U.S. patent application number 11/854990 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-30 for headwear with signal generating capability.
Invention is credited to Jen-Lin Chen, Michael Johannes Frankenhauser.
Application Number | 20080263750 11/854990 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38375403 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080263750 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chen; Jen-Lin ; et
al. |
October 30, 2008 |
Headwear with signal generating capability
Abstract
A headwear with signal generating capability includes: a
headwear body; a signal output unit mounted on the headwear body
for generating at least one of audio and video signals; a control
circuit including a controller coupled electrically to the signal
output unit for controlling activation and deactivation of the
signal output unit; and a switch mounted on the headwear body and
coupled electrically to the control circuit for controlling
operating states of the control circuit.
Inventors: |
Chen; Jen-Lin; (Cupertino,
CA) ; Frankenhauser; Michael Johannes; (Dusseldorf,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LADAS & PARRY
5670 WILSHIRE BOULEVARD, SUITE 2100
LOS ANGELES
CA
90036-5679
US
|
Family ID: |
38375403 |
Appl. No.: |
11/854990 |
Filed: |
September 13, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
2/209.13 ;
386/E5.072 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 5/772 20130101;
A42B 1/245 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
2/209.13 |
International
Class: |
A42B 1/24 20060101
A42B001/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 24, 2007 |
DE |
DE202007005984.1 |
Claims
1. A headwear with signal generating capability, comprising: a
headwear body; a signal output unit mounted on said headwear body
for generating at least one of audio and video signals; a control
circuit including a controller coupled electrically to said signal
output unit for controlling activation and deactivation of said
signal output unit; and a first switch mounted on said headwear
body and coupled electrically to said control circuit for
controlling operating states of said control circuit.
2. The headwear of claim 1, wherein said headwear body has a
principal wall including a cap-like crown portion that is adapted
to cover head of a user and that has an open end, and a plate-like
bill portion that protrudes outwardly from said open end of said
crown portion, said first switch being embedded in said bill
portion of said principal wall.
3. The headwear of claim 1, wherein said headwear body has a
principal wall including a cap-like crown portion that is adapted
to cover head of a user and that has an open end, and a plate-like
bill portion that protrudes outwardly from said open end of said
crown portion, said signal output unit including a speaker embedded
in said bill portion of said principal wall.
4. The headwear of claim 1, wherein said headwear body has a
principal wall and a first lining connected to and cooperating with
said principal wall to define a first cavity therebetween, said
first cavity having an open end for access thereinto, said signal
output unit and said control circuit being mounted detachably in
said first cavity.
5. The headwear of claim 4, further comprising a thin container
mounted securely in said first cavity, said signal output unit and
said control circuit being received in said container.
6. The headwear of claim 5, wherein said container is made from a
water-proof material.
7. The headwear of claim 5, wherein said container is made from a
material selected from one of a plastic material and a water-proof
fabric material.
8. The headwear of claim 5, further comprising a positioning unit
that includes a first interlocking member attached to said first
lining, and a second interlocking member attached to said container
and engaging releasably said first interlocking member so as to
position said container at a desired position in said first
cavity.
9. The headwear of claim 8, wherein said first and second
interlocking members engage each other in a hook-and-loop
manner.
10. The headwear of claim 4, further comprising a closure unit
secured to said first lining and said principal wall for closing
and opening said open end of said first cavity.
11. The headwear of claim 10, wherein said closure unit includes
first and second locking members that are respectively attached to
said first lining and said principal wall and that engage each
other in a hook-and-loop manner.
12. The headwear of claim 4, wherein said signal output unit
includes a liquid crystal display module mounted on said principal
wall and having a liquid crystal display panel, said principal wall
being formed with a window for exposing said liquid crystal display
panel.
13. The headwear of claim 12, further comprising a transparent
sheet attached securely to an interior of said principal wall for
covering said window.
14. The headwear of claim 4, wherein said control circuit further
includes a circuit board, said signal output unit including a
speaker mounted on said circuit board.
15. The headwear of claim 14, further comprising an electrical
wiring extending from said first switch and embedded in said
headwear body, a first connector connected to said electrical
wiring, and a second connector provided on said circuit board and
connected electrically and detachably to said first connector.
16. The headwear of claim 15, wherein said first switch is a
membrane switch.
