“Hearing Health Matters have been charting granted patents in this area since 2012, updating their list every few months. It should be mandatory reading for any company entering this arena.” (Nick Hunn, The Market for Hearable Devices, 2016-2020)
Hearing Economics is happy that an industry consultant of the likes of Mr. Hunn benefits from our ever-lengthening patent lists and grateful that he recommends it as essential bedside reading material. We think the same of his Hearable reports of 2016, quoted above, and 2014. As with patents and patent applications, The Hunn Hearable reports cut a wide swathe across ideas of things that go into ears and do things the market may find desirable. Hunn’s reports are so tightly packed with information and insights that important observations can get lost in a quick read. Best to read them slowly and carefully and more than once.
Not All Ideas Are New
For instance– and relevant to today’s post– Hunn dryly and quickly notes on p. 72 of the 2016-2020 report that crowdfunded companies entering the hearing device area often and erroneously “believe they are the first to have the idea,” setting them on a path to possible infringement as they discover that the idea is alive and well-defended in the big, deep patent portfolios for ear devices owned by the Big 6, a few audio electronics companies (e.g., Bose and Sennheiser), and specialized startups (e.g., Personics, Eers, United Science).
Infringement and litigation are the Wild West of the patent world and efforts have been made in recent times to civilize it through proposed legislation. But, recent political change makes some forecast that the patent world is destined to remain wild and woolly for some time to come:
Legislation aimed at curbing abusive patent litigation, which has been pending in Congress for several years, is likely to stall once President-elect Donald Trump takes office, attorneys say, since his views on patent law are largely unknown and the issue will be low on his agenda. (Law360.com)
A Shorter, More Frequent List
Speaking of ever-lengthening patent lists, they were getting too long and unwieldy to handle without mistakes creeping into the table. For that reason, and because they have a large and loyal readership (thanks in part to Mr . Hunn), we’ve decided to run the lists on a monthly basis. Today’s post is the second in the monthly, shorter list approach.
Editor’s note: The Patent Series is updated monthly now, and every two months in the past. Click links for patents approved in Sept 2016, Jul/Aug 2016, May/Jun 2016, Mar/Apr 2016, Jan/Feb 2016, Nov/Dec 2015, Sept/Oct 2015, Jul/Aug 2015, May/Jun 2015, Mar/Apr 2015, Jan/Feb 2015, Nov/Dec 2014, Sep/Oct 2014, July/Aug 2014, May/Jun 2014, Mar/Apr 2014, Jan/Feb 2014, Nov/Dec 2013, September/October 2013, Jul/Aug 2013, May/Jun 2013, Mar/Apr 2013, Jan/Feb 2013, Nov/Dec 2012
The October Patent List
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
Cardioid Beam with a Desired Null Based Acoustic Devices, Systems, and Methods |
Kopin Corp. (Westborough, MA) |
9/27/2016 |
|
Alkaline Cell with Improved High Rate Capacity |
Spectrum Brands, Inc. (Middleton, WI) |
9/27/2016 |
|
Anti-Impact Silicon Based MEMS Microphone, a System and a Package with the Same |
Goertek Inc. (CN) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Hearing Aid with Automatic Mode Change Capabilities |
III Holdings 4 LLC (Wilmington, Del) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Patent Issued for Hearing Assistance Coplanar Waveguide |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Packaging and Details of a Wireless Power Device |
Qualcomm Inc (San Diego, CA) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Systems and Methods for Controlling Output Power of a Wireless Power Transmitter |
Qualcomm Inc (San Diego, CA) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Signal Source Separation |
Analog Devices, Inc. (Norwood, MA) |
10/04/2016 |
|
Hearing instrument with interruptable microphone power supply |
GN ReSound A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Methods for the Treatment of Tinnitus Induced by Cochlear Excitotoxicity |
Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (Inserm) (Paris, FR) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Antenna |
NXP B.V. (Eindhoven, NL) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Low Pulse Rate Cochlear Implant Stimulation in Conjunction with a Separate Representation of Fundamental Frequencies and Voiced/Unvoiced Distinctions |
Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Hearing device with a frame holding hearing device components and a shell encasing the frame |
Sivantos GmbH (Erlangen, DE) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Hearing Aid with a Replaceable Insertion Cap |
Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Method and Hearing Aid System for Logic-Based Binaural Beam-Forming System |
Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Portable Terminal, Hearing Aid, and Method of Indicating Positions of Sound Sources in the Portable Terminal |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si, KR) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Battery-Powered Wireless Audio Device and a Method of Operating Such a Wireless Audio Device |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Systems and Methods for Haptically-Enabled Alarms |
Immersion Corp (San Jose, CA) |
10/11/2016 |
|
Random-access electrode addressing systems and methods |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Method and System for Providing a Hearing Aid |
Sonetik AG (Bern, Switzerland) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Hearing Aid with Increased Acoustic Bandwidth |
Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Moving Armature Receiver Assemblies with Vibration Suppression |
Sonion Nederland B.V. (Hoofddorp, NL) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Pre-Processing of a Channelized Music Signal |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Systems and Methods of Telecommunication for Bilateral Hearing Instruments |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Reflow Solderable Flexible Circuit Board — to — Flexible Circuit Board Connector Reinforcement |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Method and Apparatus for Synchronizing Hearing Instruments Via Wireless Communication |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Method and System for Self-Managed Sound Enhancement |
Ace Communications Ltd (Hong Kong, CN) |
10/18/2016 |
|
1-Aminocyclohexane Derivatives for the Treatment of Hearing Loss |
Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA (Frankfurt am Main, DE) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Acoustic Source Separation |
University of Surrey (Guildford, GB) |
10/18/2016 |
|
Enhanced Comfort Earbud |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Processor-Readable Medium, Apparatus and Method for Updating a Hearing Aid |
III Holdings 4 LLC (Wilmington, Del) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Speech-Sound Distinguishing Ability Determination Apparatus, Speech-Sound Distinguishing Ability Determination System, Hearing Aid Gain Determination Apparatus, Speech-Sound Distinguishing Ability Determination Method, and Program Thereof |
Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co. Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) |
10/25/2016 |
|
System and Method for Neural Hearing Stimulation |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Pre-Curved Electrode Array Insertion Tools |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Methods and Systems for Logging Data Associated with an Operation of a Sound Processor by an Auditory Prosthesis |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Method to Measure Real-Ear-to-Coupler Difference |
Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Fitting of Hearing Devices |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Systems, Devices, and Methods for Wearable Heads-Up Displays |
Thalmic Labs Inc. (Kitchener, CA) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Calorimeters for Testing Energy Storage Systems and Power Electronics Methods of Making the Same and Methods of Use |
Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC (Golden, CO) |
10/25/2016 |
|
Surgical Tool for Implantation of a Device with a Convex Element |
Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
10/25/2016 |
Hallo
To complete your comprehensive lists please find the patent and patent application list of jacoti bvba
Please search under google patents and Jacoti .
I can not send the list , refused as spam.
Kind regards
Jacques
Jacques kinsbergen
Thanks Jacques. Our lists are not comprehensive since they are restricted to only awarded patents from the US patent office, and only for those published/announced within the timeframe designated in the post’s title (e.g., October 2016). At the present time, HHTM does not attempt the overwhelming tasks of covering WIPO or patent applications. Only in recent months have we expanded our coverage beyond hearing aids to include hearing devices and hearing processes.
To the best of our knowledge, Jacoti BVBA has only one patent awarded by USPTO. That is #9055377, awarded on June 9, 2015, of which you are the principal inventor. If there are more recent patents awarded through the USPTO, please let us know. Thank you.