Patents Examined by Phan Le
  • Patent number: 10244337
    Abstract: A method of providing a hearing instrument includes: providing at a manufacturer the hearing instrument with a firmware which comprises a plurality of selectable functional properties; distributing the hearing instrument from the manufacturer to a middleman, wherein the hearing instrument is configured to be programmed by a programming station at the middleman, wherein the programming station is configured for selecting at least one of the plurality of selectable functional properties according to an input from the middleman, wherein the programming station is also configured to program the firmware of the hearing instrument according to the selecting to provide a programmed hearing instrument; billing an end user for the programmed hearing instrument, wherein the billing reflects the selecting; and receiving, at the manufacturer, data regarding the selecting from the middleman.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventor: Senthil Avanasi
  • Patent number: 10219066
    Abstract: A headset system for interchangeable wearing styles is disclosed. A retention element is detachably coupled to an earpiece, allowing the headset to interchange between a headband, ear loop and neckband wearing style. The retention element comprises a security element that prevents rotation of the earpiece when coupled, providing a stable and ergonomic wearing experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Gougherty, John Kelley, Erik Tews
  • Patent number: 10194253
    Abstract: An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit provides a compact design for a hearing aid to communicate wirelessly with a system external to the hearing aid. In an embodiment, an antenna includes metallic traces in a hybrid circuit that is configured for use in a hearing aid. The antenna includes contacts in the hybrid circuit to couple the metallic traces to electronic devices in the hybrid circuit. In an embodiment, the metallic traces form a planar coil design having a number of turns of the coil in a substrate in the hybrid circuit. In another embodiment, the metallic traces are included in a flex circuit on a substrate in the hybrid circuit. An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit allows for use in a completely-in-the-canal hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Beau Jay Polinske
  • Patent number: 10165351
    Abstract: A headphone is provided. The headphone includes a housing, a first speaker and a second speaker. The housing includes a sound output side, a first layer structure, a first output path, a first trench, a first recess, and a second recess. The first speaker is disposed in the first recess, wherein the first speaker includes a first speaker orientation, and the first speaker orientation corresponds to the first output path. The second speaker is disposed in the second recess. The first output path includes the first trench, which is located at the first layer structure, that extends around the first speaker, and is connected to the sound output side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: SINTAI OPTICAL (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD., ASIA OPTICAL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi Imai, Takayuki Karasawa, Tomoya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10165344
    Abstract: A headphone is provided. The headphone includes a housing and an speaker. The housing includes a first layer structure, a first receiving space, a first output path, a first trench and a sound output side. The speaker is located in the first receiving space, wherein the speaker includes a first speaker orientation, and the first speaker orientation corresponds to the first output path. The first output path includes the first trench, which is located at the first layer structure, extends around the speaker, and is connected to the sound output side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignees: SINTAI OPTICAL (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD., ASIA OPTICAL INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Naofumi Imai, Takayuki Karasawa, Tomoya Takahashi
  • Patent number: 10149060
    Abstract: A long stroke speaker is provided in the present disclosure. The long stroke speaker includes a shell, a magnetic system, and a vibrating system. The magnetic system includes a magnet assembly and a magnetic guiding module cooperatively for forming a magnetic gap. The vibrating system includes a membrane, a coil support connected to the membrane, and a voice coil connected to the coil support. The magnet assembly includes a first magnet, a second magnet and a pole member, a magnetic direction of the first magnet and a magnetic direction of the second magnet are parallel to a vibration direction of the vibrating system, and an end of the first magnet adjacent to the pole member has a same polarity as an end of the second magnet adjacent to the pole member. The voice coil is arranged at the magnetic gap and surrounds the pole member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: AAC ACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGIES (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yunhu Nie, Hongxing Wang, Shun Guo
  • Patent number: 10142736
