BTE/CIC Auditory Device and Modular Connector System Therefor
First Claim
1. An earpiece auditory device comprising:
- a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, wherein said behind-the-ear component comprises a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone located outside the ear canal of the user;
a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker and being shaped to fit in the ear canal of the user, wherein said completely-in-canal component does not extend out of the user'"'"'s ear canal when inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal during operation of the earpiece auditory device; and
a connector configured to physically attach to said behind-the-ear component and to physically attach to said completely-in-canal component, said connector having at least one end detachable from said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component, wherein said connector is designed to include a portion of said connector within the ear canal of the user when the completely-in-canal component is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal for operation of the earpiece auditory device, said connector being configured to electrically connect the speaker of said completely-in-canal component to the processing circuitry of said behind-the-ear component, and said connector being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said connector to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An earpiece auditory device is described which includes a behind-the-ear component shaped to fit behind the ear of a user. The behind-the-ear component can also have at least one microphone and processing circuitry, where the processing circuitry is used to processes audio signal from the microphone. The device also includes a speaker sized to fit in the ear canal of a user, and an ear mold holding the speaker in place. The ear mold can also be position to touch the bony portion of the ear canal and provide sound attenuation in the ear canal. A connector physically and electrically connects the behind-the-ear component to the speaker. The connector is capable of being used to insert and remove the speaker and ear mold from the ear canal of the user.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. An earpiece auditory device comprising:
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a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, wherein said behind-the-ear component comprises a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone located outside the ear canal of the user; a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker and being shaped to fit in the ear canal of the user, wherein said completely-in-canal component does not extend out of the user'"'"'s ear canal when inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal during operation of the earpiece auditory device; and a connector configured to physically attach to said behind-the-ear component and to physically attach to said completely-in-canal component, said connector having at least one end detachable from said behind-the-ear component or said completely-in-canal component, wherein said connector is designed to include a portion of said connector within the ear canal of the user when the completely-in-canal component is inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal for operation of the earpiece auditory device, said connector being configured to electrically connect the speaker of said completely-in-canal component to the processing circuitry of said behind-the-ear component, and said connector being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said connector to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An earpiece auditory device comprising:
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a behind-the-ear component, the behind-the-ear component being shaped to fit behind an ear of a user, said behind the ear component comprising a module including processing circuitry in communication with a microphone located outside the ear canal of the user; a completely-in-canal component, the completely-in-canal component including a speaker being shaped to fit in the ear canal of the user, said completely-in-canal component further comprising an ear mold, and wherein said completely-in-canal component including the speaker and ear mold does not extend out of a user'"'"'s ear canal when inserted into the user'"'"'s ear canal for operation of the earpiece auditory device; means for physically attaching said completely-in-canal component to said behind-the-ear component, wherein said means for physically attaching includes means for detaching said completely-in-canal component to from said behind-the-ear component, wherein said means for physically attaching is configured to make contact with both of said completely-in-canal component and said behind-the-ear component, and wherein said means for physically attaching is shaped to place a portion of said means for physically attaching within the ear canal of the user, said means for physically attaching being configured to electrically connect the speaker of said completely-in-canal component to the processing circuitry of said behind-the-ear component, and said means for physically attaching being sufficiently rigid so as to allow said means for physically attaching to be used to insert and remove the completely-in-canal component from the ear canal of the user. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification