METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AUDIO SIGNALS

• US 20070280493A1
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/321
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0093 Features of implants not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0098 Immediate loaded implants
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting an audio signal via two or more transducers through bone, comprising:

receiving an audio signal via at least a first microphone;

filtering the audio signal into at least a first frequency range and a second frequency range;

vibrating a first transducer to transmit the first frequency range through the bone of a user; and

vibrating a second transducer to transmit the second frequency range through the bone of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving comprises receiving the audio signal via the first microphone positioned intra-buccal to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises filtering the first and second frequency ranges such that each range overlaps with respect to one another.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises filtering the first and second frequency ranges such that each range is separate from one another.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises filtering the audio signal into a plurality of additional frequency ranges.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises filtering the first frequency range to have a lower relative frequency range compared to the second frequency range having a higher relative frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises filtering the audio signal such that the first frequency range is from 200 Hz to 2000 Hz.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein filtering comprising filtering the audio signal such that the second frequency range is from 2000 Hz to 10,000 Hz.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein filtering comprises altering the first and/or second frequency ranges.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising shutting off the first and/or second transducer.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying a signal level of the first and/or second transducer.