A Better Mouse Trap, Revisited
Included in this month’s list is patent #10950211, by Kah. Entitled External ear insert for hearing comprehension enhancement, it appears to be a Helmhotz-type resonating device placed somewhere in the ear to shift natural pinna and canal resonances. Compare this to Goode’s patent #4556122, Ear acoustical hearing aid, which aimed in the same direction in the 1980s.
Goode’s device, called the Earesonator actually made it to market as a sort of battery-free OTC, though the acronym wasn’t on hand back then. It was billed as a non-electric device for mild hearing losses for people who are anxious to avoid the expense and bother of hearing aids (paraphrased from page 15 in this 1983 New Jersey newspaper article).
The March 2021 Patent List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
System and method of otoscopy image analysis to diagnose ear pathology |
Ohio State Innovation Foundation (Columbus, OH) |
3/02/2021 |
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|
Device and method for hearing threshold-adapted acoustic stimulation |
The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford, CA) and Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH (Julich, DE) |
3/02/2021 |
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|
Systems and methods for non-obtrusive adjustment of auditory prostheses |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
3/02/2021 |
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Missing data packet compensation |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
3/02/2021 |
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Wireless earbud cover with antenna element |
Penumbra Brands Inc (North Salt Lake, UT) |
3/02/2021 |
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|
In-ear detection method for a wireless earphone and a wireless earphone |
Ifory Limited (Hong Kong, CN) |
3/02/2021 |
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Avoidance of user discomfort due to pressure differences by vent valve, and associated systems and methods |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/02/2021 |
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Health monitoring with ear-wearable devices and accessory devices |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/02/2021 |
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|
In-ear noise dosimetry system |
Red Tail Hawk Corporation (Philadelphia, PA) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Distributed implantable hearing systems |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
3/09/2021 |
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System and method for recognition of the gesture of bringing a mobile electronic device to a user ear |
STMicroelectronics SRL (Agrate Brianza, IT) |
3/09/2021 |
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Hearing device incorporating user interactive auditory display |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Microphone assembly |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Headphone with off-ear and on-ear detection |
Avnera Corporation (Hillsboro, OR) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Hearing protection system with own voice estimation and related methods |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Hearing system configured to localize a target sound source |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/09/2021 |
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Configurable hearing device for use with an assistive listening system |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Hearing aid configured to be operating in a communication system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Magnetic retention device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Hearing device with user driven settings adjustment |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Hearing protection system with own voice estimation and related methods |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Personal hearing device |
Sonion Nederland BV (Hoofddorp, NL) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Magnetic retention device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Hearing device with user driven settings adjustment |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Open-ear headphones |
Shenzhen Alex Technology Co Ltd (Shenzhen, CN) |
3/09/2021 |
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|
Earbud |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Earbud |
Bose Corporation (Framingham, MA) |
3/09/2021 |
|
|
Ear thermometer |
Bio Echo Net Inc (Sapporo, JP) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
Hearing protection system with own voice estimation and related methods |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
Magnetic retention device |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, AU) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
External ear insert for hearing comprehension enhancement |
Applicant: Kah Jr, Carl LC (North Palm Beach, FL) |
3/16/2021 |
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Binaural rendering method and apparatus for decoding multi channel audio |
Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (Daejeon, KR) |
3/16/2021 |
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Binaural level and/or gain estimator and a hearing system comprising a binaural level and/or gain estimator |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/16/2021 |
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|
Binaural hearing device system with binaural active occlusion cancellation |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/16/2021 |
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Hearing device incorporating antenna arrangement with slot radiating element |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/16/2021 |
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Antenna with flared cross-feed in a hearing assistance device |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/16/2021 |
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Displaying a location of binaural sound outside a field of view |
Lyren, Philip Scott (Bangkok, TH) |
3/16/2021 |
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|
Method for hearing system communication and related devices |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
Wireless earbud cradle with charging pad |
LG Electronics Inc (Seoul, KR) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
Battery drawer |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/16/2021 |
|
|
Hearing assist device fitting method and software |
IntriCon Corporation (Arden Hills, MN) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Composition and method for improving sensorineural hearing |
Applicant: Lippman, Richard D (Honolulu, HI) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Full postoperative insertion of partially inserted cochlear implants |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Telemetry of implanted electrode contacts during MRI |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
In-ear wireless listening device |
Apple Inc (Cupertino, CA) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Adaptive tapping for hearing devices |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Partial HRTF compensation or prediction for in-ear microphone arrays |
X Development LLC (Mountain View, CA) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
Method for operating a hearing device and hearing device |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/23/2021 |
|
|
System for rendering and playback of object based audio in various listening environments |
Dolby Laboratory Licensing Corporation (San Francisco, CA)
|
3/23/2021 |
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|
Method for operating a hearing device and hearing device |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/30/2021 |
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|
Method for charging a hearing device, hearing device system, hearing device and charging unit |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/30/2021 |
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Hearing apparatus with a facility for reducing a microphone noise and method for reducing microphone noise |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Method of operating a hearing device and a hearing device providing speech enhancement based on an algorithm optimized with a speech intelligibility prediction algorithm |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices |
Starkey Laboratories Inc (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Hearing device including an external antenna and an internal parasitic element |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
RF antenna and hearing device with RF antenna |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Method of fitting a hearing device to a user’s needs, a programming device, and a hearing system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Charger |
Sivantos Pte Ltd (Singapore, SG)
|
3/30/2021 |
|
|
Hearing aid for the deaf |
LG Electronics Inc (Seoul, KR) |
3/30/2021 |
*featured image credit Starkey patent #10939216
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.
Fantastic! Your monthly patent listing keeps me up-to-date with what is going on in the world of hearing technology!
Thanks!