Patents Examined by Amir Etesam
  • Audio speaking having an electrostatic membrane pump and methods to use same
    Patent number: 9313580
    Abstract: An improved an audio speaker having an electrostatic membrane pump. The electrostatic membrane pump can be an electrostatic graphene membrane pump. The method of making and using the audio speaker having the electrostatic membrane pump.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Clean Energy Labs, LLC
    Inventors: Joseph F. Pinkerton, David A. Badger
  • Acoustic actuator plate structure
    Patent number: 9301055
    Abstract: Acoustic actuator plate structures are used in acoustic applications. The acoustic actuator plate structure according to the invention contains an electret material and comprises a structurally weaker electret layer (1), where the specific resistance of the electret material is at least 10 ?m and the yield point of it is high, and a structurally stronger support structure layer (2), where the plastic region of the support layer material is wider than the plastic region of the electret material. The electret layer (1) can be formed of a material that retains its electret properties extremely well even in high temperatures and humid conditions. This material may be brittle. The support structure layer (2) provides mechanical and structural strength to the acoustic actuator plate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: PANPHONICS OY
    Inventors: Erkki Honkakoski, Antti Kelloniemi, Heini Orhala, Pasi Peltola, Sari Tuominen
  • Receiver and method for retrieving an information signal from a magnetic induction signal
    Patent number: 9300367
    Abstract: A receiving antenna circuit is arranged in a reactive near-field of a modulated magnetic induction signal and forms a narrow band-pass filter. The output of the antenna circuit is not subjected to any frequency translation prior to digitizing, and the signal may nevertheless be digitized with low resolution, which radically reduces the power consumption of the receiving circuits. The reduction in power consumption is of several orders of magnitude, which allows implementation of such receiving circuits in battery-driven devices such as hearing devices without substantially affecting the battery life.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Kåre Tais Christensen, Rasmus Glarborg Jensen
  • Hearing aid with an antenna
    Patent number: 9293814
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a housing, and a hearing aid assembly accommodated in a housing, the hearing aid assembly having a first antenna element configured for emission of an electromagnetic field, and a second antenna element comprising a first section and a parasitic antenna element, wherein the first antenna element, the first section, and the parasitic antenna element are configured so that a total electromagnetic field emitted from the hearing aid assembly is substantially the same irrespective of whether the housing is worn in its operational position on a right hand side or a left hand side of a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventor: Sinasi Ozden
  • Microphone stand mounting brackets
    Patent number: 9288563
    Abstract: A mounting bracket system for mounting a loudspeaker monitor onto a microphone stand pole without requiring disassembly of either the loudspeaker monitor or the microphone stand. First and second mounting brackets may be mounted to a loudspeaker monitor or other product to be mounted. An indent on each mounting bracket is configured to engage a microphone stand or another elongated, pole-like structure, supporting the weight of the loudspeaker monitor through frictional forces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: The TC Group A/S
    Inventors: David Kenneth Hilderman, Calvin K. Ma, Damon Langlois
  • Digital loudspeaker with enhanced performance
    Patent number: 9282385
    Abstract: Digital loudspeaker comprising a support, a plurality of first membranes suspended on the support, said first membranes being bistable, and said loudspeaker comprising actuator for each of the first membranes that can change each of the first membranes from a first stable state to a second stable state and vice versa, and a controller for controlling said first actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: Commissariat à l'énergie automique et aux énergies alternatives
    Inventors: Fabrice Casset, Remy Dejaeger
  • Flexible transducer for soft-tissue and acoustic audio production
    Patent number: 9282395
    Abstract: The present embodiments relate to techniques (300) and apparatuses (100, 500) for implementing a flexible transducer for soft-tissue audio production. These techniques (300) and apparatuses (100, 500) enable an audio-production device (102) having a flexible transducer (116, 402) conformed to a person's pinna to create audio within the person's external ear canal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventor: Michael Daley
  • Headset and headphone
    Patent number: 9277039
    Abstract: There is provided a headset having a head band, at least one fork for receiving an earpiece and a receiving portion between an end of the head band and one of the forks. The fork is arranged pivotably about a pivot axis. The fork has a first end having a support element. The receiving portion has a slider having at least two receiving positions. The support element engages into one of the at least two receiving positions of the slider and thus limits the maximum deflection of the fork about the pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Axel Schmidt, Jan Peter Kuhtz, Olaf Leske, Olav Nisse, Christian Grone, Hatem Foudhaili, Martin Streitenberger, Irene Strueber
  • Hearing aid with an H-bridge output stage and a method of driving an output stage
    Patent number: 9271088
    Abstract: A digital, three-level output driver (7) of the H-bridge variety for a hearing aid (20) obtains a reduced capacitive interference by providing a primary voltage (3) and a secondary voltage (8) for the output driver (7) and applying the secondary voltage (8) to both sides of the output driver (7) whenever the middle level of the three-level output driver (7) is present in the input signal for the output driver (7). The output driver (7) may be controlled from a pulse-width modulated signal, a sigma-delta pulse-density modulated signal, or a combination of those signals. The output driver (7) produces a clocked output signal consisting of a positive level, a negative level, and a zero level for driving an acoustic output transducer of the hearing aid (20). The invention provides a hearing aid (20) and a method of driving an output stage (7) of a hearing aid (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventors: Henning Haugaard Andersen, Niels Ole Knudsen
  • Microphone system with offset apertures
    Patent number: 9258634
    Abstract: A microphone system has a base forming a base aperture, and a lid coupled to the base to form a package having an interior chamber. The system also has a member coupled with the base within the interior chamber, and a microphone die coupled to the member within the interior chamber. The member is positioned between the base and the microphone die and has a member aperture that is laterally offset from the base aperture. The member aperture, member, and base together form an acoustic path between the base aperture and the microphone die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventors: Jicheng Yang, Thomas M. Goida
  • Sound processor accessory
