Earpiece and method for forming an earpiece

• US 10,356,532 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ST TipTech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven, Keady, John Patrick, Calvert, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US14/936,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20170134865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 381312, 381323, 381324, 381326, 381328, 381172, 381380, 181129, 181130, 181135, 600 25, 607 55, 607 56, 607 57
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/18 Internal ear or nose parts, e.g. ear-drums implants for middle ear ventilation or drainage A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0059 temporary
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0605 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0838 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 44/1204 and giving the material during expanding the shape of a particular article to be supported, e.g. a human body-part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14639 for obtaining an insulating effect, e.g. for electrical components
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/603 and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 : Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 : acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A device includes an electromagnetic radiation delivery system such as a laser of light emitting diode infrared emitter configured for delivery of electromagnetic radiation within a sealed canal such as an ear canal, a fiber optic cable configured for delivering or capturing the electromagnetic radiation within the sealed canal, and a photo detector coupled to the fiber optic cable forming a portion of a voice communication system. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation delivery system configured for delivery of electromagnetic radiation within a sealed canal;

a fiber optic cable configured for delivering or capturing the electromagnetic radiation within the sealed canal; and

a photo detector coupled to the fiber optic cable forming a portion of a voice communication system wherein the electromagnetic radiation delivery system comprises a fiber optic based laser configured to stimulate a tympanic membrane and wherein the fiber optic based laser is further configured as part of an acquisition mechanism configured to acquire oscillations in an ear canal activated during speaking by a speaker having the sealed canal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the acquisition mechanism is immune from radio frequency interference.

3. A device comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation delivery system configured for delivery of electromagnetic radiation within a sealed canal;

a fiber optic cable configured for delivering or capturing the electromagnetic radiation within the sealed canal; and

a photo detector coupled to the fiber optic cable forming a portion of a voice communication system wherein the photo detector is configured to collect scattered energy reflected within the sealed canal induced by vibrations caused by a user'"'"'s voice within the sealed canal.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is an earpiece.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic radiation delivery system is a light emitting diode infrared emitter.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the light emitting diode infrared emitter is configured to pulse at acoustic frequencies.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is an earpiece and the sealed canal is a sealed ear canal.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is an earpiece and the electromagnetic radiation delivery system is configured to emit energy to stimulate a tympanic membrane.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the fiber optic cable is configured for insertion in an ear entrance and to send and receive acoustic signals.

10. The device of claim 3, wherein a fiber optic based laser is further configured as part of an acquisition mechanism and wherein the acquisition mechanism is immune from radio frequency interference.

11. The device of claim 3, further comprising an ambient microphone coupled to the electromagnetic radiation delivery system.

12. The device of claim 3, further comprising an omni-directional ambient acoustical microphone coupled to the electromagnetic radiation delivery system.

13. The device of claim 3, further comprising an ambient acoustic microphone coupled to the electromagnetic radiation delivery system via an acoustic-optic converter that processes ambient acoustic signals into a beam of infrared laser energy.

14. A communication device, comprising:

an electromagnetic radiation delivery source configured for delivery of electromagnetic radiation within a sealed ear canal;

a fiber optic cable configured for delivery of the electromagnetic radiation and for capturing reflections of the electromagnetic radiation within the sealed ear canal; and

a photo detector coupled to the fiber optic cable forming a portion of a voice communication system wherein the electromagnetic radiation delivery source is a light emitting diode emitter configured to be pulsed as acoustic frequencies and the fiber optic cable is configured to pick up wall vibrations from speech within the sealed ear canal.

15. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the communication device forms a portion of an earpiece, a helmet, a pair of goggles, or a pair of eyeglasses.

16. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the fiber optic cable serves to send and receive acoustic signals responsive to conversion of electromagnetic radiation.

17. The communication device of claim 14, further comprising an acoustic-optic converter coupled to the electromagnetic radiation delivery source, wherein the electromagnetic radiation delivery source is a laser configured to cause oscillations of the sealed canal stimulating movement of a tympanic membrane.

18. The communication device of claim 17, wherein pressure pulses as a function of a power output of the laser directly relate to ambient acoustic signals that cause varying pressures on the tympanic membrane.

19. The communication device of claim 14 wherein the electromagnetic radiation delivery system is a light emitting diode infrared emitter.

20. The communication device of claim 14 wherein the fiber optic cable is configured for insertion in an ear entrance and to send and receive acoustic signals.