CONTACT HEARING SYSTEM WITH WEARABLE COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

• US 20150245131A1
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Original Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Inventors: FACTEAU, William M., PURIA, Sunil, PERKINS, Rodney C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/06 Hearing aids construction of hearing aids H04R25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers

Abstract

Contact hearing devices for use with a wearable communication apparatus are disclosed to provide the user with an open ear canal to hear ambient sound and sound from an audio signal. The disclosed devices and systems have an advantage of providing sound to user from the audio signal, in many embodiments without creating sound that can be perceived by others. The contact hearing device can also be used to amplify ambient sound to provide a hearing assistance to users with diminished hearing. The wearable information apparatus can be configured to couple wirelessly to the contact transducer assembly, such that the wearable information apparatus can be removed while the contact transducer assembly remains placed on the user.

Claims

1. A wearable communication apparatus, comprising:

a support structure configured to be wearable by a user;

a contact transducer assembly configured to produce vibrations of an eardrum; and

a circuitry at least partially positioned on the support structure and configured to drive the contact transducer assembly with an audio signal from an output transducer coupled to the circuitry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact transducer assembly is configured to produce wide bandwidth vibrations and/or reside on a lateral surface of the eardrum or in a middle ear.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output transducer coupled to the circuitry comprises a coil, a light source, RF source or ultrasound source.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the output transducer coupled to the circuitry is a light source, the light source is attached to the support structure or configured for positioning in an ear canal of the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the output transducer coupled to the circuitry comprises one or more coils attached to the support structure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is shaped and configured to provide an open ear canal or at least widely vented ear canal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth comprises a low frequencies below 200 Hz and high frequencies above 6 kHz.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth comprises a low frequencies below 500 Hz and high frequencies above 5 kHz.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support structure comprises,

a nose engaging structure to engage a nose of the user,

an ear engaging structure to engage an ear of the user, and

an extension extending between the ear engaging structure and the nose engaging structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an elongate element sized to extend from the support structure to an ear canal of the user, the elongate element configured to transmit the audio signal from the extension to the ear canal of the user, the elongate element comprising one or more of an electrical conductor to transmit the audio signal or a waveguide to transmit an optical signal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more displays.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more microphones to receive ambient sound, wherein the circuitry receives the ambient sound, amplifies the ambient sound, and transmits amplified ambient sound to the contact transducer assembly in order to provide the user with amplified ambient sound and ambient sound from an open ear canal and wherein the amplified ambient sound comprises the audio signal transmitted to the contact transducer assembly.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more microphones comprises a directional microphone.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more microphones comprises a first microphone located on a first side of the support structure to place the first microphone on a first side of the user and a second microphone located on the support structure to place the second microphone on a second side of the user, a third microphone located on the first side of the support structure to place the third microphone on the first side of the user and a fourth microphone located on the support structure to place the fourth microphone on the second side of the user, wherein the first microphone is located away from a first ear canal opening and the third microphone is located near the first ear canal opening to detect high frequency spatial localization cues on the first side of the user, wherein second microphone is located away from a second ear canal opening and the fourth microphone is located near the second ear canal opening to detect high frequency spatial localization cues on the second side of the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises wireless communication circuitry configured to provide power and the audio signal to the contact transducer assembly in order to drive the contact transducer assembly with the power and signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication circuitry comprises a light source to drive the contact transducer assembly with optical power and an optical signal comprising the audio signal and wherein the optical signal comprises a pulse modulated signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry to drive the contact transducer assembly is configured to generate a magnetic field and the audio signal comprises variations of the generated magnetic field, and wherein the contact transducer assembly is configured to drive ear tissue of the user in response to the variations of the generated magnetic field to transmit sound to the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a magnetic field generator.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the support structure comprises a frame to position one or more displays in front of one or both eyes of the user to view one or more images on the one or more displays and wherein the audio signal corresponds to the one or more images.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a module to receive the audio signal, the audio signal comprising an analog audio signal, the module comprising,

a first circuitry to convert the analog audio signal into an optical signal,

a light source to transmit the optical signal to the contact transducer assembly,

power circuitry to receive the audio signal and provide power to the first circuitry and the light source;

wherein the module provides power and the audio signal to the contact transducer assembly in order to drive the contact transducer assembly with the optical signal and power from the light source.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is removably supported with the support structure.

22. A method of using a contact hearing system with a wearable communication apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a support structure configured to be wearable by a user, the support structure configured to support a circuitry at least partially positioned on the support structure; and

driving a contact transducer assembly configured to produce vibrations of a tissue of a user with an audio signal from an output transducer coupled to the circuitry.