Headset systems and methods

• US 8,224,013 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir A., SHELTON, Jason R., Kassayan, Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLEIN, JORDAN M
• Application Number:
  US12/464,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 381/151, 381/312, 381/315, 381/322, 381/324, 381/326, 381/380, 381/385, 381/344, 600/25
• US Class Current: 381/385
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/06 combined with other apparatus having a different main function
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A digital audio player device can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form an intraoral MP3 player. In another embodiment, the device provides an electronic and transducer device that can be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance or other oral device to form a DAP. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.

Claims

1. An intra-oral digital audio player, comprising:

a. a mouth wearable housing;

b. a data storage device positioned in the mouth wearable housing to store digital audio;

c. a transducer mounted on the mouth wearable housing and in vibratory communication with one or more teeth; and

d. a linking unit to receive audio content and coupled to the data storage device.

2. The digital audio player of claim 1, wherein the transducer comprises a bone conduction transducer.

3. The digital audio player of claim 1, wherein the mouth wearable housing comprises a custom oral device.

4. The digital audio player of claim 1, comprising a radio receiver to receive AM or FM broadcast content.

5. The digital audio player of claim 1, comprising an oral appliance having a shape which conforms to the at least one tooth.

6. The digital audio player of claim 1, wherein the transducer includes a transducer, comprising an electronic assembly disposed within or upon the housing and in communication with the transducer.

7. The digital audio player of claim 1, wherein the linking unit comprises a transceiver compatible with one of:

an 802 protocol, cellular protocol, wireless USB protocol.

8. The digital audio player of claim 1, comprising:

a. a player charger coil defining a first portion of an electromagnetic loop; and

b. a charger base having a base charger coil defining a second portion of the electromagnetic loop, wherein the player charger coil and the base charger coil in combination transfer energy for inductive charging.

9. The digital audio player of claim 8, comprising a charger circuit coupled to the player coil portion.

10. The digital audio player of claim 9, wherein the charger circuit comprises a regulator circuit coupled to a charging circuit.

15. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving broadcast radio transmission and vibrating the one or more teeth accordingly.

11. A method for rendering audio content, comprising:

a. storing audio content in a data storage device positioned in a mouth wearable housing;

b. intraorally wearing the mouth wearable housing; and

c. vibrating one or more teeth to play the audio content.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising transmitting sound using a bone conduction device.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising providing the mouth wearable housing as a custom oral device.

14. The method of claim 11, comprising providing a plurality of transducers coupled to different teeth.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the audio content comprises MP3 content.

17. The method of claim 11, comprising transmitting sound using bone conduction.

18. The method of claim 11, comprising transmitting sound through a tooth, a maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine bone.

19. The method of claim 11, comprising swimming or wearing the mouth wearable housing in a wet environment.

20. The method of claim 11 comprising downloading audio content to or uploading audio content from the data storage device through a USB connection or a wireless USB connection.

21. The method of claim 11, comprising updating the data storage device content while recharging a battery.

22. The method of claim 11, comprising providing a remote controller to adjust playback volume, play and pause and navigate between tracks.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising a squeeze control to allow a user to pause/play (single squeeze) and skip to the next track (double squeeze).

24. The method of claim 11, comprising providing a bite control to allow the user to pause/play (single bite) and skip to another track (double bite).