US Ear Device Patents for March 2020

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Hearing Health & Technology Matters
April 29, 2020

The patent world continues to turn, pandemic notwithstanding.  You won’t find patent #10607258 listed in this month’s table. However, you just find its handiwork up in the sky, if airlines start flying again. For those on the ground, looking up or out their windows, IBM has a plan to capture our skyward-directed attention and perhaps our privacy:  System, method, and recording medium for fixed-wing aircraft advertisement using locally sampled word listening.  

Last month made mention of the proliferation of “binaural” as a concept in recent times. Just to note in passing that this month’s list contains 9 patents assigned to Philip Scott Lyren or one of his companies or associates (C Matter Limited and Glenn A Norris, respectively).  Mr Lyren is a Texas patent attorney who seems to have latched on to binaural with a vengeance from afar (Thailand). In 2014, Mark Cuban of Shark Tank fame, described Mr Lyren as a patent troll in a movie download lawsuit. It is a bit surprising that IBM beat Mr Lyren to the fixed wing airplane idea. But IBM didn’t specify binaural in its patent, so Mr Lyren may claim a couple wings yet.

Who knew that hearing science could be so sexy and exciting?  

 

The March 2020 Patent List

 

Description

Patent Number

Assignee

Issued

In-ear electrical potential sensor

10575777

Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA)

3/03/2020

Selected simultaneous stimulation

10576264

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

3/03/2020

System and method for configuring an external device using operating parameters from an implanted device

10576275

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

 

3/03/2020

Implanted magnet management in the face of external magnetic fields

10576276

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

 

3/03/2020

Cochlear implant fitting via efferent nerve fibers

10576281

MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT)

3/03/2020

Device and methods for directing agents to the middle ear and the inner ear

10576295

University of Maryland (College Park, MD)

 

3/03/2020

Hearing aid battery packaging

10577163

Energizer Brands LLC (St. Louis, MO)

3/03/2020

Ear based contextual environment and biometric pattern recognition system and method

10580282

Bragi GmbH (Munich, DE)

 

3/03/2020

Method and apparatus for binaural rendering audio signal using variable order filtering in frequency domain

10580417

Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University (Seoul, KR); Wilus Institute of Standards and Technology Inc (Seoul, KR); Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (Daejeon, KR)

 

 

 

3/03/2020

Ear-worn electronic device incorporating annoyance model driven selective active noise control

10580427

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

 

3/03/2020

Auditory interpretation device with display

10580431

Auditory Labs LLC (Westlake, OH)

3/03/2020

Voice activity detection unit and a hearing device comprising a voice activity detection unit

10580437

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

 

3/03/2020

Hearing device incorporating conformal folded antenna

10581144

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

3/03/2020

In-ear headphone

10582284

Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA)

3/03/2020

Wireless hearing device

10582291

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

3/03/2020

Hearing aid and a method for audio streaming

10582312

Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)

 

3/03/2020

Method of operating a hearing aid system and a hearing aid system

10582313

Widex A/S (Lynge, DK)

 

3/03/2020

Hearing device comprising a wireless receiver of sound

10582314

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

 

3/03/2020

Feedback canceller and hearing aid

10582315

Rion Co Ltd (Tokyo, JP)

3/03/2020

Ear-worn electronic device incorporating motor brain-computer interface

10582316

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

 

3/03/2020

Hearing device including an external antenna part and an internal antenna part

10582317

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

 

3/03/2020

Magnet positioning in an external device

10582318

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

3/03/2020

Hearing assistance device incorporating system in package module

10582319

Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN)

 

3/03/2020

Canal hearing device sizer apparatus, systems and methods

10582320

Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)

 

3/03/2020

Method and apparatus for automatically identifying and annotating auditory signals from one or more parties

10582350

Eolas Technologies Inc (Tyler, TX)

 

3/03/2020

Earbud case

D876834

Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA)

3/03/2020

Cochlear implant system including an implantable battery

10583289

Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)

 

3/10/2020

Ear interface detection

10586521

Cirrus Logic Inc (Austin, TX)

3/10/2020

Hearing device with active noise control based on wind noise

10586523

Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)

 

3/10/2020

Ear tip with anti-tragus stabilizer

10587947

Plantronics Inc (Santa Cruz, CA)

3/10/2020

Hearing aid comprising a directional microphone system

10587962

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

 

3/10/2020

Apparatus and method to compensate for asymmetrical hearing loss

10587963

Applicant: Patel, Malini B (Orland Park, IL)

 

3/10/2020

Interactive wireless control of appliances by a hearing device

10587964

iHear Medical Inc (San Leandro, CA)

3/10/2020

Adaptable hearing device charging port for a hearing device charger

10587965

Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)

 

3/10/2020

Method for fitting and/or operating a hearing device, a system for fitting a hearing device, a set of associated hearing devices, and a use of a set of associated hearing devices

10587966

Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)

 

 

 

3/10/2020

Headphones that provide binaural sound and receive head gestures

10587972

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/10/2020

Electronic glasses that provide binaural sound

10587973

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

3/10/2020

Headphones that provide binaural sound

10587974

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

3/10/2020

Playing binaural sound clips during an electronic communication

10587980

Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/10/2020

Providing HRTFs to improve computer performance of electronic devices providing binaural sound for a telephone call