    Abstract: An electroacoustic transducer includes: a diaphragm having two pairs of longitudinal split tubular surfaces; a converter that performs conversion between vibration of the diaphragm and an electric signal; and a supporter supporting the diaphragm. The two pairs of longitudinal split tubular surfaces form valleys and ridge portions. In each pair of the two pairs of longitudinal split tubular surfaces, one-side portions of the respective longitudinal split tubular surfaces form a valley. Another-side portion of the split tubular surface of each one of the two pairs and an other-side portion of the split tubular surface of the other of the two pairs form a ridge portion. The two pairs of longitudinal split tubular surfaces are arranged in at least one of a state in which the valleys are orthogonal to each other and a state in which the ridge portions are orthogonal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Masao Noro
  • Patent number: 10142753
    Abstract: This electroacoustic conversion chain comprising at least one loudspeaker, this loudspeaker comprising means for generating a magnetic field in a magnetic circuit having an air gap and a membrane secured to turns of a conducting material which may move in this air gap, is characterized in that it comprises at least one control module comprising at least one input for conveying a signal to be broadcast and at least one output connected to a turn, the control module being able to apply to said or each output an excitation signal depending on the position of at least one turn relatively to the air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: Devialet
    Inventors: Antoine Petroff, Pierre-Emmanuel Calmel, Jean-Loup Nat Afresne
  • Patent number: 10136210
    Abstract: A personal acoustic system and flexible mount for the same are disclosed. The flexible mount is comprised of an elastomeric material. The personal acoustic system further includes a band comprising a first mount and an earpiece comprising a second mount. An acoustic element is housed within the earpiece. The elastomeric mount is positioned intermediate the first mount and the second mount to flexibly connect the band to the earpiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: KOSS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nicholas Stanford Blair
  • Patent number: 10117018
    Abstract: Disclosed is a speaker module, comprising an active sound source, a passive sound source and a protective frame; the active sound source comprises a vibration system and a magnetic circuit system; the side surface of the protective frame is provided with a sound hole for the active sound source; the passive sound source comprises two passive radiators, and the two passive radiators are arranged in parallel and enclose a cavity; a sound wave at one side of a vibrating diaphragm adjacent to the magnetic circuit system is divided into two parts respectively transmitted to one side of each of the two passive radiators away from the cavity; and a sound wave in the cavity is projected and emitted to the external environment via a sound hole for the passive sound source. The structure improves the bass effect of the speaker module, and improves the acoustic performance of the product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: GOERTEK INC.
    Inventors: Minghui Shao, Jianbin Yang
  • Patent number: 10083001
    Abstract: An audio signal processor generating an analog audio signal with directional characteristic from at least two 1-bit audio signals of digital microphones comprises a shift register of length n for bit-clocked throughput of at least one 1-bit audio signal and a combiner for combining at least two 1-bit audio signals to an interlaced 1-bit audio signal with doubled bit frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: RUWISCH, Dietmar
    Inventor: Dietmar Ruwisch
  • Patent number: 10044232
    Abstract: A first electronic device includes a first coil that is operative in at least two modes. In a first mode, the first coil may be utilized to moves a membrane to produce one or more sound waves, register movement of a membrane to detect one or more sound waves, or generates one or more haptic outputs. In the second mode, the first coil may be used to inductively transmit power to and/or inductively receive power from a second coil included in a second electronic device. In various cases, the second coil may be a dedicated inductive power transmission coil. In other cases, the second coil may be capable of multimode operation similar to the first coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Justin D. Crosby, Nikolas T. Vitt, Gary P. Geaves
  • Patent number: 10038954
    Abstract: A compression driver includes a phasing plug having a base portion with a first side and an opposed second side, and includes a hub portion extending outwardly from the first side along a central axis, the hub portion including an outer surface. The base portion includes a plurality of apertures that extend therethrough from the first side to the second side, the apertures arranged generally circumferentially about the central axis and oriented generally parallel to the outer surface of the hub portion. A diaphragm is disposed adjacent the phasing plug second side, and a compression chamber is defined between the diaphragm and the phasing plug. A housing is positioned on the phasing plug first side, the housing having a central aperture generally aligned with the hub portion and forming an exit of the compression driver, the housing having an inner surface which forms a waveguide with the outer surface of the hub portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Harman International Industries, Incorporated
    Inventor: Alexander Voishvillo
  • Patent number: 10021495
