STEREOPHONIC FOCUSED HEARING

• US 20160157028A1
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acoustic Vision, LLC
• Original Assignee: Acoustic Vision, LLC
• Inventors: McCracken, O. Wendell
• Granted Patent: US 9,980,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: G02C 2202/16 Laminated or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/02 Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/005 using semiconductor materials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/016 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/041 Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Eyewear for enhanced hearing includes a first sound detector positioned on or adjacent a first lens of the eyewear, and a second sound detector positioned on or adjacent a second lens of the eyewear. A processing unit positioned on the eyewear is in communication with the first and second sound detectors. The processing unit utilizes software that includes instructions for determining a time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector. Because the time differential is proportional to the angular displacement of the sound from directly in front of the eyewear or person wearing the eyewear, sound signals corresponding to detected sounds having an angular displacement less than a stored maximum angular displacement value can be preferentially enhanced and transmitted via a data transmission module to a hearing aid device.

Claims

1. Eyewear comprising:

a first sound detector positioned on or adjacent a first lens of the eyewear;

a second sound detector positioned on or adjacent a second lens of the eyewear; and

a processing unit positioned on the eyewear, in communication with the first and second sound detectors, and storing software that includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to determine a time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector.

2. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound detectors each comprise a microphone.

3. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound detectors each comprise an electret condenser microphone.

4. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound detectors each comprise a transparent lens microphone.

5. The eyewear of claim 1, wherein the first and second sound detectors each comprise a micro-electro-mechanical systems microphone.

6. The eyewear of claim 1, further comprising a data transmission module positioned on the eyewear communicating sound signals to a hearing aid device.

7. The eyewear of claim 6, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to determine an angular displacement of the detected sound based on the time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector.

8. The eyewear of claim 7, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to amplify sound signals corresponding to detected sounds having an angular displacement less than a stored angular displacement value, and transmit the processed sound signals via the data transmission module to a hearing aid device.

9. The eyewear of claim 8, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to diminish sound signals corresponding to detected sounds having an angular displacement greater than a stored angular displacement value.

10. The eyewear of claim 7, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to amplify sound signals corresponding to sounds having a time differential less than a stored time differential value, and transmit the processed sound signals via the data transmission module to a hearing aid device.

11. The eyewear of claim 10, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to diminish sound signals corresponding to sounds having a time differential greater than a stored time displacement value.

12. The eyewear of claim 7, further comprising a receiver in wireless communication with a computing device for receiving a user set time displacement value.

13. Eyewear comprising:

a first array of at least two sound detectors positioned on or adjacent a first lens of the eyewear;

a second array of at least two sound detectors positioned on or adjacent a second lens of the eyewear; and

a processing unit positioned on the eyewear receiving detected sound signals from the first and second arrays of sound detectors, and storing software that includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to determine an angular displacement and distance of a sound from the eyewear, to modify the amplitude of the sound signals corresponding to the sound based on stored values for maximum angular displacement and distance, and to output the modified sound signals to a hearing aid device.

14. The eyewear of claim 13, further including a data transmission module, and wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to amplify sound signals corresponding to sounds having an angular displacement and a distance less than stored values of angular displacement and distance, and to transmit the amplified sound signals via a data transmission module to the hearing aid device.

15. The eyewear of claim 13, wherein the software further includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to diminish sound signals corresponding to sounds having an angular displacement and a distance greater than stored values of angular displacement and distance, and to transmit the diminished sound signals via a data transmission module to the hearing aid device.

16. A system for enhanced hearing, comprising:

eyewear including;

a first sound detector positioned on or adjacent a first lens of the eyewear;

a second sound detector positioned on or adjacent a second lens of the eyewear; and

a hearing aid including;

a processing unit in communication with the first and second sound detectors and storing software that includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to determine a time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector; and

to modify the amplitude of the sound signals corresponding to the sound based on a stored value for a maximum time differential; and

a data transmission module configured to transmit the modified sound signals to a speaker or other transducer.

17. Headwear comprising:

a first sound detector positioned on a first frontal side of the headwear;

a second sound detector positioned on a second frontal side of the headwear; and

a processing unit positioned on the headwear, in communication with the first and second sound detectors, and storing software that includes instructions that when executed by the processing unit causes the processing unit to determine a time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector.