Patents Examined by Joshua A Kaufman
  • Patent number: 9843868
    Abstract: Provided is an acoustic transducer including: a semiconductor substrate; a vibrating membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a vibrating electrode; and a fixed membrane provided above the semiconductor substrate, including a fixed electrode, the acoustic transducer detecting a sound wave according to changes in capacitances between the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode, converting the sound wave into electrical signals, and outputting the electrical signals. At least one of the vibrating electrode and the fixed electrode is divided into a plurality of divided electrodes, and the plurality of divided electrodes outputting the electrical signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L., Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kasai, Shobu Sato, Yuki Uchida, Igino Padovani, Filippo David, Sebastiano Conti
  • Patent number: 9843857
    Abstract: A speaker box includes a housing which has a receiving space and a side wall having a sound hole, and a sound generator received in the receiving space and including a diaphragm including a dome and a periphery connected to the dome. The dome includes a near-end which is near the sounding hole and a far-end which is farther the sounding hole. A compliance of the near-end is less than a compliance of the far-end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Yunxia Xu, Bin Cai
  • Patent number: 9838795
    Abstract: A speaker includes a vibration system including a vibrating diaphragm and a flat voice coil for driving the vibrating diaphragm; a magnetic circuit system including a first magnet group, a second magnet group and a third magnet group, lined up in turn along the vibration direction of the vibration system; and a housing for accommodating the vibrational system and the magnetic circuit system. The first magnet group includes a first magnet and the second magnet with opposite magnetic poles thereof faced each other. The second magnet group includes a third magnet and a fourth magnet with N-pole of the third magnet close to S-pole of the fourth magnet. The third magnet group includes a fifth magnet and a sixth magnet with opposite magnetic poles thereof faced each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Hongxing Wang, Lubin Mao, Shun Guo
  • Patent number: 9838806
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a hearing aid device that includes a housing having an opening and a battery drawer. The opening and the battery drawer are parts of a battery door that is rotatably mounted to the housing. The battery drawer also includes a finger engagement portion arranged at the outside surface of the battery drawer. The battery door can be closed by pushing the finger engagement portion, and maintained in a closed state. The battery door can be at least partly opened by pushing the finger engagement portion, and maintained in an at least partly open state. The hearing aid device can be electrically switched on and off by pushing the finger engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Oliver Sundberg, Troels Holm Pedersen
  • Patent number: 9813822
    Abstract: A vibration speaker includes a screen; a frame for supporting the screen; a support attached to the frame, including a first supporting part and a second supporting part; and a piezoelectric vibrator fixed on the support for actuating the screen to vibrate. The piezoelectric vibrator is respectively connected to the first supporting part and the second supporting part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Hongxing Wang, Rongguan Zhou
  • Patent number: 9807517
    Abstract: The MEMS microphone includes a first circuit board; a second circuit board keeping a distance from the first circuit board; a frame located between the first circuit board and the second circuit board for forming a cavity cooperatively with the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the frame including a plated-through-hole; an ASIC chip located in the cavity; and an MEMS chip having a back cavity. The first circuit board is electrically connected with the second circuit board by the plated-through-hole. The frame includes a conductive layer and an insulating layer, and the conductive layer is located between an inner surface of the frame and the insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Hu Chen, Kai Wang
  • Patent number: 9800979
    Abstract: A tunable ribbon microphone having magnets positioned within a small gap in between pieces of opposite poles. A conductive ribbon placed in an air gap between the magnets by an adjustable ribbon holder structure. The adjustable ribbon holder structure includes two ribbon holders and a ribbon tension control. The ribbon holder can be fixed from one side by sliding on one side or sliding on both sides. The ribbon tension control adjusts the tension of the elastic ribbon. By turning the ribbon tension control, turning motion translate to linear motion and change the distance between the ribbon holders and alter the tension of the ribbon. Changing the ribbon tension also possible by different ribbon tension control mechanism by rolled or folded the ribbon in one side or both side of the microphone. The tunable ribbon microphone may have more than one ribbon, adjustable ribbon holder structure and ribbon tension control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Inventor: Mohsen Ghaffari