17. The headwear of claim 4, wherein said principal wall of said
headwear body has a crown portion and a bill portion, said first
lining being connected to said crown portion of said principal wall
of said headwear body, said control circuit including a circuit
board mounted in said first cavity, said signal output unit being
mounted on said circuit board.
18. The headwear of claim 1, wherein said headwear body has a
principal wall that includes a crown portion and a bill portion,
and a first lining that is connected to and that cooperates with
said crown portion of said principal wall to define a first cavity
therebetween, said first cavity having an open end for access
thereinto, said crown portion being formed with a window, said
headwear body further having a second lining connected to and
cooperating with said bill portion of said principal wall to define
a second cavity therebetween, said control circuit further
including a circuit board mounted in said second cavity, said
controller being mounted on said circuit board, said signal output
unit being mounted in said first cavity and including a liquid
crystal display panel mounted on said crown portion of said
principal wall and exposed from said window, said first switch
being embedded in said bill portion of said principal wall of said
headwear body.
19. The headwear of claim 18, further comprising a speaker mounted
on said circuit board and coupled electrically to said control
circuit.
20. The headwear of claim 18, further comprising a second switch
embedded in said bill portion of said principal wall of said
headwear body and coupled to said control circuit for controlling
corresponding ones of the circuit states of said control
circuit.
21. The headwear of claim 18, further comprising a memory unit
mounted on said circuit board and coupled electrically to said
control circuit for storing audio and video information.
22. The headwear of claim 18, further comprising a USB socket
provided on said circuit board and coupled electrically to said
control circuit.
23. The headwear of claim 18, further comprising a memory card slot
provided on said circuit board, coupled electrically to said
control circuit, and adapted to receive one of a SD card and a MMC
card.
24. A headwear with circuit actuating capability, comprising: a
headwear body having a principle wall including a cap-like crown
portion that is adapted to cover head of a user and that has an
open end, and a plate-like bill portion that protrudes outwardly
from said open end of said crown portion; a control circuit mounted
on said principle wall; and a switch embedded in said bill portion
of said principal wall and coupled electrically to said control
circuit.
25. The headwear of claim 24, further comprising a speaker embedded
in said bill portion of said principle wall and coupled
electrically to said control circuit.
26. A headwear comprising: a headwear body having a principle wall
including a cap-like crown portion that is adapted to cover head of
a user and that has an open end, and a plate-like bill portion that
protrudes outwardly from said open end of said crown portion; a
control circuit mounted on said principle wall; and a speaker
embedded in said bill portion of said principal wall and coupled
electrically to said control circuit.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority of German Utility Model
Application No. DE 20 2007 005 984.1, filed on Apr. 24, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to a headwear, more particularly to a
headwear with signal generating capability.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,355 discloses a decorative headwear that
includes a body portion with first and second ends, a mouth
defining the first end, a pouch defining the second end, first
means for selectively opening and closing the pouch, a module
disposed in the pouch, switching means formed inside the module, an
electrical circuitry enclosed in the module and connected to the
switching means, and a plurality of decorative lights attached to
the body portion and connected to the electrical circuitry for
creating an illuminated display on the decorative headwear.
However, the aforesaid decorative headwear cannot generate audio or
video signals, which can provide special effects for advertising or
amusement purposes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a headwear
with signal generating capability that can generate at least one of
audio and video signals.
[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a headwear with signal generating capability. The headwear
comprises: a headwear body; a signal output unit mounted on the
headwear body for generating at least one of audio and video
signals; a control circuit including a controller coupled
electrically to the signal output unit for controlling activation
and deactivation of the signal output unit; and a switch mounted on
the headwear body and coupled electrically to the control circuit
for controlling operating states of the control circuit.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a headwear with circuit actuating capability. The
headwear comprises: a headwear body having a principle wall
including a cap-like crown portion that is adapted to cover head of
a user and that has an open end, and a plate-like bill portion that
protrudes outwardly from the open end of the crown portion; a
control circuit mounted on the principle wall; and a switch
embedded in the bill portion of the principal wall and coupled
electrically to the control circuit.
