Patents Examined by Brian Ensey
  • Patent number: 11019443
    Abstract: A speaker diaphragm includes a cone formed of a first material including first fibers derived from a plant and a first resin for binding the first fibers together, and an edge portion which is positioned at an outer peripheral portion of the cone and formed of a second material including a second resin, in which the cone and the edge portion are integrally formed. In addition, at least one of the content and the composition of the first resin and the second resin is different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Satomi Yoshioka, Hisashi Koike, Nobutaka Urano, Tsukasa Ota
  • Patent number: 10999668
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Morteza Khaleghimeybodi
  • Patent number: 10993040
    Abstract: The present application provides a piezoelectric microphone, and it includes a substrate having a back cavity and a piezoelectric cantilever diaphragm fixed to the substrate. The piezoelectric cantilever diaphragm includes a plurality of diaphragm flaps, and each of the diaphragm flaps has one end fixed to the substrate and another end suspended above the back cavity. Every two adjacent ones of the diaphragm flaps are spaced apart to form a gap. The piezoelectric microphone further comprises an elastically stretchable member connecting the two adjacent diaphragm flaps, and the elastically stretchable member is provided between at least one set of two adjacent ones of the diaphragm flaps. The piezoelectric microphone of the present disclosure has better performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: AAC ACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGIES (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lian Duan, Rui Zhang
  • Patent number: 10993047
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the system, a programming interface is configured to communicate with a device. The system screens, via a speaker and a user interface associated with the device, a left ear—and separately, a right ear—of a patient. The system then determines a left ear hearing range and a right ear hearing range. The hearing ranges are modified with a subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient. The subjective assessment of sound quality according to the patient may be a completed assessment of a degree of annoyance caused to the patient by an impairment of wanted sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Texas Institute of Science, Inc.
    Inventors: Laslo Olah, Grigorii Sokolovskii, Sergey Losev, Ekaterina Sokolovskaya
  • Patent number: 10993037
    Abstract: A projection-type display apparatus includes a driver unit and a diaphragm unit. The diaphragm unit includes a holding frame that has an opening, a film that is bonded to a film bonding surface as one surface of the holding frame with the opening being covered with the film, a diaphragm that is held on an inner side of the holding frame while being bonded to the film, and a transmission beam that transmits vibration of the vibrating portion to the diaphragm. The film has a first film surface and a second film surface on the opposite side to the first film surface, the film bonding surface and the diaphragm being bonded to the first film surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takehiro Miyagawa, Tsutomu Nagumo
  • Patent number: 10972821
    Abstract: A MEMS microphone system comprises a transducer die having a pierce-less diaphragm and a motion sensor suspended from the diaphragm. The system further comprises a housing and the diaphragm divided a volume inside the housing into a front volume and a back volume. The motion sensor suspended from the diaphragm is located in the back volume having a gas pressure that is substantially equal or lower than an ambient pressure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Robert Bosch LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Meisel, Andrew Doller
  • Patent number: 10966012
    Abstract: A wireless earbud (100) for in-ear use has an earbud housing (110), a loudspeaker (130), a rechargeable battery (140), a first microphone (132) and a second microphone (134). The first microphone (132) is adapted to pick up sound internally from an ear canal of a user wearing the wireless earbud. The second microphone (134) is adapted to pick up sound externally from outside of the ear canal of the user wearing the wireless earbud. Disclosed is also a storage and charging capsule (200) for at least one wireless earbud (100a, 100b). The capsule has an elongate insert part (240) having an earbud chamber (246) adapted to receive the or each wireless earbud (100a, 100b). A cover part (260) slidably receives the elongate insert part (240) and is placeable in an open position in which the cover part is retracted from the elongate insert part to allow insertion/removal of the or each wireless earbud (100a, 100b) into/from the earbud chamber (246) of the elongate insert part (240).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: EARIN AB
    Inventors: Olle Lindén, Kiril Trajkovski, Peter Rechnagel Kristensen, Scott Vance, Peder Sandberg, Kim Kristensen, Per Sennström, Göran Schack
  • Patent number: 10950211
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Inventor: Carl L. C. Kah, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10945058
    Abstract: Speaker performance may be improved by increasing the effective acoustic chamber volume by fluidically connecting a speaker chamber containing a speaker with a mechanical housing. Additionally, the performance of left and right speakers may be balanced. Such balancing may be through equalization of the left and right speakers, balancing the acoustic impedance through sizing the openings between the speaker chambers and mechanical housings, and/or balancing of acoustic volumes within the speakers through use of ballast or acoustic expansion material to increase or decrease the effective acoustic volume of one of the speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SYNAPTICS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Wensen Liu, Govind Kannan
  • Patent number: 10939211
    Abstract: A shading ring is disposed in a magnetic circuit system. The magnetic circuit system includes a main magnet, a washer, a voice coil and a secondary magnet. The shading ring is located inside the voice coil. The shading ring includes a first ring body and a second ring body. The second ring body is formed by bending a lower end of the first ring body outward. The first ring body includes a first perpendicular portion and a first horizontal portion. A first cavity is formed inside the first perpendicular portion. The secondary magnet is located in the first cavity. The first horizontal portion is fixedly connected to an upward side of the secondary magnet. The shading ring is arranged into a structure having the first ring body and the second ring body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: TYMPHANY ACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGY (HUIZHOU) CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Zhi Chen
  • Patent number: 10926712