    Abstract: An antenna module for a hearing device includes a hollow core provided with an axial passageway and a winding around the core which is connectable with a hearing device. The antenna module is arranged to be at least partially contained within the ear canal of a user. This enables the antenna to be separated from sources of interference, since it can be positioned inside the ear canal away from hearing device electronics, thus reducing requirements for shielding and/or compensation. The invention further relates to an ear tip and a hearing device including such an antenna module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Andi Vonlanthen, Stephan Gehring, Christoph Leist, Andreas Jakob, Daniel Probst
  • Patent number: 10015620
    Abstract: A head tracking system that determines a rotation angle of a head of a user with respect to a reference direction, dependent on a movement of a user including changes of place, position, and/or posture. The head tracking system includes a sensing device for measuring a head movement to provide a measure representing the head movement, and a processing circuit for deriving the rotation angle of the head of the user with respect to the reference direction from the measure. The reference direction is dependent on the movement of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Paulus Henricus Antonius Dillen, Arnoldus Werner Johannes Oomen, Erik Gosuinus Petrus Schuijers
  • Patent number: 10003876
    Abstract: Planar magnetic headphones include a single layer of parallel elongated magnets spaced from each other and supported on a magnet holder matrix. The holder matrix can be plastic or it can be a metallic permeability plate, with the magnets being on the inside (toward the ear) of the plate. Inboard of the magnets is a plastic dampening matrix that supports a first continuous disk-shaped dampening membrane. A serpentine circuit trace is established on a thin diaphragm that is outboard of the magnets to excite the magnets and move the diaphragm to produce sound according to the current in the trace. Still further outboard of the circuit race and positioned against a hard plastic outer cover is a second continuous disk-shaped dampening membrane. A circular pattern of holes is formed through the outer cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventor: Shai Messingher
  • Patent number: 9986322
    Abstract: A system is disclosed for safely and efficiently removing or returning a radio microphone from a mounting surface. The system includes a first magnet attached to the rear side of a radio microphone and a second magnet located at a desired mounting position on the mounting surface. The second magnet preferably includes an outer vinyl layer to prevent breaking or cracking of the first second magnet when returning the radio microphone to its mounting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: Innovative Products Inc.
    Inventors: Bryan J. Schreiber, Michael J. Tinter
  • Patent number: 9961448
    Abstract: A diaphragm and suspension edge includes inner and suspension edge portions. The inner suspension edge portion includes an inner suspension edge body, and one or more inner side elastic ribs protruding relative to the inner suspension edge body. Each inner side elastic rib forms a bulge on a first side of the inner suspension edge portion, and forms a flute on the opposite side. The outer suspension edge portion includes an outer suspension edge body, and one or more outer side elastic ribs protruding relative to the outer suspension edge body. Each outer side elastic rib forms a protrusion on a first side of the outer suspension edge portion, and forms a groove on the opposite side. The suspension edge restricts the displacement direction of the vibration unit of a speaker in the axial vibration direction thereof to prevent offset of the vibration unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: TANG BAND INDUSTRIES CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hsinmin Huang
  • Patent number: 9942638
    Abstract: A composite electronic device includes an electronic device; and a speaker cartridge. The speaker cartridge includes a vibration body, an exciter, a first housing, and a first connector. The vibration body has a first main surface and a second main surface. A first space is defined by the first main surface and the first housing, and a second space is defined by the second main surface and the first housing. The electronic device includes an electronic circuit, a second housing, and a second connector. A third space surrounded by the second housing is provided. The exciter and the electronic circuit are electrically connected to each other. The first space is in communication with an outer space via a first opening of the first housing. The second space is in communication with the third space via a second opening of the first housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
    Inventors: Tooru Takahashi, Shuichi Fukuoka
  • Patent number: 9942660
    Abstract: A sound output device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of sub-sound outputting devices which are combined with or separated from each other and are connected to each other electrically or through a short range communication network; and a controller being mounted in one of the plurality of sub-sound outputting devices. The controller can determine the type of a sound channel to realize based on how the plurality of sub-sound outputting devices are combined and disposed and determine the roles of the plurality of sub-sound outputting devices in the determined sound channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: LG ELECTRONICS INC.
    Inventor: Jingon Song