Abstract: A micro speaker having a capacitive sensor to sense a motion of a speaker diaphragm, is disclosed. More particularly, embodiments of the micro speaker include a conductive surface of a diaphragm facing conductive surfaces of several capacitive plate sections across a gap. The diaphragm may be configured to emit sound forward away from a magnet of the micro speaker, and the capacitive plate sections may be supported on the magnet behind the diaphragm. In an embodiment, the gap provides an available travel for the diaphragm, which may be only a few millimeters. A sensing circuit may sense capacitances of the conductive surfaces to limit displacement of the diaphragm to within the available travel.

Abstract: A loudspeaker includes a sound transducer, a housing and a unit configured to influence the temperature, such as a pressure compensation element. The sound transducer includes a membrane, the membrane enclosing a gas volume along with the housing. The sound transducer is configured to cause the membrane to vibrate, so that the gas volume is changed in accordance with the vibration. The unit configured to influence the temperature is configured to counteract a change of state, which is due to the membrane vibration, by means of a change in temperature of the gas volume.

Abstract: A hearing aid output amplifier additionally outputs a scaled replica of the output battery current, which is integrated and measured by a coulomb counter. The scaled current charges a capacitor. When the capacitor reaches a threshold voltage, a switch is activated. The switch rapidly discharges the capacitor and allows the charging cycle to begin again. The switch also sends a digital pulse to a digital counter, which keeps track of the number of charge/discharge cycles the capacitor has undergone over the lifetime of the device. The amount of charge produced by the battery is proportional to the number of charge/discharge cycles counted. A hearing aid is disclosed, which has different modes that have different dynamic ranges, such as a “sleep” mode, an “active” mode, and/or an “RF communication” mode.

Abstract: Broadly speaking, the embodiments disclosed herein describe replacing a current hearing aid profile stored in a hearing aid. In one embodiment, the hearing aid profile is updated by sending a hearing aid profile update request to a hearing aid profile service, receiving the updated hearing aid profile from the hearing aid profile service, and replacing the current hearing aid profile in the hearing aid with the updated hearing aid profile.

Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer that operates in accordance with an audio signal to thereby vibrating a vibrated body in a first direction for permitting the vibrated body to generate sounds, including: a magnetic-path forming portion fixedly disposed relative to a fixedly supporting portion; a movable unit having an electromagnetic coupling portion electromagnetically coupled to the magnetic-path forming portion and configured to vibrate in the first direction when the electromagnetic coupling portion is driven by the magnetic-path forming portion in response to a drive signal based on the audio signal; a connector fixed to the vibrated body and connecting the movable unit to the vibrated body for transmitting vibration of the movable unit to the vibrated body; and at least two restricting mechanisms fixedly disposed relative to the fixedly supporting portion for restricting a movement of the movable unit in a second direction intersecting the first direction.

Abstract: An analysis filter bank decomposes a microphone signal into sub-band signals, a gain unit applies a frequency-dependent gain to the sub-band signals, and a synthesis filter bank converts the amplified sub-band signals into a signal, which is then output by a receiver. A first adaptive filter of a feedback canceller provides feedback compensation signals adapted to compensate acoustic feedback from the receiver to the microphone, whereby the feedback compensation signals are subtracted from corresponding signals from the sub-band signals. A second adaptive filter of the feedback canceller estimates cross-frequency signal components resulting from aliasing of signal components from one sub-band into one or more neighboring sub-bands caused by non-ideal sub-band signal decomposition in the analysis filter bank with overlapping sub-bands. Thereby, the first adaptive filter is adapted in dependence of the estimated cross-frequency signal components.

Abstract: A removable component for use with an earphone is disclosed. As an example, the removable component can be an ear tip. According to one aspect, an improved ear tip can be provided for use with a headphone. The ear tip is suitable for in-ear operation and can have a cosmetic deformable outer member. The deformable outer member can enable the ear tip to readily conform to a user's ear. The ear tip can also include an inner member to structurally support the outer member and to facilitate attachment to a headphone. Methods for forming such ear tips are also disclosed.

