U.S. patent application number 16/908415 was filed with the patent office on 2020-10-08 for methods and apparatus for processing audio signals.
This patent application is currently assigned to SoundMed, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is SoundMed, LLC. Invention is credited to Amir A. ABOLFATHI.
Application Number | 20200322741 16/908415 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004906205 |
Filed Date | 2020-10-08 |
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00000.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00001.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00002.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00003.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00004.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00005.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00006.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00007.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00008.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00009.png)
![](/patent/app/20200322741/US20200322741A1-20201008-D00010.png)
View All Diagrams
United States Patent
Application |
20200322741 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
ABOLFATHI; Amir A. |
October 8, 2020 |
METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING AUDIO SIGNALS
Abstract
Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are
disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or
otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form
a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made
device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for
vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be
processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds
received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal
microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband
actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each
deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may
also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted
vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals
received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to
vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along
with primary audio signals.
Inventors: |
ABOLFATHI; Amir A.;
(Petaluma, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SoundMed, LLC |
Mountain View |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
SoundMed, LLC
Mountain View
CA
|
Family ID: |
1000004906205 |
Appl. No.: |
16/908415 |
Filed: |
June 22, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
15676807 |
Aug 14, 2017 |
10735874 |
|
|
16908415 |
|
|
|
|
14936548 |
Nov 9, 2015 |
9781526 |
|
|
15676807 |
|
|
|
|
13526923 |
Jun 19, 2012 |
9185485 |
|
|
14936548 |
|
|
|
|
12862933 |
Aug 25, 2010 |
8233654 |
|
|
13526923 |
|
|
|
|
11672271 |
Feb 7, 2007 |
7801319 |
|
|
12862933 |
|
|
|
|
60809244 |
May 30, 2006 |
|
|
|
60820223 |
Jul 24, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B33Y 80/00 20141201;
H04R 1/46 20130101; A61C 8/0098 20130101; H04R 25/554 20130101;
H04R 2225/31 20130101; A61C 8/0093 20130101; A61C 5/00 20130101;
H04R 25/602 20130101; H04R 2460/13 20130101; H04R 25/604 20130101;
B33Y 70/00 20141201; H04R 25/606 20130101; H04R 2420/07 20130101;
H04R 2460/01 20130101; H04R 3/04 20130101; H04R 2225/67
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04R 25/00 20060101
H04R025/00; B33Y 80/00 20060101 B33Y080/00; A61C 8/00 20060101
A61C008/00; H04R 1/46 20060101 H04R001/46; H04R 3/04 20060101
H04R003/04; A61C 5/00 20060101 A61C005/00 |
Claims
1. Any apparatus disclosed herein.
2. Any method disclosed herein.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/676,807 filed Aug. 14, 2017, which is a
continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/936,548 filed
Nov. 9, 2015 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,781,526 issued Oct. 3, 2017),
which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
13/526,923 filed Jun. 19, 2012 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,185,485 issued
Nov. 10, 2015), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/862,933 filed Aug. 25, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No.
8,233,654 issued Jul. 31, 2012), which is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/672,271 filed Feb. 7, 2007 (now U.S.
Pat. No. 7,801,319 issued Sep. 21, 2010), which claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 60/809,244 filed May
30, 2006 and 60/820,223 filed Jul. 24, 2006, each of which is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety herein for all
purposes.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for
processing and/or enhancing audio signals for transmitting these
signals as vibrations through teeth or bone structures in and/or
around a mouth. More particularly, the present invention relates to
methods and apparatus for receiving audio signals and processing
them to enhance its quality and/or to emulate various auditory
features for transmitting these signals via sound conduction
through teeth or bone structures in and/or around the mouth such
that the transmitted signals correlate to auditory signals received
by a user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Hearing loss affects over 31 million people in the United
States (about 13% of the population). As a chronic condition, the
incidence of hearing impairment rivals that of heart disease and,
like heart disease, the incidence of hearing impairment increases
sharply with age.
[0004] While the vast majority of those with hearing loss can be
helped by a well-fitted, high quality hearing device, only 22% of
the total hearing impaired population own hearing devices. Current
products and distribution methods are not able to satisfy or reach
over 20 million persons with hearing impairment in the U.S.
alone.
[0005] Hearing loss adversely affects a person's quality of life
and psychological well-being. Individuals with hearing impairment
often withdraw from social interactions to avoid frustrations
resulting from inability to understand conversations. Recent
studies have shown that hearing impairment causes increased stress
levels, reduced self-confidence, reduced sociability and reduced
effectiveness in the workplace.
[0006] The human ear generally comprises three regions: the outer
ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The outer ear generally
comprises the external auricle and the ear canal, which is a
tubular pathway through which sound reaches the middle ear. The
outer ear is separated from the middle ear by the tympanic membrane
(eardrum). The middle ear generally comprises three small bones,
known as the ossicles, which form a mechanical conductor from the
tympanic membrane to the inner ear. Finally, the inner ear includes
the cochlea, which is a fluid-filled structure that contains a
large number of delicate sensory hair cells that are connected to
the auditory nerve.
