Patents Examined by Joshua Kaufman
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Patent number: 10117031Abstract: An exemplary sound processor apparatus includes 1) an earhook interface assembly that includes a plurality of contacts and that is configured to interchangeably connect to a microphone assembly and an EAS receiver assembly by way of the plurality of contacts, and 2) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of contacts. In some examples, the control module uses the plurality of contacts as output ports to output one or more EAS signals to the EAS receiver assembly while the EAS receiver assembly is connected to the earhook interface assembly.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 30, 2018Assignee: Advanced Bionics AGInventors: Lee F. Hartley, Lakshmi N. Mishra, R. Tissa Karunasiri, Logan P. Palmer
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Patent number: 10110985Abstract: An earphone includes a housing arranged to receive a speaker, the housing having a front portion arranged to be inserted in a user's ear and a rear portion arranged to remain outside the user's ear. The rear portion has a channel formed therein which is sized to receive an earphone cord and secure it therein. The earphone may also include an earphone plug having a plug housing with a channel formed therein or a cord joint having a joint housing with a channel formed therein.Type: GrantFiled: June 28, 2016Date of Patent: October 23, 2018Assignee: Harman International Industries, IncorporatedInventor: Anna Grace Meyer
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Patent number: 10097917Abstract: An acoustic system that includes an acoustic assembly and a sound system. The acoustic assembly at least includes a tube removably attached to a compression driver. Additionally, the acoustic assembly includes either a waveguide or a deflector. Either the waveguide or the deflector is also removably attached to the tube. The sound system communicates with the acoustic assembly and includes a filter. The filter includes a filter length that is based on an impulse response of the acoustic assembly. As part of the communication, the sound system sends an audio signal, which has been filtered by the filter, to the acoustic assembly. In response to the audio signal, the compression driver generates a sound wave that travels through the acoustic assembly. While traveling, the acoustic assembly transitions the sound wave from generally traveling in a first direction to a second direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Harman International Industries, IncorporatedInventors: Douglas J. Button, Jerry Moro
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Patent number: 10097937Abstract: Methods and systems are described for transferring programming information to a hearing instrument. Such programming information may include hearing loss compensation parameters and/or other information pertaining to device operation. In one embodiment, each of a pair of hearing instruments prescribed and configured for a particular hearing loss contains the necessary information for operation on either the left or right ear. The data from one hearing instrument may then be transferred to the other hearing instrument by means of wireless communication. In other embodiments, programming information is transferred wirelessly by an external device connected to a database.Type: GrantFiled: September 15, 2015Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Paul Solum, Gregory John Haubrich, Brent Anthony Bauman, Stephen Paul Flood, Thomas Howard Burns
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Patent number: 10070216Abstract: This invention provides a kind of acoustic structure that uses passive diaphragm unit, it includes speaker unit, passive diaphragm unit, radiant tube; said passive diaphragm unit is located at the back of the cone of said speaker unit; the speaker unit has radiant tube on the sides; the said radiant tube end which is exposed in the air is located at the periphery of the cone of said speaker unit. It has the same orientation as the speaker unit; the said passive diaphragm unit vibrates when it is driven by the said speaker unit, the sound waves produced by the vibration of the said passive diaphragm unit are emitted by the radiant tube and radiant opening, and share the similar vocal point of the said speaker unit. With this, the sound effect of the full range sound is almost identical to the sound point sources, it also reduces the phase difference between the sound effects produced by the cone of speaker unit and the passive diaphragm unit, further enhanced the sound positioning feature.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2014Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: TGI TECHNOLOGY PRIVATE LIMITEDInventor: Shihuang Li
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Patent number: 10063962Abstract: An enclosure for a speaker transducer can have a front housing member and a rear housing member. Some enclosures position the speaker transducer between the front housing member and the rear housing member, and spaced apart from the rear housing member to define a rear chamber positioned between the speaker transducer and the rear housing member. The rear housing member can define a longitudinal axis. A first waveguide member and a second waveguide member can be longitudinally spaced apart from each other to define an acoustic waveguide therebetween oriented transversely relative to the longitudinal axis. A port can acoustically couple the acoustic waveguide with the rear chamber. A cross-sectional area of the waveguide can expand radially outward of the port. And, the acoustic waveguide can extend circumferentially around the longitudinal axis more than 90-degrees. Some embodiments include a speaker transducer and are suitable as a headphone.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2016Date of Patent: August 28, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: John Bruss
