Patents Assigned to Koss Corporation
  • Patent number: 8861770
    Abstract: An assembly for holding a personal speaker relative to a user's ear. A headband assembly can include a band, a sleeve attached to an end of the band, and an arm moveably secured to the sleeve. The sleeve can include a pair of laterally opposed detent channels, and the arm can include a pair of spring-loaded bearings. Each spring-loaded bearing can engage one of the laterally opposed detent channels. The headband assembly can be adjusted by moving the arm relative to the sleeve. An arm of the headband assembly can be pivotally secured to a yoke by a magnetic pivot arrangement. The magnetic pivot arrangement can include a groove, a protrusion, and magnetic elements. A yoke can be pivotally secured to a housing by housing pivot arrangement. The housing pivot arrangement can include a pin extending from the yoke and a collar retained in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Nick S. Blair, Stephen Fiacchino, Michael J. Koss, Michael J. Koss, Jr., Michael J. Pelland
  • Publication number: 20140269411
    Abstract: Systems and methods that permit a wireless device to received data wirelessly via an infrastructure wireless network, without physically connecting the wireless device to a computer in order to configure it, and without having a have an existing infrastructure wireless network for the wireless device to connect to. A remote server hosts a website that permits a user of the wireless device to input via a computer credential data for at least one infrastructure wireless network. The content access point transmits the credential data for the at least one infrastructure wireless network to the wireless device via the ad hoc wireless network, such that, upon receipt of the credential data for the at least one infrastructure wireless network, the wireless device is configured to connect to the at least one infrastructure wireless network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: KOSS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss, Joel L. Haynie
  • Patent number: 8818012
    Abstract: An adjustable, dual speaker element earphone. One of the speaker elements is sized to fit into the cavum concha of the listeners ear and the other element is not. A hinged joint may allow the larger speaker element may be rotated about a vertical axis of the hinged joint so that the larger speaker element can be rotated towards or away from the listener's ear. The speaker elements may be connected such that sounds produced by both speaker elements emanate from different respective sound openings defined in a surface of the smaller speaker element. Also, one or both of the speaker elements may be operably connected to a hanger bar that is sized and configured to rest on an upper portion of the listener's ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Ronaldo J. Santiago, James J. Potter, Mandy M. Johnson, Allan G. Mlodzikowski, Michael J. Koss
  • Publication number: 20140205130
    Abstract: An assembly for holding a personal speaker relative to a user's ear. A headband assembly can include a band, a sleeve attached to an end of the band, and an arm moveably secured to the sleeve. The sleeve can include a pair of laterally opposed detent channels, and the arm can include a pair of spring-loaded bearings. Each spring-loaded bearing can engage one of the laterally opposed detent channels. The headband assembly can be adjusted by moving the arm relative to the sleeve. An arm of the headband assembly can be pivotally secured to a yoke by a magnetic pivot arrangement. The magnetic pivot arrangement can include a groove, a protrusion, and magnetic elements. A yoke can be pivotally secured to a housing by housing pivot arrangement. The housing pivot arrangement can include a pin extending from the yoke and a collar retained in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Nick S. Blair, Stephen Fiacchino, Michael J. Koss, Michael J. Koss, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140205129
    Abstract: An assembly for holding a personal speaker relative to a user's ear. A headband assembly can include a band, a sleeve attached to an end of the band, and an arm moveably secured to the sleeve. The sleeve can include a pair of laterally opposed detent channels, and the arm can include a pair of spring-loaded bearings. Each spring-loaded bearing can engage one of the laterally opposed detent channels. The headband assembly can be adjusted by moving the arm relative to the sleeve. An arm of the headband assembly can be pivotally secured to a yoke by a magnetic pivot arrangement. The magnetic pivot arrangement can include a groove, a protrusion, and magnetic elements. A yoke can be pivotally secured to a housing by housing pivot arrangement. The housing pivot arrangement can include a pin extending from the yoke and a collar retained in the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: KOSS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Nick S. Blair, Stephen Fiacchino, Michael J. Koss, Michael J. Koss, JR., Michael J. Pelland
  • Publication number: 20140185856
    Abstract: A lanyard assembly for securing a portable electronic device relative to a user. The lanyard assembly can include an I/O device, an electrical conductor, and a multi-ended portion. A cord can extend from the multi-ended portion to the I/O device and can form a loop that can be positioned around a user's neck. The electrical conductor can extend through the cord. The multi-ended portion can include a first elongate portion and a second elongate portion. An electrical connector can extend from the first elongate portion and can be configured to electrically connect to a portable electronic device. A physical connector, such as a clip, can extend from the second elongate portion and can be configured to receive at least a portion of the portable electronic device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2013
