Abstract: This applications relates to methods and apparatus for amplifying signals from capacitive transducers, in particular MEMS transducers such as MEMS capacitive microphones. An amplifier circuit has a signal node for receiving the input signal, a transducer biasing node for outputting a transducer bias voltage for biasing the capacitive transducer, and a voltage buffer configured to generate a buffered bias voltage at a buffer node. An amplifier arrangement is configured to receive the input signal from the signal node and the buffered bias voltage.

Abstract: A hearing device and a method is provided that alleviate discomfort caused by sound impulses, such as a door slam, clinking of silverware, jangling of keys, etc., by converting sound into an audio signal, subjecting the audio signal to a frequency transformation, detecting presence of an impulse in the audio signal based on the frequency transformed audio signal, and processing the audio signal into a processed audio signal in response to detected presence of the impulse in the audio signal, converting the processed signal into an output sound signal, and emitting the output sound signal towards an eardrum of a human. The processing may involve reducing the gain of the output sound signal if an impulse is detected.

Abstract: A treble loudspeaker with an improved mounting structure for a phase plug, having a T-shaped iron, a magnet, a washer, a phase plug and a diaphragm. The magnet is located between the T-shaped iron and the washer. The T-shaped iron has a central hole. The phase plug is inserted into the central hole and fixedly connected to the T-shaped iron. A soft gasket is provided at a plane junction between the phase plug and the T-shaped iron. The diaphragm is located above the phase plug to cover the phase plug, and a sound guiding gap is provided between the diaphragm and the phase plug.

Abstract: A shotgun microphone unit which includes a housing, a microphone capsule, a shotgun tube having a longitudinal axis, and a shotgun mounting for mounting the shotgun tube with the microphone capsule within the housing. The shotgun mounting has an axial and a radial mounting, wherein the axial mounting is softer than the radial mounting.

Abstract: An exemplary auditory prosthesis system for a patient includes a body-worn sound processor apparatus configured to control an operation of a cochlear implant, a headpiece configured to facilitate wireless coupling of the body-worn sound processor apparatus to the cochlear implant, an audio accessory that includes a microphone configured to receive incoming audio and convert the incoming audio into an audio signal, a first communication port configured to connect directly to a communication port of the body-worn sound processor apparatus by way of a first cable, a second communication port configured to connect directly to a communication port of the headpiece by way of a second cable, and a control module communicatively coupled to the microphone and the first and second communication ports and that is configured to provide the audio signal to the body-worn sound processor apparatus by way of the first cable.

Abstract: A speech intelligibility system. Embodiments comprise a talker unit, a listener unit and an earpiece. The talker unit includes a microphone to receive audible speech content and to produce electrical signals representative of the speech content, and a transmitter coupled to the microphone to produce wireless transmissions containing the speech content. The listener unit includes a receiver to receive the wireless transmissions and to produce electrical signals representative of the speech content. At least one of the talker unit and the listener unit includes an amplifier to amplify spectral components of the speech content within a frequency range having a lower end between about 800 Hz and 1,700 Hz and an upper end between about 7,000 Hz and 11,000 Hz. The earpiece is coupled to the listener unit and includes a speaker to produce audible speech content having the amplified spectral components and a tube to direct the audible speech content from the speaker toward a user's ear canal.

Abstract: A MEMS capacitive transducer with increased robustness and resilience to acoustic shock. The transducer structure includes a flexible membrane supported between a first volume and a second volume, and at least one variable vent structure in communication with at least one of the first and second volumes. The variable vent structure includes at least one moveable portion which is moveable in response to a pressure differential across the moveable portion so as to vary the size of a flow path through the vent structure. The variable vent may be formed through the membrane and the moveable portion may be a part of the membrane, defined by one or more channels, that is deflectable away from the surface of the membrane. The variable vent is preferably closed in the normal range of pressure differentials but opens at high pressure differentials to provide more rapid equalisation of the air volumes above and below the membrane.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hearing instrument including a housing to be worn at an ear of a person. The hearing instrument including an antenna unit having a slot. Further, the antenna unit comprises a loading wing arranged so as to focus the nearfield of the inside the hearing instrument.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a hybrid speaker comprising a tweeter and a dynamic woofer, wherein the tweeter has upper and lower coils arranged opposite to each other, an open-type high-tone vibration plate formed with a closed-type center hole at its center and located between the upper and lower coils, and one or more permanent magnets arranged outside the upper and lower coils, and wherein the woofer is coaxially coupled to a lower side of the tweeter so as to let low tone sound generated from a low tone vibration plate of the woofer pass through the hole of the high tone vibration plate of the tweeter.

Abstract: A simple hearing enhancement device that takes the normally adequately loud sound levels and optimizes selective frequency gain of the patient's ear passage to improve speech comprehension.

Abstract: A speaker cabinet to effectively amplify an acoustic guitar, comprising of: two chambers, two speaker drivers, a port, and a tube within the port. One speaker driver is mounted onto front of tube to radiate sound outwards, while the rear sound waves radiate through same tube into ported resonant chamber. The second chamber is sealed, is next to ported chamber, and utilizes a second speaker driver. The front sound waves of second driver radiant into ported resonant chamber, while the rear waves radiate into the sealed chamber. The two distinct sound waves now inside ported chamber mix with each other, then flow around the tube and through the port. All three sound waves mix in front of the cabinet. Other embodiments include: Sound deflectors, horn-loading the port, a passive radiator on the sealed chamber to radiate a fourth sound wave, and a guitar shape inside the ported resonant chamber.