    Patent number: 9248287
    Abstract: Embodiments presented herein are generally directed to a sound processor accessory configured to be mechanically and electrically connected to a sound processor of an auditory prosthesis. The sound processor accessory comprises first and second sound input elements that are each configured to independently provide electrical signals representing sound signals to the sound processor via a shared connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Oliver Ridler
  • Acoustic transducer assembly
    Patent number: 9247350
    Abstract: Driver for an acoustic transducer having a moving coil of substantially equal length to the air gap. The air gap may itself be extended in length using an upper or lower lip, or both. A stationary coil is also provided. The moving and stationary coils can be controlled by suitable control blocks to form an electromagnet-based transducer with reduced distortion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Harman Becker Gepkocsirendszer Gyarto Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag
    Inventor: John B. French
  • Suspension for a hearing device receiver
    Patent number: 9247329
    Abstract: A suspension for a hearing device receiver includes: a receiver holding part; and a damping structure with a body and a receiver base, the body comprising a first body part, the damping structure having an inner surface forming a sound duct, the sound duct extending through the first body part, the damping structure having a first opening at a first sound duct end, the first opening configured for connecting an output port of a receiver, the damping structure having a second opening at a second sound duct end, the sound duct providing a sound path for conveying sound energy from the receiver through the damping structure to the second opening, the first body part extending from the receiver base; wherein the damping structure comprises a first damping element connecting the body and the receiver base so that the receiver base is separate from and in parallel to the first body part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventor: Morten Birkmose Sondergaard
  • Transducer, a hearing aid comprising the transducer and a method of operating the transducer
    Patent number: 9247359
    Abstract: The invention relates to a transducer comprising a housing, a first and a second diaphragm, and a first and a second signal provider. The housing comprises an inner surface. The first and second diaphragms are positioned in the housing. The first and second diaphragms define a common compartment being delimited by at least both a part of the inner surface and the first and second diaphragms. The first signal provider is configured to convert movement of the first diaphragm into a first signal. The second signal provider is configured to convert movement of the second diaphragm into a second signal. The transducer can be used in a hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Sonion Nederland BV
    Inventors: Adrianus Maria Lafort, Andreas Tiefenau, Anne-Marie Sänger, Frederik Cornelis Blom, Alwin Fransen
  • Loudspeaker, video device, and portable information processing apparatus
    Patent number: 9247349
    Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a diaphragm that vibrates back and forth to emit a sound, a magnetic circuit that is provided on a rear side of the diaphragm and has a magnetic gap on a diaphragm side, and a voice coil that is directly or indirectly joined to the diaphragm and disposed within the magnetic gap. A magnetic fluid is loaded within the magnetic gap. Also, a plurality of first edge pieces are provided at different positions in an outer circumferential portion of the diaphragm for vibratably supporting the diaphragm, each of the first edge pieces having a non-linear cross-sectional shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shuji Saiki, Hiroyuki Takewa
  • Hearing instrument with a wall formed by a printed circuit board
    Patent number: 9232324
    Abstract: A hearing instrument includes a housing, a printed circuit board, a signal processor on the printed circuit board, wherein the signal processor is configured for generating an audio signal, and a receiver that is connected to an output of the signal processor for converting the audio signal into a sound signal, wherein the housing is configured to accommodate the receiver and the printed circuit board with the signal processor, and the housing has a trunk part that is coupled with a tip part, and wherein the printed circuit board forms a wall within the housing extending transversely relative to a longitudinal extension of the trunk part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventor: Henrik Nielsen
  • Hearing device with a microphone
    Patent number: 9232318
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hearing device comprising a microphone (1) wherein the microphone (1) comprises a first opening (8), a second opening (9) and at least three compartments (2, 3, 4), a first membrane (6) being arranged between the first and the second compartment (2; 3) and a second membrane (7;) at least partly covering the third compartment (4), wherein the second and the third compartments (3, 4) are connected in communicative manner via a canal (11).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventor: Alfred Stirnemann
  • Evacuation of liquid from acoustic space
    Patent number: 9226076
    Abstract: An acoustic module, such as a microphone or speaker module, includes an acoustic membrane that vibrates to produce acoustic waves and an acoustic cavity through which acoustic waves produced by the membrane travel. A liquid removal mechanism removes liquid from the acoustic cavity. Such a liquid removal mechanism may include the acoustic membrane, heating elements, hydrophobic and/or hydrophilic surfaces, and so on. In some cases, the liquid removal mechanism may remove liquid from the acoustic cavity upon connection of the acoustic module and/or an associated electronic device to an external power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jesse A. Lippert, Nikolas T. Vitt, Christopher Wilk, Rex Tyler Ehman
  • Location based assistance using hearing instruments
    Patent number: 9219966
    Abstract: Disclosed in some examples is a method of authentication, the method comprising monitoring for the presence of a hearing instrument; responsive to detecting the hearing instrument: establishing a short-range wireless communication session with the hearing instrument; determining an identity of the hearing instrument wearer; and responsive to determining the identity of the wearer, setting a value indicating that the hearing instrument wearer is authenticated with and within the wireless range of the presence device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Libin Wang, Stephen Paul Flood, Jeffrey Paul Solum
  • Reduced footprint microphone system with spacer member having through-hole
    Patent number: 9215519
    Abstract: A microphone system has a chip system coupled to a base. Among other things, the chip system includes a microphone chip and a circuit chip, in a stacked relationship, configured to electrically communicate. The microphone chip has a diaphragm configured to move upon receipt of an incident audio signal, while the circuit chip has at least one through hole audibly coupled with the diaphragm of the microphone chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: INVENSENSE, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas Goida