Sound protecting headset with proximity collision avoidance protection
US7015812B1 · kind B1 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 4, 1995 |
| Grant date | Mar 21, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 4, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S367/909
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A proximity warning system is disposed in a sound protecting earmuff-type headset or other means of providing acoustic ear protection. The ear protector prevents the user from hearing damage from high levels of ambient sound and would otherwise generally make the user unable to hear the sounds of approaching objects like vehicles and machinery. However, an audio transducer is provided in each ear shell of the headset and is connected to a ranging device, which in the illustrated embodiment is an infrared ranging device which generates an alarm signal upon the approach of an object within a predetermined critical alarm limit. A plurality of variable alarm signals can be provided to distinguish the direction, size and speed of the approaching object. In general, the ranging device may be optical, acoustic, thermal or electromagnetic.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.