Patents by Inventor Bengt Bern

Bengt Bern has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9554224
    Abstract: A holding unit and a vibration transmission system are disclosed. The holding unit comprising a holding plate is configured to be attached to the skin by means of magnetic attraction between a number of external magnets that are either: a) integrated within the holding plate; b) mechanically attached to the holding plate; or c) constituting the holding plate and a number of internal magnets implanted under the skin of a hearing impaired person. The holding unit comprises a transmission member or plate member configured to transfer mechanical vibrations from a vibrator through the skin to the bone of the person. The transmission member or plate member is interconnected by a mechanical flexible coupling to the magnet(s) of the holding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Patent number: 9510115
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transcutaneous active bone anchored hearing aid device is disclosed. The transcutaneous active bone anchored hearing aid device comprises an audio processor comprising means for being externally worn by a hearing aid user and an implantable part comprising transducer means for providing a structure-borne acoustic signal to the skull bone of the hearing aid user. The implantable part comprises a low frequency vibrator and a high frequency vibrator arranged next to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20160198272
    Abstract: A holding unit and a vibration transmission system are disclosed. The holding unit comprising a holding plate is configured to be attached to the skin by means of magnetic attraction between a number of external magnets that are either: a) integrated within the holding plate; b) mechanically attached to the holding plate; or c) constituting the holding plate and a number of internal magnets implanted under the skin of a hearing impaired person. The holding unit comprises a transmission member or plate member configured to transfer mechanical vibrations from a vibrator through the skin to the bone of the person. The transmission member or plate member is interconnected by a mechanical flexible coupling to the magnet(s) of the holding plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventor: Bengt BERN
  • Patent number: 9271094
    Abstract: A holding unit and a vibration transmission system are disclosed. The holding unit comprising a holding plate is configured to be attached to the skin by means of magnetic attraction between a number of external magnets that are either: a) integrated within the holding plate; b) mechanically attached to the holding plate; or c) constituting the holding plate and a number of internal magnets implanted under the skin of a hearing impaired person. The holding unit comprises a transmission member or plate member configured to transfer mechanical vibrations from a vibrator through the skin to the bone of the person. The transmission member or plate member is interconnected by a mechanical flexible coupling to the magnet(s) of the holding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20150281860
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a magnetic unit assembly for a bone conducting hearing aid is disclosed. The magnetic unit assembly is implantable and comprises one or more magnetic unit and unit for attaching the one or more magnetic unit to the tissue surrounding the magnetic unit assembly when the magnetic unit assembly is implanted in the body of a hearing aid user. The magnetic unit assembly comprises unit for positioning at least a portion of the one or more magnetic unit in the soft tissue between dermis and the subcutaneous fat or the muscle/fat layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Publication date: October 1, 2015
    Applicant: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Martin JOHANSSON, Bengt BERN, Anton HEDSTRÖM, Lars JINTON
  • Patent number: 9137614
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bone anchored hearing aid with a sound processor which generates a vibration signal and serves the signal at a vibrator for transmission of the vibration signal into the skull bone of a wearer and where a resonance damping system is provided in the hearing aid and comprising an electronic notch filter having a notch filter center frequency F1, wherein the notch filter frequency F1 is below a resonance frequency Fsim of the hearing aid as measured in a standard skull simulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventors: Patrik Westerkull, Bengt Bern, Jens T. Balslev
  • Publication number: 20150208183
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a transcutaneous active bone anchored hearing aid device is disclosed. The transcutaneous active bone anchored hearing aid device comprises an audio processor comprising means for being externally worn by a hearing aid user and an implantable part comprising transducer means for providing a structure-borne acoustic signal to the skull bone of the hearing aid user. The implantable part comprises a low frequency vibrator and a high frequency vibrator arranged next to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventor: Bengt BERN
  • Patent number: 9066188
    Abstract: A listening device having an ear hook adapted for carrying the device behind the ear of a user and magnetically operated compression parts including a subcutaneous part and a device part is provided, where further a vibrator is provided and adapted to vibrationally energize a skin portion through an output coupler, wherein the hook carries the weight of the listening device and the magnetic compression parts ensures compression between the output coupler and the skin portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20150049889
