Patents Examined by Julie X Dang
  • Patent number: 10334352
    Abstract: An earcup to headband joint for headphones, wherein the headphones comprise an electrical cable that extends from the headband into the earcup. The earcup to headband joint includes joint structure that couples the earcup to the headband and that is constructed and arranged to provide for earcup translation along a vertical axis and rotation about the vertical axis, and at least one friction element in the earcup and in contact with at least one of the joint structure and the cable. The friction element is constructed and arranged to provide forces that resist rotational motion of the earcup about the vertical axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Bennett Daley, Benjamin Eisenberg Zelnick
  • Patent number: 10334369
    Abstract: A signal processor for a hearing device with an implantable stimulator having two or more electrodes for emitting electric charge pulses to neural-fibers of an individual. The processor has a signal path comprising an input circuit adapted to receive an acoustic-signal from the surroundings and provide at least one corresponding input audio-signal; a filter bank adapted to provide at least one band-limited audio-signal in dependence on the at least one input audio-signal; and a noise filter adapted to attenuate undesired signal components in the at least one band-limited audio-signal and to provide at least one corresponding noise-filtered signal. The processor is characterized in that the portion of the signal path preceding the noise filter neither causes an effective level compression nor an effective level expansion of the at least one noise-filtered signal when the at least one noise-filtered signal is derived from an acoustic signal having a level within the comfortable acoustic range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: Oticon Medical A/S
    Inventors: Manuel Segovia Martinez, Jonathan Laudanski, Dan Gnansia, Yves Wenzinger, Bertrand Philppon, Emilie Daanouni
  • Patent number: 10327052
    Abstract: Various examples are provided for digital sound reconstruction using piezoelectric array elements. In one example, a digital loudspeaker includes a fixed frame and an array of transducers disposed on the fixed frame. Individual transducers of the array of transducers can include a flexible membrane disposed on a piezoelectric actuation element positioned over a corresponding opening that extends through the fixed frame. In another example, a method includes forming a flexible membrane structure on a substrate and backetching the substrate opposite the flexible membrane structure. The flexible membrane structure can be formed by disposing a first electrode layer on a substrate, disposing a piezoelectric layer on the first electrode layer and disposing a second electrode layer on the piezoelectric layer. A flexible membrane layer (e.g., polyimide) can be disposed on the second electrode layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Armando Arpys Arevalo Carreno, David Conchouso Gonzalez, David Castro Signoret, Ian G. Foulds
  • Patent number: 10327054
    Abstract: An extendable speaker system is provided with a base and lid that are connected via a plurality of concentric collapsible hollow bodies such as cylinders. A woofer speaker resides in the base. Mid range or tweeter speakers reside in the lid. The lid is displaced away from the base to expand the speaker system, where the extended cylinders provide an airtight seal between the base and lid forming a woofer speaker enclosure therein. Friction seals between the cylinders, a spring residing within the speaker enclosure, and the airtight speaker enclosure itself provide a collective force sufficient to maintain the speaker system in an extended configuration. A port is opened by depressing a button to vent the enclosure to allow for the speaker system to be collapsed. A locking system is provided to releasably maintain the speaker system in a collapsed configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: Clarity Design, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Harrison Lupfer, John Meredith Fox, Roderick Arzaga Milan, Alyssa Taylor Black, Chaney Kiana Lee Countryman, Orlando Crespo, Ronald Edwards Perranoski
  • Patent number: 10327060
    Abstract: An air pulse generating element, disposed in a sound producing device, includes a membrane, disposed within a chamber; and a plurality of valves, disposed by the membrane within the chamber, configured to seal a plurality of openings of the chamber in response to a plurality of valve control signals; wherein the membrane and the plurality of valves are all fabricated at a first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: xMEMS Labs, Inc.
