Abstract: A microphone capsule for an in-the-ear hearing aid is disclosed. The capsule can include a top plate having first and second spaced openings defining front and rear sound inlets, and a directional microphone cartridge enclosing a diaphragm. The diaphragm is oriented generally perpendicular to the top plate and divides the directional microphone cartridge housing into a front chamber and a rear chamber. A front sound passage communicates between the front sound inlet and the front chamber, and a rear sound passage communicates between the rear sound inlet and the rear chamber. Front and rear acoustic damping resistors are associated with the front and rear sound passages. The acoustic resistor pair provides a selected time delay, such as about 4 microseconds, between the front and rear sound passages. The use of two acoustic resistors instead of one levels the frequency response, compared to the frequency response provided by a rear acoustic damping resistor alone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a sound transducer in fluoride polyvinylidene (FPVD), its process of manufacture and integration into a card producing acoustic signals transmittable by telephone route. The process is chiefly characterized in that it consists of making (10) dual surface metallization strips distributed over the entire width of a ribbon in FPVD of great length and of very narrow thickness, cutting (11) each metallization strip into a unit film, fixing (12) a portion of film onto a pre-determined site of an interconnection array made on the rear surface of the card, cutting away excess film, then placing the film portion under stress (13), in such manner that it may emit acoustic signals when voltage is applied to it. This process is highly useful for the manufacture of acoustic signal producing cards of very narrow thickness and low cost price.

Abstract: An electrostatic transducer having respective first and second stators, each having an interior surface, which are displaced and juxtaposed, and including a flexible diaphragm leaving a conductive layer and being operable as an electrostatic emitter. The diaphragm includes an emitter portion which is interposed between the respective interior surfaces of the first and second stators and is configured as a nonplanar film characterized by a continuous array of peaks and valleys. The emitter portion of the diaphragm is positioned adjacent, but substantially unattached to the respective interior surfaces of the first and second stators. The peaks of the emitter portion of the diaphragm may contact the interior surfaces, or may be displaced therefrom. Also disclosed is a method for generating audio output from an electrostatic transducer utilizing a nonplanar emitter portion of a flexible, film diaphragm.

Abstract: A portable compact-disc player (41), characterized by an opposed pair of loudspeakers (81) attached to the player, and in that each loudspeaker comprises a distributed mode acoustic radiator having a transducer (9) wholly and exclusively mounted thereon to vibrate the radiator to cause it to resonate.

Abstract: In a method and circuit for the amplification of input signals of a hearing aid, a compression of the signals picked up by the hearing aid ensues in a AGC circuit dependent on the acquirable signal level. For assuring a dynamics compression, the method and circuit implement a signal analysis for the recognition of the acoustic situation in addition to the acquisition of the signal level of the input signal, and the behavior of the dynamics compression is adaptively varied on the basis of the result of the signal analysis. A fixed input-output characteristic that is usually defined on the basis of stationary signals forms the basis of parameter settings of a dynamics compression has been used in conventional calculations. The resulting time behavior for the compensation of input signals by a hearing aid exhibits an effectively different compression given time-variable, modulated signals, particularly given speech. The result is that the compression parameters are not optimally set for all signals.

Abstract: A panel form loudspeaker/microphone combination has a distributed resonant bending wave member and two transducers mounred on the member at sites where the number of vibrationally active resonance anti-nodes is relatively high. One transducer is capable of vibrating the member to couple to and excite resonant bending wave modes in the member and cause the member to produce an acoustic output. The other transducer also is capable of coupling to he resonant bending wave modes in the member, but it produces an output signal in response to resonance of the member due to incident acoustic energy. The combination may be part of a loudspeaker system including an amplifier for the source signal coupled to the first transducer, and a signal receiver coupled to the second transducer for treating the output signal.

Abstract: In a garment which can receive a printed circuit board having a sound synthetic chip (10), a sound outputting element (12), a switch (14), a battery (15) and the like mounted on the printed circuit board (20) and which is capable of outputting a sound or breaking the output of the sound by operating the switch (14), said garment comprises a button exposing hole (32) for exposing at least a portion of the button (14a) of said switch (14) and said sound outputting element (12) in front of it; and a moisture-proof paper (70) being positioned between an inner surface of said non-woven fabric pocket (30) and an rear surface of said printed circuit board (20).

Abstract: A panel-form loudspeaker has two distributed mode acoustic radiators coupled by a resilient suspension. Each radiator has its own transducer.

Abstract: An electrostatic speaker device, comprising a first foam stator having an interior surface, and a second foam stator having an interior surface positioned adjacent to the interior surface of the first stator. The interior surfaces of the first and second foam stators include electrically conductive cellular structure sufficiently small in cell size to develop a substantially continuous electrostatic charge dispersion across the respective first and second interior surfaces. At least one diaphragm is disposed between the first and second foam stators and includes an electrically conductive layer responsive to electrostatic forces developed by the respective first and second stators.

Abstract: A collar band supports a boom-mounted microphone that may be selectively positioned on either the right or left side of the user's head. Adjustable neck pads are mounted to the opposite ends of the collar band for added comfort. The collar band may be resized to fit the neck of the user. The collar microphone may be worn for extended periods of time without becoming uncomfortable. A cradle assembly conveniently supports and stores the microphone when it is not in use.

