Sleep-aide device

• US 20030235313A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kurzweil Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kurzweil, Sonya, Kurzweil, Raymond C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,559,649 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/12 External mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/14 external, e.g. earcaps or earmuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17857 Geometric disposition, e.g. placement of microphones
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17873 using a reference signal without an error signal, e.g. pure feedforward
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17885 additionally using a desired external signal, e.g. pass-through audio such as music or speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/116 Medical; Dental
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• 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

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention is a sleep device. The sleep-aide device includes a soft housing adapted to be disposed over a user'"'"'s head, a microphone positioned on the housing to receive an ambient sound signal, a suppression circuit that receives the ambient sound signal and produces a suppression sound signal, and a set of transducers, arranged in the soft housing, which receive the suppression sound signal. The suppression sound signal has a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear.

In another aspect, the sleep-aide device includes a microphone to receive an ambient sound signal, a suppression circuitry, which receives the ambient sound signal and transmits a suppression sound signal based on the ambient sound signal, and a transducer which receives the suppression sound signal, which has a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear. The sleep device also includes an earphone housing, which is attached to the ear when worn by a user, containing the microphone, the suppression circuitry and the transducer.

Claims

1. A sleep-aide device, comprising:

a soft housing adapted to be disposed over a user'"'"'s head;

a microphone positioned on the housing to receive an ambient sound signal;

a suppression circuit that receives the ambient sound signal and produces a suppression sound signal; and

a set of transducers arranged in the soft housing and which receive the suppression sound signal, the suppression sound signal having a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at a user'"'"'s ear.

2. The sleep-aide device of claim 1, further comprising:

cushioning placed within the soft housing, the cushioning corresponding to locations where the soft housing would contact the ears of a user.

3. The sleep-aide device of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier for amplifying the suppression sound received from the suppression circuit.

4. The sleep-aide device of claim 1 wherein the ambient sound signal is a snoring signal.

5. The sleep-aide device of claim 1 wherein the ambient sound signal is a traffic noise signal.

6. The sleep-aide device of claim 1 wherein the suppressive sound signal is an inverted signal of a predicted sound signal.

7. The sleep-aide device of claim 6 wherein the predicted sound signal is calculated based on the ambient sound signal.

8. The sleep-aide device of claim 1 wherein the housing is a sleeping bonnet.

9. The sleep aide device of claim 1 wherein the housing are headphones.

10. The sleep-aide device of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery compartment having terminals coupled to wires that are disposed through the soft housing and connected to the suppression circuit.

11. The sleep-aide device of claim 1, further comprising:

wiring disposed through the soft housing connecting the transducer, the suppression circuit and the microphone.

12. The sleep-aide device of claim 1, further comprising:

a receiver receiving sounds signals from an exterior transmitter, the receiver relaying the information to the transducer.

13. A sleep-aide device, the devices comprising:

a microphone to receive an ambient sound signal;

a suppression circuitry, the first suppression circuitry receiving the ambient sound signal and transmitting a suppression sound signal based on the ambient sound signal;

a transducer which receives the suppression sound signal, the suppression sound signal having a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear; and

a earphone housing attached to a first ear when worn by a user, the earphone housing containing the microphone, the suppression circuitry and the transducer.

14. The sleep-aide device of claim 13 wherein the earphone housing holds the transducer within an ear canal of the first ear when worn by the user.

15. The sleep-aide device of claim 13, further comprising an amplifier for amplifying the first suppression sound signal received from the first suppression circuitry.

16. The sleep-aide device of claim 13 wherein the ambient sound signal is a snoring signal.

17. The sleep-aide device of claim 13 wherein the ambient sound signal is a traffic noise signal.

18. The sleep-aide device of claim 13 wherein the suppression sound signal is an inverted signal of a predicted sound signal.

19. The sleep-aide device of claim 18 wherein the predicted sound signal is calculated based on the ambient sound signal.

20. The sleep-aide device of claim 13, further comprising:

a member adaptable to fit on a user head, supporting at a first end thereof, the first sleep-aide device, and supporting at a second end thereof, a second sleep-aide device, the second sleep-aide device comprising;

a second microphone to receive an ambient sound signal;

a second suppression circuitry, the second suppression circuitry receiving the ambient sound signal and transmitting a second suppression sound signal based on the ambient sound signal;

a second transducer which receives the second suppression sound signal, the second suppression sound signal having a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear; and

a second earphone housing attached to a second ear when worn by a user, the second earphone housing containing the second microphone, the second suppression circuit and the second transducer.

21. A method of aiding sleep comprising:

receiving an ambient signal from a microphone located in a soft housing; and

transmitting a suppression signal to a transducer by using a suppression circuitry, the suppression signal based on the ambient signal received from the microphone and having a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the soft housing includes cushioning corresponding to locations where the housing would contact the ears of a user.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

amplifying the first suppression signal received from the first suppression circuitry.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the ambient sound signal comprises receiving a snoring signal.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein receiving the ambient sound signal comprises receiving a traffic noise signal.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein transmitting the suppression signal comprises transmitting an inverted signal of a predicted sound signal.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein transmitting the inverted signal of a predicted sound signal comprises calculating the predicted sound signal based on the ambient sound signal.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein placing the soft housing over the head comprises placing a sleeping bonnet over the head.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising using a receiver to receive signals from an external device, the receiver electrically connected to the transducer.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising using the soft housing to hold wires within the housing, the wires connecting the transducer, the suppression circuitry and the microphone.

31. The method of claim 21, further comprising using a transducer for receiving the suppression sound signal.

32. The method of claim 21 wherein the transducer, microphone, suppression circuit and suppression signal are first ones, with the method, further comprising:

receiving an ambient signal from a second microphone located in the soft housing; and

transmitting a second suppression signal to a second transducer by using a second suppression circuitry, the second suppression signal based on the ambient signal received from the second microphone and having a magnitude and phase to substantially cancel the ambient sound signal at the user'"'"'s ear;

placing the first transducer and the second transducer over separate ears of the user.