[0009] According to yet another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a headwear that comprises: a headwear body having
a principle wall including a cap-like crown portion that is adapted
to cover head of a user and that has an open end, and a plate-like
bill portion that protrudes outwardly from the open end of the
crown portion; a control circuit mounted on the principle wall; and
a speaker embedded in the bill portion of the principal wall and
coupled electrically to the control circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the
invention,
[0011] FIG. 1A is a bottom perspective view of the first preferred
embodiment of a headwear according to this invention;
[0012] FIG. 1B is a top perspective view of the first preferred
embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 1C is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection
between a control circuit and a signal output unit of the first
preferred embodiment;
[0014] FIG. 2A is a bottom perspective view of the second preferred
embodiment of the headwear according to this invention;
[0015] FIG. 2B is a top perspective view of the second preferred
embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the third preferred
embodiment of the headwear according to this invention;
[0017] FIG. 4A is a top perspective view of the fourth preferred
embodiment of the headwear according to this invention;
[0018] FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection
between a control circuit and a signal output unit of the fourth
preferred embodiment; and
[0019] FIG. 5A is a bottom perspective view of the fifth preferred
embodiment of the headwear according to this invention; and
[0020] FIG. 5B is a top perspective view of the fifth preferred
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0021] Before the present invention is described in greater detail,
it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to
denote like elements throughout the specification.
[0022] FIGS. 1A to 1C illustrate the first preferred embodiment of
a headwear with signal generating capability according to this
invention. The headwear includes: a headwear body 2; a signal
output unit 3 mounted on the headwear body 2 for generating at
least one of audio and video signals; a control circuit 4 including
a controller 41 coupled electrically to the signal output unit 3
for controlling activation and deactivation of the signal output
unit 3; and a first switch 51 mounted on the headwear body 2 and
coupled electrically to the control circuit 4 for controlling
operating states, such as on and off states, of the control circuit
4.
[0023] In this embodiment, the headwear body 2 is in the form of a
hat, and has a principal wall 21 and a first lining 22 connected to
and cooperating with the principal wall 21 to define a first cavity
20 therebetween. The first cavity 20 has an open end 201 for access
thereinto. The signal output unit 3 and the control circuit 4 (see
FIG. 1C) are mounted detachably in the first cavity 20. In more
detail, the principal wall 21 of the headwear body 2 has a cap-like
crown portion 211 that is adapted to cover the head of the user and
that defines an open end, and a plate-like bill portion 212 that
protrudes from the open end of the crown portion 211. The first
lining 22 is connected to and cooperates with an interior of the
crown portion 211 of the principal wall 21 of the headwear body 2
to define the first cavity 20. The first switch 51 is embedded in
the bill portion 212 of the principal wall 21 of the headwear body
2. It is noted that since the bill portion 212 of the principal
wall 21 can be seen by the user, the first switch 51 is preferably
embedded in the bill portion 212 of the principal wall 21 as
compared to the crown portion 211 of the principal wall 21 so as to
permit the user to easily locate the first switch 51 and to thereby
facilitate operation of the first switch 51.
[0024] A thin container 61 is mounted securely in the first cavity
20. The signal output unit 3 and the control circuit 4 are received
in the container 61. Preferably, the container 61 is made from a
water-proof material, such as a plastic material or a water-proof
fabric material, so as to protect the signal output unit 3 and the
control circuit 4 from coming into contact with water when the
headwear gets wet.
[0025] The headwear further includes a positioning unit 7 that
includes a first interlocking member 71 attached to the first
lining 22, and a second interlocking member 72 attached to an
exterior of the container 61 and engaging releasably the first
interlocking member 71 so as to position the container 61 at a
desired position in the first cavity 20. Alternatively, the first
interlocking member 71 can be attached to an interior of the
principal wall 21 of the headwear body 2. Preferably, the first and
second interlocking members 71, 72 engage each other in a
hook-and-loop manner using hook-and-loop means, such as Velcro.TM.
means, so as to permit detachment of the container 61 from headwear
body 2.
[0026] A closure unit 70 is secured to the first lining 22 and the
principal wall 21 for closing and opening the open end 201 of the
first cavity 20, and is preferably in the form of Velcro.TM. means
including first and second locking members 73, 74 that are
respectively attached to the first lining 22 and the principal wall
21 and that engage each other in a hook-and-loop manner.
Alternatively, the closure unit 70 can be in the form of a zipper
or a button.
