capable of eliminating the lIICOIIVenlellCeS
alld prOblellls
tOLllld 111 COllVelltlOllal ~VSte111S.
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SUMMARY OF TI-IE INVCNTION
,Accordingly. the purpose of the present invention is to provide a
communication
system for telephone such that hands-free communication for wireless, wired,
mobile or
cellular telephone is possible.
'I_o achiev a these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of
the
invention. as embodied and broadly described herein, the invention provides an
infrared
communication system suitable for wireless, mobile or cellular telephones that
are used
inside cars or indoors. 'rhe telephone communication system includes a
microphone. a
transmitter and a receiver earphone. The microphone is connected via a piece
of cable
to to a wireless, a wired, a mobile or a cellular telephone unit for receiving
a first voice
signal and then delivering it to the wired/wireless/mobile/cellular telephone
unit. The
transmitter is also connected to the wired/wireless/mobile/cellular telephone
unit for
receiving a second voice signal from the wired/wireless/mobile/cellular
telephone unit
and then converting tlm second voice signal into wireless signals. The
receiver
earphone comprises a receiver and an earphone. The receiver is used for
receiving the
wireless signals tl'allSillllted by the transmitter and then converting the
signals into a
third voice signal for the user to listen to.
The microphone oi~ the aforementioned telephone communication system is
connected by wiring to the mouthpiece circuit of the telephone. The microphone
is in
~o turn positions close to user"s mouth so that sound emitted by the user can
be easily
received. The transmitter is electrically connected to the telephone speaker
circuit.
Hence. the transmits r is able to convert the voice signal coming from the
telephone into
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wireless si~~nals and then broadcast them away. Through the receiver/earphone
system
worn on user's head. the user is able to pick up voice from the telephone. The
receiver
can actually he fixed in whatever place user found to be convenient. For
example, the
receiver can be placed near user's pocket, somewhere around the neck, in front
of the
chest. in tact any location where wireless signals can be easily picked up.
Furthermore,
wireless signals include both infrared wave and radio wave. Because voice
signals
comin~~ ti-om the telephone unit is picked up by the user tlu-ough an
earphone, privacy of
conversation can he maintained. Ia addition, through a transmitter-receiver
earphone
system. halldS-flee telepll(lile Co117111L111(CltlOn lS possible. Moreover,
the only changes
to necessary for introducin~~ the telephone communication system of this
invention is to
wire a microphone to tl~e mouthpiece circuit and to install a unidirectional
wireless
transmitter onto the loudspeaker. Therefore, as soon as the user wears the
receiver
earphone. hand-free telephone conversation is immediately available at a small
cost.
The telephone communication system, besides being useful for car drivers
having a
mobile. cellular or car telephone, can he applied to indoor wired telephone as
well.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide
further
explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIE:I~ DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of
the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this
specification. The
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drawin~~s illustrate embodiments o1~ the Illvelltloll alld, together with the
description.
serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings.
Fig. l A is a hlo cl: diagram showing a schematic layout of a telephone
COI11l11llnlCatloll sfStelll uccordin~, to one preferred elllbOdlnlellt of
this invention;
Fi'~. 1 B. 1 C' arc hlocl: diagrams showing a schematic layout of a telephone
communication system according to another preferred elnbodllllellt of this
invention;
Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the components of a telephone communication
system set up inside a cur according to this invention; alld
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the components of a telephone communication
I o system set up inside an office according to this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference now he made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the
invention. examples of which are illustrated in the aCC011lpally117g
dl'aVVlngs. Wherever
possible. the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the
description to
refer to the same or like parts.
Ivig. lA is a hlocl: diagram showing a schematic layout of the telephone
communication system according to one preferred embodiment of this invention.
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As shown in Fip,. 1 A, the telvphonc communication system 10 01~ this inv
ention
includes a microphone 12, a transmitter 16 and a receiver earphone 18. The
microphone 12 and the transmitter 16 are connected to a telephone 14. The
telephone
14 can he a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a car telephone. an indoor
wired
> telephone or an indoor wireless telephone. The microphone 12 is used for
receiving a
first voice signal 22 li~om a user 20, and then the first voice signal 22 is
passed on to the
telephone 14 through a cable 24. Subsequently, the telephone 14 sends out the
first
voice signal 22 to a telephone network. The transmitter 16 is used for
receiving
I11C0171111~~ voice signal 26 (a second voice: signal) fii-om the telephone
network via the
telephone 14. Ahter converting the second voice signal 26 into wireless
signals 28 in
the infrared or radio range, the transmitter 16 broadcasts the signals 28 out.