    Abstract: This disclosure is directed to audio actuator assemblies that include bridging brackets for mounting audio actuators inside vehicle body components. In some embodiments, the vehicle body component is a door that includes a reinforcement beam. The bridging bracket is mountable to the reinforcement beam in order to secure the audio actuator in place inside the vehicle body component in a manner that allows the audio actuator to vibrate adjacent surfaces of the vehicle body component for radiating sound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua Wheeler, John Wayne Jaranson, Michael Musa Azzouz, Ireneusz Trybula, Scott Andrew Amman
  • Patent number: 10932052
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a voice coil, a method for winding the voice coil, and a speaker having the voice coil. The voice-coil winding is wound from an inner side to an outer side of the voice coil to form an N-layer structure. Each layer is wound to form a multi-coil structure. A winding switching portion is disposed between at least one group of neighboring two layers. Two terminals of the winding switching portion are respectively located at the top and the bottom of the voice coil. One terminal of the winding switching portion is connected to a winding ending terminal of an inner side one of the neighboring two layers, and the other terminal of the winding switching portion is connected to a winding starting terminal of the outer side one of the neighboring two layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hongjian Hu, Min Su, Shuai Li
  • Patent number: 10932070
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a sound tube; a receiver configured to provide sound via the sound tube; a housing configured to accommodate the receiver; a compartment in the housing; and a channel extending from the compartment and terminating at a location that is in fluid communication with a space in the sound tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Anthony Chmielewski
  • Patent number: 10932045
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a speaker. The speaker comprises a fixing system and a vibration system, the vibration system includes a membrane, a voice coil for driving the membrane to generate sound, and an elastic part fixedly connected to one end of the voice coil distal from the membrane. The elastic part comprises a diaphragm elastically supporting the voice coil. The diaphragm comprises a first fixing portion fixedly connected to the fixing system, a second fixing portion fixedly connected to the voice coil and an edge connecting the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion. The edge is provided with a plurality of openings. The present disclosure also provides a speaker using a breathable material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuwen Wu, Wei Song
  • Patent number: 10924869
    Abstract: A sound processing system measures one or more periauricular muscle signals from one or more periauricular muscles of a user. Additionally, the sound processing system computes, based on the periauricular muscle signals, an estimate of an angle corresponding to a direction of a current auditory attention locus of the user with respect to a reference point or plane. The sound processing system controls, based on the estimate of the angle, an operating characteristic of the sound processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Stéphane Gallégo
  • Patent number: 10911847
    Abstract: A pressure equalizing assembly with a nonporous membrane traversing across an acoustic pathway defined by an opening in a housing. A breathable layer connected to the nonporous membrane may be laterally arranged to the acoustic pathway. An acoustic cavity is defined by the breathable layer and nonporous membrane. The nonporous membrane has a side facing the opening in the housing to prevent fluid or moisture from penetrating into the acoustic cavity. The breathable layer further equalizes pressure in the acoustic cavity by providing a venting layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Kenaley, Michael Ringquist
  • Patent number: 10911853
    Abstract: An musical instrument amplifier-mounted microphone assembly operatively attaches to the seal of an instrument speaker to capture sound waves, without losing unique sounds. The microphone assembly utilizes electret condenser microphones to achieve boundary layer configuration. The microphone assembly fits flush against, or parallel to, the speaker baffle that holds the microphone assembly in front of speaker cones. The microphone assembly mounts on a circuit board which acts as a reflective surface to achieve boundary layer effect. The flat circuit board provides flat conductor traces that carry audio signals from the electret assembly, past the gasket seal of the speaker, to electronics on the board that power, amplify and match impedances needed to pass the audio signal to a large venue amplification system. A connector terminal on the circuit board connects via a shielded cable to a housing mounted XLR connector that provides connection to a large venue amplification system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Inventor: Norman F. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 10897677
    Abstract: An implantable component, such as by way of example, an implantable component of a transcutaneous bone conduction device, the implantable component comprising a piezoelectric transducer, wherein the implantable component is configured to temporarily prevent the piezoelectric transducer from moving inside the housing while the housing is implanted in the recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Joris Walraevens, Charles Roger Aaron Leigh, Rishubh Verma, Katrien Geeraerts, Kristof I. Buytaert, Kenneth Oplinger
  • Patent number: 10873804
    Abstract: A panel audio loudspeaker includes a panel extending in a plane. The panel audio loudspeaker includes an actuator attached to the panel. The actuator includes a rigid frame attached to a surface of the panel, the rigid frame including a portion extending perpendicular to the panel surface. The actuator also includes an elongate flexure attached at one end the frame, the flexure extending parallel to the plane. The actuator includes one or more tabs. The actuator includes an electromechanical module attached to a portion of the flexure, the electromechanical module being configured to displace an end of the flexure. The actuator includes a vibration damping material located between each of the one or more tabs and a corresponding feature of the frame or the electromechanical module. One or more of the tabs can engage either the rigid frame or the electromechanical module to damp the vibrations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Rajiv Bernard Gomes, Mark William Starnes
  • Patent number: 10873800
    Abstract: An artificial-reality device for audio playback is provided. The artificial-reality device includes: (i) a head-mounted display including at least one lens, and (ii) one or more transducers, coupled to the head-mounted display. The transducers are configured to generate signals that vibrate the at least one lens of the head-mounted display. The at least one lens generates acoustic waves that correspond to media presented by the head-mounted display when vibrated by the one or more transducers. In some embodiments, the head-mounted display further includes a frame, and at least one transducer of the one or more transducers is coupled to the frame of the head-mounted display. In some embodiments, at least one transducer of the one or more transducers is coupled to the at least one lens of the head-mounted display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Morteza Khaleghimeybodi