    Abstract: A holding unit and a vibration transmission system are disclosed. The holding unit comprising a holding plate is configured to be attached to the skin by means of magnetic attraction between a number of external magnets that are either: a) integrated within the holding plate; b) mechanically attached to the holding plate; or c) constituting the holding plate and a number of internal magnets implanted under the skin of a hearing impaired person. The holding unit comprises a transmission member or plate member configured to transfer mechanical vibrations from a vibrator through the skin to the bone of the person. The transmission member or plate member is interconnected by a mechanical flexible coupling to the magnet(s) of the holding plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2014
    Publication date: February 19, 2015
    Inventor: Bengt BERN
  • Publication number: 20140294186
    Abstract: A skull simulator tests and calibrates bone-conduction vibrators under realistic operating conditions. In known skull simulators, the front wall of the casing—and/or exposed parts of the suspension—have one or more planar surfaces on the front, and these planar surfaces are thus oriented towards the bone-conduction vibrator when it is mounted on the skull simulator. Such planar surfaces may reflect airborne sound from the vibrator housing or may emit sounds themselves when vibrating, and the reflected or emitted sound contributes to resonances are not present when the bone-conduction vibrator is mounted on a human head. In the current design all exposed parts on the front located outside a coupling surface for connecting the bone-conduction vibrator do not have planar surfaces perpendicular to the main oscillation axis or that otherwise, such planar surfaces comprising an acoustic foam having an acoustic dampening effect on sound waves impinging thereon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Applicant: OTICON MEDICAL A/S
    Inventors: Bengt BERN, Jens BALSLEV
  • Patent number: 8634583
    Abstract: Hearing losses caused by deficiencies in a person's outer or middle ear may be compensated for by converting received sounds to vibrations and transmitting the vibrations to the skull bone (2). Bone-conduction hearing devices (27) may transmit such vibrations transcutaneously or percutaneously. In both cases, a precise determination of the magnitude of the vibrations applied to the skull bone (2) is needed for determining the person's bone-conduction hearing thresholds as well as for calibrating the hearing devices (27). The present invention provides a device (1, 27, 37) and a method, which allow determination of the applied vibrational force with better precision than prior art devices and methods. This is achieved by placing an accelerometer (21) on the countermass (11) of the vibrator (1) that generates the vibration signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20120095284
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bone anchored hearing aid with a sound processor which generates a vibration signal and serves the signal at a vibrator for transmission of the vibration signal into the skull bone of a wearer and where a resonance damping system is provided in the hearing aid and comprising an electronic notch filter having a notch filter center frequency F1, wherein the notch filter frequency F1 is below a resonance frequency Fsim of the hearing aid as measured in a standard skull simulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Patrik Westerkull, Bengt Bern, Jens T. Balslev
  • Publication number: 20110301404
    Abstract: Hearing losses caused by deficiencies in a person's outer or middle ear may be compensated for by converting received sounds to vibrations and transmitting the vibrations to the skull bone (2). Bone-conduction hearing devices (27) may transmit such vibrations transcutaneously or percutaneously. In both cases, a precise determination of the magnitude of the vibrations applied to the skull bone (2) is needed for determining the person's bone-conduction hearing thresholds as well as for calibrating the hearing devices (27). The present invention provides a device (1, 27, 37) and a method, which allow determination of the applied vibrational force with better precision than prior art devices and methods. This is achieved by placing an accelerometer (21) on the countermass (11) of the vibrator (1) that generates the vibration signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Inventor: Bengt BERN
  • Patent number: 8059844
    Abstract: The hearing aid according to the invention comprise: a skin penetrating abutment, a skin penetrating abutment, a rod with a coupling part, operative to allow releasable connection between the rod and the abutment, a hearing aid housing with an opening, where the rod extends through the opening and into the hearing aid housing, a vibrator connected to the rod in the hearing aid housing, and resiliently mounted between a distal housing wall part which faces away from the opening and a proximal housing wall part which comprises the opening, whereby the proximal wall part further comprise a relief portion which extends into the area between the vibrator and the coupling part of the rod and where, the distance between the relief portion and the coupling part of the rod is smaller than the distance between the vibrator and the inside of the distal wall part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Patrik Westerkull, Anton Hedström, Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20090192345