  • Patent number: 9794680
    Abstract: An acoustic insert for lining a loudspeaker reflex port, the insert comprising an elongate hollow tube formed of a flexible material, having an outer wall sized and configured to seat within the port and an inner wall extending in the elongate direction, the inner wall having a circumference which varies along the length of the insert, When inserted in a port, the insert alters the port resonance so as to vary the acoustic perfoi mance of the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: GP ACOUSTICS (UK) LIMITED
    Inventor: Jack Oclee-Brown
  • Patent number: 9794696
    Abstract: An exemplary sound processor apparatus included in an auditory prosthesis system includes 1) an interface assembly that includes a plurality of contacts and that facilitates interchangeable connectivity of a plurality of external components to the sound processor apparatus, and 2) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of contacts and that interacts with each of the external components by overloading each contact included in the plurality of contacts with a plurality of functions. Corresponding sound processor apparatuses, systems, and methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG
    Inventors: Roger S. Meier, Logan P. Palmer, R. Tissa Karunasiri
  • Patent number: 9788130
    Abstract: A power supply system used in a hearing assistance device including a housing including a battery storage region, a first removable battery holder including a first latch having a first latch configuration and configured to fit within the battery storage region and to hold at least one battery, and a second removable battery holder including a second latch having a second latch configuration that is different that the first latch configuration and configured to fit within the battery storage region and to hold at least one battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG
    Inventor: Andreas Müller
  • Patent number: 9788126
    Abstract: Examples of canal hearing devices including a lateral section having a frequency shaping sound port system are disclosed. A lateral section includes an elongate sound channel for receiving an incoming sound and producing a frequency-shaped sound output. The hearing device includes a microphone, a speaker for transmitting sound to the eardrum, and a sound port to receive the frequency-shaped sound output from the elongate sound channel and provide a pathway for the frequency-shaped sound output to reach the microphone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: iHear Medical, Inc.
    Inventors: Adnan Shennib, Victor Valenzuela
  • Patent number: 9788104
    Abstract: There is provided a boundary microphone inside which a unidirectional microphone unit is contained, the microphone including: a base plate; and a cover plate attached onto an upper face side thereof, wherein a thin and long tubular groove acting as an acoustic tube for making unidirectivity of the microphone unit a narrow directivity is formed on the base plate side, and therein, the microphone unit is contained. In order to prevent liquid from entering the tubular groove from the outside, between a peripheral edge part of the cover plate and the upper face of the base plate, a spacer that is composed of a water repellent thin film material and allows an inside of the tubular groove and outside air to communicate via acoustic resistance with a thin air layer is disposed so as to enclose an entire periphery of the tubular groove.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA AUDIO-TECHNICA
    Inventor: Hiroshi Akino
  • Patent number: 9788122
    Abstract: The present invention includes a vibrating panel device for an electromagnetic vibrator, which includes at least one vibrating panel device. The vibrating panel module includes a base, a vibrating panel and an upper suspension, wherein an inner edge and an outer edge of the upper suspension are respectively connected with the base and the vibrating panel, and form an integrated whole body. Further, two vibrating panel modules are fixedly connected in opposite directions to form the vibrating panel device. By unique structures of the vibrating panel device, when the voice coil drives the vibrating panel to actuate, shaking of the vibrating panels is offset due to interactions between a pair of the suspensions and a pair of the vibrating panels, in such a manner that the voice coil drives the vibrating panel to process vertical up-and-down stroke, so as to replace a conventional damper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Inventor: Xin Min Huang
  • Patent number: 9781520
    Abstract: A passive carbon nanotube transducer is provided. The passive carbon nanotube transducer includes shells as protective walls for the top and bottom housing of the transducer with carbon nanotube sheets affixed between the shells. The shells act as acoustic windows that match the surrounding acoustic medium. A gasket encloses the shells and carbon nanotube sheets of the transducer. Each carbon nanotube sheet has an electrode at both ends. Multiple carbon nanotube sheets are capable of sensing sound induced environment temperature deviations and converting electric voltage or current for passive acoustic detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Dehua Huang
  • Patent number: 9774962
    Abstract: A shell (10) for a hearing device, and a method of producing the same. The shell (10) comprises a sub-shell (11) produced by a generative method, and a thermoformed hull (12) covering the subshell (11). The sub-shell (11) comprises lateral openings (13) covered by the thermoformed hull (12) so as to render the shell (10) more flexible in the region of the openings (13), and thereby to relieve pressure exerted by the shell (10) due to dynamic changes in the shape of the wearer's ear canal during jaw movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Erdal Karamuk, Matthias Stadler, Thomas Winkler, Markus Mueller, Daniel Probst
  • Patent number: 9774955
    Abstract: A speaker includes a vibration system including a vibrating diaphragm and a flat voice coil for driving the vibrating diaphragm; a magnetic circuit system including two separated permanent magnets with opposite magnetic poles thereof facing each other; a magnetic gap formed between the permanent magnets for partially receiving the flat voice coil; and a housing for accommodating the vibrational system and the magnetic circuit system. Magnetic conductive plates are attached to external surfaces of the permanent magnets. The housing includes a through-hole with a shape matched with the magnetic conductive plates, a wall of the housing has support steps located in the through-hole, and the magnetic conductive plates are placed in the through-hole and are fixed on the support steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Hongxing Wang, Lubin Mao, Shun Guo
  • Patent number: 9686614
    Abstract: An electro-acoustic device is provided, including a frame; a magnetic circuit received in the frame and including a lower plate fixed on a bottom of the frame and a magnet attached on the lower plate; a vibration system received in the frame and including a vibrating diaphragm attached to a top of the frame; a cavity formed cooperatively by the lower plate, the frame and the vibrating diaphragm; a leak hole provided between the frame and the lower plate for communicating with outside of the electro-acoustic device; and a damper attached to the lower plate and located inside of the electro-acoustic device for covering the leak hole internally.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Yiming Meng, Wei Pang, Yunxia Xu, Xiaojiang Gu
  • Patent number: 9648412
    Abstract: A speaker assembly includes a support structure and a tactile vibrator coupled to the support structure. The tactile vibrator includes a plurality of rigid members coupled to a plurality of suspension members. Each rigid member of the plurality of rigid members has at least one magnetic member coupled thereto for generating tactile vibrations during operation of the speaker assembly. A headphone includes the speaker assembly. A method of operating a speaker assembly includes driving a tactile vibrator having a plurality of magnetic members coupled to a plurality of rigid members and a plurality of suspension members to cause tactile vibrations in the speaker assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Skullcandy, Inc.
    Inventors: John Timothy, Sam Noertker
  • Patent number: 9648405
    Abstract: A speaker is disclosed. The speaker including a first cover, a second cover forming a receiving space, a first steel strap assembled with the first cover, a second steel strap assembled with the second cover, a sounding element accommodated in the receiving space and located between the first strap and the second strap, and a flexible printed circuit board accommodated in the receiving space. The flexible printed circuit board includes a grounding pin, a positive pin and a negative pin for transmitting audio signal. The positive pin and the negative pin are electrically connected to the sounding element. The ground pin is respectively connected to the first steel strap, the second steel strap and the sounding element. The speaker is not only simple in structure, but also has low cost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Chengliang Wang, Fuhu Zhang
  • Patent number: 9635475
    Abstract: A hearing assistance device, such as a hearing aid, includes an antenna connected to a communication circuit through a feed-line for wireless communication. The antenna and the feed-line are configured and placed such that capacitance between their conductors is approximately minimized. In one embodiment, the feed-line includes feed-line conductors each including a major portion approximately perpendicular to an antenna conductor. In another embodiment, the feed-line includes a feed-line conductor crossing the antenna conductor, and at least one of the antenna conductor and the feed-line conductor includes a notch in the crossing area to reduce the crossing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Beau Jay Polinske, Nasser Thomas Pooladian, Jay Rabel