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: KOSS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael J. Koss, JR., Kegan McDaniel
  • Patent number: 8737668
    Abstract: An assembly for holding a personal speaker relative to a user's ear. A headband assembly can include a band, a sleeve attached to an end of the band, and an arm moveably secured to the sleeve. The sleeve can include a pair of laterally opposed detent channels, and the arm can include a pair of spring-loaded bearings. Each spring-loaded bearing can engage one of the laterally opposed detent channels. The headband assembly can be adjusted by moving the arm relative to the sleeve. An arm of the headband assembly can be pivotally secured to a yoke by a magnetic pivot arrangement. The magnetic pivot arrangement can include a groove, a protrusion, and magnetic elements. A yoke can be pivotally secured to a housing by housing pivot arrangement. The housing pivot arrangement can include a pin extending from the yoke and a collar retained in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Nick S. Blair, Stephen Fiacchino, Michael J. Koss, Michael J. Koss, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8655420
    Abstract: An earphone set that comprises a paired set of earphones to be worn simultaneously by a user is disclosed. Each earphone in the paired set comprises at least one acoustic transducer for producing sound to be heard by the user. At least one of the earphones in the pair set comprises a transceiver circuit and at least one button. The transceiver circuit is for wirelessly receiving and transmitting signals via a wireless network. The at least one button is accessible to the user at an exterior of the at least one earphone. Upon activation of the at least one button by the user, an indication for a song played by the pair of earphones is caused to be transmitted wirelessly, by the transceiver circuit via the wireless network, to a remote server connected to the Internet. The song played by the pair of earphones may be streamed from a digital audio content server connected to the Internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss
  • Patent number: 8571544
    Abstract: A system comprising a wireless network adapter and a pair of earphone. The wireless network adapter is external to a digital audio player and configured to connect to the digital audio player via an audio jack of the digital audio player. The wireless network adapter is for encoding analog audio received from the digital audio player into digital format and wirelessly transmitting the digitally-formatted audio. The pair of earphones is in direct wireless communication with the wireless network adapter and are configured to be worn simultaneously by a user. Each earphone in the pair of earphones comprises: (i) a transceiver that is for receiving the digitally-formatted audio from the wireless network adapter via the wireless network, and converting the digitally-formatted audio received via the wireless network to analog audio signals; and (ii) at least one acoustic transducer connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is for outputting the analog audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss, Michael Sagan, Steven Reckamp, Gregory J. Hallingstad, Jeffrey K. Bovee, Morgan J. Lowery
  • Publication number: 20130266152
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to systems and methods involving first and second acoustic speaker devices for synchronizing playback of a common audio playback signal by the first and second acoustic speaker devices. The first acoustic speaker device may transmit wirelessly a first message comprising a first checksum set comprising a plurality of checksums indicating units of the common audio playback signal in a playback queue of the first acoustic speaker device. The second acoustic speaker device may receive and compare the first checksum set to a second checksum set comprising a plurality of checksums indicating units of the common audio playback signal in a playback queue of the second acoustic speaker device. The presence or absence of a match between the first and second checksum sets, as well as an offset, if any, of the match may indicate which acoustic speaker device is behind and by how many units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Joel L. Haynie, Hytham Alihassan, Timothy Wawrzynczak
  • Patent number: 8422718
    Abstract: A foldable headphone set in which the earphones of the headphone set may rotate between a folded (or closed) position and an unfolded (or open) position due to a torsion- or spring-loaded hinge associated with each earphone. The headphone set may be held in the folded position by way of a magnetic latch. Also, the user may adjust the amount of rotation by the respective hinges so that the earphones rotate to the user-defined limit position. The user could set the user-defined limit position to a comfortable position for the user. That way, the earphones will unfold to the user-defined limit position every time (until the user-defined limit is readjusted). In addition, a friction grommet in the hinge may provide for a slow, controlled, smooth opening of the hinge. In at least one embodiment, a hinge is provided for use in a variety of applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventor: Ronaldo J. Santiago
  • Publication number: 20130039510
    Abstract: A system comprising a wireless earphone set and a client computing device, both of which are communicable with a host server via the Internet. The host server stores configuration parameters for the wireless earphone set that are transmittable to the wireless earphone set via the Internet, and that are configurable by an authenticated user of the client computing device via the host server to generate updated configuration parameters for the wireless earphone set. The updated configuration parameters for the wireless earphone set are transmitted by the host server to the wireless earphone set via the Internet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss, Gregory J. Hallingstad, Morgan J. Lowery