The
receiver earphone 18 includes receiver 30 and an earphone 32. The receiver 30
is
responsible for receivin'' the wireless signals 28 from the transmitter 16,
and then
converting the wireless signal 28 into a voice signal 34 (a third voice
signal). Finally,
through the earphone 32, the user 20 is able to listen to the voice from the
other party on
the other side of the telephone network. Furthermore, the receiver 30 can
include an
automatic shut-off circuit 31. When the receiver 30 does not pick up any
signal for a
pre-determined period. lower to the receiver earphone 18 will automatically be
cut so
that power consumption is minimised. When this invention is applied, the user
20
?o usually wears the earphone 18. fl'herefore, the telephonel4 preferably
includes an
automatic answer circuit s6. When the telephone 14 rings for a pre-determined
period,
ie>r example. three tines or three seconds, the automatic answer circuit >6
will
automatically pick up the call. Then, the user 20 can answer the caller
through the
telephone communication system 10.
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Fi;~. 1 B is a blocl: diagram showily a schematic layout of the telephone
Conlillllllleatloll s~'~tl'.111 ae(a)i'dlilg Lo ailothel' preferred
e11111odlillellt Of thlS 111Velltloll.
As shown in Fig. 1 B, alternatively, the transmitter 16 also can be built ill
the telephone
14. ~hherefore, the transmitter 1 (. can be powered by the towel' supply of
the
telephone l 4. for example. batteries.
Ivi'~. I C is a block diagram showing a schematic layout of the telephone
COI1ll11LI111Cat1o11 sySlClll accordin~~ to allothel' preferl'ed embodiment of
this invention.
Referring to Fig. 1 C. even the telephone 14 has a built-in transmitter 16,
the telephone
14 is compatible with a conventional headset 40 for the telephone. A
conventional
or headset 40 includes a microphone 42 and an earphone 44. When the
conventional
headset 40 is connected to the telephone 14 through wires 46, 48, the function
of the
built-in transmitter 16 is disabled. For example, a cellular telephone 14 with
a built-in
transmitter 16 has a connector which connects the telephone communication
system and
the telephone 14. Being Similar to a conventional earphone/microphone
connector,
the connector consists of a socket and a plug, which has three electrodes
respectively:
one for microphone, another for earphone and the other for ground. For the
case in Fig.
1 B, the microphone electrode and the grotnld electrode of~ the plug are
respectively
coupled to the microph(>ne electrode and the ground electrode of the socket.
Meanwhile. the earphone electrode is floating so that the built-in transmitter
16 is
~u enabled. For the case in Fig. 1 C, the three electrodes of the plug are
respectively
coupled to the electrodes of~the socket. lfhe connector will detect that the
earphone 44
is engaged, and then disable the built-in transmitter 16.
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Although radio fi~e~luenc:v can serve as a medium for carryin;~ out voice
communication. inii-arcd wave has several advantages over radio Ii~equency
especially
for short distance transmission. Firstly, radio frequency equipment are
generally more
costly to build. Secondly. only one-channel. mono-inti~areci light rays are
required in
this invention. <)ne-cll,mnel. mono-ini~rared light rays are even cheaper to
produce
than W ~o-channel infrared light rays. Thirdly, a large number of household or
office
appliances are electronically operated using radio wave frequencies. Hence.
transmitted telephone si!~nals are likely to be interfered, thereby lowering
telephone
voice qualit~~. Alternatively. the electronic appliances may mal-function due
to
o> interference from the telephone. I11 addltlon, many medical researchers
have pointed
out the potential danger of radio frequency emission to people's health.
Therefore,
infrared wave is less interfered with by surrounding noises and less hazardous
to
peoples health compared with radio wave. However, it is by no means a
restriction
to the type of Co111111tlllleatloll Illedlull7. In fact, anyone familiar with
electronic
~ > C01711111I111Cat101'1 Call stl Il set up the Satlle telephone
COI111nu111Catloll SyStelll lISll7g radio
frequency as well.
An example is given below to illustrate how the telephone communication
system can be applied in practice. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the components
of a
telephone communication system set up inside a car according to this
invention. In Fig.
