Big Tech has had the ear in its sights since AirPods became the big consumer electronics thing. They’re now sighting in on specific features of hearing and hearing loss. As examples:
- Meta Platform’s patents #11575999 (Systems and methods for hearing assessment and audio adjustment) and #11589176 (Calibrating an audio system using a user’s auditory steady state response)
- Apple’s patent #11595766 (Remotely updating a hearing aid profile)
The February 2023 Patent List
| Description | Patent Number | Assignee | Issued |
| Electrically conductive ear tips | 11571563 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 2/07/2023 |
| Compact hearing aids | 11571571 | Nanoear Corporation Inc (Houston, TX) | 2/07/2023 |
| Audio-based near field communication | 11573761 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 2/07/2023 |
| Voice assistant for wireless earpieces | 11573763 | Bragi GmbH (Munich, DE) | 2/07/2023 |
| Mass loaded earbud with vent chamber | 11575985 | Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) | 2/07/2023 |
| Method and system for customized amplification of auditory signals based on switching of tuning profiles | 11575998 | Listen and Be Heard LLC (Portland, OR) | 2/07/2023 |
| Systems and methods for hearing assessment and audio adjustment | 11575999 | Meta Platforms Technologies LLC (Menlo Park, CA) | 2/07/2023 |
| Monaural hearing device with parts that are interconnected utilizing near-field wireless communication | 11576000 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 2/07/2023 |
| Hearing aid comprising binaural processing and a binaural hearing aid system | 11576001 | Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) | 2/07/2023 |
| Sensor hub in connector plug or cable for a hearing assistance device | 11576002 | Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) | 2/07/2023 |
| Method and apparatus for objective assessment of in-ear device acoustical performance | 11576003 | 3M Innovative Properties Company (St Paul, MN) | 2/07/2023 |
| Implantable auditory stimulation system and method with offset implanted microphones | 11577078 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 2/14/2023 |
| Systems and methods for improving functional hearing | 11581008 | Quid Pro Consulting, LLC (Incline Village, NV) | 2/14/2023 |
| Open audio device | 11582547 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 2/14/2023 |
| Port placement for in-ear wearable with active noise cancellation | 11582550 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 2/14/2023 |
| Acoustic receiver and method of making same | 11582558 | Knowles Electronics LLC (Itasca, IL) | 2/14/2023 |
| Hearing system comprising a personalized beamformer | 11582562 | Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) | 2/14/2023 |
| Hearing instrument charger device and system, and a method of manufacturing a holder therefor | 11582566 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 2/14/2023 |
| Hearing device with an antenna | 11582567 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 2/14/2023 |
| Fitting agent and method of determining hearing device parameters | 11582569 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 2/14/2023 |
| Cochlear implant headpiece | 11583677 | Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) | 2/21/2023 |
| Hybrid noise suppression | 11587575 | Plantronics (Santa Cruz, CA) | 2/21/2023 |
| Communication device and methods for use by hearing impaired | 11588936 | Ultratec Inc (Madison, WI) | 2/21/2023 |
| Generalized method for providing one or more stimulation coding parameters in a hearing aid system for obtaining a perceivable hearing loudness | 11589170 | Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) | 2/21/2023 |
| Hearing aid comprising a record and replay function | 11589173 | Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) | 2/21/2023 |
| Calibrating an audio system using a user’s auditory steady state response | 11589176 | Meta Platforms Technologies LLC (Menlo Park, CA) | 2/21/2023 |
| Treatment of hearing loss | 11590152 | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Boston, MA) | 2/28/2021 |
| Electrical techniques for biomarker detection in a cochlea | 11590343 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 2/28/2021 |
| Methods and systems for generating customized audio experiences | 11593065 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 2/28/2021 |
| Hearing device or system comprising a user identification unit | 11594228 | Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) | 2/28/2021 |
| Sensory-based environmental adaptation | 11595763 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 2/28/2021 |
| Remotely updating a hearing aid profile | 11595766 | Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) | 2/28/2021 |
| Rechargeable hearing devices and chargers for use with same | 11595767 | Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) | 2/28/2021 |
| Wax protection for in-canal hearing device | 11595769 | Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) | 2/28/2021 |
| Method for operating a hearing device, and hearing device | 11595770 | Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) | 2/28/2021 |
| Discrete binaural spatialization of sound sources on two audio channels | 11595775 | Meta Platforms Technologies LLC (Menlo Park, CA) | 2/28/2021 |
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.
