Patents by Inventor John S. French
John S. French has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7881486Abstract: A microphone capsule for an in-the-ear hearing aid is disclosed. The capsule can include a top plate having first and second spaced openings defining front and rear sound inlets, and a directional microphone cartridge enclosing a diaphragm. The diaphragm is oriented generally perpendicular to the top plate and divides the directional microphone cartridge housing into a front chamber and a rear chamber. A front sound passage communicates between the front sound inlet and the front chamber, and a rear sound passage communicates between the rear sound inlet and the rear chamber. Front and rear acoustic damping resistors having selected resistance values are associated with the front and rear sound passages. The acoustic resistor pair provides a selected time delay, such as about 4 microseconds, between the front and rear sound passages. The use of two acoustic resistors instead of one levels the frequency response, compared to the frequency response provided by a rear acoustic damping resistor alone.Type: GrantFiled: May 5, 2000Date of Patent: February 1, 2011Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Patent number: 7832080Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid, and methods of assembling a directional microphone, are provided. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2007Date of Patent: November 16, 2010Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Patent number: 7751579Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for protecting acoustic devices. In particular embodiments, barriers are useful for preventing a variety of solid, liquid, and vapor contaminants from modifiying or damaging the performance of acoustic transducers, while at the same time providing essentially an acoustically transparent passage of sound.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2004Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Robert B. Schulein, John S. French
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Patent number: 7697705Abstract: A programmable digital hearing aid circuit and method for operating and programming same are disclosed. The device provides a flexible means to compensate for undesirable frequency response distortion normally due to the electro-acoustical characteristics of the microphone, receiver, and sound coupling mechanisms employed in hearing aid design. Parameters of the programmable hearing aid circuit may also be set to tailor the hearing aid response characteristics for the frequency-dependent hearing loss of an individual hearing aid user. The device is intended to make available a significant improvement in audio fidelity to users of hearing aid devices.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2002Date of Patent: April 13, 2010Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Mead C. Killion, John S. French, Steven Viranyi, Timothy Monroe, David Preves, Norman Matzen, Gail Gudmundsen
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Publication number: 20090094817Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2007Publication date: April 16, 2009Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Patent number: 7286677Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2004Date of Patent: October 23, 2007Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Publication number: 20040247146Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2004Publication date: December 9, 2004Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Patent number: 6798890Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2001Date of Patent: September 28, 2004Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Patent number: 6704423Abstract: A hearing aid assembly having a directional microphone mounted externally to a hearing aid body is disclosed. The hearing aid, which may be, for example, an in-the-canal (ITC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid, has a mounting arm attached to an external surface of the hearing aid body, and the mounting arm in turn has a directional microphone mounted therewith. The mounting arm provides mechanical and electrical connection between the directional microphone and the hearing aid. The mounting arm is also configured such that, upon insertion of the ITC or CIC hearing aid into the ear canal of a wearer, the microphone is located in the region above the tragion portion of the ear.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2000Date of Patent: March 9, 2004Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.Inventors: C. Roger Anderson, John S. French, Robert B. Schulein
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Publication number: 20030086581Abstract: A programmable digital hearing aid circuit and method for operating and programming same are disclosed. The device provides a flexible means to compensate for undesirable frequency response distortion normally due to the electro-acoustical characteristics of the microphone, receiver, and sound coupling mechanisms employed in hearing aid design. Parameters of the programmable hearing aid circuit may also be set to tailor the hearing aid response characteristics for the frequency-dependent hearing loss of an individual hearing aid user. The device is intended to make available a significant improvement in audio fidelity to users of hearing aid devices.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2002Publication date: May 8, 2003Inventors: Mead C. Killion, John S. French, Steven Viranyi, Timothy Monroe, David Preves, Norman Matzen, Gail Gudmundsen
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Publication number: 20020110255Abstract: A directional microphone assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid has one or more microphone cartridge(s), and first and second sound passages. Inlets to the sound passages, or the sound passages themselves, are spaced apart such that the shortest distance between them is less than or approximately equal to the length of the microphone cartridge(s). A sound duct and at least one surface of a microphone cartridge may form each sound passage, where the sound duct is mounted with the microphone cartridge. Alternatively, each sound duct may be formed as an integral part of a microphone cartridge.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 5, 2001Publication date: August 15, 2002Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Robert B. Schulein, Timothy S. Monroe, Viorel Drambarean, Andrew J. Haapapuro, John S. French
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Publication number: 20010031058Abstract: A hearing aid assembly having a directional microphone mounted externally to a hearing aid body is disclosed. The hearing aid, which may be, for example, an in-the-canal (ITC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid, has a mounting arm attached to an external surface of the hearing aid body, and the mounting arm in turn has a directional microphone mounted therewith. The mounting arm provides mechanical and electrical connection between the directional microphone and the hearing aid. The mounting arm is also configured such that, upon insertion of the ITC or CIC hearing aid into the ear canal of a wearer, the microphone is located in the region above the tragion portion of the ear.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2000Publication date: October 18, 2001Inventors: C. Roger Anderson, John S. French, Robert B. Schulein
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Patent number: 5337011Abstract: A tiny pre-amplifier for a small, low voltage, high impedance signal source, usually an electret microphone, exhibiting near unity gain, has an input cascode stage connected to the microphone and a matched balancing cascode stage; both cascode stages are energized from the same power supply circuit. The two cascode stages supply intermediate signals to the inputs of a differential amplifier to generate an output signal having a greatly reduced noise content, independent of power supply variations. The pre-amplifier is wholly integratable, has low power drain, and fits into the microphone housing.Type: GrantFiled: December 14, 1992Date of Patent: August 9, 1994Assignee: Knowles Electronics, Inc.Inventors: John S. French, Richard W. Peters