~0 2, a car driver 40 is seated inside a car 42. In general, a mobile or
cellular telephone
44 (or car telephone) is usually placed on the dashboard 48 in front of the
driver's seat
4G or to either side of the driver's seat 46. Some types of car may even have
a mobile
or cellular telephone stand (not shown in the tigure) fixed to the dashboard
48 in front
of the driver's seat. The microphone 12 is best placed somewhere near the
instrument
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panel >0 or above the dashboard 48 or the sun visor in front of the driver's
seat. A
piece of wire 24 can be used to correct the microphone 12 anti the mobile or
cellular
telephone 44. ~fhls al'1"lllgellll'.lll makes it easier for the microphone 12
to pick up
voice signals from the driver 4(). The transmitter 16 is best placed somewhere
near the
s instrument panel 5() or tlm sun visor (not shOWll 111 Fig. 2) for ease of
interception by the
receiver earphone 18. A wire 56 can be used to connect the transmitter 16 and
the
mobile or cellular telephone 44. ~3atteries or the batteries of the mobile or
cellular
telephone 44 can be used to power the en sitter 16. Alternatively, power can
be drawn
from the car battery by connection to a cigarette lighter 54 through a power
cord 52.
When the nubile or cellular telephone 44 has an incoming call, voice of the
person on the other end is converted into wireless signals such as infrared or
radio
waves and then delivered to the receiver earphone 18 by the transmitter 16.
The driver
40, who is wearing the receiver earphone 18, can listen to the voice of the
other party
without the need to grab the handset of the telephone. The receiver earphone
18
includes a receiver (not shown) for picking up the wireless signals. The
receiver can
be directly hidden inside the receiver earphone 18, or alternatively, placed
inside user's
pocket, attached to users collar or user's clothes in front of the chest.
Furthermore,
the earphone I 8 can he a headset worn on user's head or simply an earplug
that can plug
into the user's ear. ()f course, by means of the microphone 12, the other
party can
2o receive voice signals tiwm the driver 40 as well. In general, the
microphone 12 can be
installed anywhere inside the car. I-lowever, because drivers 40 will usually
put the
nloblle cll- cellular telehltone near them. the microphone 12 is preferably
placed near the
driver 40 as well. Furthermore, since noise interference is low in inside the
car 42, the
microphone can be connected to the mobile or cellular telephone 44 using a
piece of
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wire to obtain high-quality voic:c signal transmission. I3y transmitting mono
wireless
signals to the receiver earphone 18. hands-free telephone communication is
possible.
Hence. the telephone communication system of this invention is able to improve
driving
sat-ety. maintain I~carin;~ privacy and lower equipment cost at .the same
time.
s I~i'~. 3 is a diagram showin~~ the components of a telephone communication
system set up inside an ui~fice according to this invention. As shown in Fig.
3. when
the user 60 is en~~a~~ed in computer-related wol°k (for example. using
the Keyboard 62).
hls OI' her hallds are not li~ee to hold the handset of a telephone. If there
is an indoor
wired telephone 64, the microphone 12a of this invention can be connected to
the
I o 1110L1thpleCe Of a handset 68 through a connector 66. The microphone 12a
can be
positioned at a convenient location, for example, above the monitor screen 70
of the
computer, edge of the desk or simple the top of the desK. In order to amplify
the voice
of the user 60. an amplifier 72 may be added to the connector 66. The infrared
transmitter 16a can be connected to the earpiece of the handset 68 through a
second
I, connector 74. The inti~ared transmitter 16a can be similarly positioned
above the
monitor screen 70. Similarly, if there is an indoor wireless telephone 76. the
microphone 12h of thls lllvent1011 Can be connected to the mouthpiece of a
handset 76
through a third connector 78. The microphone 12a can be positioned at a
convenient
location, for example. above an office table 80. In order to improve the voice
quality,
?0 an amplifier 82 may be added to the connector 78 for amplifying the voice
of the user
60. ~Ihc infrared transmitter 16h can be connected to the earpiece of the
handset 76
through a fourth conocctor 84. ~hhe inti~ared transmitter 16b can be similarly
positioned on a computer desk 8(f. lhhe connectors 66, 74. 78 and 84 can be
the device
as disclosed in Taiwan Patent No. 090814 (or U.S. Patent No. 5,850,439).
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Alternatimly. any telephone converter or conjunction box available in the
market can
also be used for voice connection.
When the user 60 hears an incoming telephone call, the user 60 can pick up the
telephone call and listens to the voice from the other party through the
receiver
earphone 18. At the same time, voice from the user 60 can be delivered to the
telephone through microphone 12a or 12b. Hence, there is no need to hold the
handset
with a hand. Furthermore, since no wires are connected to the headset, users
60 will
not be tangled by telephone wires. In other words, the user 60 is able to work
with
both hands while attending to an incoming telephone call. Similarly, the
receiver
to earphone 18 has a receiver (not shown) for receiving wireless signals. The
receiver
can be directly hidden inside the receiver earphone 18, or alternatively,
placed inside
user's pocket, attached to user's collar or user's clothes in front of the
chest.
