Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090306517 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MATHEMATICALLY CHARACTERIZING EAR CANAL GEOMETRY - The present subject matter provides apparatus and methods for physically fitting a hearing assistance device, including mathematically characterizing a person's ear canal. The apparatus includes an expandable balloon for positioning in the ear canal, the balloon including a hollow interior channel. A flexible catheter extends through the interior portion of the balloon, and the flexible catheter includes a track. A platform is movably coupled to the track. An ultrasonic transducer and a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensor are coupled to the platform. The ultrasonic transducer scans the ear canal and the MEMS sensor senses motion and position of the transducer. According to various embodiments, a mathematical representation of the ear canal is adapted to be computed using information from the transducer and sensor. | 12-10-2009 |
20090323992 | MICROPHONE PLACEMENT IN HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES TO PROVIDE CONTROLLED DIRECTIVITY - The present disclosure includes various methods and apparatus for controlling directionality of a hearing assistance device including a pair of directional microphones. In various examples, the hearing assistance device includes a pair of directional microphones and an omnidirectional microphone. In various examples, the hearing assistance device includes a directional microphone and an omnidirectional microphone. In examples with multiple directional microphones, various angles can be employed. For example, in some applications the first directional axis can be about ninety degrees offset of the second directional axis. The microphones are aligned with an intended direction of reception in some embodiments. In some examples the microphones are not aligned with an intended direction of reception. Other variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. | 12-31-2009 |
20100172523 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING USER ACTIVITIES FROM WITHIN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE USING A VIBRATION SENSOR - The present subject matter relates to method and apparatus for processing sound by a hearing assistance device. In one example, the present subject matter is an apparatus for processing sound for a hearing assistance device, comprising: a microphone adapted for reception of the sound and to create a sound signal relating to the sound; a transducer that produces an output voltage related to motion; a signal processor, connected to the microphone and the transducer, the signal processor adapted to process the sound signal and the output voltage, the signal processor performing a vibration detection algorithm adapted to adjust hearing assistance device settings for a detected activity; and a housing adapted to house the signal processor. | 07-08-2010 |
20100172529 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING USER ACTIVITIES FROM WITHIN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE USING A VIBRATION SENSOR - The present subject matter relates to method and apparatus for detecting user activities within a hearing assistance device, and among other things, apparatus including a microphone for reception of sound and to generate a sound signal; an electret vibration sensor adapted to measure mechanical vibration and to produce a vibration signal; a signal processor, connected to the microphone and in communication with the electret vibration sensor, the signal processor adapted to process the sound signal and to process the vibration signal; and a housing adapted to house the signal processor. Variations provide a housing, microphone, and receiver in different configurations. In some variations wireless electronics are included and are used to communicate different signals. In some examples, the design is embodied in a variety of hearing aid configurations. | 07-08-2010 |
20100172531 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE MICROPHONES - One embodiment of the present subject matter includes an apparatus, including: a microphone to convert sound into a signal; and an electrically adjustable shutter including conductive polymer, the shutter in acoustic communication with the microphone and configured to provide an adjustable acoustic resistance to the microphone. Variations include conductive traces adapted to apply an electric signal to the conductive polymer. In some embodiments a diaphragm in acoustic communication with the shutter configured to detect acoustic energy is included. The present subject matter also provides methods including, but not limited to a method for operating a microphone in a hearing assistance device, including measuring acoustic energy detected by a diaphragm in acoustic communication with a shutter via a conduit, and controllably adjusting an acoustic resistance of the shutter with an electric signal to change directionality of the microphone. | 07-08-2010 |
20100312533 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MATHEMATICALLY CHARACTERIZING EAR CANAL GEOMETRY - The present subject matter provides apparatus and methods for physically fitting a hearing assistance device, including mathematically characterizing a person's ear canal. The apparatus includes a housing adapted to be mechanically coupled to the person in proximity to the person's outer ear. An ultrasonic transducer array is located within at least a portion of the housing. The apparatus includes electronics within the housing, the electronics adapted to control the transducer array to alternate between transmitting and receiving ultrasonic energy. In various embodiments, a processor is adapted to characterize geometry of the ear canal using information from the ultrasonic transducer array obtained from scans of the ear canal. | 12-09-2010 |
