Dick Tracy’s uber futuristic two-way wristwatch radio looks quaint today when one considers patent ideas like #D856328 .
Think of all the crimes Mr Tracy could solve as well as solutions for all that ails us if he’d been equipped with an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-wristwatch-&-earbuds-included-device envisioned by that patent’s equally long title:
“Wearable artificial intelligence (AI) data processing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality communication eyeglass including mobile phone and mobile computing via virtual touch screen gesture and eye tracking control and neuron command”
And, what if his watch or our earbuds powered themselves by “contain[ing] flexible thermoelectric device[s] to harvest energy for their own and other wearable applications“? (feature image, patent 10388847)?
Dick Tracy and Harry Potter valued secure communication channels and privacy in their wearables. Both would applaud and use the cloaks of (audible) invisibility for private group conversations in rooms where other groups are doing the same, as envisioned by Harman International’s patent #10388297, Techniques for generating multiple listening environments via auditory devices, envisions?
The August 2019 List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
In-ear hearing test probe devices and methods and systems using same |
East Carolina University (Greenville, NC) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Middle ear mucosa-like cell sheet, process of producing the same and method of using the same |
Tokyo Women’s Medical University (Tokyo, JP) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Reproducible placement of ABI Electrodes |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Active fixation of neural tissue electrodes |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Systems and methods for energy efficient and low power distributed automatic speech recognition on wearable devices |
Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, CA) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
System and method for alerting a user of preference-based external sounds when listening to audio through headphones |
Harman International Industries Inc. (Stamford, CT) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Systems, apparatus, and methods for hearing protection |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid having level and frequency-dependent gain |
Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc. (Berkeley, CA) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device comprising a microphone control system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device comprising a beamformer filtering unit |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Method and device for filtering signals to match preferred speech levels |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Systems, devices, components and methods for reducing feedback between microphones and transducers in bone conduction magnetic hearing devices |
Sophono Inc. (Minneapolis, MN) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Audio system with integral hearing test |
Applicant: Robert Newton Rountree, Sr. (Cotopaxi, CO) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Binaural beamformer filtering unit, a hearing system and a hearing device |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device with a barrier element |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Method of fitting a hearing assistance device |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Binaural dialogue enhancement |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA) & Dolby International AB (Amsterdam Zuidoost, NL) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid antenna |
Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Bone fixture for medical prosthesis |
Cochlear Limited (NSW, AU) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
System and method for treatment of non-ventilating middle ear by providing a gas pathway through the nasopharynx |
Acclarent Inc. (Irvine, CA) |
8/06/2019 |
|
|
Systems and methods for gradually adjusting a control parameter associated with a cochlear implant system |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
3D printed ceramic to metal assemblies for electric feedthroughs in implantable medical devices |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Ear-wearable wireless communication flashlight combination device |
Applicant: Antoine Smith (Bellwood, IL) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Haptic feedback for head-wearable speaker mount such as headphones or earbuds to indicate ambient sound |
Motorola Mobility LLC (Chicago, IL) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Miniature hearing instrument configured for positioning at least partially in bony region of ear canal |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device with user driven settings adjustment |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Wearable artificial intelligence (AI) data processing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality communication eyeglass including mobile phone and mobile computing via virtual touch screen gesture and eye tracking control and neuron command |
Applicants: Xing, Zhou Tian, Zhou, Dylan TX, Zhou, Tiger TG, Zhou, Andrew HB (Tiburon and Belvedere, CA) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Hearing implant accessory |
Cochlear Limited (NSW, AU) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Ear-mountable bio-sensor device |
Inova Design Solutions Ltd. (London, GB) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Auditory sensitivity adjustment device |
Applicant: Kumagawa, Yosuke (Kanagawa, JP) |
8/13/2019 |
|
|
Techniques for generating multiple listening environments via auditory devices |
Harman International Industries Inc. (Stamford, CT) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Method of producing a flexible thermoelectric device to harvest energy for wearable applications |
Nimbus Materials Inc. (Fremont, CA) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Parallel power switch for hearing aid |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Frequency mapping for hearing devices |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Methods and apparatuses for setting a hearing aid to an omnidirectional microphone mode or a directional microphone mode |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Antenna system for a hearing aid |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device for receiving location information from wireless network |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid having a classifier |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Smoothing power consumption of an active medical device |
Cochlear Limited (NSW, AU) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Method and apparatus for coil alignment in electromagnetic hearing implant |
Ototronix LLC (Houston, TX) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Hearing augmentation systems and methods |
K/S HIMPP (Lynge, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Hearing protection device self-assessment of suitability and effectiveness to provide optimum protection in a high noise environment based on localized noise sampling and analysis |
Honeywell International Inc. (Morris Plains, NJ) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Ear shape analysis device and ear shape analysis method |
Yamaha Corporation (Hamamatsushi, JP) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Inductively chargeable earbud case |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Display screen with animated graphical user interface |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
8/20/2019 |
|
|
Cochlear implants |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Providing an auditory-based interface of a digital assistant |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Ear-worn electronic device incorporating combined dipole and loop antenna |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Output driver comprising MOS switches with adjustable back biasing |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Earbud speech estimation |
Cirrus Logic Inc. (Austin, TX) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Neutralizing the effect of a medical device location |
Cochlear Limited (NSW, AU) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Method of determining objective perceptual quantities of noisy speech signals |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Method for frequency distortion of an audio signal, method for suppressing an acoustic feedback in an acoustic system and hearing aid |
Sivantos PTE. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Earpiece for a hearing device and a hearing device |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
Hybrid shell for hearing aid |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
8/27/2019 |
|
|
System and method for improving data integrity and power efficiency |
Cochlear Limited (NSW, AU) |
8/27/2019 |
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.
