Patents Examined by Suhan Ni
  • Patent number: 11793078
    Abstract: An object is to provide a piezoelectric film that has excellent flexibility in a high temperature environment at higher than 50° C. and exhibits good flexibility even at room temperature, a laminated piezoelectric element in which the piezoelectric films are laminated, and an electroacoustic transducer using the piezoelectric film or the laminated piezoelectric element. The object is solved by the piezoelectric film including: a polymer-based piezoelectric composite material in which piezoelectric particles are dispersed in a matrix including a polymer material; and electrode layers provided on both surfaces of the polymer-based piezoelectric composite material, in which a loss tangent at a frequency of 1 Hz according to dynamic viscoelasticity measurement has a maximal value of greater than or equal to 0.1 existing in a temperature range of higher than 50° C. and lower than or equal to 150° C., and has a value of greater than or equal to 0.08 at 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsu Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 11785398
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a hearing aid having at least two wireless interfaces, where the operation of one wireless risk introducing noise into the at least second wireless interface. The first wireless interface being configured so that it does not, or at least to a limited degree, introduce noise into the second wireless interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Morten Vinding, Henrik Damborg Hald
  • Patent number: 11785374
    Abstract: An acoustic device (1), comprises: a container (2); a passive resonator, including a suspension (3) connected to the container (2) and a radiator (4) connected to the suspension (3), where the suspension (3) is configured to allow the radiator (4) to vibrate relative to the container (2), a structure (5) having at least a first connecting point (51), where it is connected to the radiator (4), and a second connecting point (52), where it is connected to the container (2), the structure (5) being movable alternately between a first position and a second position, responsive to a vibration of the radiator (4); one or more masses (61, 62), spaced from the radiator (4) and associated with the vibrating structure (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: POWERSOFT S.P.A.
    Inventor: Claudio Lastrucci
  • Patent number: 11785402
    Abstract: A bone conduction device is configured to classify received sound signals (sounds) into one or more sound categories/classes (i.e., determine the input signal type). The bone conduction device is configured to dynamically set a maximum force output (MFO) of the bone conduction device at least based on the sound class of the sound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Kristian Gunnar Asnes
  • Patent number: 11778391
    Abstract: A hearing device cable including a body portion is described herein. The body portion may extend between a first end region and a second end region along a tube centerline. The body portion may include a first radial portion proximate the first end region and second radial portion proximate the second end region. The first radial portion may define a radius of curvature that is greater than or equal to a radius of curvature defined by the second radial portion. The tube centerline may lie along an x-y plane between the first and second end regions. In one or more embodiments, the body portion may define a passageway extending between the first and second end regions. Further, the hearing device cable may include a superelastic wire within the passageway extending between the first and second end regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Sidney A. Higgins, David Tourtelotte
  • Patent number: 11770663
    Abstract: An earpiece of hearing device for insertion into an ear canal of a user and having a longitudinal axis, the earpiece includes an earpiece housing having a distal end, a proximal end, and an outer surface connecting the distal end to the proximal end, a receiver comprising a receiver housing, the receiver located within the earpiece housing, and a vent mechanism arranged in the earpiece housing, wherein the vent mechanism is arranged distal to the receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Jan Johansen, Timea Denisa Merca, Maria Chantziara
  • Patent number: 11765509
    Abstract: Provided is an MEMS device, including: a substrate having back cavity passing thererthrough; a diaphragm connected to the substrate and covers the back cavity, the diaphragm includes first and second membranes, and accommodating space formed therebetween; a counter electrode; and support loop members arranged concentrically. Opposite ends of the support loop member are connected to the first and second membranes. The support loop members are arranged at intervals. Each support loop member has first sections concentrically arranged as a loop member at intervals. A first notch is formed between two adjacent first sections. In at least one support loop member, the first section has second sections concentrically arranged as a loop member at intervals. A second notch is formed between two adjacent second sections. By a larger first section, distance between adjacent first sections is larger, the technical problem that large number of slots required for counter electrode is solved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: AAC Acoustic Technologies (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Euan James Boyd
  • Patent number: 11765497
    Abstract: Provided are an earhole-wearable sound collection device, a signal processing device, and a sound collection method for sound collection at a high S/N ratio, with noise influence being reduced not by a noise reduction process. In the earhole-wearable sound collection device, a microphone that collects emitted speech voice is provided in a space that is substantially sealed off from outside and connects to an ear canal of the wearer (the speaker). With the microphone being located in the space sealed off from outside, emitted speech voice that propagates through the ear canal of the wearer is collected. In a sound collection signal obtained through the ear canal, the emitted speech voice component is dominant over the noise component particularly at low frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Asada, Shinpei Tsuchiya, Daizen Kobayashi, Koji Nageno
  • Patent number: 11765522
    Abstract: A system (20) includes a plurality of microphones (22), configured to generate different respective signals in response to acoustic waves (36) arriving at the microphones, and a processor (34). The processor is configured to receive the signals, to combine the signals into multiple channels, which correspond to different respective directions relative to the microphones by virtue of each channel representing any portion of the acoustic waves arriving from the corresponding direction with greater weight, relative to others of the directions, to calculate respective energy measures of the channels, to select one of the directions, in response to the energy measure for the channel corresponding to the selected direction passing one or more energy thresholds, and to output a combined signal representing the selected direction with greater weight, relative to others of the directions. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: NUANCE HEARING LTD.
