Use a 9 Iron and Watch for Innocent Bystanders
Added features keep popping up on Hearables, as expected, but they’re also showing up in clever ways on hearing aids, targeting specific and general needs of wearers. Here are two fun forays in that direction from this month’s patent list:
- Starkey’s 10894194 for an Ear-wearable device providing golf advice data
and
- GN Hearing’s 10896020 for a System for processing service requests relating to unsatisfactory performance of hearing devices, and components of such system
In the future, will hearing-aid wearing golfers file complaints and report unsatisfactory hearing aid performance when their balls land in sand traps or water features? Might people hit by golf balls file complaints against golfers as well as the manufacturers of advise-giving ear devices worn by the assailants?
The January 2021 Patent List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
Temperature-monitoring earbud device |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Auditory prosthesis for middle-ear and related coating method |
Sil-Co SRL (Pavia, IT) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Fast fitting for cochlear implants |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Obfuscating audible communications in a listening space |
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Noise reduction system and method for audio device with multiple microphones |
Cirrus Logic Inc (Austin, TX) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Hearing device incorporating conformal folded antenna |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Hearing device and a hearing system comprising a multitude of adaptive two channel beamformers |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Method for beamforming in a binaural hearing aid |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Electronic circuit and in-ear piece for a hearing device |
Sonion Nederland BV (Hoofddorp, NL) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Transducer modules for auditory communication devices and auditory communication devices |
Hear-Wear Technologies LLC (Tulsa, OK) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Hearing aid device |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Communication device with spatial source separation, communication system, and related method |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/05/2021 |
|
|
Passive middle ear prosthesis |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Ultrasonic wave generation device for hearing recovery treatment |
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shenzhen, CN) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Vestibular stimulation device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Single-channel, binaural and multi-channel dereverberation |
Accusonus Inc (Lexington, MA) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Antenna and device with such an antenna |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Controlled fitting of an implantable medical device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
System and method for aiding hearing |
Texas Institute of Science Inc (Richardson, TX) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Apparatus and method for treating a neurological disorder of the auditory system |
Neuromod Devices Limited (Dublin, IE) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Headtracking for parametric binaural output system and method |
Dolby International AB (Amsterdam, NL) & Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Hearing aid for the deaf |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/12/2021 |
|
|
Implantable medical devices having resilient mounting tabs and associated methods |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Ear-wearable device providing golf advice data |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
System for processing service requests relating to unsatisfactory performance of hearing devices, and components of such system |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Training a filter for noise reduction in a hearing device |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Customized device for insertion of a deep-cana (sic) hearing aid and a method for manufacturing and using such an insertion device |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Shock and impact management of an implantable device during non use |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Device and method to reduce ear wax clogging of acoustic ports, hearing aid sealing system, and feedback reduction system |
Staton Techiya LLC (Delray Beach, FL) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
BTE hearing aid |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/19/2021 |
|
|
Treating hearing loss |
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Boston, MA) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Robust instantaneous frequency estimation for hearing prosthesis sound coding |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Earbud case with insert |
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Audio rendering system |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
System for presentation of audio using wearable device |
Amazon Technologies Inc (Seattle, WA) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Hearing aid charger case |
Xiamen Retone Hearing Technology Co Ltd (Xiamen, CN) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Hearing prosthesis system having interchangeable housings |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Ultrasonic hearing system and related methods |
Regents of the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
System and method for managing a customizable configuration in a hearing aid |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Reducing noise for a hearing device |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Method for enhancing signal directionality in a hearing instrument |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Battery-based systems and methods for managing sound processor programming for a cochlear implant system |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Fitting devices, server devices and methods of remote configuration of a hearing device |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
Method of manufacturing a component of a hearing device and component |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
1/26/2021 |
|
|
BTE hearing aid |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
1/26/2021 |
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.
