Bone conduction hearing device with open-ear microphone

• US 8,433,080 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Rader, Richard Scott, Abolfathi, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gupta, Raj R
• Application Number:
  US11/843,541
• Publication Number:
  US 20090052698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,078 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/151, 381/313, 381322-331
• US Class Current: 381/151
• 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

Systems and methods for transmitting an audio signal through a bone of a user includes receiving an audio signal from a first microphone positioned at an entrance or in a first ear canal; and vibrating a first transducer to audibly transmit the audio signal through the bone. A second microphone can be positioned in a second ear canal and the two microphones preserve and deliver inter-aural sound level and phase differences that naturally occur so that the user can perceive directionality.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting an audio signal through a bone of a user, comprising:

receiving an audio signal from a first microphone positioned in proximity to an entrance of or in a first ear canal;

transmitting the audio signal to a housing secured to one or more teeth, where the housing is secured via an interference fit produced by the housing and at least two surfaces of the one or more teeth, and where the housing includes at least one transducer such that the transducer is in vibratory contact with the one or more teeth; and

,

vibrating the at least one transducer to audibly transmit the audio signal through the one or more teeth.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising positioning circuitry for the microphone in a microphone housing.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the circuitry comprises a signal processor, a power supply, a transmitter and an antenna.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an audio signal comprises positioning the first microphone behind an ear.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an audio signal comprises positioning the first microphone within one or more folds of a pinna.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the microphone housing comprises one or more openings to pass sound.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second audio signal from a second microphone positioned at an entrance of or in a second ear canal.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the audio signal from the first microphone and a second microphone.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first microphone receives a high sound level and the second microphone receives a low sound level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second microphones capture sounds that are different in level and phase.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first microphone receives a high sound level and a second microphone receives a low sound level which is phase-shifted, wherein the high sound level and phase-shifted low sound level provide the user with a perception of directionality.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising

filtering the audio signal into at least a first frequency range and a second frequency range;

vibrating the at least one transducer to transmit the first frequency range through the one or more teeth of the user; and

vibrating a second transducer to transmit the second frequency range through the one or more teeth of the user to provide directionality to the user.

13. A hearing device, comprising:

a first microphone positioned in proximity to an entrance of or in a first ear canal;

a first housing configured to engage one or more teeth;

at least one transducer coupled to the first housing such that the transducer is in vibratory contact with the one or more teeth, wherein the device produces an interference fit between the device and at least two surfaces of the one or more teeth, and

wherein the at least one transducer is in communication with the first microphone and the at least one transducer vibrates in accordance with signals from the first microphone and conducts an audio signal through the one or more teeth.

14. The device of claim 13, comprising circuitry coupled to the microphone in a microphone housing.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry comprises a signal processor, a power supply, a transmitter and an antenna.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is located behind an ear.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the circuitry is positioned within one or more folds of a pinna.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising a second microphone positioned in proximity to an entrance of or in a second ear canal.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the first and second microphones receive the audio signal.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first microphone is configured to receive a high sound level and the second microphone is configured to receive a low sound level.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein the first microphone is configured to receive a high sound level and the second microphone is configured to receive a low sound which is phase-shifted, wherein the high and phase-shifted low sounds add to provide the user with a perception of directionality.

22. The device of claim 13, comprising

a circuit coupled to the first microphone and configured to filter the audio signal into at least a first frequency range and a second frequency range, wherein the at least one transducer transmits the first frequency range through the one or more teeth of a user;

a second microphone positioned in proximity to an entrance of or in a second ear canal;

a phase-shifting circuit coupled to the second microphone and configured to adjust the audio signal received by the second microphone; and

a second transducer configured to conduct the second frequency range through the one or more teeth of the user.