[0007] Hearing loss can also be classified in terms of being
conductive, sensorineural, or a combination of both. Conductive
hearing impairment typically results from diseases or disorders
that limit the transmission of sound through the middle ear. Most
conductive impairments can be treated medically or surgically.
Purely conductive hearing loss represents a relatively small
portion of the total hearing impaired population (estimated at less
than 5% of the total hearing impaired population).
[0008] Sensorineural hearing losses occur mostly in the inner ear
and account for the vast majority of hearing impairment (estimated
at 90-95% of the total hearing impaired population). Sensorineural
hearing impairment (sometimes called "nerve loss") is largely
caused by damage to the sensory hair cells inside the cochlea.
Sensorineural hearing impairment occurs naturally as a result of
aging or prolonged exposure to loud music and noise. This type of
hearing loss cannot be reversed nor can it be medically or
surgically treated; however, the use of properly fitted hearing
devices can improve the individual's quality of life.
[0009] Conventional hearing devices are the most common devices
used to treat mild to severe sensorineural hearing impairment.
These are acoustic devices that amplify sound to the tympanic
membrane. These devices are individually customizable to the
patient's physical and acoustical characteristics over four to six
separate visits to an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.
Such devices generally comprise a microphone, amplifier, battery,
and speaker. Recently, hearing device manufacturers have increased
the sophistication of sound processing, often using digital
technology, to provide features such as programmability and
multi-band compression. Although these devices have been
miniaturized and are less obtrusive, they are still visible and
have major acoustic limitation.
[0010] Industry research has shown that the primary obstacles for
not purchasing a hearing device generally include: a) the stigma
associated with wearing a hearing device; b) dissenting attitudes
on the part of the medical profession, particularly ENT physicians;
c) product value issues related to perceived performance problems;
d) general lack of information and education at the consumer and
physician level; and e) negative word-of-mouth from dissatisfied
users.
[0011] Other devices such as cochlear implants have been developed
for people who have severe to profound hearing loss and are
essentially deaf (approximately 2% of the total hearing impaired
population). The electrode of a cochlear implant is inserted into
the inner ear in an invasive and non-reversible surgery. The
electrode electrically stimulates the auditory nerve through an
electrode array that provides audible cues to the user, which are
not usually interpreted by the brain as normal sound. Users
generally require intensive and extended counseling and training
following surgery to achieve the expected benefit.
[0012] Other devices such as electronic middle ear implants
generally are surgically placed within the middle ear of the
hearing impaired. They are surgically implanted devices with an
externally worn component.
[0013] The manufacture, fitting and dispensing of hearing devices
remain an arcane and inefficient process. Most hearing devices are
custom manufactured, fabricated by the manufacturer to fit the ear
of each prospective purchaser. An impression of the ear canal is
taken by the dispenser (either an audiologist or licensed hearing
instrument specialist) and mailed to the manufacturer for
interpretation and fabrication of the custom molded rigid plastic
casing. Hand-wired electronics and transducers (microphone and
speaker) are then placed inside the casing, and the final product
is shipped back to the dispensing professional after some period of
time, typically one to two weeks.
[0014] The time cycle for dispensing a hearing device, from the
first diagnostic session to the final fine-tuning session,
typically spans a period over several weeks, such as six to eight
weeks, and involves multiple with the dispenser.
[0015] Moreover, typical hearing aid devices fail to eliminate
background noises or fail to distinguish between background noise
and desired sounds. Accordingly, there exists a need for methods
and apparatus for receiving audio signals and processing them to
enhance its quality and/or to emulate various auditory features for
transmitting these signals via sound conduction through teeth or
bone structures in and/or around the mouth for facilitating the
treatment of hearing loss in patients.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] An electronic and transducer device may be attached,
adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable dental or
oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such a removable
oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a
thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental
structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The
electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds
either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the
signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating
transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such
as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
[0017] The assembly for transmitting vibrations via at least one
tooth may generally comprise a housing having a shape which is
conformable to at least a portion of the at least one tooth, and an
actuatable transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in
vibratory communication with a surface of the at least one tooth.
Moreover, the transducer itself may be a separate assembly from the
electronics and may be positioned along another surface of the
tooth, such as the occlusal surface, or even attached to an
implanted post or screw embedded into the underlying bone.
[0018] In receiving and processing the various audio signals
typically received by a user, various configurations of the oral
appliance and processing of the received audio signals may be
utilized to enhance and/or optimize the conducted vibrations which
are transmitted to the user. For instance, in configurations where
one or more microphones are positioned within the user's mouth,
filtering features such as Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) may be
optionally utilized to eliminate or mitigate undesired sounds
received by the microphones. In such a configuration, at least two
intra-buccal microphones may be utilized to separate out desired
sounds (e.g., sounds received from outside the body such as speech,
music, etc.) from undesirable sounds (e.g., sounds resulting from
chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-speech, teeth grinding,
etc.).
[0019] If these undesirable sounds are not filtered or cancelled,
they may be amplified along with the desired audio signals making
for potentially unintelligible audio quality for the user.
