Tis the season
Baby it’s cold out there, especially for the ears. Hence, the recurring, much-appreciated winter theme when inventors think up new ear warmers (D871677) and ear covering systems (10500098).
The latter patent addresses an emerging technology-wrought crisis of sorts — how to keep ears warm while streaming music through earbuds. The inventor’s solution is a set of earmuffs (feature image) “comprised of a fluid impermeable and thermally insulating material” that is “deformable” in a cup configuration to “facilitate …position(ing) on the ear”. Sounds cozy and probably reduces surround sound as well.
HHTM Academy Awards Nominee
This page doesn’t give out awards, but we’re inspired by Hollywood to give a round of applause to EarLens patent 10511913 (“Devices and methods for hearing“). The patent offers a fascinating and exhaustive read of possibilities at the eardrum. It’s wide-ranging list of embodiments tease the imagination about audio in the future.
The December 2019 List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
Bilateral matching of frequencies and delays for hearing implant stimulation |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Multifunctional ear buds |
Applicant: Patten, Jonathan (Seattle, WA) |
12/03/2019 |
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Wireless microphone and/or in ear monitoring system and method of controlling a wireless microphone and/or in-ear monitoring system |
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co KG (Wedemark, DE) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid comprising a receiver assembly |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) & Bernafon AG (Berne, CH) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Method of reducing noise in an audio processing device |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Automatically determined user experience value for hearing aid fitting |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Switching binaural sound |
Applicants: Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) & Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) |
12/03/2019 |
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|
Displaying emojis for binaural sound |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Wearable electronic device that corrects errors where a user hears binaural sound |
Applicants: Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) & Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) |
12/03/2019 |
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|
Altering emoji to indicate sound will externally localize as binaural sound |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
12/03/2019 |
|
|
Eliminating acquisition-related artifacts in electrophysiological recording |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Ear covering system |
Applicant: Mydell, Diana (Pooler, GA) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Monitoring stimulating assembly insertion |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Binaural rendering for headphones using metadata processing |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Extracting features from auditory observations with active or passive assistance of shape-based auditory modification apparatus |
Applicant: Economou, George A (Fairfax, VA) |
12/10/2019 |
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|
Binaural audio encoding/decoding and rendering for a headset |
Cisco Technology Inc (San Jose, CA) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance device and method with automatic security control |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Microphone unit with a housing and hearing aid having the microphone unit |
Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device with a microphone structure |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Managing a hearing assistance device via low energy digital communications |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Binaural audio processing |
Koninklijke Philips NV (Eindhoven, NL) |
12/10/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid device with speech control functionality |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid user account management |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Implantable medical device charging |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Adaptable ear tip for headphones |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Devices and methods for hearing |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Listening device for mitigating variations between environmental sounds and internal sounds caused by the listening device blocking an ear canal of a user |
Facebook Technologies LLC (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Integrated circuit component for a hearing assistive device |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Adaptive level estimator, a hearing device, a method and a binaural hearing system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Wireless system for hearing communication devices providing wireless stereo reception modes |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Methods for hearing-assist systems in various venues |
Applicant: Epstein, Barry (Dallas, TX) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Ear-worn electronic device incorporating directional magnetic antenna |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Automated fitting of hearing devices |
Blamey & Saunders Hearing Pty Ltd (Melbourne, AU) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid |
Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Noise reduction for implantable hearing prostheses |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
12/17/2019 |
|
|
Beamforming using an in-ear audio device |
Amazon Technologies Inc (Seattle, WA) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Devices and methods for hearing |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Optical electro-mechanical hearing devices with separate power and signal components |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Multifunction system and method for integrated hearing and communication with noise cancellation and feedback management |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Adjustable venting for hearing instruments |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Combination audio input and hearing aid kit |
Applicant: Thrasher, Rhonda (New Castle, IN) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Implantable auditory stimulation system and method with offset implanted microphones |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid for placement at an ear of a user |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Earbud |
Shenzhen Ginto E-Commerce Co Limited (Shenzhen, CN) |
12/24/2019 |
|
|
Apparatus and method for the prophylaxis of hearing impairment or vertigo |
Applicants: Ernst, Arneborg (Berlin, DE) & Basta, Dietmar (Brieselang, DE) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Multi profile hearing protection headset |
Applicant: Safariland LLC (Jacksonville, FL) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Audio control using auditory event detection |
Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Panel speaker ear location |
Nokia Technologies Oy (Espoo, FI) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid device comprising a sensor member |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid with means for adaptive feedback compensation |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Binaural hearing aid system comprising two wireless interfaces and a user interface |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Method and hearing assistive device for handling streamed audio |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid having an adaptive classifier |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Fitting devices, server devices and methods of remote configuration of a hearing device |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance system |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance device transducers and hearing assistance devices with same |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
12/31/2019 |
|
|
Ear warmer |
Applicant: Sewell, Betty J (Suisun City, CA) |
12/31/2019 |
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