    Inventors: Yehonatan Hertzberg, Yaniv Zonis, Stanislav Berlin, Ori Goren
  • Patent number: 11758320
    Abstract: A venturi expander is mounted on a speaker enclosure to receive the rearward-propagated sound waves and to extend the propagation path. The venturi expander's reflective sides direct the rearward sound to the sides or top or bottom of the speaker enclosure to produce a reflected sound surrounding the speaker enclosure and producing sound to the sides of the speaker substantially as projected from the front of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Inventor: Ronald K. Taylor
  • Patent number: 11743661
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes at least two microphones, providing respective at least two electric input signals representing sound around the user; a filter bank converting the electric input signals into signals as a function of time and frequency; a directional system connected to the microphones and being configured to provide a filtered signal in dependence of the electric input signals and fixed or adaptively updated beamformer weights. At least one direction to a target sound source is defined as a target direction. For each frequency band, one of the microphones is selected as a reference microphone, thereby providing a reference input signal for each frequency band. The reference microphone may be selected in dependence of directional data related to directional characteristics of the microphones. The reference microphone may be different for at least two frequency bands. The reference microphone may be adaptively selected based on a logic criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Michael Syskind Pedersen, Jesper Jensen, Christian Asp Mogensen
  • Patent number: 11743658
    Abstract: An electrostatic acoustic wave generating device and an electrostatic speaker making entries of dust, water, moisture, etc. into the device and the speaker, allowing reduction in power. A plate-like fixed electrode has a through hole penetrating the thickness of the fixed electrode. A vibrating body and a vibrating electrode each having a plate-like shape are arranged closer to one surface and closer to the other surface of the fixed electrode respectively, and are movable in the respective thickness directions thereof. A connection member connects the vibrating body and the vibrating electrode to each other through the through hole of the fixed electrode to cause the vibrating body and the vibrating electrode to move toward the same direction. Voice signal input is capable of applying a voltage to the fixed electrode, the vibrating body, and the vibrating electrode to move the vibrating body between the fixed electrode and the vibrating body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Joerg Froemel, Shuji Tanaka, Koichi Ohtaka
  • Patent number: 11743623
    Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a wearable audio device, such as an earbud. The earbud may be configured to detect input using various sensors and structures. For example, the earbud may be configured to detect gestures, physical manipulations, and so forth performed along or on the earbud. In response to the detected inputs, the earbud may be configured to change various outputs, such as an audio output or a haptic output of the device. The earbud may also include a microphone to register voice commands. In some cases, the microphone may be used to control the earbud using the registered voice command in response to one or more detected gestures or physical manipulations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin G. Jackson, Brenton A. Baugh, David H. Bloom, Gemma A. Roper, Karlin Y. Bark, Thomas S. Hulbert
  • Patent number: 11743628
    Abstract: An audio system for providing content to a user. The system includes a first and a second transducer assembly of a plurality of transducer assemblies, an acoustic sensor, and a controller. The first transducer assembly couples to a portion of an auricle of the user's ear and vibrates over a first range of frequencies based on a first set of audio instructions. The vibration causes the portion of the ear to create a first range of acoustic pressure waves. The second transducer assembly is configured to vibrate over a second range of frequencies to produce a second range of acoustic pressure waves based on a second set of audio instructions. The acoustic sensor detects acoustic pressure waves at an entrance of the ear. The controller generates the audio instructions based on audio content to be provided to the user and the detected acoustic pressure waves from the acoustic sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Ravish Mehra, Antonio John Miller, Morteza Khaleghimeybodi
  • Patent number: 11729560
