Hearing Economics is always scouting out new ways for in-ear devices to multitask for the general good of mankind. Emerging technologies in new patents provide fertile ground and occasional low hanging fruit. Here are a few thoughts for future in-ear apps, taken from January patent offerings.
Beauty: In the Ear of the Listener or the Fingers of the Player?
Fig 1, Musical instruments training, patent #10186166
Future aspiring musicians may be able to master their instruments without benefit of teachers or even hearing, sort of like paint by numbers artistry except for hearing musicality. If patent #10186166 has its way, students will don gloves equipped with sensors coupled to “teaching server” networks, which will oversee dexterity exercises (e.g. finger independence, striking force, control of movement, etc) and training methods (e.g., plucking and bowing). The patent, specified for string instruments, extends the concept to include piano training (key striking) and foresees realtime feedback for players.
Though it may be possible to learn to play a musical instrument without ever hearing it played, why not add a Hearable to the glove-server system, thereby re-incorporating a previously indispensable dimension into the training?
Though the patent doesn’t go there, it seems pretty clear from Figure 1 that the system would work on robots, too, not much different from the player pianos of old.
Hearables, the Other Wearable
Fig 2. Patent 10188323 for wearable-based identity verification (and elimination of pesky passwords)
Vision Service Plan’s patent #10188323 tackles a universally vexing problem, namely the
“inconvenient and time consuming [need to]provide a password and/or produce other identifying information to gain access to a particular computer system, program, building or secure area within a building.” (liberally paraphrased here and elsewhere from the patent).
Vision Service Plan naturally seeks to solve the problem with eyeglasses, but kindly notes that “other wearable items” will do, too. Hearing Economics naturally nominates Hearables for the task. Either way, the approach is to couple at least one sensor to glasses or ear device to detect one or more characteristics that associated with the wearer’s identity.
Suggested sensors run the gamut: “… a near-field communication sensor, a Bluetooth chip, a GPS unit, an RFID tag (passive or active), a fingerprint reader, an iris reader, a retinal scanner, a voice recognition sensor, a heart rate monitor, an electrocardiogram (EKG), a pedometer, a thermometer, a front-facing camera, an eye-facing camera, a microphone, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a blood pressure sensor, a pulse oximeter, a skin conductance response sensor, any suitable biometric reader.”
Whereupon, the wearable transmits its findings wirelessly to a remote location that confirms your identity and slips you in the door, onto the computer, or wherever you want to go.
But Maybe Not This One
Patent #10179064 probably offers universal appeal to a large swath of humanity. It uses sensor-equipped wearables, worn while sleeping, to anticipate and proactively combat hot flashes to maintain your sleep state. In the patent, sensors can measure body temperature, skin conductance, EEG. Treatments can be as simple as turning on and off a fan.
One suggested application–shown somewhat alarmingly in the feature image above–is to adjust ambient room lighting in response to EEG signals. This might work for Bose Sleepbuds but other Hearables may wish to seek inspiration elsewhere.
The January 2019 List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
Method for extracting temporal features from spike-like signals |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Single-wire electrode array |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Ear medication dispenser with sensor |
Applicant: Mitchnick, Mark (East Hampton, NY) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Multi-dimensional auditory notification composition based on sender categorizations |
International Business Machines Corp (Armonk, NY) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
In-ear monitor |
Campfire Audio LLC (Portland, OR) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Microphone matching unit and hearing aid |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance system with own voice detection |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Binaural hearing system and method |
Cirrus Logic Inc. (Austin, TX) |
1/01/2019 |
|
|
Hearing protector with compartment for rechargeable battery pack |
3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
System for optimization of music listening |
Arkamys (Paris, FR) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Electronic device capable of obtaining hearing data according to face image recognition results and method of obtaining hearing data |
Unlimiter MFA Co. Ltd. (Eden Island, SC) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Monaural intrusive speech intelligibility predictor unit, a hearing aid and a binaural hearing aid system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
System and method for synchronizing audio and video signals for a listening system |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Audio ear buds |
Beutner, Steve (Riverview, MI) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Light based hearing systems, apparatus, and methods |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Bone conduction device including a balanced electromagnetic actuator having radial and axial air gaps |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Bi-hemispheric brain wave system and method of performing bi-hemispherical brain wave measurements |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Pair of in-ear headphones |
Tong De Limited (Tortola, VG) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Hearing Aid |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/08/2019 |
|
|
Apparatus and method for treating disorders of the ear, nose and throat |
Acclarent Inc. (Irvine, CA) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Pharmaceutical composition for topical application in the auditory canal |
Bio.Lo.Ga. SRL (Conegliano, Treviso, IT) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Multimodal prescription techniques |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Hearing system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Integrated circuit comprising adjustable back biasing of one or more logic circuit regions |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Earphone having damped ear canal resonance |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Method and device for in ear canal echo suppression |
Staton Techiya LLC (Delray Beach, FL) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance device comprising an input transducer system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device and method with flexible control of beamforming |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Binaural hearing aid system comprising two wireless interfaces and a user interface |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/15/2019 |
|
|
Wearable dual-ear mobile otoscope |
Qualcomm Inc (San Diego, CA) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Stimulation parameter optimization |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Power supply manageable wearable device and power supply management method for a wearable device |
Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co. Ltd. (Shenzhen, CN) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Enhancing stringed instrument learning with a wearable device |
Applicanat: Gialamas, Angelos (Kalamata, GR) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Ear cup venting mechanism for gaming headset |
Performance Designed Products LLC (Burbank, CA) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Method for controlling and/or configuring a user-specific hearing system via a communication network |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid with an antenna |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid device frame structure and locking plug |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Secure wireless communication for an implantable component |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Ear protector with visual display |
Applicant: Mohabbat, Arshad (St Louis, MO) |
1/22/2019 |
|
|
Systems, apparatus, and methods for using eyewear, or other wearable item, to confirm the identity of an individual |
Vision Service Plan (Rancho Cordova, CA) |
1/29/2019 |
|
|
Method and apparatus for in-ear canal sound suppression |
Staton Techiya LLC (Delray Beach, FL) |
1/29/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid device |
Better Hearing S.A.A.K. Technologies Ltd. (Or Akiva, IL) |
1/29/2019 |
|
|
Antennas for hearing aids |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
1/29/2019 |
|
|
Isolated actuator for bone conduction device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/29/2019 |
Editor’s note: Interested readers can click the following links for patents approved in December 2018, November 2018, October 2018, September 2018, August 2018, July 2018, June 2018, May 2018, April 2018, Q1 2018, Nov/Dec 2017, October 2017, September 2017, August 2017, June/July 2017, May 2017, April 2017, March 2017, February 2017, January 2017, December 2016, November 2016, October 2016, 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
Holly Hosford-Dunn, PhD, owned and operated a dispensing audiology practice in Tucson and was active in management of HearingHealthMatters.org through 2017. She holds BA degrees in Communication Sciences, Psychology and Economics; MA in Communication Disorders; PhD in Hearing Sciences. Following post-doctoral work at Max Planck Institute (Munich, DE) and Eaton-Peabody Auditory Physiology Lab (Boston), she joined the Stanford medical school faculty as director of audiology. She has authored/edited numerous text books, chapters, journals, and articles and taught Marketing and Practice Management in a variety of academic settings. She continues to consult and write on topics related to hearing health care vis-à-vis consumer demands, professional training, technological advancement, capital investment, industry consolidation, regulatory control, product and service distribution, and strategic pricing.