    Inventors: Chiung C. Lo, David Hong, Jemm Yue Liang
  • Patent number: 10321216
    Abstract: To provide a wearable device a part of which directly comes in contact with the skin of a living body includes silicone foam and which is excellent in durability and comfortability. An earpiece 150 includes a core 152 that is attached to a sound conduit 140, and an ear canal attachment section 156 that is attached to an outer side of the core 152 and comes into contact with an ear canal inner wall of a wearer. The ear canal attachment section 156 over the entire exterior of which soft silicone foam, which is a foamed material, is disposed, can keep close contact with an ear canal and comfortable wearability, while the core 152 made from silicone rubber allows a tip portion of the sound conduit 140 to have a shape to be easily wound, which prevents a sound path from being blocked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Katsunori Murozaki
  • Patent number: 10321214
    Abstract: A microphone is provided that restrains backlash relative to the microphone stand with a simple structure. A microphone is inserted in a connector-supporting hole of a microphone stand, and includes a microphone unit, an output connector configured to output sound signals from the microphone unit, a case accommodating the output connector, and an elastic member configured to be disposed in the connector-supporting hole while a portion of the case is inserted in the connector-supporting hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: AUDIO-TECHNICA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Yoshino
  • Patent number: 10306353
    Abstract: The invention relates to an acoustic impedance matching device arranged so as to be mounted behind a loudspeaker. Said device comprises a chamber at least partially filled with an absorbent material. Said device is characterized in that the cross-section of the chamber increases with the distance from the loudspeaker, and the density of the absorbent material increases with the distance from the loudspeaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: FOCAL JMLAB
    Inventor: Shintaro Hosoi
  • Patent number: 10296040
    Abstract: Examples of an audio device may comprise a speaker, a body having multiple sides, and an electrical communication feature disposed on each of the multiple sides. Each electrical communication feature may facilitate electrical communication between the audio device and an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
    Inventors: Chan Park, Paul Roberto Lalinde, Tony Moon, Jose Ticy Lo
  • Patent number: 10271129
    Abstract: An acoustic device includes first and second acoustic cavities which are air tight. A first passive radiator includes a first passive radiator diaphragm that has a rear surface which is exposed to the first acoustic cavity. A second passive radiator includes a first passive radiator diaphragm having a front surface which is exposed to the first acoustic cavity, and a rear surface which is exposed to the second acoustic cavity. A first electro-acoustic transducer is supported on the second passive radiator diaphragm. The first electro-acoustic transducer is arranged such that a first radiating surface of the first electro-acoustic transducer radiates acoustic energy into the first acoustic chamber and a second radiating surface of the first electro-acoustic transducer radiates acoustic energy into the second acoustic chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Roman N. Litovsky, Chester Smith Williams, Michael Tiene
  • Patent number: 10269336
    Abstract: An arrangement comprising an ultrasonic transducer and a damping element with a longitudinal axis, which damping element connects the ultrasonic transducer with a housing- or measuring tube wall. The transducer has an end piece with a medium-contacting surface, from which ultrasonic signals are transferred into a gaseous or liquid medium. The damping element has at least two annular grooves and an annular mass segment arranged therebetween, characterized in that the damping element has a first eigenfrequency, in which the annular mass segment executes an axial movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of the damping element. This first eigenfrequency is the highest eigenfrequency, in the case that a plurality of eigenfrequencies are present, in the case of which the annular mass segment executes an axial movement parallel to the longitudinal direction of the damping element, and the damping element has a second eigenfrequency, in which the annular mass segment executes a rotary movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: ENDRESS + HAUSER FLOWTEC AG
    Inventors: Yaoying Lin, Alfred Rieder, Wolfgang Drahm, Michal Bezdek, Pierre Ueberschlag
  • Patent number: 10250994
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a micro transducer array comprising a shared motor system having a base plate and mounting interfaces to a frame of a portable electronic device; a first transducer comprising a first magnet disposed between the base plate and a first top plate, and a first diaphragm projecting sound out of a surface of the portable device; a second transducer comprising a second magnet disposed between the base plate and a second top plate, and a second diaphragm projecting sound of an opposite surface of the portable device; a first pair of input terminals inputting a first audio signal to the first transducer; and a second pair of input terminals inputting a second audio signal to the second transducer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventor: Kelvin Francis Griffiths
  • Patent number: 10250962
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a package structure of a MEMS microphone. The package structure comprises a closed inner cavity formed by a package shell in a surrounding manner, as well as a MEMS chip and an ASIC chip which are located in the closed inner cavity, wherein a sound hole allowing sound to flow into the closed inner cavity is formed in the package shell; the MEMS chip comprises a substrate as well as a vibrating diaphragm and a back plate which are provided on the substrate; the vibrating diaphragm divides the closed inner cavity into a front cavity and a back cavity; and a sound-absorbing structure is provided in the back cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: GOERTEK.INC