Abstract: An electrostatic speaker device, comprising a first stator which is substantially acoustically transparent to audio output and a second stator spaced from the first stator at a distance which defines a charge capacitive region between the first and second stators which operates as an electrostatic field capable of driving a charge sensitive diaphragm as a speaker element. At least one charge sensitive diaphragm is sandwiched between the first and second stators and includes a conductive layer for being responsive to the electrostatic field. Support structure is coupled to at least one of the first and second stators and is attached at a portion of a perimeter of the diaphragm in a manner that imposes tension across the diaphragm to enable the first and second stators to drive the diaphragm as the speaker element.

Abstract: A boundary layer microphone is disclosed. Boundary layer microphones have been known for some considerable time. One example is the MKE 212 P microphone type made by Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG. The latter is a permanently polarized condenser microphone for concealed mounting in a wall, on the floor or on a table. Stereo recordings using such a boundary layer microphone are especially clear, creating a spatial impression of unusual breadth. The known boundary layer microphone MKE 212 P displays omnidirectional characteristics and a frequency range of 20 to 20,000 Hz. The disclosed boundary layer microphone is designed to increase the directional characteristics compared to a boundary layer microphone of the aforementioned type, and to reduce or eliminate the problems associated with same. This is achieved by a boundary layer microphone having at least one sound tunnel running underneath the plate surface, the plate having at least one opening to the sound tunnel.

Abstract: A hearing aid has a microphone, a signal processing chain having a series of signal processing levels, a signal output transducer, a memory in which at least one set of parameters allocated to a hearing situation is stored that enables matching of the parameters of the signal processing stages to the hearing impairment of the wearer. Adjustment elements independent of the signal processing stage are provided, and the allocation of the adjustment elements 9 to the individual signal processing stages can be selectively determined. Adjustment of the respective signal processing stages can be accomplished in a non-computerized manner using the adjustment elements, thereby allowing the hearing aid to be used in countries and regions wherein personal computers are not readily available or accessible.

Abstract: A casing is provided to be mounted on a printed circuit. The casing has a lower casing and an upper casing. An actuator is provided in the casing, and an armature is supported in the casing so as to be vibrated by the actuator. A sound emanating hole is formed in a peripheral side wall of the upper casing, and a pressure releasing hole is formed in a peripheral side wall of the lower casing.

Abstract: A headset, and a method for using a headset, to communicate with two separate devices. The headset comprises a mounting member for mounting and holding the headset on the head of a wearer, at least a first speaker, and means for connecting the speaker to the mounting member for holding the speaker adjacent an ear of the wearer. The headset further comprises first and second microphones, and a boom member connecting the microphones to the mounting member for holding the microphones adjacent the mouth of the wearer. A signal conducting circuit is provided for transmitting input communication signals from at least the first device to the first speaker, and for transmitting output communications from the first and second microphones to the first and second devices respectively.

Abstract: An earphone device independently securable to each ear, with a retainer having two ends. A speaker is coupled to one end of the retainer while a cushion disc is coupled to the other end, and is designed to fit within a recessed area of the outer ear. The earphone device is retained through resilient biasing of the retainer on the ear. The earphone device also includes structure for exerting force thereon in order to urge the first and second ends of the retainer away from each other, thereby providing sufficient spacing to allow removal thereof. The earphone device may have a detachable earmuff designed to protect the user's ear during cold weather conditions. Hook and loop type fasteners are on the retainer and the earmuff in order to provide easy attachment and removal of the earmuff. The invention may also be configured as an earmuff which is capable of attachment to an individual ear.

Abstract: A mass excited acoustic device (1100) includes a soundboard (1102), a pedestal (1104) and a transducer (300). The soundboard (1102) has a predetermined resonance frequency and couples motional energy to a device user. The pedestal (1104) includes a platform (1106) formed for mounting a transducer (300), and a foot (1108). The platform (1106) and foot have an axis extending centrally therethrough. The foot (1108) is contiguous to the platform (1106) and to the soundboard (1102), and is substantially smaller in size than the platform (1106) and separates the platform (1106) from the soundboard (1102). The transducer (300) is coupled to the platform (1106) about the axis and converts an electrical input signal into motional energy generated in a direction parallel to the axis. The motional energy is delivered to the soundboard (1102) through the foot (1108) without substantially modifying the resonance frequency of the soundboard (1102).

Abstract: A directional hearing aid comprising a slave microphone for the right ear d a master microphone for the left ear, each of which receive audio information from an external source. The output signal from the master and slave microphones are each provided to fifty hertz bandwidth filters each of which has a center frequency selected from the middle range frequency of the human voice. The output signal from the slave microphone is provided to a modulator which then provides a sixty kilo-hertz frequency modulated carrier signal. The carrier signal is transmitted through the head of the user to a receiver, demodulated and then supplied to a phase comparator. The phase comparator compares the phase of the signals from the master and slave microphones and then provides phase comparison data to a computer. The computer processes the data generating command signals which are supplied to a pair of broad band audio amplifiers.