Additionally, desired audio sounds may be generally received at
relatively lower sound pressure levels because such signals are
more likely to be generated at a distance from the user and may
have to pass through the cheek of the user while the undesired
sounds are more likely to be generated locally within the oral
cavity of the user. Samples of the undesired sounds may be compared
against desired sounds to eliminate or mitigate the undesired
sounds prior to actuating the one or more transducers to vibrate
only the resulting desired sounds to the user.
[0020] Independent from or in combination with acoustic echo
cancellation, another processing feature for the oral appliance may
include use of a multiband actuation system to facilitate the
efficiency with which audio signals may be conducted to the user.
Rather than utilizing a single transducer to cover the entire range
of the frequency spectrum (e.g., 200 Hz to 10,000 Hz), one
variation may utilize two or more transducers where each transducer
is utilized to deliver sounds within certain frequencies. For
instance, a first transducer may be utilized to deliver sounds in
the 200 Hz to 2000 Hz frequency range and a second transducer may
be used to deliver sounds in the 2000 Hz to 10,000 Hz frequency
range. Alternatively, these frequency ranges may be discrete or
overlapping. As individual transducers may be configured to handle
only a subset of the frequency spectrum, the transducers may be
more efficient in their design.
[0021] Yet another process which may utilize the multiple
transducers may include the utilization of directionality via the
conducted vibrations to emulate the directional perception of audio
signals received by the user. In one example for providing the
perception of directionality with an oral appliance, two or more
transducers may be positioned apart from one another along
respective retaining portions. One transducer may be actuated
corresponding to an audio signal while the other transducer may be
actuated corresponding to the same audio signal but with a phase
and/or amplitude and/or delay difference intentionally induced
corresponding to a direction emulated for the user. Generally, upon
receiving a directional audio signal and depending upon the
direction to be emulated and the separation between the respective
transducers, a particular phase and/or gain and/or delay change to
the audio signal may be applied to the respective transducer while
leaving the other transducer to receive the audio signal
unchanged.
[0022] Another feature which may utilize the oral appliance and
processing capabilities may include the ability to vibrationally
conduct ancillary audio signals to the user, e.g., the oral
appliance may be configured to wirelessly receive and conduct
signals from secondary audio sources to the user. Examples may
include the transmission of an alarm signal which only the user may
hear or music conducted to the user in public locations, etc. The
user may thus enjoy privacy in receiving these ancillary signals
while also being able to listen and/or converse in an environment
where a primary audio signal is desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] FIG. 1 illustrates the dentition of a patient's teeth and
one variation of a hearing aid device which is removably placed
upon or against the patient's tooth or teeth as a removable oral
appliance.
[0024] FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of the lower teeth
showing one exemplary location for placement of the removable oral
appliance hearing aid device.
[0025] FIG. 2B illustrates another variation of the removable oral
appliance in the form of an appliance which is placed over an
entire row of teeth in the manner of a mouthguard.
[0026] FIG. 2C illustrates another variation of the removable oral
appliance which is supported by an arch.
[0027] FIG. 2D illustrates another variation of an oral appliance
configured as a mouthguard.
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a detail perspective view of the oral
appliance positioned upon the patient's teeth utilizable in
combination with a transmitting assembly external to the mouth and
wearable by the patient in another variation of the device.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows an illustrative configuration of one variation
of the individual components of the oral appliance device having an
external transmitting assembly with a receiving and transducer
assembly within the mouth.
[0030] FIG. 5 shows an illustrative configuration of another
variation of the device in which the entire assembly is contained
by the oral appliance within the user's mouth.
[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of how multiple oral appliance
hearing aid assemblies or transducers may be placed on multiple
teeth throughout the patient's mouth.
[0032] FIG. 7 illustrates another variation of a removable oral
appliance supported by an arch and having a microphone unit
integrated within the arch.
[0033] FIG. 8A illustrates another variation of the removable oral
appliance supported by a connecting member which may be positioned
along the lingual or buccal surfaces of a patient's row of
teeth.
[0034] FIGS. 8B to 8E show examples of various cross-sections of
the connecting support member of the appliance of FIG. 8A.
[0035] FIG. 9 shows yet another variation illustrating at least one
microphone and optionally additional microphone units positioned
around the user's mouth and in wireless communication with the
electronics and/or transducer assembly.
[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates yet another example of a configuration
for positioning multiple transducers and/or processing units along
a patient's dentition.
[0037] FIG. 11A illustrates another variation on the configuration
for positioning multiple transducers and/or processors supported
via an arched connector.
[0038] FIG. 11B illustrates another variation on the configuration
utilizing a connecting member positioned along the lingual surfaces
of a patient's dentition.
[0039] FIG. 12A shows a configuration for positioning one or more
transducers with multiple microphones.
[0040] FIG. 12B schematically illustrates an example for
integrating an acoustic echo cancellation system with the oral
appliance.
[0041] FIG. 13A shows a configuration for positioning and utilizing
multiple band transducers with the oral appliance.
