Ear terminal

• US 7,039,195 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honeywell Hearing Technologies AS (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nacre AS (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Svean, Jarle, Sørsdal, Svein, Ottesen, Georg E., Pettersen, Odd Kr. Ø., Stensby, Sverre
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/653,870
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71.6, 381/71.1, 381/312, 381/313, 381/314, 381/317, 381/318, 381/58, 381/72, 381/74, 340/540
• US Class Current: 381/71.6
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/085 including an inner channel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction

Abstract

Ear terminal comprising a sealing section (2) for arrangement in the meatus (3) of a human, comprising:

• • an inner microphone (M2) having a sound inlet (S2) for being directed, directed into the meatus,
  • an electronics unit (11) coupled the inner microphone (M2) and also being coupled to a power supply (12) as well as
  • an outer microphone (M1) for measuring acoustic signals in the environment.

Claims

1. An ear terminal comprising:

a sealing section (2) for arrangement in the meatus (3) of a human;

a meatus-directed microphone (M2) having a sound inlet (T1) that opens to a closed space of the meatus;

an electronics unit (11) coupled to the meatus-directed microphone (M2) to a power supply (12);

an outer microphone (M1) for converting acoustic signals in the environment into electrical signals; and

a meatus-directed sound generator (SG),

wherein said electronics unit comprises analyzing means for generating a noise control signal for active canceling of acoustic noise signals in the meatus by generation of acoustic feedback using said meatus-directed sound generator (SG) based on acoustic signals converted by at least one of said meatus-directed microphone (M2) and said outer microphone (M1).

2. The ear terminal according to claim 1, comprising a pressure alignment channel (T3) for slow air throughput to and from the meatus (3) through the sealing section (2).

3. The ear terminal according to claim 1, wherein the sound inlet (T1) is constituted by a canal between the meatus-directed microphone (M2) and the inward facing portion of the sealing section (2) adjacent to the closed space of the meatus.

4. The ear terminal according to claim 1, comprising a connection interface (13,E12) coupled to the electronic unit (11), said electronics unit being provided with conversion means (E7) for converting signals received from said interface and being coupled to the sound generator (SG) for transmitting acoustic information to the user.

5. The ear terminal according to claim 1, comprising a connection interface (13,E12) coupled to the electronics unit (11), said electronics unit being provided with conversion means (E5) for converting signals received from the meatus-directed microphone (M2) for transmitting electric or electromagnetic information from the user.

6. The ear terminal according to claim 1, in which the electronic unit (11) includes filtering means coupled to said meatus-directed microphone for filtering the signals from said meatus-directed microphone, said filtering means being programmable to transform the signals based on the sounds received in the ear by said meatus-directed microphone (M2) into sounds having essentially the characteristics of spoken sounds of the wearer of the ear terminal.

7. The ear terminal according to claim 6, comprising a connection interface (13,E12) for transmitting the filtered signals from the ear terminal.

8. The ear terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the electronics unit (11) includes filtering means coupled to said meatus-directed microphone for filtering the signals from said meatus-directed microphone, said filtering means being programmable to transform the signals based on the sounds received in the ear by said meatus-directed microphone into sounds when combined with the users own voice, providing a voice sounding natural to the user.

9. An ear terminal system comprising two ear terminals, at least the first of which being an ear terminal according to claim 8, said first ear terminal comprising a connection interface (13,E12) for transmitting the filtered signal from the ear terminal into said second ear terminal that is arranged for being positioned in the opposite ear of the user, said second ear terminal comprising a corresponding connection interface (13,E12) and a sound generator (SG) for emitting the sound into said second ear.

10. An ear terminal comprising:

a sealing section (2) for arrangement in the meatus (3) of a human;

an electronics unit (11) coupled to the inner microphone (M2) and to a power supply (12);

an outer microphone (M1) for converting acoustic signals in the environment into electrical signals; and

a pressure alignment channel (T3) for slow air throughput to and from the meatus (3) through the sealing section (2),

wherein the pressure alignment channel (T3) includes a pressure release valve (V) arranged for opening if the pressure difference between the meatus and the environment of the user exceeds a predetermined limit.

11. The ear terminal according to claim 10, comprising a bypass channel (T4) in the pressure alignment channel (T3).

12. The ear terminal according to claim 10, comprising a sound generator (SG) coupled to said electronic unit (11), wherein the electronics unit comprises analyzing means for active noise cancelling by feedback of acoustic signals converted by at least one of said microphones (M1,M2) generated through said sound generator (SG).

13. The ear terminal according to claim 10, comprising a sound generator (SG) directed toward the meatus and coupled to said electronics unit (11), wherein the electronics unit (11) comprises filtering means for active sound transmission by amplification of chosen frequencies converted by said outer microphone (M1) generated through said sound generator (SG).

14. An ear terminal comprising:

a sealing section (2) for arrangement in the meatus (3) of a human;

an inner microphone (M2) having a sound inlet (T1) for being directed into the meatus;

an electronics unit (11) coupled to the inner microphone (M2) and to a power supply (12);

an outer microphone (M1) for converting acoustic signals in the environment into electrical signals;

a pressure alignment channel (T3) for slow air throughput to and from the meatus (3) through the sealing section (2);

a sound generator (SG) with a sound outlet (S_SG) for being directed toward the user meatus (3);

the electronics unit (11,E3) comprising a sound analyser coupled to the resulting sound field in the meatus (3), producing analyzed sound characteristics;

storing means in the electronics unit (11,E8,E9,E10) for storing measured predetermined sound characteristics of a properly functioning ear protecting device;

a comparing means in the electronics unit (11,E3) for comparing the inner microphone (M2) analyzed sound characteristics with the stored measured predetermined sound characteristics; and

indicating means coupled to said comparing means (11,E3) for being activated if said analyzed sound characteristics differ significantly from said predetermined sound characteristics.

15. An ear terminal comprising:

a sealing section (2) for arrangement in the meatus (3) of a human;

a meatus-directed microphone (M2) having a sound inlet (T1) that opens to a closed space of the meatus;

an electronics unit (11) coupled to the meatus-directed microphone (M2) and to a power supply (12);

an outer microphone (M1) for converting acoustic signals in the environment into electrical signals; and

a meatus-directed sound generator (SG),

wherein said electronics unit comprises noise control means for canceling acoustic noise signals in the meatus by conversion of acoustic signals generated by at least one of said meatus-directed microphone (M2) and said outer microphone (M1) and using feedback to said sound generators.

16. The ear terminal of claim 15, wherein said noise control means comprises analyzing means for generating a noise control signal for active canceling of acoustic noise signals in the meatus using said meatus-directed sound generator.