Abstract: An interface pad circuit configured for conveying an electrical signal from a semiconductor chip component to a component external to the semiconductor chip component, the interface pad circuit includes: a control circuit; a plurality of semiconductor elements, the semiconductor elements having respective bulk terminals and being controlled by the control circuit; and a connection pad; wherein at least two of the semiconductor elements are configured for providing a plurality of non-zero logic voltage levels to the connection pad; and wherein the control circuit is configured to apply a voltage level to the bulk terminals of the at least two of the semiconductor elements providing the non-zero logic voltage levels, the voltage level applied by the control circuit corresponding to the highest voltage level of the plurality of non-zero logic voltage levels.

Abstract: A loudspeaker comprising includes an enclosure, a driver element located within the enclosure and including a cone diaphragm, a first cavity defined by a first cavity wall and the cone diaphragm, the first cavity extending from the cone diaphragm and having a first opening which has an area less than an area of the cone diaphragm, an exit element extending from the first opening of the first cavity and acoustically coupling the first cavity to an environment outside of the enclosure, a second cavity, defined by a second cavity wall within the enclosure extending from a second opening in the first cavity, and an acoustic element in the second opening acoustically coupling the second cavity to the first cavity. The second cavity is not otherwise acoustically coupled to the environment outside of the enclosure.

Abstract: A hearing device and an associated method for tuning a hearing aid include at least one hearing aid and at least one external unit. The device includes the following: a memory unit in the hearing aid which stores the times and the listening situations for which at least one predefinable algorithm for signal processing is activated; an output unit in the hearing aid and/or in the external unit which outputs and/or displays the stored times, listening situations and the activated algorithm; an input unit in the hearing aid or in the external unit for inputting an assessment rating which expresses the hearing aid wearer's satisfaction with the algorithm activated, and a change unit in the hearing aid for changing at least one parameter of the algorithm as a function of the assessment rating. Even algorithms of very short duration, such as an MPO, for example, are trainable.

Abstract: A multi-channel switchmode audio amplifier is configured by a programmed processor such that each channel drives separate loads, is connected in parallel or is configured in a bridge-tied mode as well as combinations thereof. In one embodiment, amplifier channels that are connected in parallel have power amplifiers that are driven with signals from a single modulator. A feedback circuit and error amplifier from one channel controls the modulated signal that is applied to each parallely connected amplifier channel. Current feedback circuits for parallely connected amplifier channels are eliminated by tightly controlling the timing of switching in the power amplifier output stages.

Abstract: A hearing aid includes a speaker in a tip that is located in an ear canal. The tip includes a coupling, a retainer that mechanically engages the coupling, and a sleeve axially surrounding the retainer. The retainer attenuates lower frequencies than are attenuated by the sleeve. The sleeve is preferably a foam rubber and the retainer is preferably a composite material. A flange on the retainer reflects sound back into the sleeve for additional attenuation. It has been discovered that operation is improved if the outside diameter of the sleeve and the outside diameter of the retainer are in the ratio of approximately 1.75:1.

Abstract: An installation structure for an acoustic transducer that operates in accordance with an audio signal to vibrate a vibrated body in a first direction for permitting the vibrated body to generate sounds, including: a magnetic-path forming portion; a vibrating unit configured to vibrate in the first direction; a connecting member disposed between: a part of the vibrated body or a fixed portion fixed to the vibrated body; and the vibrating unit, for transmitting vibration of the vibrating unit to the vibrated body; a first joint portion that connects a first end portion of the connecting member to the vibrating unit for enabling the connecting member to be inclined with respect to an axis extending in the first direction; and a second joint portion that connects a second end portion of the connecting member to the fixed portion for enabling the connecting member to be inclined with respect to the axis.

