Differing aspects of security and protection in ear devices
Security and protection conjure thoughts of privacy and theft protection for most of us. But there are many other aspects to consider, as these patents demonstrate.
- GN’s patent #11924616, Management in a Hearing Device, aims to shield the device from malfeasance or parasitism from outside software by preventing or limiting
- access and ability to test and run unauthorized software/firmware in a hearing device
- running or downloading unauthorized software
- access to security material, such as keying material, for authorizing firmware
3M is paying out over $6B in a settlement agreement to resolve years-long litigation regarding earplug design flaws which failed to effectively protect wearers. As the media repeatedly reminds us, it’s the largest mass tort litigation in US history. Faced with that, a company with deep enough pockets to survive the blow might plan an exit strategy from the product line and allocate remaining resources elsewhere, perhaps Scotch tape. But it’s hard to keep a good company down.
Rather than fold its tent, 3M’s patent #11925232 is doubling down on innovative technology to build a better ear protection device. Entitled Hearing Protector with Positional and Sound Monitoring Sensors for Proactive Sound Hazard Avoidance, the patent describes a system which …may reduce errors in the use of hearing protectors, more quickly notify workers when hearing protectors are required, and/or reduce the potential for hearing loss in a worker.
The March 2024 patent list
| Description | Patent Number | Assignee | Issued |
| Intraoperative detection of electrode lead misplacement during a lead insertion procedure | 11918411 | Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) | 3/05/2024 |
| Magnet management MRI compatibility | 11918808 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/05/2024 |
| Head-worn personal audio apparatus supporting enhanced hearing support | 11921355 | IngenioSpec, LLC (San Jose, CA) | 3/05/2024 |
| Systems and methods for human listening and live captioning | 11922963 | Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC | 3/05/2024 |
| Magnetic field cancellation circuitry | 11923700 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/05/2024 |
| System for real time, remote access to and adjustment of patient hearing aid with patient in normal life environment | 11924374 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/05/2024 |
| In-ear wearable audio devices with functional grading and/or embedded electronics | 11924601 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 3/05/2024 |
| Distraction remediation at a hearing device | 11924612 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/05/2024 |
| Method and system for customized amplification of auditory signals based on switching of tuning profiles | 11924613 | Listen and Be Heard LLC (Portland, OR) | 3/05/2024 |
| Identifying hearing prosthesis actuator resonance peak(s) | 11924614 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/05/2024 |
| Hearing aid, antenna for a hearing aid, and method for producing a hearing aid | 11924615 | Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) | 3/05/2024 |
| Rights management in a hearing device | 11924616 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 3/05/2024 |
| Hearing protector with positional and sound monitoring sensors for proactive sound hazard avoidance
|
11925232 | 3M Innovative Properties Company (St Paul, MN) | 3/12/2024 |
| Hearing device system and method for operating same | 11929071 | Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) | 3/12/2024 |
| Wireless charging hearing aid | 11929625 | Huang, Zhengdong (applicant, Yancheng, CN) | 3/12/2024 |
| Digital receiver with phase offset compensation | 11929855 | Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) | 3/12/2024 |
| In-ear headphone | 11930313 | Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) | 3/12/2024 |
| Wearable device | 11930316 | Earshots Limited (Palmerston North, NZ) | 3/12/2024 |
| Underwater ear pod system | 11930319 | Sadanandan, Rishi Sai (applicant, Tarpon Springs, FL) | 3/12/2024 |
| Systems and methods for performing an authenticated pairing procedure for a communication channel between a hearing device and a charging device | 11930324 | Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) | 3/12/2024 |
| Direct print chassis for contact hearing system | 11930325 | Earlens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) | 3/12/2024 |
| Hearing aid charging case | 11930326 | Williamson, Jenniera (applicant, Brooklyn, NY) | 3/12/2024 |
| Wax protection for in-canal hearing device | 11930327 | Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) | 3/12/2024 |
| Earbud | D1017584 | Zound Industries International AB (Stockholm, SE) | 3/12/2024 |
| Earphone | D1017586 | New Audio (New York, NY) | 3/12/2024 |
| Audio eyeglasses | D1017671 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 3/12/2024 |
| In-ear and around-the-ear electroencephalography system with floating electrodes and method thereof | 11931175 | Ecole De Technologie Superieure (Montreal, CA) | 3/19/2024 |
| Cochlear implant system with optimized frame coding | 11931575 | Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) | 3/19/2024 |
| Systems and methods for measuring evoked responses from a brain of a patient | 11931576 | Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) | 3/19/2024 |
| Systems and methods for adjusting clarity of an audio output | 11935554 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 3/19/2024 |
| Inductance coil path | 11935684 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/19/2024 |
| Shock protection implemented in a balanced armature receiver | 11935695 | Knowles Electronics LLC (Itasca, IL) | 3/19/2024 |
| Ear-worn device with neural network for noise reduction and/or spatial focusing using multiple input audio signals | 11937047 | Chromatic Inc (New York, NY) | 3/19/2024 |
| Integrated implantable hearing device, microphone and power unit | 11937048 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/19/2024 |
| Hearing device comprising a module | 11937049 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 3/19/2024 |
| Hearing aid for placement at an ear of a user | 11937050 | Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) | 3/19/2024 |
| Socket connector for a hearing device | 11937051 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 3/19/2024 |
| Fitting agent for a hearing device and method for updating a multi-environment user model | 11937052 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 3/19/2024 |
| Proximity-based connection for Bluetooth devices | 11937159 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 3/19/2024 |
| Drill bit, drill kit and method for drilling a cavity or a recess into a skull | 11937832 | Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, DK) | 3/26/2024 |
| Detection of physical abuse or neglect using data from ear-wearable devices | 11937943 | Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) | 3/26/2024 |
| Hearing protection device and method of forming same | 11937998 | 3M Innovative Properties Company (St Paul, MN) | 3/26/2024 |
| Interleaving power and data in a transcutaneous communication link | 11938331 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/26/2024 |
| Hearing device with enhanced awareness | 11938397 | Voyetra Turtle Beach Inc (White Plains, NY) | 3/26/2024 |
| Systems, methods, and graphical user interfaces for selecting audio output modes of wearable audio output devices | 11941319 | Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) | 3/26/2024 |
| Method for operating a hearing aid, and hearing aid | 11943586 | Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) | 3/26/2024 |
| Generating a hearing assistance device shell | 11943587 | Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) | 3/26/2024 |
| Intracutaneous implantation techniques | 11943588 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/26/2024 |
| Shielded hearing device components and related methods | 11943589 | GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) | 3/26/2024 |
| Integrated noise reduction | 11943590 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) | 3/26/2024 |
| Systems and methods for dynamic adjustment of RF amplifiers | 11943690 | Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) | 3/26/2024 |
| Earbud | D1019611 | Zound Industries International AB (Stockholm, SE) | 3/26/2024 |
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.
