Behind-the-ear auditory device

• US 20070014423A1
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lotus Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lotus Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Darbut, Alexander, Odegard, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/184,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20070014423A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/330
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/607 of earhooks
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659

Abstract

An auditory device is disclosed. The auditory device includes a behind-the-ear element and an at least partially in-ear element. The behind-the-ear element has a shell shaped to fit behind an outer portion of an ear of a user. The shell has first and second sides that are substantially parallel to each other. The first side faces the outer portion of the ear, and the second side faces a head of the user. The behind-the-ear element also includes sound processing circuitry within the shell. The behind-the-ear element further includes an ear cushion switch operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry. The ear cushion switch is located on the first side of the shell. The at least partially in-ear element includes a microphone, acoustic pickup pillow-pad, sensors, receiver and a cushioned tip. The at least partially in-ear element can include a closed ear detachable cushioned tip and an open ear detachable cushioned tip.

Claims

1. An auditory device including:

a behind-the-ear element including

(a) an enclosure shaped to fit behind an outer portion of an ear of a user, the shell having a first side and a second side substantially parallel to each other, and the first side facing the outer portion of the ear and the second side facing a head of the user;

(b) sound processing circuitry within the enclosure; and

(c) an ear cushion switch located on the first side of the shell and operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry; and

an at least partially in-ear element operatively connected to the behind-the-ear element and comprising a receiver and a cushioned tip.

2. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the ear cushion switch includes a pushbutton switch.

3. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the ear cushion switch includes a flexible membrane covering an electrical or electromechanical switching device.

4. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises a second ear cushion switch located on the second side of the shell and facing the head of the user.

5. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the behind-the-ear element is substantially waterproof.

6. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a microphone.

7. The auditory device of claim 6 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises an acoustic canal pad operatively connected to the microphone.

8. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a body temperature sensor.

9. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a heart rate monitor.

10. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises a telecoil.

11. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises two microphones.

12. The auditory device of claim 11 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises one or more dampening elements partially surrounding the two microphones.

13. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises an audio input/output port.

14. The auditory device of claim 13 wherein the audio input/output port is also a data input port.

15. The auditory device of claim 13 wherein the audio input/output port is operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry.

16. The auditory device of claim 13 wherein the audio input/output port is an RF communication port.

17. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the sound processing circuitry is programmable.

18. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the at least partially in-ear element is physically connected to the behind-the-ear element by a molded, flexible conduit.

19. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the at least partially in-ear element is electrically connected to the behind-the-ear element by at least four conductive wires.

20. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the cushioned tip is detachable.

21. The auditory device of claim 20 wherein the cushioned tip forms an open-ear configuration.

22. The auditory device of claim 20 wherein the cushioned tip forms a closed-ear configuration.

23. The auditory device of claim 1 wherein the sound processing circuitry contains both open and closed ear algorithms.

24. A configurable auditory device comprising:

a behind-the-ear element including

(a) a shell shaped to fit behind an outer portion of an ear of a user, the shell having a first side and a second side substantially parallel to each other, and the first side facing the outer portion of the ear and the second side facing a head of the user;

(b) sound processing circuitry within the shell; and

an at least partially in-ear element operatively connected to the behind-the-ear element and comprising a receiver, a first detachable cushioned tip having a first auditory characteristic, and a second detachable cushioned tip having a second auditory characteristic.

25. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the first detachable cushioned tip is an open ear detachable cushioned tip.

26. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the second detachable cushioned tip is a closed ear detachable cushioned tip.

27. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the sound processing circuitry contains both open and closed ear algorithms.

28. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a microphone.

29. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises an acoustic canal pad operatively connected to the microphone.

30. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises an ear cushion switch.

31. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the ear cushion switch is located on the first side of the shell and operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry.

32. The configurable auditory device of claim 31 wherein the ear cushion switch includes a flexible membrane covering an electrical or electromechanical switching device.

33. The configurable auditory device of claim 31 wherein the behind-the-ear element further comprises a second ear cushion switch located on the second side of the shell and facing the head of the user.

34. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the behind-the-ear element is substantially waterproof.

35. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element is physically connected to the behind-the-ear element by a molded, flexible conduit.

36. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element is electrically connected to the behind-the-ear element by at least four conductive wires.

37. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a microphone.

38. The configurable auditory device of claim 37 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises an acoustic canal pad operatively connected to the microphone.

39. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a heart rate monitor.

40. The configurable auditory device of claim 24 wherein the at least partially in-ear element further comprises a temperature sensor.

41. A method of changing a mode of an auditory device comprising:

placing an auditory device having an ear cushion switch operatively connected to sound processing circuitry behind an ear, the ear cushion switch facing the ear; and

pressing the ear to activate the ear cushion switch.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the auditory device is a behind-the-ear hearing aid.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein pressing the ear to activate the ear cushion switch changes a mode of the auditory device.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the auditory device has at least two modes.

45. The method of claim 41 wherein the auditory device has an open ear configuration mode and a closed ear configuration mode.

46. A method of changing a mode of an auditory device comprising:

detaching a first cushioned tip having a first configuration from an at least partially in-ear element of an auditory device; and

attaching a second cushioned tip having a second configuration to the at least partially in-ear element.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein the first configuration and the second configuration provide different acoustical characteristics.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein the first configuration is a closed ear configuration.

49. The method of claim 46 wherein the first configuration is an open ear configuration.

50. The method of claim 46 wherein the second configuration is a closed ear configuration.

51. The method of claim 46 wherein the second configuration is an open ear configuration.

52. An at least partially in-ear hearing aid comprising:

(a) sound processing circuitry within a shell;

(b) a receiver operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry, the receiver residing within an at least partially in-ear portion of the at least partially in-ear hearing aid and designed to generate audio signals received from the sound processing circuitry;

(c) a body temperature sensor operatively connected to the sound processing circuitry, wherein the temperature sensor resides within the at least partially in-ear portion.

53. The at least partially in-ear hearing aid of claim 52, further comprising a heart rate monitor residing within the at least partially in-ear element.

54. The at least partially in-ear hearing aid of claim 52, further comprising a microphone within the at least partially in-ear element.

55. The at least partially in-ear hearing aid of claim 52 wherein the sound processing circuitry receives electrical signals from three microphones.

56. The at least partially in-ear hearing aid of claim 52 wherein the at least partially in-ear hearing aid is a completely-in-canal hearing aid.

57. The at least partially in-ear hearing aid of claim 52 wherein the at least partially in-ear hearing aid is a behind-the-ear hearing aid.