Patents Assigned to Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11528564
    Abstract: A hearing device cable including a body portion is described herein. The body portion may extend between a first end region and a second end region along a tube centerline. The body portion may include a first radial portion proximate the first end region and second radial portion proximate the second end region. The first radial portion may define a radius of curvature that is greater than or equal to a radius of curvature defined by the second radial portion. The tube centerline may lie along an x-y plane between the first and second end regions. In one or more embodiments, the body portion may define a passageway extending between the first and second end regions. Further, the hearing device cable may include a superelastic wire within the passageway extending between the first and second end regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Sidney A. Higgins, David Tourtelotte
  • Patent number: 11528566
    Abstract: A system may obtain data related to hearing instruments, such as data indicating answers of a user to a questionnaire or historical usage data of the hearing instruments. For each respective feature of one or more features, the system may determine a feature duty cycle corresponding to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active based on the data related to the hearing instruments. The system may further determine an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the respective feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature. The system may calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael James Weispfenning, Ramsey Albert Statz, Michael James Schmitz, Seyed Alireza Pourbakhsh, Charles William Steidl, Jeffrey Raymond Brooker
  • Patent number: 11523231
    Abstract: A speaker of a hearing instrument generates a sound that includes a range of frequencies. Furthermore, a microphone of the hearing instrument measures an acoustic response to the sound. A processing system classifies, based on the acoustic response to the sound, a depth of insertion of an in-ear assembly of the hearing instrument into an ear canal of a user. Additionally, the processing system generates an indication based on the depth of insertion of the in-ear assembly of the hearing instrument into the ear canal of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karrie Recker, Jumana Harianawala
  • Patent number: 11517708
    Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a right ear device comprising a first processor and a left ear device comprising a second processor communicatively coupled to the first processor. A physiologic sensor module comprises one or more physiologic sensors configured to sense at least one physiologic parameter from a wearer. A motion sensor module comprises one or more sensors configured to sense movement of the wearer. The first and second processors are coupled to the physiologic and motion sensor modules. The first and second processors are configured to produce a three-dimensional virtual sound environment comprising relaxing sounds, generate verbal instructions within the three-dimensional virtual sound environment that guide the wearer through a predetermined mental exercise that promotes wearer relaxation, and generate verbal commentary that assesses wearer compliance with the predetermined mental exercise in response to one or both of the sensed movement and the at least one physiologic parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Miquel Espi Maques, Sahar Akram, Navin Chatlani, Karim Helwani, Carlos Renato Nakagawa, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11523225
    Abstract: A hearing device cable including a body portion is described herein. The body portion may extend between a first end region and a second end region along a tube centerline. The body portion may include a first radial portion proximate the first end region and second radial portion proximate the second end region. The first radial portion may define a radius of curvature that is greater than or equal to a radius of curvature defined by the second radial portion. The tube centerline may lie along an x-y plane between the first and second end regions. In one or more embodiments, the body portion may define a passageway extending between the first and second end regions. Further, the hearing device cable may include a superelastic wire within the passageway extending between the first and second end regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Sidney A. Higgins, David Tourtelotte
  • Patent number: 11490212
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for wireless electronics using a MEMS switch for a hearing assistance device. The present application relates to a hearing assistance device configured to be worn by a wearer. The hearing assistance device includes a housing for electronics of the hearing assistance device, including wireless electronics. The wireless electronics include a plurality of radio frequency (RF) MEMS switches, in various embodiments. A hearing assistance processor is adapted to process signals for the wearer of the hearing assistance device. In various embodiments, the hearing assistance device includes an antenna, and a switchable capacitor bank configured for tuning the antenna, the switchable capacitor bank including one or more of the plurality of RF MEMS switches. The plurality of RF MEMS switches include an electrostatically deformed RF MEMS membrane, in an embodiment. Different configurations and approaches are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory John Haubrich, Jeffrey Paul Solum
  • Patent number: 11481530
    Abstract: A computing device is described that obtains a representation of a target ear canal of a user. Using a machine-learned model that has been trained based at least in part on representations of previously fabricated ear-wearable devices, the computing device generates a representation of an ear-wearable device for the target ear canal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11470430
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for a hearing device antenna. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a hearing device configured to be worn in an ear of a wearer to perform wireless communication. The hearing device includes a housing, hearing electronics within the housing, and an inverted F antenna or loop antenna disposed at least partially in the housing and configured for performing 2.4 GHz wireless communication. In various embodiments, at least a portion of the antenna protrudes from an exterior of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Beau Jay Polinske, Jay Rabel, Randy Kannas, Deepak Pai Hosadurga, Zhenchao Yang, Jay Stewart, Michael J. Tadeusiak, Stephen Paul Flood
  • Patent number: 11463827
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a hearing device and a method of forming such device are disclosed. The device includes a housing adapted to be worn on or behind an ear of a wearer and includes a housing body and a top plate connected to the housing body. The hearing device further includes a sensor disposed on at least one of a first side surface and a second side surface of the housing body. The sensor is adapted to be in contact with either a pinna or a skull of the wearer. The sensor is further adapted to detect a physiological characteristic of the wearer and generate a sensor signal based on the physiological characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. Sacha, Christopher D. Young
  • Patent number: 11457319