10587981

C Matter Limited (Kowloon, CN)

 

 

3/10/2020

Pair of in-ear appliances

D877720

Earos Inc (New York, NY)

3/10/2020

Pair of earbud headsets

D877721

Skullcandy Inc (Park City, UT)

3/10/2020

Wireless earbud

D877722

Shenzhen Ginto E-Commerce Co Ltd (Shenzhen, CN)

3/10/2020

Hearing aid antenna

D877913

Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK)

3/10/2020

Hearing aid antenna

D877914

Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK)

3/10/2020

Systems and methods for creating and using sound processing program templates

10589094

Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)

3/17/2020

Inner ear therapy device and method for operating inner ear therapy device

10589115

Yonsei University Wonju Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation (Wonju-si, KR)

3/17/2020

Vehicle warning system for hearing-impaired person and control method thereof

10589753

Hyundai Motor Company (Seoul, KR), Kia Motors Corporation (Seoul, KR)

 

3/17/2020

Acoustical battery charging

10594163

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

3/17/2020

Earbud frame for acoustic driver and complimentary ear tip

10595111

Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA)

 

3/17/2020

Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same

10595112

Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA)

 

3/17/2020

Systems and methods for detecting and reacting to system noise generated by a cochlear implant system

10595134

Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH)

 

3/17/2020

Hearing evaluation and configuration of a hearing assistance-device

10595135

Concha Inc (San Carlos, CA)

 

3/17/2020

Method for operating a hearing device and hearing device system

10595136

Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG)

 

3/17/2020

Method of exchanging data packages of different sizes between first and second portable communication devices

10595137

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

 

3/17/2020

Hearing aid with an antenna

10595138

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

3/17/2020

Cochlear hearing device with cable antenna

10595139

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

3/17/2020

Electronic frame for maintaining electronic components of a hearing aid, hearing aid and kit for a hearing aid

10595140

Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG)

 

 

3/17/2020

DACS actuator

10595141

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

3/17/2020

Hearing instrument and method of providing such hearing instrument

10595142

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

 

3/17/2020

Wearable electronic device selects HRTFs based on eye distance and provides binaural sound

10595143

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/17/2020

Apparatus for secure hearing device communication and related method

10595197

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

3/17/2020

Earbud

D878338

Shenzhen Ginto E-Commerce Co Limited (Shenzhen, CN)

3/17/2020

Method and process for quantitative evaluation of pharmacokinetics, therapeutic effects and safety of delivery of drug compounds to the inner ear for treatment of auditory disease

10596267

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc (Cambridge, MA), Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Boston, MA), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

 

 

 

3/24/2020

Device and method using a parasitic antenna element to substantially isolate or decouple first and second antennas respectively operating in first and second frequency bands

10601128

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

 

 

 

3/24/2020

Sub tragic ear unit

10602255

Freebit AS (Oslo, NO)

3/24/2020

Noise blocking bluetooth earset with integrated in-ear microphone

10602260

Orfeo SoundWorks Corporation (Anyang KR)

 

3/24/2020

Hearing device comprising switched capacitor DC-DC converter with low electromagnetic emission

10602283

GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK)

 

3/24/2020

Transducer management

10602284

Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University NSW, AU)

3/24/2020

System and method for automated hearing aid profile update

10602285

III Holdings 4 LLC (Wilmington, DE)

 

3/24/2020

Designating a sound localization point (SLP) for binaural sound at a location of a handheld portable electronic device (HPED)

10602291

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

 

3/24/2020

Method to expedite playing of binaural sound to a listener

10602295

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/24/2020

Switching binaural sound from head movements

10602300

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/24/2020

Displaying a location of binaural sound outside a field of view

10602302

Norris, Glen A (Tokyo, JP) & Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH)

 

3/24/2020

Ear shape analysis method, ear shape analysis device, and ear shape model generation method

10607358

Yamaha Corporation (Hamamatsu-shi, JP)

 

3/31/2020

Hearing aid

10609464

Rion Co Ltd (Tokyo, JP)

3/31/2020

Anatomically customized ear canal hearing apparatus

10609492

Earlens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA)

3/31/2020

Method for adjusting hearing aid configuration based on pupillary information

10609493

Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK)

 

3/31/2020

Method for operating a hearing device and hearing device

10609494

Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG)

3/31/2020

Hearing aid

10609495

Rion Co Ltd (Tokyo, JP)

3/31/2020

Canal hearing device with retainer

10609497

Sonova AG (Staefa, CH)

3/31/2020

Audio signal processing method and apparatus for binaural rendering using phase response characteristics

10609504

Gaudi Audio Lab Inc (Seoul, KR)

 

3/31/2020

Hearing aid battery package

D879601

Energizer Brands LLC (St. Louis, MO)

3/31/2020

**featured image, Bose In-ear electrical potential sensor patent #10575777

 

Holly Hosford-Dunn, Hearing Health MattersHolly 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

 

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