Throat headset system

Abstract

A throat headset system includes an element configured to be arranged at least partially around a user's neck, at least one microphone being connected to the element and configured to be in contact with a user's throat or neck skin when the headset is worn and connected wireless or by cable to the microphone and configured to be connected to a communication device, in a wireless manner or via a cable, and at least one earphone connected to the cable or in a wireless manner to a communication unit. The microphone is a microphone of the type that does not require power or electric energy of a power source for detecting sound waves.

Claims

1. A throat headset system for use in noisy environments comprising: an element configured to be arranged at least partially around a neck of a user; at least one microphone being connected to the element, the element being configured to press the at least one microphone into direct abutment with neck skin or throat skin of the user when the throat headset system is worn to pick up sound from said neck skin or throat skin, the at least one microphone not requiring power, voltage or electric energy of a power source for detecting sound waves; a communication unit arranged at the element and connected to the at least one microphone and connectable to a communication device; at least one in-ear earphone connected to the communication unit; and an electric circuit, wherein the at least one in-ear earphone is a soundproof in-ear earphone comprising formed soft parts, a sound attenuator and an ambient hearing microphone, wherein soundproofing is achieved via the soft parts of the soundproof earphone by the soft parts being configured to tighten around an auditory canal of the user so that less ambient sound can enter the ear when the soundproof in-ear earphone is worn by the user, the ambient hearing microphone being arranged on a side oriented away from a sound channel of the at least one in-ear earphone and being connected to the electric circuit, and wherein the sound attenuator is an active sound attenuator configured to attenuate sound picked up by the ambient hearing microphone being above a certain sound level.

2. The throat headset system of claim 1, wherein the at least one microphone of the type that does not require power, voltage or a power source for detecting sound waves is a dynamic microphone, a piezoelectric microphone or a magnetic microphone.

3. The throat headset system of claim 2, wherein the at least one microphone is a piezoelectric microphone comprising a thin metal sheet and a piezo crystal layer arranged on top of the thin metal sheet.

4. The throat headset system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one in-ear earphone is configured to be connected in a wireless manner to the electric circuit.

5. The throat headset system according to claim 1, wherein the active sound attenuator is configured to let sound below said sound level pass through without attenuation.

6. The throat headset system according to claim 1, comprising two in-ear earphones, one for each ear of a user.

7. The throat headset system according to claim 1, wherein the element is a neckband at least partially shaped as a bow and made of an elastic plastic or metal.

8. The throat headset system according to claim 1, wherein the element is a band that is configured to go around the neck of the user when the throat headset system is worn.

9. The throat headset system according to claim 1, wherein the formed soft parts are replaceable.

10. A throat headset system for use in noisy environments comprising: an element configured to be arranged at least partially around a neck of a user; at least one microphone being embedded in the element and configured to be in contact with neck skin or throat skin of the user when the throat headset system is worn to pick up sound from said neck skin or throat skin, the at least one microphone not requiring power, voltage or electric energy of a power source for detecting sound waves; a communication unit arranged at the element and connected to the at least one microphone and connectable to a communication device; at least one in-ear earphone connected to the communication unit; and an electric circuit, wherein the at least one in-ear earphone is a soundproof in-ear earphone and comprises formed soft parts, a sound attenuator and an ambient hearing microphone, wherein soundproofing is achieved via the soft parts of the soundproof earphone by the soft parts being configured to tighten around an auditory canal of the user so that less ambient sound can enter the ear when the soundproof in-ear earphone is worn by the user, the ambient hearing microphone being arranged on a side oriented away from a sound channel of the at least one in-ear earphone and being connected to the electric circuit, wherein the sound attenuator is an active sound attenuator configured to attenuate sound picked up by the ambient hearing microphone being above a certain sound level.

11. A throat headset system for use in noisy environments comprising: an element configured to be arranged at least partially around a neck of a user; at least one microphone connected to the element so as to be fixed relative to the element and configured to be in contact with neck skin or throat skin of the user when the throat headset system is worn to pick up sound from said neck skin or throat skin, the at least one microphone not requiring power, voltage or electric energy of a power source for detecting sound waves; a communication unit arranged at the element and connected to the at least one microphone and connectable to a communication device; at least one in-ear earphone connected to the communication unit; and an electric circuit, wherein the at least one in-ear earphone is a soundproof in-ear earphone and comprises formed soft parts, a sound attenuator and an ambient hearing microphone, wherein soundproofing is achieved via the soft parts of the soundproof earphone by the soft parts being configured to tighten around an auditory canal of the user so that less ambient sound can enter the ear when the soundproof in-ear earphone is worn by the user, the ambient hearing microphone being arranged on a side oriented away from a sound channel of the at least one in-ear earphone and being connected to the electric circuit, and wherein the sound attenuator is an active sound attenuator configured to attenuate sound picked up by the ambient hearing microphone being above a certain sound level.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be described, for exemplary purposes, in more detail by way of an embodiment and with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a user wearing a throat headset system according to an embodiment of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the concept of a capacitor microphone;

(4) FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the concept of a dynamic microphone;

(5) FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the concept of a magnetic microphone;

(6) FIG. 5 schematically illustrates the concept of a piezoelectric microphone; and

(7) FIG. 6 schematically illustrates a cross sectional view through an earphone of a throat headset system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates a throat headset system 1 comprising at least one earphone 2, an element 4 configured to be arranged, at least partially, around a user's 6 neck. The element 4 may comprise at least one microphone 8 being configured to be in contact with at least a part of the user's throat or neck skin and being integrally formed with the element 4. The at least one earphone 2 is connected to the element 4 via a cable 10. The headset system 1 may be connected to a communication device such as a communication radio, a mobile phone, etc. (not shown) via another cable 12. These cables 10, 12 may be replaced by a wireless communication solution such as Bluetooth or the like.

(9) The element 4 arranged around the user's 6 neck may be a neckband similar to a conventional headband of a headset, or even a flexible band or the like. The neckband may be bow-shaped so that it extends at least partially around the user's 6 throat. The microphone 8 may be integrated in the neckband or band or arranged on top or bottom on the inside of it. Integration may be favorable for user comfort. If a neckband is used as element 4 it may be made of elastic plastic or the like so that it can easily be fitted around the neck of a user 6. If a band or the like is used it may be made of an elastic material or an elastic fabric. Typically the microphone 8 used as throat microphone 8 is a capacitor microphone. The concept of a capacitor or electret microphone is shown and explained referring to FIG. 2. As previously described herein capacitor microphones or electret microphones are not suitable for use as throat microphones since they draw too much energy from the communication equipment and the phantom voltage thereof, respectively. The functionality of a capacitor microphone is herein however explained for understanding purposes.

(10) FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate the concept of a dynamic microphone (FIG. 3), a magnetic microphone (FIG. 4) and a piezoelectric microphone (FIG. 5).

(11) Referring now to FIG. 2, the concept of a capacitor microphone is herewith briefly explained. A capacitor microphone comprises a thin metal plate 14 and a plastic foil 16 with a metal vaporized on it. The thin metal plate 14 and the plastic foil 16 form a capacitor with a certain capacitance. The sound waves 18 will hit the plastic foil 16 that then starts to move and therewith changes the capacitance of the capacitor formed by the thin metal plate 14 and the plastic foil 16. This change in capacitance can then be detected and a signal can be generated therefrom. The capacitor needs however to have an electrical circuit with typically a transistor that needs a certain electric energy supply so that it can work properly. This energy supply is typically drawn from the phantom voltage of a communication device, such as a communication radio or a smart phone. This can lead to distortions in the microphone and in some cases the communication device is not even configured to provide any phantom voltage, which poses problems to the microphone and the quality of the generated signal may decrease therewith.

