Portable speakerphone with pivoting microphone boom

Abstract

A wireless speakerphone with a pivoting microphone boom is provided. The speakerphone communicates via a wireless network to a cellular telephone, cellular telephone adaptor, land-line telephone, land-line telephone adaptor, computer, personal digital assistant, or other device capable of communicating via the wireless network. The microphone contained in the pivoting boom is a directional microphone, the design of the boom being such that the location of minimal microphone sensitivity is always directed towards the speakerphone's speaker. The wireless speakerphone may also include an integral display, thereby allowing various types of system information to be displayed, aid speakerphone/system configuration and provide expanded speakerphone functionality.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A speakerphone comprising:
 a housing;   a speaker coupled to the housing;   a microphone boom pivotably coupled to the housing, the microphone boom having at least a first position and a second position; and   a microphone mounted to the microphone boom;   wherein a region of the microphone having a lowest sensitivity is aimed at the speaker when the microphone boom is located in the first position, and the region is aimed at the speaker when the microphone boom is located in the second position.   
     
     
         24 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , wherein the speaker is located along an axis extending from the region of the microphone regardless of a position associated with the microphone boom. 
     
     
         25 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , wherein the microphone comprises a unidirectional microphone. 
     
     
         26 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , wherein the microphone exhibits a cardioid polar pattern. 
     
     
         27 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , wherein the microphone is most sensitive to sound arriving from only one direction. 
     
     
         28 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a Bluetooth enabled networking module configured to transmit first signals to a Bluetooth enabled cellular telephone and to receive second signals from the Bluetooth enabled cellular telephone. 
     
     
         29 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a power switch. 
     
     
         30 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a volume control. 
     
     
         31 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a display coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         32 . The speakerphone of  claim 31 , wherein the display is configured for displaying at least one of battery level, signal level, volume level, call status, speakerphone status, pairing status, caller identification, time, elapsed time, date, phone history, phone lists, and calendar. 
     
     
         33 . The speakerphone of  claim 31 , wherein the display is configured for displaying a text message. 
     
     
         34 . The speakerphone of  claim 31 , wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, a light emitting polymer display, an electroluminescent display, an active matrix electroluminescent display, an organic thin film transistor display, an active matrix organic light emitting diode display, an amorphous silicon integrated display, and a pliable display technology display. 
     
     
         35 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a sound processor. 
     
     
         36 . The speakerphone of  claim 23 , further comprising a portable power source. 
     
     
         37 . A speakerphone comprising:
 a housing;   a speaker mounted to the housing;   a microphone;   a microphone boom pivotably coupled to the housing, the microphone boom capable of being placed at at least two positions, the microphone mounted at a distal end of the microphone boom, wherein a region of the microphone having a relatively low sensitivity is aimed at the speaker when the microphone boom is located in any of the at least two positions.   
     
     
         38 . The speakerphone of  claim 37 , further comprising a wireless networking module configured to transmit first signals via a wireless network to a peripheral electronic device and to receive second signals via the wireless network from the peripheral electronic device. 
     
     
         39 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the peripheral electronic device forwards the first signals via a long distance communication network and wherein the second signals are transmitted to the peripheral electronic device via the long distance communication network. 
     
     
         40 . The speakerphone of  claim 39 , wherein the long distance communication network is a cellular telephone network. 
     
     
         41 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the peripheral electronic device is a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         42 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the wireless networking module is a Bluetooth enabled networking module and the peripheral electronic device is a Bluetooth enabled cellular telephone. 
     
     
         43 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the wireless networking module is a Bluetooth enabled networking module and wherein the peripheral electronic device further comprises a Bluetooth enabled adaptor. 
     
     
         44 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the wireless networking module is an IEEE802.11 enabled networking module and the peripheral electronic device is an IEEE802.11 enabled cellular telephone. 
     
     
         45 . The speakerphone of  claim 38 , wherein the wireless networking module is an IEEE802.11 enabled networking module, and wherein the peripheral electronic device comprises an IEEE802.11 enabled adaptor. 
     
     
         46 . The speakerphone of  claim 37 , further comprising at least one status indicator. 
     
     
         47 . The speakerphone of  claim 37 , further comprising a display coupled to the housing. 
     
     
         48 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , wherein the display is configured for displaying at least one of battery level, signal level, volume level, call status, speakerphone status, pairing status, caller identification, time, elapsed time, date, phone history, phone lists, and calendar. 
     
     
         49 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , wherein the display is configured for displaying a text message. 
     
     
         50 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , wherein the display is selected from the group consisting of a liquid crystal display, a light emitting polymer display, an electroluminescent display, an active matrix electroluminescent display, an organic thin film transistor display, an active matrix organic light emitting diode display, an amorphous silicon integrated display, and a pliable display technology display. 
     
     
         51 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , further comprising a sound processor. 
     
     
         52 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , further comprising a portable power source. 
     
     
         53 . The speakerphone of  claim 47 , wherein the microphone comprises an unidirectional microphone.