    Abstract: A hearing device comprises a microphone configured to produce microphone signals and is coupled to an input of a first amplifier. A wireless transceiver is configured to receive an audio stream and is coupled to an input of a second amplifier. The second amplifier is configured to amplify the audio stream at a pre-established gain. A digital signal processor (DSP) is coupled to the microphone and the first and second amplifiers. The DSP is configured to monitor the microphone signals for a predetermined sound type of interest to the wearer during playback of the audio stream by a speaker and, while maintaining playback of the audio stream at the pre-established gain, automatically adjust gain of the first amplifier coupled to the microphone in response to detecting the predetermined sound type of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Courtney Shea Coburn Glavin
  • Patent number: 11445306
    Abstract: The present subject matter can improve robustness of performance of acoustic feedback cancellation in the presence of strong acoustic disturbances. In various embodiments, an optimization criterion determined to enhance robustness of an adaptive feedback canceller in an audio device against disturbances in an incoming audio signal can be applied such that the adaptive feedback canceller remains in a converged state in response to presence of the disturbances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Carlos Renato Calcada Nakagawa, Karim Helwani, Ivo Merks
  • Patent number: 11432082
    Abstract: A hearing aid is described which incorporates an antenna integrated into the housing that is configured to radiate with linear polarization such that the electric field is perpendicular to the head of a wearer. The described technique results in lower propagation losses from ear to ear and an improvement in ear-to-ear communications using a far-field link (e.g., in the 2.4 GHz band).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Paul Flood
  • Patent number: 11419526
    Abstract: A system for measuring tinnitus of a patient using a Bayesian minimum-entropy psychometric procedure for which a probabilistic model of the patient's behavior is combined with an optimal statistical-inference method to generate a test sound to be presented to the patient. The test sound includes a sequence of sound components selected and arranged to facilitate, expedite, and improve the reliability of tinnitus measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Christophe D. Micheyl
  • Patent number: 11425512
    Abstract: An ear-worn electronic hearing device comprises an enclosure configured to be supported by, at, in or on an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the enclosure and comprises a wireless transceiver. An antenna is disposed in or on the enclosure and operably coupled to the wireless transceiver. The antenna has a physical size and comprises a plurality of cutouts disposed along a periphery of the antenna. The cutouts are configured to increase an electrical length of the antenna without an increase in the physical size of the antenna. The antenna can comprise at least one interior window having a window periphery. A plurality of window cutouts are disposed along the window periphery. The window cutouts are configured to increase a path length of current distribution along the window periphery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Danita Prabhu, Ryan Owens, Aaron Anderson, Paul Anders Shriner
  • Patent number: 11425513
    Abstract: A suspension assembly for a hearing aid receiver is described in which the receiver is contained within a receiver can. A cover assembly may be provided for covering the open top end of the receiver can and for containing the receiver's spout when the receiver is mounted within the receiver can. To dampen or reduce the transmission of receiver vibrations within the receiver can, a spout seal and corner bumpers may also be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Sidney A. Higgins, Brian Dobson
  • Patent number: 11423922
    Abstract: A system comprises an ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer. The ear-worn electronic device comprises a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to store an annoying sound dictionary representative of a plurality of annoying sounds pre-identified by the wearer. A microphone is coupled to the processor and configured to monitor an acoustic environment of the wearer. A speaker or a receiver is coupled to the processor. The processor is configured to identify different background noises present in the acoustic environment, determine which of the background noises correspond to one or more of the plurality of annoying sounds, and attenuate the one or more annoying sounds in an output signal provided to the speaker or receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Ritwik Giri, Karim Helwani, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 11412333
    Abstract: In an audio signal, one or more processing circuits recognize spoken content in a user's own speech signal using speech recognition and natural language understanding. The spoken content describes a listening difficulty of the user. The one or more processing circuits generate, based on the spoken content, one or more actions for hearing devices and feedback for the user. The one or more actions attempt to resolve the listening difficulty. Additionally, the one or more processing circuits convert the user feedback to verbal feedback using speech synthesis and transmit the one or more actions and the verbal feedback to the hearing devices via a body-worn device. The hearing devices are configured to perform the one or more actions and play back the verbal feedback to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Tao Zhang, Eric Durant, Dean G. Meyer, Martin McKinney, Matthew D. Kleffner, Dominic Perz, Karrie Recker
  • Patent number: 11395076
    Abstract: Each accessory device in a set of accessory devices may establish a respective communication link between the accessory device and an ear-wearable device. A particular accessory device in the set of accessory devices may receive data via the communication link between the particular accessory device and the ear-wearable device. The data comprise information generated based on sensor signals from sensors that monitor a user of the ear-wearable device. The accessory devices perform a health monitoring activity based on the data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Paul Solum, Gregory John Haubrich
  • Patent number: 11388529
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system includes a pair of left and right hearing assistance devices to be worn by a wearer and uses both of the left and right hearing assistance devices to detect the voice of the wearer. The left and right hearing assistance devices each include first and second microphones at different locations. Various embodiments detect the voice of the wearer using signals produced by the first and second microphones of the left hearing assistance device and the first and second microphones of the right hearing assistance device. Various embodiments use outcome of detection of the voice of the wearer performed by the left hearing assistance device and the outcome of detection of the voice of the wearer performed the right hearing assistance device to determine whether to declare a detection of the voice of the wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Ivo Merks
  • Patent number: 11363390
    Abstract: A method, comprising receiving at least one sound at an electronic device. The at least one sound is enhanced for the at least one user based on a compound metric. The compound metric is calculated using at least two sound metrics selected from an engineering metric, a perceptual metric, and a physiological metric. The engineering metric comprises a difference between an output signal and a desired signal. At least one of the perceptual metric and the physiological metric is based at least in part on input sensed from the at least one user in response to the received at least one sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Joao Felipe Santos, Tao Zhang, Yan Zhao, Buye Xu, Ritwik Giri