Patents by Inventor Karrie LaRae Recker

Karrie LaRae Recker 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).

  • Publication number: 20230396944
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 7, 2023
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Patent number: 11641556
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2023
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20230104683
    Abstract: A system includes an image sensor, a hearing device, and a controller. The controller may include one or more processors and may be operatively coupled to the image sensor and the audio sensor. The controller may be configured to receive image data from the image sensor and sound data from the hearing device. The controller may further be configured to identify one or more optical components using the image data, each of the one or more optical components associated with an object or activity; determine one or more audio objects using at least the one or more optical components and the sound data, the one or more audio objects may each include an association between at least a portion of the sound data and the object or activity; and adjust an audio class using the one or more audio objects, the audio class associated with the object or activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Justin R. Burwinkel, Jingjing Xu
  • Publication number: 20220394371
    Abstract: An ear-worn electronic system comprises an inner device and an outer device configured for deployment at one ear of a wearer. The inner device comprises a first housing configured for placement at least partially within an ear canal of the wearer, a first rechargeable battery and first charging circuitry disposed in the first housing, and first electronic circuitry disposed in the first housing and coupled to the first rechargeable battery. The outer device comprises a second housing separate from the first housing and configured for placement at the wearer's ear proximal of the first housing in an outer ear direction, and a second rechargeable battery and second charging circuitry disposed in the second housing. The second charging circuitry is configured to cooperate with the first charging circuitry to charge the first rechargeable battery via a charging link between the first and second charging circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventor: Karrie LaRae Recker
  • Publication number: 20220353624
    Abstract: An ear-worn electronic system comprise a plurality of discrete devices configured for deployment at one ear of a wearer. The system comprises a first device configured for placement at least partially within an ear canal of the wearer. The first device comprises at least a first processor, one or more first microphones, a first speaker, a first rechargeable battery, and first charging circuitry. The system comprises a second device configured for placement at the wearer's ear proximal of the first device in an outer ear direction. The second device comprises at least a second processor, a second rechargeable battery, and second charging circuitry. The first device is configured to operate autonomously when operating in an independent mode relative to the second device. The first and second devices are configured to operate cooperatively when operating in a communicatively coupled mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventor: Karrie LaRae Recker
  • Publication number: 20220187906
    Abstract: A system may include one or more image sensors, an ear worn device, and a controller. The one or more image sensors may be configured to sense optical information of an environment and produce image data indicative of the sensed optical information. The ear-worn device may include a housing wearable by a user, an acoustic transducer including at least one driver to generate sound, and a controller comprising one or more processors. The controller may be operatively coupled to the image sensor and the ear-worn device. The controller may be configured to receive the image data, determine a field of attention of the user using the image data, detect an object outside of the field of attention using the image data, determine whether to alert the user of the detected object, and provide an alert indicative of the detected object, if it is determined to alert the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Sandra Jobes, Karrie LaRae Recker
  • Publication number: 20210185466
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2021
    Publication date: June 17, 2021
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Patent number: 10945086
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20200045484
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Publication date: February 6, 2020
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Patent number: 10382872
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Patent number: 10341784
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system comprises a left ear device and a right ear device respectively configured to be worn by a wearer. One or more microphones are provided at each of the left and right ear devices. One or more positional sensors are configured to determine a three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the wearer looking at a sound source in space. A user interface is configured to receive an input directly from the wearer. A memory is configured to store the three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the received input. A processor is configured to adjust a directional polar pattern of the one or more microphones provided at one or both of the left and right ear devices in response to the stored three-dimensional position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Michael Karl Sacha
  • Patent number: 10257626
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for fitting hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method for assisting wearers in adjusting settings of hearing assistance devices using a mobile adaptation tool. The method includes providing a mobile adaptation tool for a wearer of a hearing assistance device. The wearer is guided using gamification to adjust settings of the hearing assistance device using the mobile adaptation tool, including providing an update to the wearer via the adaptation tool with an indication of a level of matching between current settings and target settings, according to various embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Karrie LaRae Recker
  • Publication number: 20190069107
    Abstract: The present subject matter provides a hearing device with selective adjustment of processor settings based on various characteristics of an input sound, in response to adjustment of output sound volume by a user. This addresses problems of undesirable sound effects resulting from applying same changes to processor settings to input sounds of all levels, frequencies, and classes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Swapan Gandhi, Karrie LaRae Recker, Donald James Reynolds
  • Publication number: 20180352343
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system comprises a left ear device and a right ear device respectively configured to be worn by a wearer. One or more microphones are provided at each of the left and right ear devices. One or more positional sensors are configured to determine a three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the wearer looking at a sound source in space. A user interface is configured to receive an input directly from the wearer. A memory is configured to store the three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the received input. A processor is configured to adjust a directional polar pattern of the one or more microphones provided at one or both of the left and right ear devices in response to the stored three-dimensional position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Michael Karl Sacha
  • Patent number: 9992585
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system comprises a left ear device and a right ear device respectively configured to be worn by a wearer. One or more microphones are provided at each of the left and right ear devices. One or more positional sensors are configured to determine a three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the wearer looking at a sound source in space. A user interface is configured to receive an input directly from the wearer. A memory is configured to store the three-dimensional position of the hearing assistance system in response to the received input. A processor is configured to adjust a directional polar pattern of the one or more microphones provided at one or both of the left and right ear devices in response to the stored three-dimensional position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Michael Karl Sacha
  • Patent number: 9930456
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system streams audio signals from one or more streaming sources to a hearing aid set and enhances the audio signals such that the output sounds transmitted to the hearing aid wearer include a spatialization effect allowing for localization of each of the one more streaming sources. The system determines the position of the hearing aid set relative to each streaming source in real time and introduces the spatialization effect for that streaming source dynamically based on the determined position, such that the hearing aid wearer can experience a natural feeing of the acoustic environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Eric A. Durant
  • Patent number: 9894446
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system provides a hearing-aid wearer with one or more hearing aids and a portable device allowing for a wearer-driven directionality customization of the one or more hearing aids. The wearer indicates the locations of sound(s) of interest and/or noise source(s) using the portable device. The one or more hearing aids adjust the directionality of sound reception based on these wearer-indicated locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Karrie LaRae Recker
  • Publication number: 20170171672
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system streams audio signals from one or more streaming sources to a hearing aid set and enhances the audio signals such that the output sounds transmitted to the hearing aid wearer include a spatialization effect allowing for localization of each of the one more streaming sources. The system determines the position of the hearing aid set relative to each streaming source in real time and introduces the spatialization effect for that streaming source dynamically based on the determined position, such that the hearing aid wearer can experience a natural feeing of the acoustic environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Eric A. Durant
  • Patent number: 9584933
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system streams audio signals from one or more streaming sources to a hearing aid set and enhances the audio signals such that the output sounds transmitted to the hearing aid wearer include a spatialization effect allowing for localization of each of the one more streaming sources. The system determines the position of the hearing aid set relative to each streaming source in real time and introduces the spatialization effect for that streaming source dynamically based on the determined position, such that the hearing aid wearer can experience a natural feeing of the acoustic environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Karrie LaRae Recker, Eric A. Durant
  • Publication number: 20160323676
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system provides a hearing-aid wearer with one or more hearing aids and a portable device allowing for a wearer-driven directionality customization of the one or more hearing aids. The wearer indicates the locations of sound(s) of interest and/or noise source(s) using the portable device. The one or more hearing aids adjust the directionality of sound reception based on these wearer-indicated locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventor: Karrie LaRae Recker