[0042] FIG. 13B schematically illustrates another example for
integrating multiple band transducers with the oral appliance.
[0043] FIG. 14A shows a configuration for positioning multiple
transducers for emulating directionality of audio signals perceived
by a user.
[0044] FIG. 14B schematically illustrates an example for emulating
the directionality of detected audio signals via multiple
transducers.
[0045] FIG. 15 schematically illustrates an example for activating
one or more transducers to emulate directionality utilizing phase
and/or amplitude modified signals.
[0046] FIG. 16 schematically illustrates an example for optionally
compensating for the relative positioning of the microphones with
respect to the user for emulating directionality of perceived audio
signals.
[0047] FIG. 17A shows a configuration for positioning multiple
transducers which may be configured to provide for one or more
ancillary auditory/conductance channels.
[0048] FIG. 17B schematically illustrates an example for providing
one or more ancillary channels for secondary audio signals to be
provided to a user.
[0049] FIG. 17C illustrates another variation where secondary
device may directly transmit audio signals wirelessly via the oral
appliance.
[0050] FIG. 18 schematically illustrates an example for optionally
adjusting features of the device such as the manner in which
ancillary auditory signals are transmitted to the user.
[0051] FIG. 19A illustrates one method for delivering ancillary
audio signals as vibrations transmitted in parallel.
[0052] FIG. 19B illustrates another method for delivering ancillary
audio signals as vibrations transmitted in series.
[0053] FIG. 19C illustrates yet another method for delivering
ancillary audio signals as vibrations transmitted in a hybrid form
utilizing signals transmitted in both parallel and series.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0054] An electronic and transducer device may be attached,
adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral
appliance or other oral device to form a hearing aid assembly. Such
an oral appliance may be a custom-made device fabricated from a
thermal forming process utilizing a replicate model of a dental
structure obtained by conventional dental impression methods. The
electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds
either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the
signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating
transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such
as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 1, a patient's mouth and dentition 10 is
illustrated showing one possible location for removably attaching
hearing aid assembly 14 upon or against at least one tooth, such as
a molar 12. The patient's tongue TG and palate PL are also
illustrated for reference. An electronics and/or transducer
assembly 16 may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or
upon the assembly 14, as described below in further detail.
[0056] FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the patient's lower
dentition illustrating the hearing aid assembly 14 comprising a
removable oral appliance 18 and the electronics and/or transducer
assembly 16 positioned along a side surface of the assembly 14. In
this variation, oral appliance 18 may be fitted upon two molars 12
within tooth engaging channel 20 defined by oral appliance 18 for
stability upon the patient's teeth, although in other variations, a
single molar or tooth may be utilized. Alternatively, more than two
molars may be utilized for the oral appliance 18 to be attached
upon or over. Moreover, electronics and/or transducer assembly 16
is shown positioned upon a side surface of oral appliance 18 such
that the assembly 16 is aligned along a buccal surface of the tooth
12; however, other surfaces such as the lingual surface of the
tooth 12 and other positions may also be utilized. The figures are
illustrative of variations and are not intended to be limiting;
accordingly, other configurations and shapes for oral appliance 18
are intended to be included herein.
[0057] FIG. 2B shows another variation of a removable oral
appliance in the form of an appliance 15 which is placed over an
entire row of teeth in the manner of a mouthguard. In this
variation, appliance 15 may be configured to cover an entire bottom
row of teeth or alternatively an entire upper row of teeth. In
additional variations, rather than covering the entire rows of
teeth, a majority of the row of teeth may be instead be covered by
appliance 15. Assembly 16 may be positioned along one or more
portions of the oral appliance 15.
[0058] FIG. 2C shows yet another variation of an oral appliance 17
having an arched configuration. In this appliance, one or more
tooth retaining portions 21, 23, which in this variation may be
placed along the upper row of teeth, may be supported by an arch 19
which may lie adjacent or along the palate of the user. As shown,
electronics and/or transducer assembly 16 may be positioned along
one or more portions of the tooth retaining portions 21, 23.
Moreover, although the variation shown illustrates an arch 19 which
may cover only a portion of the palate of the user, other
variations may be configured to have an arch which covers the
entire palate of the user.
[0059] FIG. 2D illustrates yet another variation of an oral
appliance in the form of a mouthguard or retainer 25 which may be
inserted and removed easily from the user's mouth. Such a
mouthguard or retainer 25 may be used in sports where conventional
mouthguards are worn; however, mouthguard or retainer 25 having
assembly 16 integrated therein may be utilized by persons, hearing
impaired or otherwise, who may simply hold the mouthguard or
retainer 25 via grooves or channels 26 between their teeth for
receiving instructions remotely and communicating over a
distance.
[0060] Generally, the volume of electronics and/or transducer
assembly 16 may be minimized so as to be unobtrusive and as
comfortable to the user when placed in the mouth. Although the size
may be varied, a volume of assembly 16 may be less than 800 cubic
millimeters. This volume is, of course, illustrative and not
limiting as size and volume of assembly 16 and may be varied
accordingly between different users.
