Wow, the last two months saw a lot of patent activity for hearing devices from a lot of competitors, most outside the US. Click the links for previous lists (Jan-Feb 2013 and Nov-Dec 2012), neither of which matches today’s in length. Widex jumped in with a bunch of patents, Samsung won most innovative title (“small hearing aid”). Just kidding. South Korea tossed its hat in the ring. The only individual to get a patent was Daniel Schumaier, president of Ear Technology, who also snagged one on the last list.
| Description | Patent Number | Assignee | Filed | Issued |
| Hearing Aid with Adaptive Feedback Suppression | 8379894 | Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) | 5/8/2008 | 2/19/2013 |
| Achieving Hearing Aid Compatibility on Handsets with Low Acoustic Impedance Receivers | 8385512 | Cisco Technology Inc. (San Jose, Calif.) | 8/31/2007 | 2/26/2013 |
| Handheld Electronic Device | 8378901 | HTC Corporation (Taoyuan, Taoyuan County, TW) | 1/27/2010 | 2/19/2013 |
| Hearing Aid Device | 8379895 | Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Erlangen, DE) | 10/18/2007 | 2/19/2013 |
| System and Method for Measuring and Recording Skull Vibration in Situ | 8376967 | Audiodontics, LLC (Betheda, MD) | 4/13/2010 | 2/19/2013 |
| Electro-Acoustical Transducer and a Transducer Assembly | 8379899 | Sonion Nederland B.V. (Amsterdam, NL) | 10/31/2005 | 2/19/2013 |
| Transmission Facility for a Hearing Apparatus with Film Conductor Shielding and Naturally Shielded Coil | 8379898 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) | 9/04/2008 | 2/19/2013 |
| Hearing Aid, Hearing Aid System, Walking Detection Method, and Hearing Aid Method | 8391524 | Panasonic Corp. (Osaka, Japan) |
6/02/2010 |
3/05/2013 |
| Circuit for Operating a Hearing Device and Hearing Device | 8385571 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) | 4/29/2009 | 2/26/2013 |
| Method for compensating for a feedback signal, and hearing device | 8396236 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) | 2/09/2011 | 3/12/2013 |
| Hearing aid with interference compensation and method for configurating the hearing aid | 8396235 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) | 2/03/2010 | 3/12/2013 |
| Methods and apparatuses for setting a hearing aid to an omnidirectional microphone mode or a directional microphone mode | 8396224 | GN ReSound A/S (Ballerup, Denmark) | 3/02/2007
|
3/12/2013 |
| Preprogrammed hearing assistance device with program selection using a multipurpose control device | 8396237 | Daniel R. Schumaier (Elizabethton, Tenn.) | 4/8/2009 | 3/12/2013 |
| Methods and Apparatus for Reduced Distortion Balanced Armature Devices | 8385583 | The Penn State Research Foundation (University Park, PA) | 4/28/2009 | 2/26/2013 |
| Audio-Separating Apparatus and Operation Method | 8391509 | National Chiao Tung University (Hsinchu, TW) | 11/27/2009 | 3/05/2013 |
| Methods and Systems for Presenting an Audio Signal to a Cochlear Implant Patient | 8391988 | Advanced bionics (Valencia, CA) |
1/11/2011 |
3/05/2013 |
| Systems, Methods, and Apparatus for Detection of Uncorrelated Component | 8391507 | QUALCOMM Inc (San Diego, CA) | 8/29/2008 | 3/05/2013 |
| in the Ear Hearing Device with a Valve Formed with an Electroactive Material Having a Changeable Volume and Method of Operating the Hearing Device | 8391527 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) | 7/27/2010 | 3/05/2013 |
| Transmitter with adjustable transmit level for magnetic link | 8401470 | NXB B (Eindhoven, Netherlands) |
5/08/2008 |
3/19/2013 |
| User-adaptable hearing aid comprising an initialization module | 8406441 | Dietmar Ruwisch (Berlin) |
7/17/2008 |
3/26/2013 |
| Hearing Aid Apparatus | 8406442 | SWAT/ACR Portfolio LLC (Cupertino, CA) |
8/22/2011 |
3/26/2013 |
| Hearing aid and method of operating a hearing aid | 8406440 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
4/17/2008 |
3/26/2013 |
| Adjustment of electromagnetic fields produced by wireless communications devices | 8406831 | Symbol Technologies Inc. (Holtsville, NY) |
5/05/2010 |
3/26/2013 |
| Cable Length Adjustment in Auditory Devices | 8396238 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
5/07/2009 |
3/12/2013 |
| Bone anchored bone conductive hearing aid | 8406443 | Oticon Medical A/S (Smorum, Denmark) |
5/14/2010 |
3/26/2013 |
| Combined Optical and Electrical Neural Stimulation | 8396570 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
1/02/2009 |
3/12/2013 |
| Method for Compensating for a Feedback Signal, and Hearing Device | 8396236 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) |
2/09/2011 |
3/12/2013 |
| Automatic Performance Optimization for Perceptual Devices | 8401199 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