20130195297 | MULTI-DIRECTIONAL AND OMNIDIRECTIONAL HYBRID MICROPHONE FOR HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for an directional microphone arrays for hearing assistance devices. In various embodiments, the present subject matter provides a microphone array system for receiving sounds including a first directional microphone, a second directional microphone and an omnidirectional microphone. The first directional microphone has a first directional axis in a first direction, and the second directional microphone has a second directional axis that is collinear with the first direction and pointing in the same direction as the first direction. The omnidirectional microphone has a sound sampling position that is a disposed between the first directional microphone and the second directional microphone, and the omnidirectional microphone sound sampling position is on or about the first directional axis. Weighted outputs of the first directional microphone, second directional microphone, and omnidirectional microphone are processed to provide a second order directional microphone system, according to various embodiments. | 08-01-2013 |
20130294625 | METHOD FOR ACOUSTICAL LOADING OF HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE RECEIVER - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for hearing assistance devices, and in particular to improved methods and apparatus for acoustical loading of hearing assistance device receivers. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a hearing assistance method. A hearing assistance device including hearing assistance electronics is provided. A receiver assembly includes a receiver that is configured to convert an electrical signal from the hearing assistance electronics to an acoustic signal. The receiver is acoustically loaded using air inside the receiver assembly, providing a plurality of acoustical resonators that can be tuned to smooth a frequency response of the receiver to improve audio quality of the receiver. | 11-07-2013 |
20130308807 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HARVESTING ENERGY IN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - The disclosure relates to the use of a MEMS magnetometer or an array of MEMS magnetometers as energy harvesting sensor(s) in a hearing assistance device. The MEMS magnetometer(s) can be located within the existing geometry of a typical balanced-armature receiver currently used in hearing assistance devices. | 11-21-2013 |
20140003637 | INFRARED SENSORS FOR HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES | 01-02-2014 |
20140016804 | HEARING INSTRUMENT TRANSDUCTION APPARATUS USING FERROELECTRET POLYMER FOAM - The present subject matter provides method and apparatus for hearing assistance devices, and more particularly to hearing assistance devices using ferroelectret (also referred to as piezoelectret) polymer foam. Various embodiments include ferroelectret polymer foam on or in the hearing instrument as a microphone. Various embodiments include ferroelectret polymer foam on or in the hearing instrument as a momentary switch sensor. | 01-16-2014 |
20140016810 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE WITH PINNA CONTROL - One embodiment of the present subject matter provides an apparatus for disposition between a pinna and a head of a user, the apparatus including a behind-the-ear housing, the housing having a first lateral side located adjacent the user's ear and a second lateral side located adjacent the side of the user's head when the apparatus is worn as directed, hearing assistance electronics disposed in the behind-the-ear housing, and a control disposed on at least one lateral side of the behind-the-ear housing, the control coupled to the hearing assistance electronics. | 01-16-2014 |
20140044294 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OWN-VOICE SENSING IN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE - Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for own-voice sensing in hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing assistance device adapted to process sounds, including sounds from a wearer's mouth. According to various embodiments, the device includes a hollow plastic housing adapted to be worn in the ear of the wearer and a differential sensor mounted to an interior surface of the housing in an ear canal of the wearer. The differential sensor includes inlets located within the housing and the differential sensor is configured to improve speech intelligibility of sounds from the wearer's mouth, in various embodiments. | 02-13-2014 |
20150043761 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING USER ACTIVITIES FROM WITHIN A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE USING A VIBRATION SENSOR - The present subject matter relates to method and apparatus for processing sound by a hearing assistance device. In one example, the present subject matter is an apparatus for processing sound for a hearing assistance device, comprising: a microphone adapted for reception of the sound and to create a sound signal relating to the sound; a transducer that produces an output voltage related to motion; a signal processor, connected to the microphone and the transducer, the signal processor adapted to process the sound signal and the output voltage, the signal processor performing a vibration detection algorithm adapted to adjust hearing assistance device settings for a detected activity; and a housing adapted to house the signal processor. | 02-12-2015 |