US 12,137,310 B2
Voice communication relay system for use with protective gear
Damon Girton, Terre Haute, IN (US); Johnathan McAllister, Washington, DC (US); Matthew Scharf, Fairborn, OH (US); Matthew Seymour, Springboro, OH (US); Peter Voland, Beavercreek, OH (US); Matthew Stechschulte, Waynesville, OH (US); Nathan Stover, Xenia, OH (US); and Stevan Gallegos, Oakwood, OH (US)
Assigned to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed by Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/854,002.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/227,960, filed on Jul. 30, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0035253 A1, Feb. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 1/08 (2006.01); A62B 18/08 (2006.01); H04B 1/3827 (2015.01); H04R 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 1/083 (2013.01) [A62B 18/08 (2013.01); H04B 1/385 (2013.01); H04R 1/1041 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
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.
 
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.