8/04/2008 |
3/19/2013 |
| Hearing aid and a method of managing a logging device | 8411888 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
5/24/2010 |
4/02/2013 |
| Hearing aid with an audio signal generator | 8411886 | Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Erlangen, Germany) |
8/02/2007 |
4/02/2013 |
| Hearing system with positioning device and corresponding positioning method | 8411889 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) |
2/01/2011 |
4/02/2013 |
| Hearing aid | 8411890 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) |
3/27/2008 |
4/02/2013 |
| Hearing aid, relay device, hearing-aid system, hearing-aid method, program, and integrated circuit | 8411887 | Panasonic Corp. (Osaka, Japan) |
6/04/2010 |
4/02/2013 |
| Eardrum Implantable Devices for Hearing Systems and Methods | 8401214 | EarLens Corporation (Redwood City, CA) |
6/18/2010 |
3/19/2013 |
| Spectral Profile Adjustment of Incoming Audio Signals for Cochlear Implant Patients | 8401657 | Advanced Bionics, LLC (Valencia, CA) |
12/01/2008 |
3/19/2013 |
| Method and Apparatus for Hair Cell Stimulation Using Acoustic Signals | 8398563 | Earlogic Korea, Inc. (Seoul, KR) |
2/05/2008
|
3/19/2013 |
| Snap-Lock Coupling System for a Prosthetic Device | 8401213 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
7/03/2008 |
3/19/2013 |
| Genetic Algorithm Employing an Expedited Convergence Mechanism to at Least Partially Fit a Medical Implant to a Patient Using Patient Feedback | 8401978 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
9/10/2009 |
3/19/2013 |
| Perception-Based Parametric Fitting of a Prosthetic Hearing Device | 8401656 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
8/13/2008 |
3/19/2013 |
| Hearing Aid Housing | 8416975 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) |
4/02/2008 |
4/09/2013 |
| Hearing aid with connecting element serving for retention in concha | 8416974 | Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Erlangen, Germany) |
10/094/2007 |
4/09/2013 |
| System and method for the objective measurement of hearing ability of an individual | 84414502 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
9/21/2009 |
4/09/2013 |
| Apparatus and method for operating a hearing aid | 8422705 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
7/16/2007 |
4/16/2013 |
| Method and system of noise reduction in a hearing aid | 8422709 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
8/29/2008 |
4/16/2013 |
| Method for designing and manufacturing a hearing aid device with an antenna | 8422710 | Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Erlangen, Germany) |
2/17/2011 |
4/16/2013 |
| Tonality-Based Optimization of Sound Sensation for a Cochlear Implant Patient | 8412340 | Advanced Bionics, LLC (Valencia, CA) |
7/14/2008 |
4/02/2013 |
| Implantable acoustic sensor | 8412342 | Hearworks PTY, Limited (East Melbourne, Victoria, AU) |
8/25/2009 |
4/02/2013 |
| Channel Specific Gain Control Including Lateral Suppression | 8412343 | Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
1/28/2010 |
4/02/2013 |
| Fitting Procedure for Hearing Devices and Corresponding Hearing Device | 8412495 | Phonak AG (Stafa, CH) |
8/29/2007 |
4/02/2013 |
| System and Method for the Objective Measurement of Hearing Ability of an Individual
|
8414502 | Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
9/21/2009 |
4/09/2013 |
| Method of manufacturing standard ear shells for in-the-ear type general-purpose hearing aids | 8428766 | Algor Korea Co. Ltd. (Gwangju, South Korea) |
9/30/2009 |
4/23/2013 |
| Hearing aid with an interchangeable earpiece | 8428280 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, Singapore) |
7/15/2010 |
4/23/2013 |
| Small hearing aid | 8428281 | SAMSUNG Electronics Co. Ltd. (South Korea) |
1/06/2011 |
4/23/2013 |
| Method and apparatus for modular hearing aid | 8428282 | Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, Minn) |
9/29/2008 |
4/23/2013 |
| Rate Matching for a Stimulating Medical Device | 8417349 | Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
7/13/2010 |
4/09/2013 |
| Hearing aid and method of compensation for direct sound in hearing aids | 8433087 | Widex A/S (Lynge, Denmark) |
8/05/208 |
4/30/2013 |
| Switching structures for hearing aids | 8433088 | Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, Minn) |
4/22/2008 |
4/30/2013 |
editor’s note: The Patent Series is updated every two months. Click links for patents approved in Jan/Feb 2014, Nov/Dec 2013, September/October 2013, Jul/Aug 2013, May/Jun 2013, Mar/Apr 2013, Jan/Feb 2013, Nov/Dec 2012
I find it amazing that many of these patents were filed over 4 years ago… Just goes to show how slow the process is, even for the Big Guns like Widex and Starkey.