[0061] Moreover, removable oral appliance 18 may be fabricated from
various polymeric or a combination of polymeric and metallic
materials using any number of methods, such as computer-aided
machining processes using computer numerical control (CNC) systems
or three-dimensional printing processes, e.g., stereolithography
apparatus (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), and/or other
similar processes utilizing three-dimensional geometry of the
patient's dentition, which may be obtained via any number of
techniques. Such techniques may include use of scanned dentition
using intra-oral scanners such as laser, white light, ultrasound,
mechanical three-dimensional touch scanners, magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), other optical methods,
etc.
[0062] In forming the removable oral appliance 18, the appliance 18
may be optionally formed such that it is molded to fit over the
dentition and at least a portion of the adjacent gingival tissue to
inhibit the entry of food, fluids, and other debris into the oral
appliance 18 and between the transducer assembly and tooth surface.
Moreover, the greater surface area of the oral appliance 18 may
facilitate the placement and configuration of the assembly 16 onto
the appliance 18.
[0063] Additionally, the removable oral appliance 18 may be
optionally fabricated to have a shrinkage factor such that when
placed onto the dentition, oral appliance 18 may be configured to
securely grab onto the tooth or teeth as the appliance 18 may have
a resulting size slightly smaller than the scanned tooth or teeth
upon which the appliance 18 was formed. The fitting may result in a
secure interference fit between the appliance 18 and underlying
dentition.
[0064] In one variation, with assembly 14 positioned upon the
teeth, as shown in FIG. 3, an extra-buccal transmitter assembly 22
located outside the patient's mouth may be utilized to receive
auditory signals for processing and transmission via a wireless
signal 24 to the electronics and/or transducer assembly 16
positioned within the patient's mouth, which may then process and
transmit the processed auditory signals via vibratory conductance
to the underlying tooth and consequently to the patient's inner
ear.
[0065] The transmitter assembly 22, as described in further detail
below, may contain a microphone assembly as well as a transmitter
assembly and may be configured in any number of shapes and forms
worn by the user, such as a watch, necklace, lapel, phone,
belt-mounted device, etc.
[0066] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation of one
variation of hearing aid assembly 14 utilizing an extra-buccal
transmitter assembly 22, which may generally comprise microphone or
microphone array 30 (referred to "microphone 30" for simplicity)
for receiving sounds and which is electrically connected to
processor 32 for processing the auditory signals. Processor 32 may
be connected electrically to transmitter 34 for transmitting the
processed signals to the electronics and/or transducer assembly 16
disposed upon or adjacent to the user's teeth. The microphone 30
and processor 32 may be configured to detect and process auditory
signals in any practicable range, but may be configured in one
variation to detect auditory signals ranging from, e.g., 250 Hertz
to 20,000 Hertz.
[0067] With respect to microphone 30, a variety of various
microphone systems may be utilized. For instance, microphone 30 may
be a digital, analog, and/or directional type microphone. Such
various types of microphones may be interchangeably configured to
be utilized with the assembly, if so desired. Moreover, various
configurations and methods for utilizing multiple microphones
within the user's mouth may also be utilized, as further described
below.
[0068] Power supply 36 may be connected to each of the components
in transmitter assembly 22 to provide power thereto. The
transmitter signals 24 may be in any wireless form utilizing, e.g.,
radio frequency, ultrasound, microwave, Blue Tooth.RTM. (BLUETOOTH
SIG, INC., Bellevue, Wash.), etc. for transmission to assembly 16.
Assembly 22 may also optionally include one or more input controls
28 that a user may manipulate to adjust various acoustic parameters
of the electronics and/or transducer assembly 16, such as acoustic
focusing, volume control, filtration, muting, frequency
optimization, sound adjustments, and tone adjustments, etc.
[0069] The signals transmitted 24 by transmitter 34 may be received
by electronics and/or transducer assembly 16 via receiver 38, which
may be connected to an internal processor for additional processing
of the received signals. The received signals may be communicated
to transducer 40, which may vibrate correspondingly against a
surface of the tooth to conduct the vibratory signals through the
tooth and bone and subsequently to the middle ear to facilitate
hearing of the user. Transducer 40 may be configured as any number
of different vibratory mechanisms. For instance, in one variation,
transducer 40 may be an electromagnetically actuated transducer. In
other variations, transducer 40 may be in the form of a
piezoelectric crystal having a range of vibratory frequencies,
e.g., between 250 to 4000 kHz.
[0070] Power supply 42 may also be included with assembly 16 to
provide power to the receiver, transducer, and/or processor, if
also included. Although power supply 42 may be a simple battery,
replaceable or permanent, other variations may include a power
supply 42 which is charged by inductance via an external charger.
Additionally, power supply 42 may alternatively be charged via
direct coupling to an alternating current (AC) or direct current
(DC) source. Other variations may include a power supply 42 which
is charged via a mechanical mechanism, such as an internal pendulum
or slidable electrical inductance charger as known in the art,
which is actuated via, e.g., motions of the jaw and/or movement for
translating the mechanical motion into stored electrical energy for
charging power supply 42.
