Patents by Inventor Carolyn J. Bilger

Carolyn J. Bilger 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).

  • Intrabody communication with ultrasound
    Patent number: 7945064
    Abstract: A hearing system has a first device and a second device. The first device acoustically couples to skin of a user of the hearing system and includes a sensor to detect acoustic signals. The second device includes a hearing stimulator arrangement to stimulate hearing of the user in response to the acoustic signals detected with the first device. The first device and second device are each operable to bidirectionally communicate through an ultrasonic communication link comprising at least a portion of the body of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: William D. O'Brien, Jr., Albert S. Feng, Bruce C. Wheeler, Charissa R. Lansing, Herbert Bachler, Robert C. Bilger, Carolyn J. Bilger, legal representative
  • Systems and methods for interference suppression with directional sensing patterns
    Patent number: 7577266
    Abstract: System (10) is disclosed including an acoustic sensor array (20) coupled to processor (42). System (10) processes inputs from array (20) to extract a desired acoustic signal through the suppression of interfering signals. The extraction/suppression is performed by modifying the array (20) inputs in the frequency domain with weights selected to minimize variance of the resulting output signal while maintaining unity gain of signals received in the direction of the desired acoustic signal. System (10) may be utilized in hearing, cochlear implants, speech recognition, voice input devices, surveillance devices, hands-free telephony devices, remote telepresence or teleconferencing, wireless acoustic sensor arrays, and other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Albert S. Feng, Michael E. Lockwood, Douglas L. Jones, Carolyn J. Bilger, legal representative, Charissa R. Lansing, William D. O'Brien, Bruce C. Wheeler, Robert C. Bilger
  • Systems and methods for interference-suppression with directional sensing patterns
    Patent number: 7076072
    Abstract: System (10) is disclosed including an acoustic sensor array (20) coupled to processor (42). System (10) processes inputs from array (20) to extract a desired acoustic signal through the suppression of interfering signals. The extraction/suppression is performed by modifying the array (20) inputs in the frequency domain with weights selected to minimize variance of the resulting output signal while maintaining unity gain of signals received in the direction of the desired acoustic signal. System (10) may be utilized in hearing, cochlear implants, speech recognition, voice input devices, surveillance devices, hands-free telephony devices, remote telepresence or teleconferencing, wireless acoustic sensor arrays, and other applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois
    Inventors: Albert S. Feng, Michael E. Lockwood, Douglas L. Jones, Carolyn J. Bilger, legal representative, Charissa R. Lansing, William D. O'Brien, Bruce C. Wheeler, Robert C. Bilger, deceased
  • Intrabody communication with ultrasound
    Publication number: 20040202339
    Abstract: A hearing system has a first device and a second device. The first device acoustically couples to skin of a user of the hearing system and includes a sensor to detect acoustic signals. The second device includes a hearing stimulator arrangement to stimulate hearing of the user in response to the acoustic signals detected with the first device. The first device and second device are each operable to bidirectionally communicate through an ultrasonic communication link comprising at least a portion of the body of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2003
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Inventors: William D. O'Brien,, Albert S. Feng, Bruce C. Wheeler, Charissa R. Lansing, Herbert Bachler, Robert C. Bilger, Carolyn J. Bilger