    Abstract: The hearing aid according to the invention comprise: a skin penetrating abutment, a skin penetrating abutment, a rod with a coupling part, operative to allow releasable connection between the rod and the abutment, a hearing aid housing with an opening, where the rod extends through the opening and into the hearing aid housing, a vibrator connected to the rod in the hearing aid housing, and resiliently mounted between a distal housing wall part which faces away from the opening and a proximal housing wall part which comprises the opening, whereby the proximal wall part further comprise a relief portion which extends into the area between the vibrator and the coupling part of the rod and where, the distance between the relief portion and the coupling part of the rod is smaller than the distance between the vibrator and the inside of the distal wall part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Patrik Westerkull, Anton Hedstrom, Bengt Bern
  • Publication number: 20050277475
    Abstract: A game console (1) in an electronic card game system (41) is disclosed. It comprises a power supply (3), a display (5), a processor (7), memory means (9), electronic game card reading means (11), electronic game card writing means (13), electronic game card receiving means (15), and communication means (17) for communicating with at least one other game console. The processor (7) is configured for handling communication with other game consoles, generating a game result, updating electronic game card and displaying information on a display (5) of the game console (1). Also, an electronic game card game system, comprising at least two game consoles (1) and electronic game cards (19, 31) is disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2003
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Inventors: Bengt Bern, Lars Bern
  • Patent number: 6257708
    Abstract: An image recording device and method for recording an image to an information carrier. A printhead structure is placed in between a pigment particle source and a first face of an intermediate image receiving member. The printhead structure includes control electrodes connected to the control unit to thereby selectively open or close apertures through the printhead structure to permit or restrict the transport of pigment particles. The printhead structure includes deflection electrodes connected to the control unit for controlling the deflection of pigment particles in transport. The image recording device further comprises deflection control feedback means for providing a deflection feedback signal to the control unit to thereby control the deflection electrodes in such a way that pigment particles are, for formation of a pigment image on the intermediate image receiving member in view of the image which is to be recorded, treated toward predetermined locations on the intermediate image receiving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Array Printers AB
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Patent number: 6209990
    Abstract: An image recording device and method for recording an image onto an information carrier. An intermediate image receiving member has a first face and a second face. A voltage source is connected to a pigment particle source and a back electrode thereby creating an electrical field for transport of pigment particles from the pigment particle source toward the first face of the intermediate image receiving member. A printhead structure includes control electrodes to thereby be able to selectively open or close apertures through the printhead structure to permit or restrict the transport of pigment particles to thereby enable the formation of a pigment image on the first face of the intermediate image receiving member, which pigment image is subsequently transferred to an information carrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2001
    Assignee: Array Printers AB
    Inventor: Bengt Bern
  • Patent number: 6199971
    Abstract: An image printing device and method for printing an image to an information carrier. The image printing device includes apertures which can be selectively opened or closed to permit or restrict the transport of pigment particles during print sequences, a predetermined number of which print sequences are included in a print cycle, to thereby enable the formation of a pigment image. Further, deflection electrodes are included for, by means of predetermined deflection voltages related to each one of the predetermined number of print sequences, controlling the deflection of pigment particles in transport to thereby be able to deflect pigment particles against predetermined locations in view of the image which is to be printed. To enable a faster print speed, according to the invention, the change of the predetermined deflection voltages of a previous print sequence to the predetermined deflection voltages of a current print sequence is time displaced relative to the beginning of the current print sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Arrray Printers AB
    Inventors: Agneta Sandberg, Bengt Bern
  • Patent number: 6174048
    Abstract: A direct electrostatic printing device and method print an image to an information carrier with increased edge smoothness. By controlling the transport of toner particles, dots can, if needed, be adjusted from the exact alignment of a dot matrix to form smoother edges that are not aligned with the dot matrix. The control of toner particle transport can be effectuated by time displacement of the opening and closing of the apertures, and/or modification of the deflection voltages. A further improvement is the control of the deflection voltages for controlling the size of the dots, alone or in combination with the position modification of the dots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2001
    Assignee: Array Printers AB
    Inventor: Bengt Bern