[0071] In another variation of assembly 16, rather than utilizing
an extra-buccal transmitter, hearing aid assembly 50 may be
configured as an independent assembly contained entirely within the
user's mouth, as shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, assembly 50 may
include at least one internal microphone 52 in communication with
an on-board processor 54. Internal microphone 52 may comprise any
number of different types of microphones, as described below in
further detail. At least one processor 54 may be used to process
any received auditory signals for filtering and/or amplifying the
signals and transmitting them to transducer 56, which is in
vibratory contact against the tooth surface. Power supply 58, as
described above, may also be included within assembly 50 for
providing power to each of the components of assembly 50 as
necessary.
[0072] In order to transmit the vibrations corresponding to the
received auditory signals efficiently and with minimal loss to the
tooth or teeth, secure mechanical contact between the transducer
and the tooth is ideally maintained to ensure efficient vibratory
communication. Accordingly, any number of mechanisms may be
utilized to maintain this vibratory communication.
[0073] For any of the variations described above, they may be
utilized as a single device or in combination with any other
variation herein, as practicable, to achieve the desired hearing
level in the user. Moreover, more than one oral appliance device
and electronics and/or transducer assemblies may be utilized at any
one time. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates one example where
multiple transducer assemblies 60, 62, 64, 66 may be placed on
multiple teeth. Although shown on the lower row of teeth, multiple
assemblies may alternatively be positioned and located along the
upper row of teeth or both rows as well. Moreover, each of the
assemblies may be configured to transmit vibrations within a
uniform frequency range. Alternatively in other variations,
different assemblies may be configured to vibrate within
overlapping or non-overlapping frequency ranges between each
assembly. As mentioned above, each transducer 60, 62, 64, 66 can be
programmed or preset for a different frequency response such that
each transducer may be optimized for a different frequency response
and/or transmission to deliver a relatively high-fidelity sound to
the user.
[0074] Moreover, each of the different transducers 60, 62, 64, 66
can also be programmed to vibrate in a manner which indicates the
directionality of sound received by the microphone worn by the
user. For example, different transducers positioned at different
locations within the user's mouth can vibrate in a specified manner
by providing sound or vibrational queues to inform the user which
direction a sound was detected relative to an orientation of the
user, as described in further detail below. For instance, a first
transducer located, e.g., on a user's left tooth, can be programmed
to vibrate for sound detected originating from the user's left
side. Similarly, a second transducer located, e.g., on a user's
right tooth, can be programmed to vibrate for sound detected
originating from the user's right side. Other variations and queues
may be utilized as these examples are intended to be illustrative
of potential variations.
[0075] FIG. 7 illustrates another variation 70 which utilizes an
arch 19 connecting one or more tooth retaining portions 21, 23, as
described above. However, in this variation, the microphone unit 74
may be integrated within or upon the arch 19 separated from the
transducer assembly 72. One or more wires 76 routed through arch 19
may electrically connect the microphone unit 74 to the assembly 72.
Alternatively, rather than utilizing a wire 76, microphone unit 74
and assembly 72 may be wirelessly coupled to one another, as
described above.
[0076] FIG. 8A shows another variation 80 which utilizes a
connecting member 82 which may be positioned along the lingual or
buccal surfaces of a patient's row of teeth to connect one or more
tooth retaining portions 21, 23. Connecting member 82 may be
fabricated from any number of non-toxic materials, such stainless
steel, Nickel, Platinum, etc. and affixed or secured 84, 86 to each
respective retaining portions 21, 23. Moreover, connecting member
82 may be shaped to be as non-obtrusive to the user as possible.
Accordingly, connecting member 82 may be configured to have a
relatively low-profile for placement directly against the lingual
or buccal teeth surfaces. The cross-sectional area of connecting
member 82 may be configured in any number of shapes so long as the
resulting geometry is non-obtrusive to the user. FIG. 8B
illustrates one variation of the cross-sectional area which may be
configured as a square or rectangle 90. FIG. 8C illustrates another
connecting member geometry configured as a semi-circle 92 where the
flat portion may be placed against the teeth surfaces. FIGS. 8D and
8E illustrate other alternative shapes such as an elliptical shape
94 and circular shape 96. These variations are intended to be
illustrative and not limiting as other shapes and geometries, as
practicable, are intended to be included within this
disclosure.
[0077] In yet another variation for separating the microphone from
the transducer assembly, FIG. 9 illustrates another variation where
at least one microphone 102 (or optionally any number of additional
microphones 104, 106) may be positioned within the mouth of the
user while physically separated from the electronics and/or
transducer assembly 100. In this manner, the one or optionally more
microphones 102, 104, 106 may be wirelessly or by wire coupled to
the electronics and/or transducer assembly 100 in a manner which
attenuates or eliminates feedback from the transducer, also
described in further detail below.
[0078] In utilizing multiple transducers and/or processing units,
several features may be incorporated with the oral appliance(s) to
effect any number of enhancements to the quality of the conducted
vibratory signals and/or to emulate various perceptual features to
the user to correlate auditory signals received by a user for
transmitting these signals via sound conduction through teeth or
bone structures in and/or around the mouth.