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Patent number: 10051361Abstract: An apparatus comprises an electronic device having at least one speaker and a passive sound proliferation device comprising an audio cavity. The audio cavity is configured to proliferate acoustic waves therefrom and is defined by at least a substantially planar back wall, a substantially planar side wall, an arcuate surface between the substantially planar side wall and the substantially planar back wall, and a substantially planar inner bottom surface. The passive sound proliferation device may further include a substantially planar outer side surface and a substantially planar outer bottom surface substantially perpendicular to the substantially planar outer side surface. The electronic device may be disposed within the audio cavity. Related methods of directing audio from a passive sound proliferation device are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2016Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Inventor: Joseph Dieudonne Morin
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Patent number: 10051375Abstract: 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 periphery 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: GrantFiled: December 30, 2015Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: AAC TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD.Inventors: Bin Cai, Yunxia Xu
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Patent number: 10038959Abstract: A sound processing arrangement is described for a patient with a bilateral cochlear implant system having implanted electrode arrays in each ear. There is a left-side sensing microphone and a right-side sensing microphone, each configured for sensing the sound environment surrounding the patient and generating corresponding microphone signals. A sound object identification module is configured for analyzing the microphone signals to identify one or more sound objects within the sound environment. A sound object selection module is configured for processing the microphone signals to generate a sound object signal for each of the one or more sound objects. A stimulation side selector module is configured for selecting on which side or sides of the bilateral cochlear implant arrangement to process each sound object signal. One or more sound processors processes the sound object signals to generate stimulation signals to the implanted electrode arrays on the selected side or sides.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2016Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Marek Polak, Abdulrahman Abdullah Hagr
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Patent number: 10009693Abstract: A receiver including a housing defining a chamber, and a motor assembly that includes a magnet assembly and an armature. The receiver includes a diaphragm operationally attached to the armature. The motor assembly is attached to the housing by a movable suspension structure. A method of reducing vibrations includes providing a housing defining a chamber, providing a motor assembly including a magnet assembly and an armature, providing a diaphragm, providing a movable suspension structure, attaching the diaphragm to the armature, and attaching the motor assembly to an inner wall of the housing by the movable suspension structure.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: June 26, 2018Assignee: Sonion Nederland B.V.Inventors: Aart Zeger van Halteren, Adrianus Maria Lafort, Rasmus Voss, Caspar Titus Bolsman, Andreas Tiefenau, Paul Christiaan van Hal
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Patent number: 10003883Abstract: A sealed speaker system includes an enclosure and a transducer diaphragm mounted within the enclosure, where an increase in air pressure within the enclosure results in an outward movement of the diaphragm toward an exterior of the enclosure, and a decrease in air pressure within the enclosure results in an inward movement of the diaphragm toward an interior of the enclosure. A pressure vent is provided in the enclosure and allows a gradual transfer of air between the enclosure interior and the enclosure exterior to substantially maintain a pressure equilibrium between the enclosure interior and the enclosure exterior.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2016Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Harman International Industries, IncorporatedInventor: Jerry Moro
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Patent number: 10003890Abstract: A MEMS microphone includes a substrate (100), a supporting part (200), an upper polar plate (300) and a lower polar plate (400). The substrate (100) is provided with an opening (120) penetrating the middle thereof; the lower polar plate (400) straddles the opening (120); the supporting part (200) is fixed on the lower polar plate (400); the upper polar plate (300) is affixed to the supporting part (200); an accommodating cavity (500) is formed among the supporting part (200), the upper polar plate (300) and the lower polar plate (400); a recess (600) opposite to the accommodating cavity (500) is arranged in an intermediate region of at least one of the upper polar plate (300) and the lower polar plate (400), and insulation is achieved between the upper polar plate (300) and a lower polar plate (400).Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2015Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: CSMC TECHNOLOGIES FAB1 CO., LTD.Inventor: Yonggang Hu
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Patent number: 9998814Abstract: The present invention relates to a sound capturing system (10) comprising at least one acoustic sensor (2) and a wind cap (1) surrounding the acoustic sensor (2), the wind cap (1) comprises a layer of foam having sound insulating properties covered on its exterior surface with a film that is impervious to water and environmental particles.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2015Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: SAFRAN ELECTRONICS & DEFENSEInventors: Franck Tirard, Serge Laudo