  • Patent number: 8340338
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to an adjustable ear insert, such as an earbud style earphone, that may be inserted in a user's ear canal in a compact configuration and adjusted by a user to expand and fit snugly against the ear canal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Allan Mlodzikowski, Iain Roberts, George Aye, Jerry O'Leary, Michael J. Koss, Martin Thaler, Michael J. Pelland
  • Publication number: 20120213381
    Abstract: A system comprising a wireless network adapter and a pair of earphone. The wireless network adapter is external to a digital audio player and configured to connect to the digital audio player via an audio jack of the digital audio player. The wireless network adapter is for encoding analog audio received from the digital audio player into digital format and wirelessly transmitting the digitally-formatted audio. The pair of earphones is in direct wireless communication with the wireless network adapter and are configured to be worn simultaneously by a user. Each earphone in the pair of earphones comprises: (i) a transceiver that is for receiving the digitally-formatted audio from the wireless network adapter via the wireless network, and converting the digitally-formatted audio received via the wireless network to analog audio signals; and (ii) at least one acoustic transducer connected to the transceiver, wherein the at least one acoustic transducer is for outputting the analog audio signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss, Michael Sagan, Steven R. Reckamp, Gregory J. Hallingstad, Jeffrey K. Bovee, Morgan J. Lowery
  • Patent number: 8249286
    Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to earphones, earphone assemblies, and methods of using the same. Further, these embodiments provide earphones that can releasably interconnect in a compact configuration that also reduces the likelihood that the earphone wires or cords will become entangled. By way of example, in at least one embodiment, an earphone can comprise a housing including a channel defined therein and a wire stem extending from the housing. The channel may be sized and configured to releasably retain a wire stem portion from another earphone. These and other various embodiments are described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventor: Brad Nault
  • Patent number: 8190203
    Abstract: A wireless earphone that comprises a transceiver circuit for receiving streaming audio from a data source over a local ad hoc wireless network. When the data source and the earphone are out of range, they transition automatically to an infrastructure wireless network. If there is no common infrastructure wireless network for both the data source and the speakerphone set, the earphone connects to a host server via an available wireless network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Michael J. Koss, Michael Sagan, Steven R. Reckamp, Gregory J. Hallingstad, Jeffrey K. Bovee, Morgan J. Lowery
  • Publication number: 20120087534
    Abstract: An adjustable, dual speaker element earphone. One of the speaker elements is sized to fit into the cavum concha of the listeners ear and the other element (is not. A hinged joint may allow the larger speaker element may be rotated about a vertical axis of the hinged joint so that the larger speaker element can be rotated towards or away from the listener's ear. The speaker elements may be connected such that sounds produced by both speaker elements emanate from different respective sound openings defined in a surface of the smaller speaker element. Also, one or both of the speaker elements may be operably connected to a hanger bar that is sized and configured to rest on an upper portion of the listener's ear.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Ronaldo J. Santiago, James J. Potter, Mandy M. Johnson, Allan Mlodzikowski, Michael J. Koss
  • Patent number: 8103040
    Abstract: An adjustable, dual speaker element earphone. One of the speaker elements is sized to fit into the cavum concha of the listener's ear and the other element (is not. A hinged joint may allow the larger speaker element may be rotated about a vertical axis of the hinged joint so that the larger speaker element can be rotated towards or away from the listener's ear. The speaker elements may be connected such that sounds produced by both speaker elements emanate from different respective sound openings defined in a surface of the smaller speaker element. Also, one or both of the speaker elements may be operably connected to a hanger bar that is sized and configured to rest on an upper portion of the listener's ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Pelland, Ronaldo J. Santiago, James J. Potter, Mandy M. Johnson, Allan G. Mlodzikowski, Michael J. Koss
  • Publication number: 20120014554
    Abstract: A foldable headphone set in which the earphones of the headphone set may rotate between a folded (or closed) position and an unfolded (or open) position due to a torsion- or spring-loaded hinge associated with each earphone. The headphone set may be held in the folded position by way of a magnetic latch. Also, the user may adjust the amount of rotation by the respective hinges so that the earphones rotate to the user-defined limit position. The user could set the user-defined limit position to a comfortable position for the user. That way, the earphones will unfold to the user-defined limit position every time (until the user-defined limit is readjusted). In addition, a friction grommet in the hinge may provide for a slow, controlled, smooth opening of the hinge. In at least one embodiment, a hinge is provided for use in a variety of applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: Koss Corporation
    Inventor: Ronaldo J. Santiago
  • Patent number: D687417
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Koss Corporation
    Inventors: Michael J. Koss, Michael J. Pelland, Nick S. Blair, Glenn T. Walters