Voice communication relay system for use with protective gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12137310-B2
Application number	US-202217854002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 30, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A voice communication relay device for use in combination with a protective face mask having an embedded microphone, a headset, a radio, and a push-to-talk (PTT) device that is connected to a radio. The voice communication relay device includes: a housing; a device speaker associated with the housing; an amplifier in the housing, the amplifier being electrically connected to the device speaker; a circuit board located inside of the housing; and a power source. At least one function of the circuit board is to serve as an Impedance dependent auto switch (IDAS) that is electrically connected to the device speaker and an output connector for selectively sending signals to the device speaker or to a radio that is connected to the PTT device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A voice communication relay device for use in combination with:
a protective face mask having an embedded microphone for a speaker; a headset having a connection for a boom microphone and an output cord having an end with a plug thereon; a radio; and a push-to-talk (PTT) device that is connectable to the radio, said voice communication relay device comprising:
a housing having an input connector and an output connector associated therewith, wherein:
said input connector is configured for connection with the plug on the output cord from said headset, wherein said input connector comprises a female connector located in a first receptacle in said housing, wherein said female connector is configured for accepting a single prong male connector on the output cord from said headset;
said output connector is configured for connection with said PTT device that is to be connected to said radio;

a device speaker associated with said housing;
an amplifier in said housing, said amplifier being electrically connected to said device speaker;
a microphone pre-amplifier in said housing, said pre-amplifier being electrically connected to said amplifier and said device speaker;
a circuit board located inside said housing, said circuit board being electrically connected to: said input connector; said device speaker; and said output connector; and
a power source being associated with said housing, said power source being electrically connected to said device speaker, and said circuit board,
wherein at least one function of said circuit board is to serve as an Impedance dependent auto switch (IDAS) that is electrically connected to said device speaker and said output connector for selectively sending audio signals to said device speaker or to said PTT device that is to be connected to said radio.

2. The voice communication relay device of claim 1 wherein said output connector comprises a cable having an end with a single prong male plug thereon which is configured for plugging into said PTT device.

3. The voice communication relay device of claim 2 wherein:
the input connector establishes a connection between the audio output of said headset and the device speaker so that a user's voice will be transmitted to the device speaker of the voice communication relay device without using any speaker on the protective face mask; and
the output connector establishes a connection between the voice communication relay device and said PTT device, which is connected to said radio for communication with other radios.

4. A voice amplification system comprising:
the voice communication relay device of claim 1 ; and
a two-way connection cable having two ends, each end with two pins thereon, said ends comprising a first end and a second end, wherein one of said first and second ends is configured to be inserted into a two pin female port of said headset for said boom microphone, and the other end being configured to be inserted into a two pin female port for said speaker of said protective face mask.

5. A protective equipment system with voice communication capability comprising:
(a) a protective face mask having an embedded microphone for an external speaker and a speaker port for a connection between the external speaker and the embedded microphone;
(b) a headset for wearing outside said protective face mask, said headset having a microphone port for connecting a boom microphone, and an output cord having an end with a plug thereon;
(c) a push-to-talk (PTT) device;
(d) a radio that is connected to said PTT device;
e) a cable having two ends, wherein one of said ends is inserted into the microphone port of the headset, and the other end is inserted into the speaker port for an external speaker of the protective face mask; and
(f) a voice communication relay device comprising:
a housing having an input connector and an output connector associated therewith, wherein the plug on the output cord from the headset is plugged into said input connector, and the output connector is connected to the PTT device;
a device speaker associated with said housing;
an amplifier in said housing, said amplifier being electrically connected to said device speaker;
a microphone pre-amplifier in said housing, said pre-amplifier being electrically connected to said amplifier and said device speaker;
a circuit board located inside said housing, said circuit board being electrically connected to: said input connector; said device speaker; and said output connector; and
a power source being associated with said housing, said power source being electrically connected to said device speaker, and said circuit board,

wherein said circuit board serves as an Impedance dependent auto switch (IDAS) that is electrically connected to said device speaker and said output connector of said voice communication relay device for selectively sending audio signals to said device speaker or to said radio connected to said PTT device.

6. A method of improving the voice transmission quality by a user of the combination of a protective face mask having a front with an internal microphone and a port for an external speaker, and a headset which is worn over the protective face mask, the headset having a microphone port for connecting a boom microphone, the headset also having a cord with a communication plug extending therefrom, said method comprising:
providing a two-way connector cable between the port for the external speaker of the protective face mask and the microphone port of the headset, wherein the two-way connector cable is used so that audio input into the internal microphone of the protective face mask bypasses the external speaker of the protective face mask and is transmitted to the headset;
providing a voice communication relay device comprising: a device speaker; an input port into which the communication plug from the headset is inserted: an output connector for transmitting audio to another device: and a circuit board that serves as an Impedance dependent auto switch (IDAS) that is electrically connected to said device speaker and said output connector for selectively sending audio signals to said device speaker or to said another device;
receiving audio signals from said user's voice, wherein said signals are transmitted from the internal microphone of the protective face mask to the headset, and then to the voice communication relay device through the cord from the headset; and
using the voice communication relay device to send the audio signals to either the device speaker or to said another device through the output connector.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said another device comprises a push-to-talk (PTT) device having a button, and said method further comprises a step of plugging the outgoing connector of the voice communication relay device into the user's push-to-talk device so that the voice communication relay device is electrically connected to a user's radio, and said user's radio is configured to communicate with other radios.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein when the PTT device button is not pushed, the IDAS is set to broadcast the user's voice with the device speaker wherein the user's voice is picked up by the internal microphone of the protective face mask, bypasses any external speaker of the protective face mask, and is then locally broadcast by the device speaker.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein when said PTT device button is pushed, the user's communications are only sent to the user's radio through the PTT device, and are not locally broadcast to those in the area surrounding the user by the device speaker.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the voice communication relay device further comprises a co

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Girton Damon
• Mcallister Johnathan
• Scharf Matthew
• Seymour Matthew
• Voland Peter
• Stechschulte Matthew
• Stover Nathan
• Gallegos Stevan

Classifications

• H04B1/385

  Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets · CPC title

• A62B18/08

  Component parts for gas-masks or gas-helmets, e.g. windows, straps, speech transmitters, signal-devices (eye-pieces for protective goggles A61F9/02; composition of materials for the windows or other transparent parts A62D7/00) · CPC title

• H04R1/1041

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H04R1/083 Primary

  Special constructions of mouthpieces · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title