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Patent number: 9998809Abstract: A loudspeaker module comprises an outer casing in which a vibration system and a magnetic circuit system are received. The magnetic circuit system comprises a basin-like stand fixed on the outer casing. The outer casing comprises a second casing provided with a rear sound exit hole that transversely runs through the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the second casing at the position corresponding to the outer side surface of the sidewall of the basin-like stand. The rear sound exit hole is communicated with an inner cavity of the module and an inner cavity of the electronic terminal. A chamfered plane is disposed at an upper end of the sidewall of the basin-like stand, and on a side of the sidewall of the basin-like stand. A sound emitting channel is formed between the chamfered plane and the inner side surface of the second casing.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2015Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: GOERTEK INC.Inventors: Zongjun Mu, Jianbin Yang
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Patent number: 9992584Abstract: Presented herein are hearing prostheses configured to execute sound processing (e.g., beamforming techniques) specifically designed to provide better performance for single-side deaf recipients. In particular, the hearing prostheses presented herein execute side-beamforming techniques in which the directionality of the hearing prostheses are limited to a spatial region proximate to the recipient's deaf ear.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2016Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Cochlear LimitedInventors: Martin Evert Gustaf Hillbratt, Marcus Andersson
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Patent number: 9973845Abstract: An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2017Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Arun D. Chawan, Kurt Stiehl, Benjamin A. Cousins, Jonathan S. Aase, Yacine Azmi, Paul Choiniere, Scott W. Slabaugh
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Patent number: 9973858Abstract: Provided is an electro-acoustic conversion film that is suitably used for a digital speaker or the like, and that includes a polymer composite piezoelectric body formed by dispersing piezoelectric particles in a viscoelastic matrix formed of a polymer material having viscoelasticity at room temperature, and thin-film electrodes provided on both surfaces of the polymer composite piezoelectric body, and at least one of the thin-film electrodes is divided into a plurality of regions of which an area increases by 2n times (n is a natural number including 0). Thus, a digital speaker in which reverberation or crosstalk between segments is suppressed is obtained.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2016Date of Patent: May 15, 2018Assignee: FUJIFILM CorporationInventor: Tetsu Miyoshi
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Patent number: 9967643Abstract: An earphone (1) includes a cylindrical barrel (2) having one end thereof inserted in an ear canal, a transmission element (4) that is provided on a part of the side of the barrel (2), has a part thereof being in contact with a tragus of a human body while the barrel (2) is inserted in the ear canal and has a built-in electroacoustic conversion element (3) configured to generate an acoustic vibration in response to an electrical signal, a vibration element (5) that is provided on an inner wall of the barrel (2) and vibrates in reaction to the acoustic vibration from the electroacoustic conversion element (3), and a biosensor (30).Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2015Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: KYOCERA CorporationInventor: Asao Hirano
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Patent number: 9967644Abstract: A case for an earbud includes a receiving cavity sized and shaped to accept the earbud within the receiving cavity. The case includes one or more housing magnetic components configured to magnetically attract and secure the earbud within the receiving cavity. The one or more housing magnetic components can be configured to form a Halbach array to increase the magnetic force of the one or more housing magnetic components. The earbud includes a speaker magnet and a separate magnetic element that are arranged to be attracted to the one or more housing magnetic components such that the earbud is attracted into the receiving cavity.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2017Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Arun D. Chawan, Rico L. Zörkendörfer, Kurt Stiehl, Lee M. Panecki, Shannon X. Yang, Daniel Max Strongwater, Marcus Albonico, Benjamin A. Cousins, Eric S. Jol, Daniel C. Wagman
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Patent number: 9967675Abstract: An electrodynamic loudspeaker (10) including: a chassis (15), at least one magnetic circuit (20) secured to the chassis, at least one movable assembly (30) with respect to the chassis, the assembly (30) including a convex diaphragm (53) turned towards the outside of the loudspeaker, and at least one energizing coil (57) defining an axis (D) of the loudspeaker, a first suspension joint (35) connecting the assembly and the chassis, and a second suspension joint (40) of the assembly, the second joint being axially further away from the diaphragm than the first joint. The assembly further comprises at least one connecting member (59) secured to the diaphragm, the second joint including a radially inner attachment point (81) attached on the connecting member, and a radially outer attachment point (83) attached on the chassis.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2014Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: DEVIALETInventors: Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel, Antoine Petroff, Jean-Loup Afresne