[0079] As illustrated in FIG. 10, another variation for positioning
one or more transducers and/or processors is shown. In this
instance generally, at least two microphones may be positioned
respectively along tooth retaining portions 21, 23, e.g., outer
microphone 110 positioned along a buccal surface of retaining
portion 23 and inner microphone 112 positioned along a lingual
surface of retaining portion 21. The one or more microphones 110,
112 may receive the auditory signals which are processed and
ultimately transmitted through sound conductance via one or more
transducers 114, 116, 118, one or more of which may be tuned to
actuate only along certain discrete frequencies, as described in
further detail below.
[0080] Moreover, the one or more transducers 114, 116, 118 may be
positioned along respective retaining portions 21, 23 and
configured to emulate directionality of audio signals received by
the user to provide a sense of direction with respect to conducted
audio signals. Additionally, one or more processors 120, 124 may
also be provided along one or both retaining portions 21, 23 to
process received audio signals, e.g., to translate the audio
signals into vibrations suitable for conduction to the user, as
well as other providing for other functional features. Furthermore,
an optional processor 122 may also be provided along one or both
retaining portions 21, 23 for interfacing and/or receiving wireless
signals from other external devices such as an input control, as
described above, or other wireless devices.
[0081] FIG. 11A illustrates another configuration utilizing an arch
130 similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 7 for connecting the
multiple transducers and processors positioned along tooth
retaining portions 21, 23. FIG. 11B illustrates yet another
configuration utilizing a connecting member 132 positioned against
the lingual surfaces of the user's teeth, similar to the
configuration shown in FIG. 8A, also for connecting the multiple
transducers and processors positioned along tooth retaining
portions 21, 23.
[0082] In configurations particularly where the one or more
microphones are positioned within the user's mouth, filtering
features such as Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) may be optionally
utilized to eliminate or mitigate undesired sounds received by the
microphones. AEC algorithms are well utilized and are typically
used to anticipate the signal which may re-enter the transmission
path from the microphone and cancel it out by digitally sampling an
initial received signal to form a reference signal. Generally, the
received signal is produced by the transducer and any reverberant
signal which may be picked up again by the microphone is again
digitally sampled to form an echo signal. The reference and echo
signals may be compared such that the two signals are summed
ideally at 180.degree. out of phase to result in a null signal,
thereby cancelling the echo.
[0083] In the variation shown in FIG. 12A, at least two
intra-buccal microphones 110, 112 may be utilized to separate out
desired sounds (e.g., sounds received from outside the body such as
speech, music, etc.) from undesirable sounds (e.g., sounds
resulting from chewing, swallowing, breathing, self-speech, teeth
grinding, etc.). If these undesirable sounds are not filtered or
cancelled, they may be amplified along with the desired audio
signals making for potentially unintelligible audio quality for the
user. Additionally, desired audio sounds may be generally received
at relatively lower sound pressure levels because such signals are
more likely to be generated at a distance from the user and may
have to pass through the cheek of the user while the undesired
sounds are more likely to be generated locally within the oral
cavity of the user.
[0084] Samples of the undesired sounds may be compared against
desired sounds to eliminate or mitigate the undesired sounds prior
to actuating the one or more transducers to vibrate only the
resulting desired sounds to the user. In this example, first
microphone 110 may be positioned along a buccal surface of the
retaining portion 23 to receive desired sounds while second
microphone 112 may be positioned along a lingual surface of
retaining portion 21 to receive the undesirable sound signals.
Processor 120 may be positioned along either retaining portion 21
or 23, in this case along a lingual surface of retaining portion
21, and may be in wired or wireless communication with the
microphones 110, 112.
[0085] Although audio signals may be attenuated by passing through
the cheek of the user, especially when the mouth is closed, first
microphone 110 may still receive the desired audio signals for
processing by processor 120, which may also amplify the received
audio signals. As illustrated schematically in FIG. 12B, audio
signals for desired sounds, represented by far end speech 140, are
shown as being received by first microphone 110. Audio signals for
the undesired sounds 152, represented by near end speech 150, are
shown as being received by second microphone 112. Although it may
be desirable to position the microphones 110, 112 in their
respective positions to optimize detection of their respective
desirable and undesirable sounds, they may of course be positioned
at other locations within the oral cavity as so desired or
practicable. Moreover, while it may also be desirable for first and
second microphone 110, 112 to detect only their respective audio
signals, this is not required. However, having the microphones 110,
112 detect different versions of the combination of desired and
undesired sounds 140, 150, respectively, may be desirable so as to
effectively process these signals via AEC processor 120.
[0086] The desired audio signals may be transmitted via wired or
wireless communication along a receive path 142 where the signal
144 may be sampled and received by AEC processor 120. A portion of
the far end speech 140 may be transmitted to one or more
transducers 114 where it may initially conduct the desired audio
signals via vibration 146 through the user's bones. Any resulting
echo or reverberations 148 from the transmitted vibration 146 may
be detected by second microphone 112 along with any other
undesirable noises or audio signals 150, as mentioned above. The
undesired signals 148, 150 detected by second microphone 112 or the
sampled signal 144 received by AEC processor 120 may be processed
and shifted out of phase, e.g., ideally 180.degree. out of phase,
such that the summation 154 of the two signals results in a
cancellation of any echo 148 and/or other undesired sounds 150.
