US5099514A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Multi-purpose telephone accessory unit
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1989-11-09
•
Granted: 1992-03-24
•
Expires: 2009-11-09
Abstract
Abstract A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit for persons who use a telephone for extended periods of time. It is connected to a conventional telephone by removing the telephone cord from the normal handset and plugging it into the accessory unit. The unit wears a headset equipped with two independently controlled ear piece receivers and a mouth piece transmitter. An external wall plug type A.C./D.C. transformer is used to provide power for the unit. The unit has separate volume controls and separate equalizers for the respective ear piece receivers. A mute switch is connected into the voice transmission circuit to allow the user to speak with other persons in their area without the person on the other end of the telephone line hearing the conversation. An internal microphone is also provided that can be connected through the mute switch that allows the user to pick up voices and sounds in their immediate vicinity of the unit without the user having to remove the ear receiver unit.
Inventors
- 👤 Delores F. Acree
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 17:50
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M1/00; H04M1/60; H04M1/6033
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
217 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit comprising: a housing having a top wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and left and right side walls; a handset telephone line jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing; a headset jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing; a headset unit having a left ear receiver and a right ear receiver, a mouthpiece microphone is also supportably connected to said headset unit, an electrical cable connecting said respective left and right ear receivers and said mouth piece microphone to the headset jack; a voice transmission electrical circuit in said housing connecting said handset telephone line jack receptacle to said headset jack receptacle; a voice receiver electrical circuit in said housing connecting said handset telephone line jack receptacle to said headset jack receptacle and having an earpiece interface network circuit; and an auxiliary input jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing and it is electrically connected to said voice receiver electrical circuit so that an auxiliary audio input source is mixed with the signal received from a telephone line and heard only by a user on one end of the telephone line to which said unit is connected, but not by the party on another end of the telephone line.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
217 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit comprising: a housing having a top wall, a front wall, a rear wall, and left and right side walls; a handset telephone line jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing; a headset jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing; a headset unit having a left ear receiver and a right ear receiver, a mouthpiece microphone is also supportably connected to said headset unit, an electrical cable connecting said respective left and right ear receivers and said mouth piece microphone to the headset jack; a voice transmission electrical circuit in said housing connecting said handset telephone line jack receptacle to said headset jack receptacle; a voice receiver electrical circuit in said housing connecting said handset telephone line jack receptacle to said headset jack receptacle and having an earpiece interface network circuit; and an auxiliary input jack receptacle mounted in one of the walls of said housing and it is electrically connected to said voice receiver electrical circuit so that an auxiliary audio input source is mixed with the signal received from a telephone line and heard only by a user on one end of the telephone line to which said unit is connected, but not by the party on another end of the telephone line.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit as recited in claim 1 wherein said voice receiver electrical circuit further comprises means for separately adjusting the volume in said respective left and right ear receivers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising a switch in said voice receiver electrical circuit for reversing the sound to the respective left and right ear receivers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising a right and a left equalizer unit in said voice receiver electrical circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising a mute switch in said voice transmission circuit.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A multi-purpose telephone accessory unit as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for disconnecting the the earpiece interface network circuit and connecting an internal microphone circuit which picks up and reproduces any sound in the immediate vicinity of said accessory unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4634816A
Cited
US4790002A
Cited
US4754484A
Cited
JPS63207250A
Cited
US4893331A
Cited
US4782524A
Cited
US4930156A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-03-24 | 1995-09-23 | 1996-03-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-24 | 1999-09-23 | 2000-03-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-24 | 2003-09-23 | 2004-03-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |