Patents Examined by Tuan Duc Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7418097
    Abstract: Provided is a clamp for fastening a portable electronic device. The clamp comprises two spring biased sliding arms and a spring biased trigger member. Pushing the trigger member toward the body will move the shuttle member upward to unlock both arms for extending thereafter. In response to sandwiching the device between the arms releasing the trigger member will push the trigger member outward and the shuttle member downward respectively for locking the ridges. In a case of the device having its ports provided at one side or both sides thereof, two central, rectangular openings of the arms are adapted to allow the ports to dispose therein for causing no interference to a normal operation of the fastened device. A distance between both arms can be adjusted by sliding one arm toward or away from the other arm or sliding both arms toward or away from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Inventor: Ta Shuo Chang
  • Patent number: 7403612
    Abstract: To attain a slide mechanism of a portable terminal device which, having a minimal number of parts and keeping the same function as that of a conventional one, enables a substantial production cost reduction, a mechanism relatively slides a first casing and a second casing in a state that the casings are laid over each other in a vertical direction, and is constituted with: a slide case mounted on either one of the first casing and the second casing; a slider slidably accommodated in the slide case and mounted on the other one of the first casing and the second casing; and a resilient means resiliently disposed between the slider and the slide case. The slide case is formed as an integral structure with a guide groove which extends to both ends in a longitudinal direction with the one end thereof being opened. Additionally the slider has a shape which enables the slider to be inserted into the guide groove in an engaged state from the open end side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2008
    Assignee: Katoh Electrical Machinery Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Taichi Nishihara
  • Patent number: 7359505
    Abstract: A space-efficient ergonomic telephony keypad is described which comprises three separate groups of four buttons collectively capable of performing twelve distinct electronic switch operations. Each button is formed for tactile operation. Each group has the four buttons positioned about equally around an imaginary central axis. And, each group of four buttons is positionally rotated about 45 degrees relative to the positioning of an adjacent group of four buttons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Inventor: James J. Macor
  • Patent number: 7330548
    Abstract: A mobile terminal comprising a main housing, first and second sub-housings, each slidably mounted on an upper surface of the main housing such that the first and second sub-housings can slide towards each other or away from each other to open or close a predetermined region of the upper surface of the main housing, and a sliding module. The mobile terminal is structured such that the display apparatus can be opened or closed by the first and second sub-housings, and such that it is easy to operate keypads with both hands when the display apparatus is open, resulting in convenience of playing games or chatting. Additionally, the sliding module of the mobile terminal is structured such that the first and second sub-housings are interlinked with each other, which allows for easy opening and closing of the display apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Do-Hun Kim, Sung-Sun Park
  • Patent number: 7324643
    Abstract: An electronic device comprises a body. An at least partly covering lid is rotatably mounted to the body by a hinge slideably mounted to the body. The lid is rotatable to an open position, in which open position the lid reveals a key-pad of the electronic device positioned in a front side of the electronic device, above a display. The hinge is resiliently mounted to the body, so that the lid is rotatable to a closed position, in which closed position the hinge retreats to be generally invisible by the covering lid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Spyder Navigations, L.L.C.