Abstract: A dynamic receiver for an earphone is provided. The dynamic receiver has a Helmholtz resonance space provided on a protector. The dynamic receiver includes: a frame; a magnetic circuit disposed in the frame; a vibration system disposed in the frame and configured to generate sound by a mutual electromagnetic force with the magnetic circuit; and a protector coupled to the frame and configured to protect components disposed in the frame. The protector includes a sound emitting hole passing through the protector and emitting sound generated in the frame to the outside, and a resonance space defined on a top surface of the protector.

Abstract: A tragus conduction apparatus may include a sound transducer positionable against a tragus of a user's ear to mechanically vibrate the tragus to produce one or more sound waves that travel down an ear canal of the user's ear toward an eardrum. A wearable device may include a tragus conduction apparatus and a wearable frame dimensioned to adjustably hold the tragus conduction apparatus at the user's ear. Various other apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Provided is a wearable device that is worn on a human ear and mainly outputs or inputs sound. The outer casing 110 is formed into an elongated shape so as to fit the cymba conchae 306 formed between the antihelix inferior crus 302b and the crus helicis 309. The sound generating unit 120 includes a vibration element 121 and a weight 122. The vibration element 121 has an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the outer casing 110, and has one end fixed to the inner wall of the outer casing 110, and the other end to which a weight 122 is attached, the other hand being an open end. By applying an alternating electric field to the vibration element 121, vibration corresponding to audio is generated.

Abstract: A loudspeaker magnetic circuit system includes an iron a magnetic steel, a spring washer, a voice coil and a U-shaped short-circuit ring. The U-shaped short-circuit ring includes a first ring body and a second ring body, and the voice coil is positioned and movable up and down in a U-shaped groove formed by the first ring body and the second ring body. Through making the short-circuit ring into a U-shaped structure and optimizing the connection relationship between the short-circuit ring and other components such as the spring washer, magnetic steel and iron, the present invention can effectively reduce the harmonic distortion and non-linear distortion of the loudspeaker and improve the overall acoustic performance of the speaker such that the sound quality of loudspeaker is improved.

Abstract: A hearing system includes a hearing aid (10) and personal communication device (20) connected via a short range data communication link. The hearing aid has a signal processor (13) processing an audio signal according to audio processing parameters, a sub-system applying respective sets of processing parameters for at least two modes, a classifier component (51) statistically analyzing the environment by comparing specific characteristics of an electrical input signal to one or more thresholds. A program selector component (16) selects automatically an appropriate mode for the signal processing sub-system according to the classifier output. The personal communication device offers the user an interface for controlling and interacting with the program selector component of the hearing aid, and for generating and transmitting a notification to the hearing aid. Upon reception of the notification, the processor adjusts at least one of the one or more thresholds used by the classifier component.

Abstract: An apparatus for enhancing microphone performance of a voice-controlled smart home device is disclosed. The apparatus generally comprises a lower ring having a first diameter an upper ring having a second diameter and a reflective surface. The reflective surface is disposed along the perimeter of the apparatus so as to directionally alter incoming sound waves and focus them toward an array of microphones.

Abstract: A headphone includes a driver unit 2, the first housing 4 that forms a first air chamber 11 on a back side of the driver unit 2, the second housing 5 that forms a second air chamber 12 on an opposite side of an inner surface different from an inner surface where the driver unit 2 is provided in the first housing 4, and a damper 61 provided in the second housing 5. In the first housing 4, an opening 44 that communicates between the first air chamber 11 and the second air chamber 12 is formed.

Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device includes a housing comprising a first end and an opposing second end, a first side and an opposing second side, and the first and second sides extending between the first and second ends. The first side is configured to contact the wearer's head. A battery is disposed within the housing proximate the first end. An acoustic receiver or an acoustic receiver connector is disposed within the housing proximate the second end. Electronics including a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) radio are disposed in the housing. A directional magnetic antenna is situated in or on the housing and coupled to the NFMI radio. The antenna comprises a core having a complex shape and a coil wound around a portion of the core. The core comprises a closed end oriented toward a source of magnetic noise and an open end oriented away from the source of magnetic noise.

Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer for generating an audible acoustic signal includes a base, a cathode having a plurality of cathode discharge elements arranged into an array of cathode discharge elements disposed around an axis associated with the cathode and mounted on the base, and an anode having a plurality of anode discharge elements arranged into an array of anode discharge elements disposed around an axis associated with the anode and mounted on the base. An inter-electrode space separates the cathode and the anode. A first circuit portion connects the cathode to a voltage source, and a second circuit portion connects the anode to the voltage source. The cathode and anode discharge elements extend from the base toward the inter-electrode space. Respective arrays of the cathode and anode are opposite of each other with respect to the inter-electrode space and axisymmetric such that the cathode axis is aligned with the anode axis.