    Abstract: An illustrative hearing device may include a battery compartment located in a housing and including a microphone and a battery. The housing may include a casing forming the battery compartment and a lid member having a hinged end pivotally connected to the casing such that the lid member is configured to pivot between an open position and a closed position relative to the casing. The lid member may be formed to define an opening through the lid member that is configured to allow the microphone and the battery to be in air communication with ambient air when the lid member is in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Daniel Probst, Andre Ochsenbein
  • Patent number: 11729569
    Abstract: A semiconductor wafer has formed within it a plurality of piston tops of equal area. Each of the piston tops includes a thin flat region from which a majority of the thickness of the original semiconductor wafer may have been removed. A first one of the piston tops has a lower thickness than a second one of the piston tops. The second piston top has at least one hole in it, the volume of the hole corresponding to the difference in thickness between the first and second piston tops, such that the masses of the first and second piston tops differ by less than the variation in thickness between them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventor: Mark A. Hayner
  • Patent number: 11711656
    Abstract: The disclosure presents a method and an amplifier system for minimizing variation in an acoustical signal caused by variation in gain of an amplifier, comprising a battery for providing a supply voltage to the amplifier, a digital signal processor for providing the acoustical signal to the amplifier, a controller unit receiving an enablement signal when the supply voltage is in an offset mode, and based on the enablement signal requesting a measured voltage during a time period, and a first analog-to-digital converter configured for measuring the supply voltage to the amplifier when receiving the request from the controller unit or the first analog-to-digital converter is configured for measuring the supply voltage to the amplifier continuously, and where variations in the measured voltage relates to variations in the supply voltage during the time period. Furthermore, the controller unit is configured to predict offset modes (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Vijay Kumar Bhat, Poul Henriksen, Alberto Escolar Piedras
  • Patent number: 11711643
    Abstract: Ear buds are provided that communicate wirelessly with an electronic device. To determine the current status of the ear buds and thereby take suitable action in controlling the operation of the electronic device and ear buds, the ear buds may be provided with sensor circuitry. The sensor circuitry may include proximity sensors. The ear buds may each have a housing with a main body portion that is configured to be inserted into the ear of the user and an elongated stem portion that extends from the main body portion. The proximity sensors may include sensors on the main body and sensors on the stem. The proximity sensors may be light-based sensors that emit light that passes through the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Ashley N. Saulsbury, Travis J. McQueen
  • Patent number: 11700482
    Abstract: A speaker device for reproducing sound within a predetermined audio spectrum is provided. The speaker device comprises: a housing including a top, a bottom, and a side surface; at least one speaker disposed within the housing, the at least one speaker including a speaker flange facing towards the bottom; a waveguide including at least a first surface defining at least one sound channel for conducting a given sound produced by the at least one speaker, and the at least one channel includes a first zone, a second zone, and a third zone sequentially defined along a length thereof to provide for sound reproduction from 100 Hz to 20000 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: YANDEX EUROPE AG
    Inventor: Maksim Viktorovich Chizhov
  • Patent number: 11696082
    Abstract: A microphone assembly comprises a substrate. An acoustic transducer is disposed on the substrate and configured to generate an electrical signal responsive to an acoustic signal. An integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate and electrically coupled to the acoustic transducer. An enclosure is disposed on the substrate, and comprises a main body, and a sidewall projecting axially from outer edges of the main body towards the substrate and contacting the substrate such that an internal volume is defined between the enclosure and the substrate. An insulating layer is insert molded on an inner surface of the enclosure, or over molded on an outer surface of the enclosure such that the insulating layer is not disposed on a portion of the sidewall proximate to the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Knowles Electronics, LLC
    Inventors: Norman Dennis Talag, Lili Borna, Tony K. Lim