Headset systems and methods

• US 8,270,637 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, LONG K
• Application Number:
  US12/032,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20090208031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,677 Days
• Field of Search: 381/151, 381/312, 381/315, 381/322, 381/326, 381/328, 381/380, 600/25, 600/300, 600/301, 455/41.2, 455/100
• US Class Current: 381/151
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• 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 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

Abstract

A wireless headset is adapted to communicate with a sound source such as a music player or a cell phone or a suitable audio or sound communicated through a one-way or two-way communication device. The headset includes a mouth wearable communicator; and a linking unit coupled to the mouth wearable communicator, the linking unit adapted to communicate with the sound source.

Claims

1. A wireless headset adapted to communicate with a sound source, comprising:

a. a mouth wearable communicator having a housing which produces an interference fit between the housing and at least two surfaces of at least one tooth;

b. a linking unit coupled to the mouth wearable communicator, the linking unit adapted to communicate with the sound source;

c. a first microphone to pick up body conduction sound;

d. a second microphone to pick up ambient sound; and

e. a noise canceller to subtract ambient sound from the body conduction sound.

2. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the mouth wearable communicator comprises a bone conduction transducer.

3. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the mouth wearable communicator comprises a custom oral device.

4. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the mouth wearable communicator comprises a microphone.

5. The wireless headset of claim 4, wherein the microphone comprises one of:

an intraoral microphone, an extraoral microphone.

6. The wireless headset of claim 4, wherein the sound source comprises a telephone and wherein the microphone cancels environmental noise and transmits a user'"'"'s voice through the telephone.

7. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the sound source comprises one of:

a music player, a video player, a cellular telephone, a computer, a one-way communication device, a two-way communication device, a wireless hands-free communication device.

8. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the mouth wearable communicator comprises a data storage device.

9. The wireless headset of claim 1, comprising:

an actuatable transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with a surface of the at least one tooth; and

a wireless communication transceiver coupled to the transducer to provide received sound to the user and to provide communication for the user.

10. The wireless headset of claim 1, comprising an oral appliance having a shape which conforms to the at least one tooth.

11. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the communicator includes a transducer, comprising an electronic assembly disposed within or upon the housing and in communication with the transducer.

12. The wireless headset of claim 1, wherein the linking unit comprises a transceiver compatible with one of:

an 802 protocol, cellular protocol, Bluetooth protocol.

13. A method for communicating with a portable appliance, comprising:

a. providing a wireless headset having a mouth wearable communicator having a housing which produces an interference fit between the housing and at least two surfaces of at least one tooth;

b. intraorally wearing the mouth wearable communicator; and

c. linking the mouth wearable communicator to the portable appliance, the wireless headset further including a first microphone to pick up body conduction sound, a second microphone to pick up ambient sound, and a noise canceller to subtract ambient sound from the body conduction sound.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising transmitting sound using a bone conduction device.

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

16. The method of claim 13, comprising providing a directional microphone in the mouth wearable communicator.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising providing a noise cancelling microphone.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the portable appliance receives short-range transmission from the mouth wearable communicator and relays the transmission over a wide area network.

19. The method of claim 13, comprising transmitting sound using bone conduction.

20. The method of claim 13, comprising transmitting sound through a tooth, a maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine bone.