Methods and apparatus for processing audio signals

• US 7,796,769 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2007
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRITCHARD, JASMINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/672,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20070280495A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/32.1, 381/300, 381/309, 381/310, 381/313, 381/322, 381/324, 381/326, 600/25
• US Class Current: 381/312
• 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. An apparatus for transmitting vibrations to facilitate sound transmission, comprising:

a first housing that is configured to engage at least a first tooth of a user without requiring anatomical modification of the at least a first tooth and without bonding to the at least a first tooth;

a first transducer disposed within or upon the first housing and configured to transmit vibrations to a surface of the at least a first tooth;

a first microphone adapted to receive an audio signal; and

a first processor in electrical communication with the first transducer and in electrical or wireless communication with the first microphone, wherein said apparatus produces an interference fit between the apparatus and at least two surfaces of the at least a first tooth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first housing has a shape which is conformable to at least a portion of the at least a first tooth.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second transducer configured to be in vibratory communication with a surface of at least a second tooth.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the second transducer is disposed within or upon a second housing disposed upon the at least a second tooth, wherein a location of the at least a second tooth is distanced from a location of the at least a first tooth.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first transducer is configured to vibrate over a first frequency range and the second transducer is configured to vibrate over a second frequency range that is different from the first frequency range.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first and second transducers are configured to vibrate relative to one another in accordance with a phase shift.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second microphone in electrical communication with at least the first processor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first microphone is positioned along a buccal surface of the at least a first tooth and the second microphone is positioned along a lingual surface of at least a second tooth.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least a second processor in electrical communication with the first processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wireless receiver in communication with at least the first processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first and second transducers are configured to vibrate relative to one another in accordance with an amplitude difference.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured to substantially cover two or more sides of the at least a first tooth.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is configured to engage the at least a first tooth via an interference fit.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus fits over at least a portion of gingival tissue.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured as an integrated assembly.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to be removable in one step.

28. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a polymeric material.

29. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first microphone is configured and adapted to be placed within a mouth of the user.

11. A method of transmitting vibrations to facilitate sound transmission, comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising a housing and a transducer disposed within or upon the housing;

positioning the housing onto at least one tooth of a user, wherein the housing is configured to engage the at least one tooth without requiring anatomical modification of the at least one tooth and without bonding to the at least one tooth, wherein said apparatus produces an interference fit between the apparatus and at least two surfaces of the at least one tooth;

receiving a first audio signal via a first microphone;

receiving a second audio signal via a second microphone;

shifting a phase and/or amplitude and/or delay of the second audio signal such that a summation of the first and second audio signals mitigates or cancels the second audio signal resulting in a final signal; and

vibrating the final signal through the transducer such that the transducer transmits the vibrations to the surface of the at least one tooth.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising positioning the first microphone intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal to the user prior to receiving a first audio signal.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising placing the first microphone along a buccal surface of a first tooth prior to receiving a first audio signal.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising placing the second microphone along a lingual surface of a second tooth prior to receiving the second audio signal.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving a first audio signal comprises receiving a desired audio signal.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the second audio signal comprises receiving an undesired audio signal.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving reverberations from the first audio signal via at least the second microphone.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein shifting comprises shifting the second audio signal such that the second audio signal is mitigated or canceled compared to the first audio signal.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein shifting comprises shifting the second audio signal 180°

out of phase relative to the first audio signal.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein shifting further comprises shifting a phase and/or amplitude and/or delay of the first audio signal.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein vibrating the final signal comprises vibrating the transducers through the at least one tooth of the user.

30. The method of claim 11 wherein the housing is configured to substantially cover two or more sides of the at least one tooth.

31. The method of claim 11 wherein the housing is configured to engage the at least one tooth via an interference fit.

32. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus fits over at least a portion of gingival tissue.

33. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is configured as an integrated assembly.

34. The method of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is configured to be removable in one step.

35. The method of claim 11 wherein the housing comprises a polymeric material.