Wireless headset for communications device
View Patent ↗Disclosed herein is a communications system implementing a headset wirelessly connected to a half-duplex communications device, such as a two-way radio or a radio-simulating cellular phone. The headset may incorporate a transmit/receive switch wherein a transmit signal is wirelessly transmitted from the headset to the communications device to direct the communications device to enter into a transmit mode. Alternatively, a wireless transmit/receive switch may be implemented separately from the wireless headset, where the wireless transmit/receive switch may be positioned in the proximity of the communications device and the headset and may be engaged by a user to direct the communications device to enter a transmit mode.
1. An apparatus for wirelessly communicating audio information to and from a half-duplex radio, the apparatus comprising:
an adapter for connection to a portable half-duplex radio, and
a wireless headset for wirelessly communicating information to the adapter; wherein
said wireless headset comprises:
a body to be worn on a user's head;
a speaker assembly included in the body to output audio information to the user;
a microphone assembly included in the body to receive audio information from the user;
a switch positioned on the body;
an encoder to convert an analog signal representative of the audio information from the user to digital signal;
a processor connected to the encoder to packetize the digital signal; and
a transceiver to wirelessly transmit a first transmit mode signal representative of an engagement of the switch to the adapter and to wirelessly transmit the packetized digital signal of the audio information; and said adapter comprises:
an interface for connection to the portable half-duplex radio;
a transceiver to receive the first transmit mode signal directly from the wireless headset; and
a processor connected to the interface to provide a second transmit mode signal to the half-duplex radio upon receipt of the first transmit mode signal, the second transmit mode signal for causing the half-duplex radio to enter a half-duplex transmission mode.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the switch is positioned on the microphone assembly.
3. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the speaker assembly includes an earbud speaker.
4. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the body forms an earclip.
5. The apparatus as in claim 4 , wherein the speaker assembly includes an ear insert for insertion into the user's ear canal.
6. The apparatus as in claim 5 , wherein the ear insert comprises a conformable material.
7. The apparatus as in claim 5 , wherein the switch is positioned substantially coaxially with the ear insert.
8. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein said wireless headset further comprises a headband.
9. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the signal representative of an engagement of the switch includes a signal transmitted during at least a portion of a period that the switch is engaged.
10. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the signal representative of an engagement of the switch includes an absence of a signal during at least a portion of a period that the switch is engaged.
11. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adapter processor receives audio information via the adapter transceiver and provides the audio information to the half-duplex radio via the interface.
12. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adapter processor receives audio information from the half-duplex communications device radio via the interface and transmits at least a portion of the audio information via the adapter transceiver.
13. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adapter is integrated with the half-duplex radio.
14. The apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the adapter is separate from the half-duplex radio.