    Inventors: Jarmo Lehtonen, Jari Mäkinen
  • Patent number: 7324659
    Abstract: A frame is provided with an opening allowing insertion of a jig for setting an inner rim of a suspension holder to a proper position. The jig ensures positive alignment of the suspension holder when making connection to the frame. The jig also ensures reliable bonding of a diaphragm to the suspension holder with a bonding agent, since it steadily supports the suspension holder in position during the bonding process. The positioning of the bobbin and a voice coil is thus reliable when being assembled, thereby improving acoustic performance of a speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2008
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Osamu Funahashi, Hiroyuki Morimoto, Yukio Okamoto
  • Patent number: 7308095
    Abstract: A holder that is detachably attachable to a casing of a communication apparatus, including: a placement surface on which a handset can be placed; a first side surface; a displacement unit that is displaced in response to an act of placing the handset on the placement surface; a lever that is displaced according to a displacement of the displacement unit, the lever being projected in a first direction by a first distance from the first side surface; and an engagement portion being projected substantially in the first direction by a second distance, which is longer than the first distance, from the first side surface, the engagement portion engaging the holder with the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kazuhito Ishida, Takamitsu Kawai
  • Patent number: 7308107
    Abstract: A hearing device is activated by operating the hearing device in an operating mode in a first phase after supplying energy to internal circuitry of the hearing device, by operating the hearing device in a reduced operating mode in a second phase and by operating the hearing device in a selectable operating mode in a third phase. Thereby, the hearing device user can examine a correct functioning of the hearing device before its insertion into the ear. In addition, the hearing device can thereafter be inserted without that a feedback signal is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Stefan Daniel Menzl, Ivo Hasler
  • Patent number: 7302077
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electromagnetic driver comprising a soft magnetic core in the form of an E with three legs and a back, an alternating field driver, magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core, for generating an alternating magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, depending upon a sound signal, a constant field driver magnetically coupled to the soft magnetic core for generation of a constant magnetic field in the soft magnetic core, a soft magnetic element for coupling to the plate of the planar diaphragm loudspeaker, lying opposite the back and magnetically closing the legs across at least one small induction gap, whereby the constant field and the alternating field are asymmetrically superimposed such that a resulting force, or a resulting torque on the soft magnetic element, is proportional to the sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Harman/Becker Automotive Systems GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Bachmann, Hans-Jürgen Regl, Gerhard Krump, Andreas Ziganki
  • Patent number: 7302069
    Abstract: The process of adapting a hearing aid to its wearer is to be simplified. To this end the acoustic conditions in the auditory canal, especially the acoustic impedance, are estimated by measuring the input impedance of the earpiece on the hearing aid. For adjusting the hearing aid it is worthwhile using the mechanical resonance of the system of hearing aid and auditory canal which can be detected with the aid of the input impedance. This is produced by a simplified equivalent circuit diagram from which the corresponding acoustic variables can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Niederdränk, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 7302073
    Abstract: A protective grommet for a microphone has an enclosure with an internal cavity. The internal cavity is dimensioned to receive an input end of the microphone therein. A membrane, particularly a mesh, and more particularly a wire mesh, and more particularly a stainless steel wire mesh, is embedded into the enclosure spanning the cavity across the input end of the microphone. In application, the grommet as described is fit over the input end of the microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Honeywell International, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard A. Smith, Reginald C. Kouwenberg
  • Patent number: 7298859
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microphone apparatus. The microphone apparatus includes a housing with an outer surface and an interior chamber. A microphone element is disposed within the interior chamber. The outer surface includes a first substantially planar surface having at least one aperture leading to the interior chamber and a second substantially planar surface intersecting at an angle with the first planar surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Billy J. Worley, Robert L. Doss, David G. Lashley
  • Patent number: 7286680
    Abstract: A microphone includes a separate end cover with a sound port. A diaphragm is directly attached to the end cover. The backplate is positioned within the housing against a ridge near an end of the housing. A spacer is positioned against the backplate. The diaphragm engages the spacer when the end cover, with its attached diaphragm, is installed in the housing. The backplate of the microphone has an integral connecting wire that is made of the same material as the backplate. The integral connecting wire may have an inherent spring force to provide a pressure contact with the accompanying electrical components. The integral connecting wire electrically couples the backplate to the electronic components within the housing and transmits the raw audio signal corresponding to movement of the diaphragm. The housing may have first and second ridges on which the printed circuit board and the electret assembly are mounted, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: Sonion Nederland B.V.
