Personal wearable communication and speaker system

1. A personal wearable communication system, comprising:

a base,

an acoustic output device carried by said base;

a resilient gripping band carried by and extending laterally from said base, said gripping band being curved and having a length whereby a distal end of said band and said base are positionable so as to gently engage generally opposite sides of a user's neck and said acoustic output device rests below a user's ear; and

a microphone carried by an adjustably positionable support arm, said support arm extending from said base.

2. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said gripping band is moveable rotatably about said base between to two operable and generally stable positions, a first stable position in which said distal end of said band is disposed on one side of said base, and a second stable position in which said distal end of said band is disposed on an opposite side of said base.

3. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said distal end of said band is enlarged, and includes a pad facing said base for distributing gripping forces applied by said band.

4. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said base includes an external pushbutton switch and a volume control for adjusting the output of said acoustic output device, said pushbutton switch being useable in a push-to-talk mode in a two-way communication system.

5. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein:

said acoustic output device is a speaker, said speaker being supported on said base, and facing in a predetermined direction that is generally normal to a plane defined by said band, said speaker being rotatable between a first position in which said speaker extends outwardly with respect to one side of said base and a second position in which said speaker extends outwardly with respect to an opposite side of said base.

6. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 5 wherein:

said system is configurable to two alternative configurations, a first configuration for use with one of a user's ears in which said band is positioned so as to extend from said base to a first side of said base, and said acoustic output device is positioned to extend from a second opposite side of said base, and a second configuration for use with the other of said user's ears in which said band is positioned so as to extend from said base to said second opposite side of said base, and said acoustic output device is positioned to extend from said first side of said base.

7. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 1 wherein: said acoustic output device is connected to said base by a telescopic arm such that said acoustic device may be move by extension of said arm to positions in which the distance between said base and said acoustic device varies.

8. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 7 wherein: said acoustic output device is rotatable about an axis of said telescopic arm to positions which are generally opposite from each other, whereby said acoustic device is positionable to be readily useable by either one of a user's two ears.

9. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 8 wherein: said acoustic output device includes separable upper and lower sections, said lower section being rotatably carried by said base, and said upper section having a pivotable ear hook, said upper section being electrically connected to said lower section by a retractable coil wire stowable in a space defined by said upper and lower sections when in an unseparated condition, said upper and lower sections being held in said unseparated position by a friction fit.

10. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 9 wherein:

a switch carried by said acoustic output device automatically switches a speaker carried by said upper section from a loudspeaker mode to a headphone mode upon separation of said sections from each other.

11. A personal wearable communication system, comprising:

a base,

a speaker housing with a speaker inside, said speaker housing carried by said base;

a resilient gripping band extending laterally from said base, said gripping band being curved such that a distal end of said band and said base are disposed at opposite ends of said band and are positionable so as to gently engage generally opposite sides of a user's neck and said speaker housing rests below a user's ear; and

a microphone carried by an adjustably positionable support arm extending from said base,

said gripping band being moveable rotatably about said base between to two operable and generally stable positions, a first stable position in which said distal end of said band is disposed on one side of said base, and a second stable position in which said distal end of said band is disposed on an opposite side of said base,

said speaker housing being arranged such that said speaker is facing generally away from a plane defined by said band, said speaker being moveable between a first speaker position in which said speaker extends laterally outwardly with respect to one side of said base and in a direction away from a side of said base around which said band extends when said band is in said first stable position, and a second speaker position in which said speaker extends laterally outwardly with respect to an opposite side of said base and in a direction away from a side of said base around which said band extends when said band is in said second stable position.

12. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein: said speaker housing is connected to said base by a telescopic arm such that said speaker housing may be moved by extension of said arm to a positions in which the distance between said base and said speaker housing varies.

13. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 12 wherein: said speaker housing is rotatable about an axis of said telescopic arm to positions which are generally opposite from each other, whereby said acoustic device is positionable to be readily useable by either one of a user's two ears.

14. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein: said speaker housing includes separable upper and lower sections, said lower section being rotatably carried by said base, and said upper section having a pivotable ear hook capable of being positioned around said upper section in two opposite clockwise directions, said upper section being connected by a retractable coil wire stowable in a space defined by said upper and lower sections when in an unseparated condition, said upper and lower sections being held in said unseparated position by a friction fit.

15. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 11 wherein:

a switch carried by said speaker housing automatically switches said speaker from a loudspeaker mode to a headphone mode upon separation of said sections from each other.

16. A personal wearable communication system, comprising:

a base,

a speaker housing with a speaker inside, said speaker housing carried by said base;

a resilient gripping band extending laterally from said base, said gripping band being curved such that a distal end of said band and said base are disposed at opposite ends of said band and are positionable so as to gently engage generally opposite sides of a user's neck and said speaker housing rests below a user's ear; and

a microphone carried by an adjustably positionable support arm extending from said base,

said speaker housing being arranged such that said speaker is facing generally away from a plane defined by said band.

17. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 16 wherein: said speaker housing includes separable upper and lower sections, and said upper section having an ear hook extending around said upper section, said upper section being connected by a retractable coil wire stowable in a space defined by said upper and lower sections when in an unseparated condition, said upper and lower sections being held in said unseparated position by a friction fit.

18. A personal wearable communication system in accordance with claim 16 wherein:

a switch carried by said speaker housing automatically switches said speaker from a loudspeaker mode to a headphone mode upon separation of said sections from each other.