Abstract: A speaker has a substantially reduced overall size while producing a complete low frequency sound range at high output amplitude. The speaker includes a main body having open sections at both ends thereof. A sounding body pinched by ringed first dampers is secured to each of the open sections of the main body so that the inside of the main body is kept air-tight except for one opening. A first opening is provided at the middle part of the side of the main body. Lid members are secured on the outside of the two sounding bodies via a ringed second damper so as to keep the inside of the lid member air-tight. A second opening is created around the middle of the bottom of each of the lid members.

Abstract: In an electrostatic capacitance type transducer which has a substrate, a movable electrode confrontingly placed to the substrate in a movable manner through a space, a fixed electrode arranged on a detecting face confronting the movable electrode of the substrate, and a signal receiving portion which is conductive with the fixed electrode and derived from the detecting face of the substrate, the fixed electrode and the signal receiving portion are made of metals which are different with each other in their compositions. That is, the fixed electrode is made of metal which has a high corrosion resistance and is not likely to outbreak a hillock, and the signal receiving portion is made of metal which is easy for bonding. Alternatively, both the fixed electrode and the signal receiving portion are made of titanium.

Abstract: An improved multiband audio compressor is well behaved for both wide band and narrow band signals, and shows no undesirable artifacts at filter crossover frequencies. The compressor includes a heavily overlapped filter bank, which is the heart of the present invention. The filter bank filters the input signal into a number of heavily overlapping frequency bands. Sufficient overlapping of the frequency bands reduces the ripple in the frequency response, given a slowly swept sine wave input signal, to below about 2 dB, 1 dB, or even 0.5 dB or less with increasing amount of overlap in the bands. Each band is fed into a power estimator, which integrates the power of the band and generates a power signal. Each power signal is passed to a dynamic range compression gain calculation block, which calculates a gain based upon the power signal. Each band is multiplied by its respective gain in order to generate scaled bands. The scaled bands are then summed to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A voice sound transmitting unit having an earpiece that is adapted for insertion into the external auditory canal of a user, the earpiece having both a bone conduction sensor and an air conduction sensor. The bone conduction sensor is adapted to contact a portion of the external auditory canal to convert bone vibrations of voice sound information into electrical signals. The air conduction sensor resides within the auditory canal and converts air vibrations of the voice sound information into electrical signals. In its preferred form, a speech processor samples output from the bone conduction sensor and the air conduction sensor to filter noise and select the a pure voice sound signal for transmission. The transmission of the voice sound signal may be through a wireless linkage and may also be equipped with a speaker and receiver to enable two-way communication.

Abstract: A transmitter structure which is resistance to wind noise and the like and allows a reduction in size is disclosed. A sound hole is formed in a case at an offset position with respect to a microphone, and a slit extending from the sound hole to the microphone is filled with an acoustic resistance cloth.

Abstract: A microphone housing system is disclosed having a tapered structure enclosed within the housing structure coupled to a rear portion of a microphone element. In the preferred embodiment, the tapered portion has a generally conic shape expanding away from the rear portion of the microphone element. The housing structure surrounding the tapered structure has a plurality of radially disposed opening or slots and fully or partially covered with a sound-resistive material. The housing system provides increased front-to-back signal ratio and increased overall gain and frequency response due to superior rear signal cancellation.

Abstract: A vibration detecting unit is arranged in an air chamber in communication with a microphone unit and changes in pressure in the air chamber caused by the vibrations of a diaphragm of the vibration detecting unit is transmitted to the back surface side of a diaphragm of the microphone unit thereby suppressing the displacement of the diaphragm caused by external vibrations.

Abstract: A wearable personal audio apparatus includes one or more wearable U-shaped loop members adapted to fit an individual in a plurality of positions on the individual's body, particularly around the head and neck. The plurality of positions can include positions across the forehead, top or back of the head of the individual, and around the front or back of the neck of the individual. The loop member can have an eyewear receiving member which selectively receives an eyewear insert to provide protective or corrective eyewear when the loop member is worn on the front of the head of the wearer. In one embodiment, a plurality of sets of quick-connect interface ports are disposed around the loop member to selectively receive a plurality of external audio transducer modules. The quick-connect interface ports provide a respective communication path between each of the external audio transducer modules and an audio circuit which can be either external to the loop member or contained within the loop member.

Abstract: A voice coil adaptor ring and loudspeaker system of the moving coil type including a cone diaphragm supported by a frame, a voice coil former for supporting a voice coil, and a lower suspension for securing and centering the voice coil former in a magnetic gap while it is displaced by a magnetic circuit. The voice coil adaptor ring is mounted over the voice coil former and comprises a substantially cylindrical sleeve having a lower diameter for fitting over the top plate; at least one ledge extending outward from said sleeve for supporting the cone and lower suspension; an inherent gap for receiving epoxies; and a plurality of venting passages in fluid communication with a cap volume defined by the cone and dust cap for venting hot air from the cap volume.

Abstract: An earphone without impulse noise and conductive hearing includes a loudspeaker having a first sound output end for producing a high intensive sound wave and a second sound output end for producing a low intensive sound wave, and an earphone housing which includes a housing body, a sound output hood and a sound collecting hood. The housing body has a first open-end, a second open-end and a receiving chamber therein for mounting the loudspeaker. A sound output hood, which has a plurality of meshes thereon, is positioned in front of the first sound output end of the loudspeaker. The sound collecting hood, which has a plurality of meshes thereon, is positioned in front of the second sound output end of the loudspeaker.