    Inventors: Michael G. M. Steeman, Hendrik Dolleman, Paul C. van Hal, Adrianus M. Lafort, Jan Hijman, Dion I. de Roo, Auke P. Nauta, Raymond Mögelin
  • Patent number: 7272237
    Abstract: An audio speaker having a removable voice coil, which may be a part of a voice coil assembly. The voice coil may be user-removable to facilitate replacement of a damaged voice coil or reconfiguration of a speaker system. Properly positioning the voice coil assembly may provide a solder-free electrical connection between the voice coil and leads that provide current to the voice coil. In some embodiments, the voice coil is user-removably attached to an inner circumferential surface of a diaphragm. In other embodiments, the voice coil is connected to the diaphragm, and the voice coil assembly and the diaphragm are both user-removably attached to a frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Boston Acoustics, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Linn, Leif Blackmon
  • Patent number: 7272236
    Abstract: A speaker housing for mounting at least one speaker therein is disclosed. The speaker housing includes a speaker enclosure sealed to a speaker cover. The speaker enclosure includes an opening for sealing a connector attached to a crossover printed circuit board assembly thereto. The connector protrudes through the opening in the speaker enclosure while the printed circuit board to which it is attached compresses a compressible gasket against a wall surrounding the opening in the speaker enclosure, sealing the connector thereto. The chassis wiring is coupled to the connector providing an inexpensive sealed interface between the electronics chassis and the crossover board assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2007
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventors: John Edward Nicholson, Patrick Thomas Whitsett, Lawrence Charles Coan
  • Patent number: 7269268
    Abstract: A surface mounted device (SMD) type biased condenser microphone includes two terminals for a surface mounting process. The SMD type biased condenser microphone includes a grounding terminal for connecting with an external circuit, a diaphragm/backplate set, one end of which is connected to the grounding terminal, for varying a capacity according to an intensity of sound pressure and converting sound into an electric signal, a DC-DC converter for providing a bias voltage so as to form an electrostatic field at one side of the diaphragm/backplate set, a buffer IC for amplifying the electric signal from the diaphragm/backplate set, and a decoupling capacitor for preventing the bias voltage output from the DC-DC converter from being directly applied to the buffer IC and transferring the electric signal from the diaphragm/backplate set to the buffer IC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: BSE Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung Dam Song, Eek Joo Chung, Hyun Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 7269255
    Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a portable terminal device having an excellent operability in a voice communication. There are provided a receiver (106) provided on a surface (101g) of a first housing member (101a) which is opposed to a second housing member (101b) in a closing state, a speaker (107) provided on a surface (101i) of the second housing member (101b) which is opposed to the first housing member (101a) in the closing state and having a higher output level than the first voice output means, and a control portion (120) for deciding a positional relationship of the first housing member (101a) with the second housing member (101b) and setting an output source for a voice at the start of a voice communication to either the receiver (106) or the speaker (107) corresponding to a result of the decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noriyoshi Satoh, Kazuhiro Konishi
  • Patent number: 7254245
    Abstract: The microphones used in hearing devices normally possess different characteristic lines that are to be adapted to one another. For this purpose, the amplitude of an output signal of a first microphone and the amplitude of an output signal of a second microphone are measured. The output signal of the first microphone is subsequently filtered dependent on both measured amplitudes, such that the difference between the two output signals is reduced. One of the two microphones hereby serves as a reference, and an absolute normalization can be foregone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Joachim Eggers, Thomas Hanses, Torsten Niederdränk, Hartmut Ritter, Gunter Sauer
  • Patent number: 7251338
    Abstract: A hearing device and method for handling data in a hearing device that enables writing of the data into a storage location only under certain conditions. The conditions are: the data is being entered by a person who has previously entered data to the hearing device or the data has not been copied from a hearing device of a predetermined type or the hearing device has been enabled to unconditionally accept the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Ruedi Suter, Andreas Nickisch
  • Patent number: 7251341
    Abstract: The invention relates to a microphone. Microphones of very different types and genera have been known for a very long time and are also required for very different applications. Apart from “classical” microphones, microphones are also used in headsets, and frequently microphones are accommodated by mounts, e.g. goosenecks, vibrating mounts, microphone booms and the like. The object of the invention is therefore to avoid the previous disadvantages and to propose an aesthetically attractive solution with which the microphone transducer can be decoupled from the structure-borne sound excitation of the housing. A microphone having a housing and a microphone transducer accommodated by the housing, characterised in that a structure-borne sound decoupling element bearing the transducer is constructed inside the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Heinz Epping, Guenter Rosen, Konrad Huss