Furthermore, the earphone 18 can be a headset worn on user's head or simply an
earplug that can plug into the user's ear. By means of the microphone 12a or
12b, the
~ 5 other party can receive voice signals from the user 60. In general, the
telephone 64
and the handset 74 will be place somewhere near the user 60. Since there will
probably he very little noise interference indoor, high-quality sound can
still be obtained
by passin<~= the voice signal through the microphone 12a or 12b to the
telephone 64 or
the handset 76 via a piece of wire. E3y transmitting mono wireless signals to
the
~o receiver eaphone 18, hands-free telephone communication is possible. Hence,
the
telephone communication system of this invention is able to provide hands-tree
telephone COII1111u111Catl(111 and maintain hearing privacy at the same time
with just
minor increase in the cost of equipment.
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In addition. the receiver Call Include an automatic shut-off circuit (label 31
in Fig.
1 ). When the receiver does not pick up any signal for a pre-determined
period, power
to the receiver will autonlatlcally be Cut so that pOWer COnSLllTlptioll IS
11111111111Zed.
111 Sullllllal'~', the teC11111CIUe Ol 112111CIS-~reC telephone
CO111n1tII11Cati011 Sy'Slelll 1S at
pCeSent a lrelld 111 telepllolle appllC1t1011. BeSIdeS Cal'lllg l01' the
dl'IVeI'~S Saf2ly Oll the
road, the telephone-usin~~ consumer public also requires the system to be
convenient in
use, enou~~h privacy and low cost. In order to cater for all these
requirements, a
number of considerations regarding the design of the system must be made.
Conventionally. the audio system within the car is utilized by the car
telephone.
I o Alternatively, some other external speaker systems are connected for
broadcasting
telephone conversation. Although these Conventional systems allow hands-free
conversation, privacy Cannot be achieved. Furthermore, although most mobile or
cellular telephone has external socket for plugging to an external
earphone/microphone
system so that privacy is achieved, the wiring connection can endanger driving
or tangle
I > up CO111111011 USeI'S. If one is not carefill, the earphone/microphone
system might cause
great discomfort to the ear. In some cases, the headset might even be torn
away. In
addition. Cven if Conventional wireless earphone and microphone are used to
boost
operational COIIVeIIIeIICt' and privac~~. equipment cost will increase
considerably. For
example. a set of stereo wireless device, due to its intrinsic complexity, no
matter if
3o infrared or radio wave is used as a medium, the cost is almost equal to and
sometimes
higher than the price oi~ a mobile or cellular telephone. Therefor, consumers
are
unlikely accept the product.
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~f~he inventor, rcco~~nizin~~ such problems, provides a solution from a fresh
new
Consldel'at1011. The Ill\'ell to l' observes that IIIOSt people that require
hands-free
telephone conversation are drivers or some oftice peoples (for example,
receptionists or
salespeople). ~h~ir commonality lies in that both hands must be free either to
drive a
car or to take down notes and important Illfol'lllatlOn. Moreover, they are
most likely
to sit in a tied location not far away f~ron~ the telephone. In addition.
their
conversation needs some de~~ree of privacy because some information they
gathered
may be confidential such as price quotation or other personal information.
Based on
these observations. the concept of having a telephone communication system
that uses a
to wireless earphone and wired microphone is established. The new telephone
communication system is able not only to provide the convenience and privacy
of a
hands-tree telephone, cost of equipment is low as well.
In other words. the telephone communication system of this invention is not
only convenient to use. but privacy is also maintained. Moreover, cost of
equipment is
I; kept to a minimum. ~l~u provide operational convenience, a wireless
earphone and a
fixed microphone is used. Therefore, a user can enjoy the comfort of hands-
free
conversation while moving about at the same time. Because the speaker is
attached to
the earphone, privacy ol~ tally by the other party can be maintained.
Furthermore, the
combination of a wireless earphone and a wired microphone takes into
consideration
'o cost of the equipment. Since the User is unlikely to be far away from the
telephone,
hlgh-qllallLy sOtlnd can still he obtained even when a wired microphone is
used. By
using mono transmission for the transmitter and the receiver, circuit
complexity is
greatly reduced. Therefore. the telephone communication system in this
invention leas
the advantages of being able to provide user convenience, privacy and low
cost.
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ft be apparent to those skilled in the art that various nu~difications and
variations can be made to the structure: of the present invention without
departin g from
the scope or spirit oh tl~o invention. (n view of the foregoing, it is
intended that the
present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention
provided they fall
within the scope of the ii,l(owing claims and their equivalents.
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