[0027] In this embodiment, the control circuit 4 further includes a
circuit board 42 received fittingly in the container 61. The signal
output unit 3 includes a speaker 31 mounted on the circuit board
42. The controller 41 is mounted on the circuit board 42. The
control circuit 4 further includes a plurality of passive
components 43 and batteries 44 mounted on the circuit board 42.
[0028] Preferably, the first switch 51 is in the form of a membrane
switch that has a relatively thin body so as to prevent any adverse
effect on the appearance of the headwear.
[0029] The first switch 51 is connected to the circuit board 42
through an electrical wiring 81 and first and second connectors 82,
83. The electrical wiring 81 extends from the first switch 51, is
embedded in the bill portion 212 of the headwear body 2, and is
connected to the first connector 82. The second connector 83 is
provided on the circuit board 42 and is connected electrically and
detachably to the first connector 82, thereby permitting detachment
of the signal output unit 3 and the control circuit 4 from the
headwear body 2.
[0030] FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the second preferred embodiment
of the headwear according to this invention. The second preferred
embodiment differs from the first preferred embodiment mainly in
that the signal output unit 3 of this embodiment includes a liquid
crystal display module that is received in the container 61 and
that has a liquid crystal display panel 32. A speaker 31 is
optionally provided on the liquid crystal display module. In this
embodiment, the crown portion 211 of the principal wall 21 is
formed with a window 2111 for exposing the liquid crystal display
panel 32. A transparent sheet 62 is attached securely to an
interior of the crown portion 211 of the principal wall 21 for
covering the window 2111. The transparent sheet 62 can be secured
to the interior of the crown portion 211 of the principal wall 21
of the headwear body 2 in a conventional manner, such as stitching,
adhesive bonding, etc.
[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates the third preferred embodiment of the
headwear according to this invention. The third preferred
embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in that the
first lining 22 is connected to the bill portion 212 of the
principal wall 21 of the headwear body 2 such that the first cavity
is formed in the bill portion 212 of the principal wall 21. In
addition, the first switch 51 in the form of a membrane switch is
dispensed with in this embodiment. The electrical wiring 81
includes a pair of spaced apart conductive lines 811 having end
portions laid on an exterior of the bill portion 212 of the
principal wall 21 so that a circuit state of the control circuit 4
can be actuated upon connection of the end portions of the
conductive lines 811 by a finger of the user or a conductor. The
conductive lines 811 can be made from a conductive ink material, a
conductive thread or yarn material. It is noted that the speaker 31
of the signal output unit 3 is preferably embedded in the bill
portion 212 of the principal wall 21 as compared to the crown
portion 211 of the principal wall 21 so as to achieve a better
acoustic effect and to provide a clearer sound for the user.
[0032] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the fourth preferred embodiment
of the headwear according to this invention. The fourth preferred
embodiment differs from the second preferred embodiment mainly in
that a second lining 22' is connected to and cooperates with the
bill portion 212 of the principal wall 21 to define a second cavity
20' therebetween and that the signal output unit 3 includes a
liquid crystal display panel 32. In this embodiment, the circuit
board 42 is mounted in the second cavity 20' and has the controller
41 and a speaker 31' mounted thereon. In addition, a second switch
52 is embedded in the bill portion 212 of the principal wall 21 of
the headwear body 2 and is coupled to the control circuit 4 for
controlling corresponding ones of the circuit states of the control
circuit 4, such as states of activation and deactivation of
different electronic components or controlling the volume of the
speaker 31'.
[0033] In this embodiment, the headwear further includes: a memory
unit 91 mounted on the circuit board 42 (see FIG. 4A) and coupled
electrically to the control circuit 4 for storing audio and video
information; a USB socket 92 provided on the circuit board 42 and
coupled electrically to the control circuit 4; and a memory card
slot 93 provided on the circuit board 42, coupled electrically to
the control circuit 4, and adapted to receive a storing card, such
as a Secure Digital (SD) card or a Multi Media Card (MMC).
[0034] FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the fifth preferred embodiment of
the headwear according to this invention. The fifth preferred
embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that the
headwear body 2 is in the form of a skiing cap.
[0035] With the inclusion of the signal output unit 3, which
generates audio and/or video signals, in the headwear of this
invention, special effects for advertising or amusement purposes
can be enhanced.
[0036] While the present invention has been described in connection
with what are considered the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to
the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various
arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest
interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and
equivalent arrangements.
* * * * *