Coupling apparatus for telephone handsets

A telecommunications device for the deaf(TDD) comprising:

• coupling apparatus including a telephone handset-coupling cradle having a convex dome in a first region thereof for positioning a receiver of a telephone handset, the convex dome including a reactive sensor mounted therein for sensing electromagnetic fields generated by the receiver and converting same into a corresponding electrical signal, said coupling apparatus including a second region having a loudspeaker mounted beneath one or more sound apertures for communicating acoustic sounds to a microphone at the other end of the telephone handset;
• demodulator means for converting the corresponding electrical signal into a digital signal;
• and
• display means, responsive to the digital signal, for providing a visual representation of same.

In combination, a telephone handset and a handset-coupling cradle for communicating electromagnetic and acoustic signals therebetween,

• the telephone handset comprising:
• an earpiece region having an exterior surface which is concave in shape and which includes a receiver transducer that converts input electrical signals into output electromagnetic fields;
• a mouthpiece region which includes a microphone transducer which converts input acoustic sounds into output electrical signals;
• the handset-coupling cradle comprising:
• an earpiece-coupling region having an exterior surface that is convex in shape for mating with the concave surface of the telephone handset;
• a reactive sensor, mounted directly beneath said convex surface, that is responsive to the electromagnetic fields generated by the receiver transducer of the telephone handset;
• a mouthpiece-coupling region having an exterior surface that includes acoustic sound ports which enable sound waves to pass therethrough;
• and
• a speaker transducer, mounted directly beneath said acoustic sound ports, for communicating acoustic sounds to the microphone transducer of the telephone handset.

A handset-coupling cradle for coupling signals between data communication equipment and a telephone handset residing within the cradle

• CHARACTERIZED BY:
• acoustic coupling means for generating sound waves representing information signals from the data communication equipment, said acoustic coupling means comprising a loudspeaker mounted beneath at least one sound aperture in an external surface of the cradle and located at one end thereof;
• handset locating means for properly positioning the telephone handset within the cradle, said locating means comprising a convex dome in the external surface of the cradle and located at the other end thereof;
• and
• electrical coupling means for sensing electromagnetic field changes generated by a receiver in the telephone handset, said electrical coupling means comprising an inductive coil mounted beneath the convex dome.