Abstract: A sound pickup apparatus, which can control directionality and has a simple structure, and in which a plurality of microphones can be provided so as to be floated by using the small number of parts, is provided. Three support columns 13A to 13C having the same length are provided upright on a top surface of a housing 11 of a sound pickup apparatus 1. The support columns 13A to 13C are equidistantly arranged away from a center position of the housing 11 and equally spaced 120 degrees apart from each other. A frame 4 having microphone frames 14A to 14C in which microphones are fitted is arranged above the top surface of the housing 11. In addition, the microphone frames 14A to 14C are coupled to the support columns 13A to 13C of the housing 11 by elastic rubbers 15A to 15C in a state where tensile stress passes the center of the housing 11 and is generated in an outward direction.

Abstract: An acoustic device intended to operate pistonically and in bending comprising a panel-form acoustic radiator, a magnetic drive system including a voice coil on a tubular bobbin, the bobbin being directly coupled to the radiator to drive the radiator directly; and a coupling device connected to the bobbin, and to the radiator at a position at or near to the first nodal line of bending resonance of the radiator. A method of improving the on-axis response of a loudspeaker having a panel-form radiator and intended to operate both pistonically and in bending, comprising driving the radiator by a directly connected tubular bobbin, and substantially suppressing the lowest natural frequency of the radiator by providing a coupler connected from the bobbin to the radiator at or near to its first nodal line.

Abstract: An acoustic device captures sound using two or more microphones and filters the sound into a plurality of sub-bands. For each of the plurality of sub-bands, the device identifies sound captured by the microphones from at least two directions and attenuates the sound captured by the microphones, within each of the sub-bands, in substantially one of the directions.

Abstract: Communication device includes a housing with a two or more apertures defined therein to form a speaker grille. The apertures are arranged to form one or more aperture sets, each comprised of at least two apertures connected by a fluid channel defined on an internal face of the panel. The fluid channel is comprised of one or more channel segments. Each of the channels segments and the acoustic apertures has a predetermined size and shape which draws fluid through the apertures from an exterior side of the panel, to an interior side of the panel, and then into one of the channel segments. The dimensions and geometry of the channels and apertures are selected to cause the fluid in the channels to exit from the housing at a lowermost one of the acoustic apertures.

Abstract: A speaker structure includes a main body, a circuit board and a magnetic component. The main body has a receiving section and a recess formed on an outer circumference of the receiving section. A center of the main body is formed with a hole in communication with the receiving section. The circuit board has a board body and an outer frame body inlaid in the recess of the main body. The magnetic component is received in the hole. A voice coil collar is disposed around the magnetic component. Multiple windings are wound around a surface of the voice coil collar. Two ends of the windings are attached to the circuit board. According to the above arrangement, the volume of the speaker structure is greatly reduced and the manufacturing cost of the speaker structure is lowered.

Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatuses that provide a manufacturable RF transmission line to go through the bend area of a flexible circuit to be used in a compact design, such as in a compact hearing aid design. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to using multiple inner layers of the flexible circuit to route RF transmission. By not using outer layers, the RF transmission line will be less susceptible to delamination from the polyimide dielectric layer. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to choosing copper transmission line to have dimensions that allow for narrower transmission lines with good RF return loss. The copper transmission line dimensions also allow for manufacturing in a standard process without adding extra cost.

Abstract: The invention relates to an enclosure with a substantial rectangular configuration, adapted to contain an apparatus sensitive to acoustic vibrations, the enclosure comprising walls and acoustic damping material located within the wall, wherein the acoustic damping material comprises at least one absorbing body of acoustic energy absorbing material located adjacent to a rib of the enclosure. The acoustic vibrations most disturbing the processes in the apparatus within the enclosure are caused by standing acoustic waves within the enclosure with frequencies in the range between 50 Hz and 1000 Hz. These acoustic waves are efficiently damped by the provision of a block of acoustic absorbing material adjacent to one of the ribs of the enclosure, to such an extent that the need for thick walls of the enclosure is substantially obviated, leading to a less voluminous enclosure.