    Inventor: Guoguang Zheng
  • Patent number: 10244333
    Abstract: A hearing system includes a pair of first and second hearing devices wirelessly coupled to a remote device that includes a microphone. One or more gains can each be calculated as a function of a first microphone signal received from the first hearing device, a second microphone signal received from the second hearing device, and a remote microphone signal received from the remote device. The function can be designed to improve speech intelligibility in a noisy environment. The one or more gains are applied to the first and second microphone signals to produce output sounds by the first and second hearing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Frederic Philippe Denis Mustiere, Jumana Harianawala, Tao Zhang
  • Patent number: 10237665
    Abstract: Hearing devices, configured to fit within the ear canal, that include a hearing device core, a seal, including a shell wall and a cavity that has an opening located at the end of the shell wall, and a volume of viscous medium located within the cavity between the hearing device core exterior surface and the shell wall interior surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Erdal Karamuk, Petra Gunde, Simone Keller, Chuangang Lin, Paul Wagner, Michael Au
  • Patent number: 10237659
    Abstract: A loudspeaker module, relating to the technical field of electroacoustic products. The loudspeaker module comprises a housing. A loudspeaker unit is accommodated in the housing. An electrical connection member which is a metal sheet is fixed on the housing. An inner bonding pad is disposed at one end of the electrical connection member, and an outer bonding pad is disposed at the other end of the electrical connection member. The inner bonding pad is located in the housing and is electrically connected to the loudspeaker unit. The outer bonding pad is exposed outside the housing and is electrically connected to a terminal circuit. The loudspeaker module of the present invention solves the technical problems in the prior art such as poor tone quality, low reliability, and a complicated assembling process of a loudspeaker module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Goertek Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Wang, Qianqian Song, Jianbin Yang, Zhi Li
  • Patent number: 10231052
    Abstract: An acoustic device that is adapted to be worn on the body of a user, with a first acoustic transducer and a second acoustic transducer, where the first transducer is closer to the expected location of a first ear of the user than is the second transducer, a third acoustic transducer and a fourth acoustic transducer, where the third transducer is closer to the expected location of a second ear of the user than is the fourth transducer, and a controller that is adapted to independently control the phase and frequency response of the first, second, third and fourth transducers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventors: Nathan Jeffery, Roman N. Litovsky
  • Patent number: 10231043
    Abstract: A portable speaker and protective cover for a portable wireless speaker and speaker system is disclosed. The protective cover is configured to receive, retain, cover, protect, and interactively support the portable wireless speaker. A plurality of embedded magnets and/or metallic elements in the speaker and cover are configured and aligned to magnetically secure the protective cover around the portable wireless speaker in the fully closed position and facilitate secure positioning of the speaker in a stand position during use. Other audio, video and computing electronics including tablet and smart phones may also be similarly protected and supported by such a cover configured to the particular dimensions of the electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: ZAGG Amplified, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy Hemesath, John Craig Cheney, Bryce Alan Craig
  • Patent number: 10224975
    Abstract: The application relates to a portable electronic system comprising a first electronic device and an auxiliary device. The first electronic device comprises a first antenna defining a first spatial direction, and a first wireless unit operationally coupled to the first antenna. The auxiliary device comprises a second antenna defining a second spatial direction, the second antenna comprising a multitude of antenna elements, each defining a specific spatial direction, a second wireless unit operationally coupled to the second antenna, a direction detector configured to provide a direction-signal indicating an estimate of a current value of said second spatial direction relative to a reference direction, and a control unit configured to selectively control the connection of said multitude of antenna elements of the second antenna to said second wireless unit based on said direction-signal from the direction detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: OTICON A/S
    Inventors: Morten Elo Petersen, Thomas Gleerup, Troels Andersen
  • Patent number: 10194229
    Abstract: A wearable audio component includes a first cable and an audio source in electrical communication with the first cable. A housing defines an interior and an exterior, the audio source being contained within the interior thereof. The exterior includes an ear engaging surface, an outer surface, and a peripheral surface extending between the front and outer surfaces. The peripheral surface includes a channel open along a length to surrounding portions of the peripheral surface and having a depth to extend partially between the front and outer surfaces. A portion of the channel is covered by a bridge member that defines an aperture between and open to adjacent portions of the channel. The cable is connected with the housing at a first location disposed within the channel remote from the bridge member and is captured in so as to extend through the aperture in a slidable engagement therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Haley Toelle, Jianchun Dong, Michael Kai Morishita, Eliot Kim, Hayes Solos Raffle, Livius Dumitru Chebeleu