Telecommunications have come a long way since the days of party lines when Ernestine the operator routed calls to the right party while everyone listened in on the line. Forget about HIPAA: privacy wasn’t part of the deal. ID was by oral confirmation (“Yes, I’m the party to whom you’re speaking.”), all done while holding a heavy device to ear and mouth, tethered to a short leash. Hard to imagine, especially for those born in recent times who don’t know Lily Tomlin or her Ernestine character 1 . But, it’s equally hard for most of us to imagine what Earable designs have in store for our future.
Bragi’s “Biometric Interface System and Method” patent (USPTO #10013542) handles privacy, communication and connectivity issues with a wireless Bluetooth in-the-ear device equipped with the requisite receiver, mic and processor. That’s just background for its new “Ernestine” security function, which endeavors to verify that you are indeed the right party being spoken to. The patent proposes to do this by adding an extra sensor to the ITE:
“The processor … receive(s) fingerprint data from the sensor at a contact surface on the earpiece housing and analyze(s) the fingerprint data using stored fingerprint authentication data to make an authentication decision based on the fingerprint data. “
Now That We Know that You’re You, Are You OK?
Figure 1. Google In Ear Health monitoring system
That question is set to be answered preemptively by Google’s “In-Ear Health Monitoring” device (USPTO # 10016162), depicted in Fig 1. It almost goes without saying that it’s a Hearable (the wearer “can listening to audio content through the device.” ) But it’s also a machine learning Earable which periodically samples the party’s temperature, develops an estimate of the party’s temperature differential, detects temperature variations consistent with contagious disease, and lets the party and the medical community know what’s up:
“Bob, we know it’s you. You’re sick, Bob. Pick up a prescription and go home. Don’t come back till we give you the green light. Bye.”
You can see why correct identification of the party being measured and spoken to is of critical importance.
We Know It’s You and You’re OK, But Where’s Your Water Line?
Figure 2. Seescan utility detector.
It’s great to verify your identify and health by ear, but what about the important things in life, like underground power lines, water leaks, and surveyors’ property markers?
Seescan’s Patent #10024994 “Wearable magnetic field utility locator system with sound field generation” (see Figure 2) hooks you up to your pipes, wires and markers before digging commences. It does this by detecting and communicating its findings via shoulder-mounted speakers. It’s just a quick step from shoulder pads to Earables, so expect this device to come out as an in-ear feature in future ite devices.
The July Patent List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
Fast computation of excitation pattern, auditory pattern and loudness |
Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University (Scottsdale, AZ) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Biometric interface system and method |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Audio accelerometric feedback through bilateral ear worn device system and method |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Hearing device and monitoring system thereof |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Systems and methods for improving output signals from auditory prostheses |
Cochlear Ltd (Macquarie University, AU) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Fitting a bilateral hearing prosthesis system |
Cochlear Ltd (Macquarie University, AU) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
Wearable device charger |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/03/2018 |
|
|
In-ear health monitoring |
Google, LLC (Mountain View, Ca) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Hearing device containing hidden FM-receiver antenna |
3M Innovative Properties Company (St. Paul, MN) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Mid-scalar electrode array |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Portable and wearable composite dosimeter |
Landauer, Inc. (Glenwood, IL) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Listening to the frontend |
Walmart Apollo, LLC (Bentonville, AR) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Dome for a personal audio device |
Sonion Nederland B.V. (Hoofddorp, NL) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
In-the-ear automatic-noise-reduction devices, assemblies, components, and methods |
Avnera Corporation (Beaverton, OR) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Suspension assembly for hearing aid receiver |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Hearing device with vibration sensitive transducer |
Sonion Nederland B.V. (Hoofddorp, NL) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Antenna for hearing device, ear tip and hearing device provided with such an antenna |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Method of manufacturing assemblies for hearing aids |
Sonion A/S (Roskilde, DK) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Sub tragus ear unit |
Freebit AS (Oslo, NO) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Headphone |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/10/2018 |
|
|
Wearable earpiece for providing social and environmental awareness |
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (Plano, TX) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Wearable magnetic field utility locator system with sound field generation |
Seescan, Inc. (San Diego, CA) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Methods and systems for extracting auditory features with neural networks |
Applied Brain Research Inc. (Waterloo, CA) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Hearing device with communication protection and related method |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Sound awareness hearing prosthesis |
Cochlear Ltd (Macquarie University, AU) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Methods, systems, and device for remotely-processing audio signals |
Cochlear Ltd (Macquarie University, AU) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Hearing aid configuration detection |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Indicator device for a hearing loop |
AB Transistor Sweden (Sollentuna, SE) |
7/17/2018 |
|
|
Earphone |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Methods and systems for reducing sound sensitivities and improving auditory processing, behavioral state regulation and social engagement behaviors |
Polyvagal Science LLC (Chapel Hill , NC) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Hearing prosthesis system having interchangeable housings |
Cochlear Ltd (Macquarie University, AU) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Channel selection systems and methods that employ temporal modification |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Targeted channel selection systems and methods |
Advanced Bionics AG (Staefa, CH) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
System and method for wearable indication of personal risk within a workplace |
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Method and system for suppressing noise in speech signals in hearing aids and speech communication devices |
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (Mumbai, IN) |
7/24/2018
|
|
|
Mobile communication terminal, digital hearing aid, and method of controlling the digital hearing aid using the mobile communication terminal |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (Suwon-si, KR) (note: related patent 9100491 same title 8/4/2015) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Class-D amplifier, audio processing apparatus and method of driving class-D amplifier |
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Daejeon, KR) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Audio signal processing for listening devices |
Asius Technologies, LLC (Longmont, CO) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Methods and apparatus for reducing ambient noise based on annoyance perception and modeling for hearing-impaired listeners |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Antenna unit |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Article with internal light source for fitting in-situ and related devices and methods |
Starkey Laboratories, Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Hearing aid comprising an insert member |
Sonion Nederland B.V. (Hoofddorp, NL) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Hearing aid |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Method for the fitting of a hearing aid, a system for fitting a hearing aid and a hearing aid |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
7/24/2018 |
|
|
Cochlear implant electrode insertion bridge |
Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
7/31/2018 |
|
|
Automatic smoothed captioning of non-speech sounds from audio |
Google, LLC (Mountain View, CA) |
7/31/2018 |
|
|
Binaural cochlear implant processing |
Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
7/31/2018 |
|
|
Hearing aid and plug-in connection for same |
Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (Singapore, SG) |
7/31/2018 |
|
|
Headphone |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
7/31/2018 |
References and Footnotes
1 Lily Tomlin’s Ernestine and other skits can be viewed on youtube and are well worth the watch.
Editor’s note: Interested readers can click the following links for patents approved in June 2018, May 2018, April 2018, Q1 2018, Nov/Dec 2017, October 2017, September 2017, August 2017, June/July 2017, May 2017, April 2017, March 2017, February 2017, January 2017, December 2016, November 2016, October 2016, Sept 2016, Jul/Aug 2016, May/Jun 2016, Mar/Apr 2016, Jan/Feb 2016, Nov/Dec 2015, Sept/Oct 2015, Jul/Aug 2015, May/Jun 2015, Mar/Apr 2015, Jan/Feb 2015, Nov/Dec 2014, Sep/Oct 2014, July/Aug 2014, May/Jun 2014, Mar/Apr 2014, Jan/Feb 2014, Nov/Dec 2013, September/October 2013, Jul/Aug 2013, May/Jun 2013, Mar/Apr 2013, Jan/Feb 2013, Nov/Dec 2012
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.