Abstract: In an electroacoustic transducer (1) having a diaphragm (19) and having a supporting means (25) for the diaphragm (19) the diaphragm (19) and the supporting structure (25) form a single part, and an annular outer zone (24) of the diaphragm (19) and a first annular zone (26) of the supporting structure (25) adjoin one another smoothly.

Abstract: Feedback cancellation apparatus uses a cascade of two filters along with a short bulk delay. The first filter is adapted when the hearing aid is turned on in the ear. This filter adapts quickly using a white noise probe signal, and then the filter coefficients are frozen. The first filter models parts of the hearing-aid feedback path that are essentially constant over the course of the day. The second filter adapts while the hearing aid is in use and does not use a separate probe signal. This filter provides a rapid correction to the feedback path model when the hearing aid goes unstable, and more slowly tracks perturbations in the feedback path that occur in daily use. The delay shifts the filter response to make the most effective use of the limited number of filter coefficients.

Abstract: The main components of an earphone-microphone-earmuff assembly are an earphone, a microphone and an earmuff. Besides using the assembly as a whole, each component can be independently used as well. The assembly has several pairs including a mounting cap, an earphone, an earmuff, and each part has its own mounting structure or structures for interconnection. In operation, the mounting cap and the earphone can be assembled together just for listening. Alternatively, the mounting cap and the earmuff can be assembled together just for ear warming or noise shielding. However, the mounting cap, the earmuff and the earphone can all be put together for hearing, ear warming and noise shielding. Furthermore, a microphone can also be installed on the earphone for easy communication.

Abstract: A phase plug for a horn loaded speaker has a frustro-conical body with a spherical entrance end and a planer outlet end. The plug is formed with radial channels. The entrance of the phase plug and the speaker diaphragm are conformal and the channels have generally equal aperture area from the entrance to the outlet, or slightly increasing aperture areas so as to minimize diffraction The truncation surface is defined by the intersection of the sidewalls of the conical body and the cone angle of the horn.

Abstract: A piezoelectric speaker has a substantially reduced size and reproduces sound in the low sound range. The piezoelectric speaker includes a cylindrical main body. First and second sounding members are secured to apertures of both sides of the main body in an air tight arrangement via ringed dampers made of rubber. An external opening is created at the middle of a side surface of the main body. The opening is created so as to have an area which is less than area of a vibrating portion of the sounding members. Sound absorbing members are provided within the main body, on the outside of the first sounding member and on the outside of the second sounding member. Caps having a plurality of holes are secured to the apertures of the both sides of the main body so as to cover the sound absorbers. The main body is supported on concave portions of leg members.

Abstract: To prevent the generation of audible resonation of the baffle plate by rigid connection of the weighty speaker unit, the speaker system having a cabinet including a speaker unit uses a support structure which allows movement of the speaker unit in its axial direction, and a flexible seal member fitted into a gap formed between the baffle plate of the cabinet and the frame of the speaker unit or a sub-baffle connected to the frame of the speaker unit. In one embodiment, the support structure includes a swingable plate to which the speaker unit is fixed. A clamp device is provided to prevent movement of the movable part during the transportation of the speaker system.

Abstract: A miniaturized speaker apparatus including a cabinet to which a first speaker unit for reproducing a low frequency range is installed; second speaker units for reproducing a medium frequency range and/or a high frequency range; and supporting members for supporting the second speaker units on their tip end sides, the supporting members being supported by the cabinet so as to rotatably move between a first position, where the second speaker units are spaced apart from the cabinet, and a second position, where the second speaker units are positioned on the cabinet side making the speaker apparatus convenient for carrying.

Abstract: A directional speaker system includes an enclosure having an inner surface, an outer surface, an open end, and a closed end, a speaker driver directed toward the open end and mounted near the closed end of the enclosure, an in-line phase plug mounted in front of the speaker driver for manipulating the wavefront of sound waves produced by the speaker driver, and a preferably frustoconical shaped wave guide provided between the speaker driver and the open end of the speaker enclosure. The in-line phase plug preferably has a plurality of channels. The open end of the enclosure is preferably provided with an acoustically absorbent material around its inner perimeter. A second acoustically absorbent material is provided between the speaker driver, the in-line phase plug, and the wave guide, and the speaker enclosure. The in-line phase plug, wave guide phase plug and baffle plate operate to flatten the wavefront.

Abstract: The invention provides a replaceable handle for hearing devices that are deeply inserted into the ear canal. The handle is offered in an assortment of configurations to optimize the hearing devices cosmetic appeal and usability. The handle consists of a shaft, handle head and a locking end for insertion into the lateral end of a hearing device. The locking mechanism of a preferred embodiment consists of two inwardly flexible legs that compress while being inserted sideways into a locking receptacle within the lateral end of the hearing device. The legs spring back when they have been fully inserted, thus locking the handle to the hearing device. The handle remains securely attached to the device during normal use, which primarily subjects the device to axial or push/pull forces. However, the handle can be readily removed by opening the battery door and sliding the handle sideways into the cavity of the battery compartment.

Abstract: A digital hearing aid is employable for tinnitus therapy, as well as for retraining tinnitus therapy, in combination with correction of other hearing impairments of a user of the hearing aid. For this purpose, the hearing aid contains a signal processing chain, between a hearing aid input and a hearing aid output, which is responsible for producing a useful signal by acting on the input signal in a manner to correct the hearing impairment of a user of the hearing aid. The signal processing chain also includes an arrangement for generating a tinnitus therapy signal, which is combined in the signal processing chain with the useful signal, dependent on a mode of operation which has been selected or set.