(12) FIG. 3 illustrates the concept of a dynamic microphone comprising a magnet 20 in the form of a magnetic yoke and a winding 22. The winding 22 is positioned so that it can easily move in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 3. The sound waves 18 will hit a membrane 24, that is for instance made of a plastic material or the like, which membrane 24 will then start to move and thereby move the winding 22 in the direction of the arrow A. The movement of the winding 22 in the magnet 20 will generate a voltage in the winding 22 so that a signal can be generated that represents the sound waves 18. The advantage of the dynamic microphone concept is that it does not require an external power source for functioning.

(13) FIG. 4 illustrates the concept of a magnetic microphone, which is very similar to the one of a capacitor microphone as shown in FIG. 2, with the difference that the magnetic microphone will not need an external power source. The magnetic microphone comprises a thin metal plate 26 and a metal foil or plate 28. The metals of the thin metal plate 26 and the metal foil 28 may be ferromagnetic metals, which are magnetically preloaded so that both the metal foil 28 and the thin metal plate 26 are both magnetically charged. A movement of the metal foil 26 due to sound waves 18 may then generate a voltage between the metal foil 28 and the thin metal plate 26, which can be sensed and changed into a signal that represents the sound waves 18. Due to the magnetic preloading no external power is needed for these kinds of microphones.

(14) FIG. 5 illustrates a piezoelectric microphone comprising a thin metal plate 30 and a piezo crystal layer 32 arranged on top of it. The characteristic of the piezo crystal layer 32 is that it changes voltage when it is deformed or under mechanical stress. When the sound waves 18 hit the piezo crystal layer 32 a deformation or at least mechanical stress will happen and the piezo crystal layer 32 generates a voltage, which again generates a signal that can be used to interpret the sound waves 18.

(15) Using at least one piezo electric microphone in the headset system 1 according to the invention may be in particular beneficial, due to its simplicity in construction and also since it does not draw any power in order to function. When using at least one piezoelectric microphone there are no distortions in the microphone as a lack of power.

(16) FIG. 6 illustrates a cross sectional view onto an earphone 2 that can be used in throat headset system. The earphone 2 may comprise some sort of a casing or housing 34. In the housing 34 an ear loudspeaker 36 may be arranged that can generate soundwaves 42. The sound waves 42 may travel through the sound channel 44 of the housing 34. In order to soundproof an ear of a user, when the earphone 2 is worn, the housing 34 may comprise soft parts 38 extending away from the sound channel 44. The soft parts 38 may tighten and soundproof between the auditory canal of the ear of a user and the earphone 2.

(17) The earphone 2 may comprise a microphone 40, for instance an attenuation microphone, itself. The attenuation microphone 40 may be arranged together with a sound attenuator (not shown) that decides which external noise is to pass and which not or which level of external noise should go past the earphone and into the sound channel 44 of the earphone 2. The soft parts can be arranged as replaceable types or parts both for hygienic reasons and also due different sizes of ear channels of different users. The microphone 40 and the sound attenuator may be configured to protect the ear of the user by filtering out very loud noises or at least reduce their volume. The ear loudspeaker 36, the microphone 40 and the sound attenuator may be electrically connected with each other and they may be connected to the element 4 (FIG. 1) via a cable 10, which is illustrated in FIG. 6. The attenuation microphone 40 may be arranged on the earphone 2 or on the cable leading to the earphone 2 (not shown). This may be advantageous if the earphone is used under a helmet for example.

(18) The earphone 2 may further comprise an electric circuit (not shown) that is connected to the ear loudspeaker 36, microphone 40, the sound attenuator and the cable 10.

(19) The circuit for regulation of the wanted attenuation may be positioned inside the ear loudspeaker housing, in the wire system, in the neckband, in a separate box, or in the connected communication device, such as a mobile phone or communication radio.

(20) Alternatively to the cable 10, the earphone 2 may be connected to the element 4 and the microphone 8, respectively, via a wireless solution, such as Bluetooth or Wifi protocol.

(21) In an embodiment (not shown) the ear loud speaker can be configured to be detachable from the housing for instance via connection means or the like.

(22) Further the housing may comprise differently shaped soft parts 38 than the ones illustrated in FIG. 6. In particular they may be improved or changed in order to improve sound-proofing between the auditory canal of the ear and the earphone and the soft parts, respectively.