Hearing system and finger ring for the hearing system

• US 9,485,559 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2015
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Finewell Co., Ltd., ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hosoi, Hiroshi, Hosoi, Yoji, Tanaka, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yu, Norman
• Application Number:
  US14/676,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20150208153A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 381/98, 381/58, 381/151, 381/380, 381/56, 381/182, 381/311, 381/315, 381/364, 381/385, 381/162, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 9/00 Finger-rings settings for holding gems or the like A44C17/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• 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 17/005 using a piezoelectric polymer
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/023 Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/04 comprising pocket amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The hearing system comprises a finger ring and a hearing device body. The finger ring includes: a first short-distance wireless communication portion; a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, which is received by the first short-distance wireless communication portion, into a cartilage conduction vibration and outputs it; and a first power source portion that supplies power to the first short-distance wireless communication portion and the vibration output portion. The talk device body includes: a second short-distance wireless communication portion that communicates with the first short-distance wireless communication portion; a microphone; a voice signal output portion that makes the second short-distance wireless communication portion output the voice signal according to a voice captured by the microphone; and a second power source portion that supplies power to the second short-distance wireless communication portion, the microphone, and the voice signal output portion.

Claims

1. A hearing system comprising:

a finger ring including;

a first short-distance wireless communication portion;

a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, which is received by the first short-distance wireless communication portion, into a cartilage conduction vibration and outputs the cartilage conduction vibration; and

a first power source portion that performs electric power supply to the first short-distance wireless communication portion and the vibration output portion; and

a hearing device main body including;

a second short-distance wireless communication portion that performs wireless communication with the first short-distance wireless communication portion;

a microphone;

a voice signal output portion that makes the second short-distance wireless communication portion output the voice signal according to a voice captured by the microphone; and

a second power source portion that performs electric power supply to the second short-distance wireless communication portion, the microphone, and the voice signal output portion,

wherein the vibration output portion includes a piezoelectric bimorph; and

wherein the first power source portion includes a voltage step-up circuit that drives the piezoelectric bimorph.

2. The hearing system according to claim 1, wherein the vibration output portion outputs the cartilage conduction vibration transmittable to an ear cartilage via a finger when the finger contacts the ear cartilage.

3. The hearing system according to claim 1, wherein the finger ring further includes a power-source switch that turns on/off a power source of the first power source portion;

and wherein the second power source portion is remotely controlled in accordance with an on/off-state of the power-source switch that is transmitted from the first short-distance wireless communication portion via the second short-distance wireless communication portion.

4. A hearing system comprising:

a finger ring including;

a first short-distance wireless communication portion; and

a first power source portion that performs electric power supply to the first short-distance wireless communication portion; and

a mobile phone including;

a second short-distance wireless communication portion that performs wireless communication with the first short-distance wireless communication portion;

a microphone;

a voice signal output portion that outputs a voice captured by the microphone as a hearing device voice; and

a second power source portion that performs electric power supply to the microphone and the voice signal output portion,

wherein the finger ring further comprises a manual operation switch, and

wherein the first short-distance wireless communication portion outputs a signal corresponding to a call/answer operation by the manual switch to the second short-distance wireless communication portion of the mobile phone.

5. The hearing system according to claim 4, wherein the finger ring further includes a power-source switch that turns on/off a power source of the power source portion, wherein the first short-distance wireless communication portion outputs an on/off-state of the power source switch, which is transmitted to the mobile phone via the second short-distance wireless communication.

6. A hearing system comprising:

a finger ring including;

a power-source switch that turns on/off a power source;

a first short-distance wireless communication portion that transmits an on/off-state of the power-source switch; and

a first power source portion that performs electric power supply to the first short-distance wireless communication portion; and

a hearing device main body including;

a second short-distance wireless communication portion that performs wireless communication with the first short-distance wireless communication portion;

a microphone;

a voice signal output portion that outputs a voice captured by the microphone as a hearing device voice; and

a second power source portion that performs electric power supply to the microphone and the voice signal output portion,

wherein the first power-source switch includes a self-holding function that holds the on-state for a predetermined self-time span; and

wherein count operation during the self-holding time span is reset at each turning-on operation of the power source portion and restarted.

7. The hearing system according to claim 6, wherein the hearing system is for a mobile phone system.

8. A hearing system comprising:

a finger ring including;

a first short-distance wireless communication portion; and

a first power source portion that performs electric power supply to the first short-distance wireless communication portion; and

a mobile phone including;

a second short-distance wireless communication portion that performs wireless communication with the first short-distance wireless communication portion;

a microphone;

a voice signal output portion that outputs a voice captured by the microphone as a hearing device voice; and

a second power source portion that performs electric power supply to the microphone and the voice signal output portion,

wherein the finger ring further includes a control portion that receives an incoming signal via the short-distance wireless communication portion, and an incoming alert vibration portion that notifies a phone call based on the incoming signal.

9. The hearing system according to claim 8, wherein the finger ring further includes a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, and wherein the vibration output portion doubles as the incoming alert vibration portion.

10. The hearing system according to claim 8, wherein the finger ring further includes a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, wherein the vibration output portion includes a piezoelectric bimorph;

and wherein the first power source portion includes a voltage step-up circuit that drives the piezoelectric bimorph.

11. The hearing system according to claim 8, wherein the finger ring further includes a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, and wherein the vibration output portion includes an electromagnetic vibration portion.

12. The hearing system according to claim 8, wherein the finger ring further includes a vibration output portion disposed at a position that contacts a finger to convert a voice signal, and wherein the vibration output portion outputs the cartilage conduction vibration that is transmittable to an ear cartilage via a finger when the finger contacts the ear cartilage.

13. The hearing system according to claim 12, wherein the ear cartilage is of a tragus.