On-site, custom fitted hearing equalizer

• US 9,451,367 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversion Sound Inc.c
• Original Assignee: Conversion Sound Inc.c
• Inventors: Basseas, Stavros, Hannibal, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): PRITCHARD, JASMINE L
• Application Number:
  US12/721,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20100232612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,386 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 381/366, 181/130, 181/135
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0213 Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• 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 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/05 Electronic compensation of the occlusion effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/656 Non-customized, universal ear tips, i.e. ear tips which are not specifically adapted to the size or shape of the ear or ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/659 Post-processing of hybrid ear moulds for customisation, e.g. in-situ curing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A modular, cost effective customizable sound processing unit can provide enhanced audio from a displaced source to a user. The source can be wirelessly coupled to the unit via a short range transceiver. The processing unit can include circuitry and software to process incoming audio and to compensate for the loss of hearing due to the device been coupled to the user ear canal, making it acoustically transparent for sound sources picked by the on the unit microphone(s) and provide an enhanced audio experience for the user.

Claims

1. A modular audio processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of separate, releasably connectable, modules including

a shaped, ear module;

a receiver module;

a microphone module;

a rechargeable battery module; and

an electronics module mechanically connected to the receiver and the microphone module where the electronics module includes digital signal processing circuits to process incoming audio signals from the microphone module and also from a relatively short range wireless transceiver where the short range wireless transceiver can receive signals from a displaced compatible transceiver; and

which includes an adjust and lock tube interconnecting the microphone module with at least one other module with an adjustable length interconnection.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a battery charger that supports solar or user generated energy sources.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a wireless remote selected from a class which includes at least one of a telephone-type device, an audio-type player, a displaced microphone, a computer or a personal digital assistant, said wireless remote in communication with the electronics module via the short range wireless transceiver and wherein a local user or local or displaced assistant can use the remote to carry out a fitting process, a fine tuning process or a hearing testing process, said hearing testing process including an environmental acoustic monitoring process to assist accuracy of hearing loss test protocol results.

4. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the electronics module includes circuitry for at least one of personalized dynamic mapping of speech, noise reduction, feedback cancellation, directionality, directly telephone/audio mode, non-linear frequency mapping.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the electronics module includes circuitry for at least compensating for the hearing insertion loss due to the coupling of the device to the ear canal.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes at least one of a telecoil or additional microphone in the electronics module.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 which includes a plurality of different sized ear molds, each of which can be mechanically attached to a respective ear module.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the ear module carries an inflatable balloon which can be filed with silicone which when cured will correspond to a user'"'"'s ear canal.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the microphone module and battery module can be connected to one another by a magnetic connection.

10. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the local user or local or displaced assistant can communicate wirelessly with the electronics module via wireless transceivers.

15. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the battery module is releasibly connected to the apparatus.

16. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the apparatus can automatically switch between signals from the microphone module, or, from the short range wireless transceiver.

11. A modular audio processing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of separate, releasably connectable, modules including

a shaped, ear module;

a receiver module;

a microphone module;

a rechargeable battery module; and

an electronics module mechanically connected to the receiver module where the electronics module includes digital signal processing circuits to process incoming audio signals from the microphone module and also from a relatively short range wireless transceiver where the short range wireless transceiver can receive signals from a displaced compatible transceiver;

and which includes an adjust and lock tube interconnecting one module with a second module with an adjustable length interconnection.

12. An apparatus as in claim 11 where the battery module is separate from the other modules and is releasibly coupled to one of the modules, wherein the battery module can be removed, recharged and recoupled to the one module.

13. An apparatus as in claim 11 where the electronics module includes digital signal processing circuitry which can carry out personalized dynamic mapping of speech, noise reduction, or feedback cancellation relative to local audio input via the microphone module or from a separate, wirelessly coupled, source.

14. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the electronics module includes digital signal processing circuitry which can carry out personalized dynamic mapping of speech, noise reduction, or feedback cancellation relative to local audio input via the microphone module or from a separate, wirelessly coupled, source and where the battery module is magnetically connected to another module.