[0087] The resulting summed audio signal may be redirected through
an adaptive filter 156 and re-summed 154 to further clarify the
audio signal until the desired audio signals is passed along to the
one or more transducers 114 where the filtered signal 162, free or
relatively free from the undesired sounds, may be conducted 160 to
the user. Although two microphones 110, 112 are described in this
example, an array of additional microphones may be utilized
throughout the oral cavity of the user. Alternatively, as mentioned
above, one or more microphones may also be positioned or worn by
the user outside the mouth, such as in a bracelet, necklace, etc.
and used alone or in combination with the one or more intra-buccal
microphones. Furthermore, although three transducers 114, 116, 118
are illustrated, other variations may utilize a single transducer
or more than three transducers positioned throughout the user's
oral cavity, if so desired.
[0088] Independent from or in combination with acoustic echo
cancellation, another processing feature for the oral appliance may
include use of a multiband actuation system to facilitate the
efficiency with which audio signals may be conducted to the user.
Rather than utilizing a single transducer to cover the entire range
of the frequency spectrum (e.g., 200 Hz to 10,000 Hz), one
variation may utilize two or more transducers where each transducer
is utilized to deliver sounds within certain frequencies. For
instance, a first transducer may be utilized to deliver sounds in
the 200 Hz to 2000 Hz frequency range and a second transducer may
be used to deliver sounds in the 2000 Hz to 10,000 Hz frequency
range. Alternatively, these frequency ranges may be discrete or
overlapping. As individual transducers may be configured to handle
only a subset of the frequency spectrum, the transducers may be
more efficient in their design.
[0089] Additionally, for certain applications where high fidelity
signals are not necessary to be transmitted to the user, individual
higher frequency transducers may be shut off to conserve power. In
yet another alternative, certain transducers may be omitted,
particularly transducers configured for lower frequency
vibrations.
[0090] As illustrated in FIG. 13A, a configuration for utilizing
multiple transducers is shown where individual transducers may be
attuned to transmit only within certain frequency ranges. For
instance, transducer 116 may be configured to transmit audio
signals within the frequency range from, e.g., 200 Hz to 2000 Hz,
while transducers 114 and/or 118 may be configured to transmit
audio signals within the frequency range from, e.g., 2000 Hz to
10,000 Hz. Although the three transducers are shown, this is
intended to be illustrative and fewer than three or more than three
transducers may be utilized in other variations. Moreover, the
audible frequency ranges are described for illustrative purposes
and the frequency range may be sub-divided in any number of
sub-ranges correlating to any number of transducers, as
practicable. The choice of the number of sub-ranges and the lower
and upper limits of each sub-range may also be varied depending
upon a number of factors, e.g., the desired fidelity levels, power
consumption of the transducers, etc.
[0091] One or both processors 120 and/or 124, which are in
communication with the one or more transducers (in this example
transducers 114, 116, 118), may be programmed to treat the audio
signals for each particular frequency range similarly or
differently. For instance, processors 120 and/or 124 may apply a
higher gain level to the signals from one band with respect to
another band. Additionally, one or more of the transducers 114,
116, 118 may be configured differently to optimally transmit
vibrations within their respective frequency ranges. In one
variation, one or more of the transducers 114, 116, 118 may be
varied in size or in shape to effectuate an optimal configuration
for transmission within their respective frequencies.
[0092] As mentioned above, the one or more of transducers 114, 116,
118 may also be powered on or off by the processor to save on power
consumption in certain listening applications. As an example,
higher frequency transducers 114, 118 may be shut off when higher
frequency signals are not utilized such as when the user is
driving. In other examples, the user may activate all transducers
114, 116, 118 such as when the user is listening to music. In yet
another variation, higher frequency transducers 114, 118 may also
be configured to deliver high volume audio signals, such as for
alarms, compared to lower frequency transducers 116. Thus, the
perception of a louder sound may be achieved just by actuation of
the higher frequency transducers 114, 118 without having to actuate
any lower frequency transducers 116.
[0093] An example of how audio signals received by a user may be
split into sub-frequency ranges for actuation by corresponding
lower or higher frequency transducers is schematically illustrated
in FIG. 13B. In this example, an audio signal 170 received by the
user via microphones 110 and/or 112 may be transmitted 172 to one
or more processors 120 and/or 124. Once the audio signals have been
received by the respective processor, the signal may be filtered by
two or more respective filters to transmit frequencies within
specified bands. For instance, first filter 174 may receive the
audio signal 172 and filter out the frequency spectrum such that
only the frequency range between, e.g., 200 Hz to 2000 Hz, is
transmitted 178. Second filter 176 may also receive the audio
signal 172 and filter out the frequency spectrum such that only the
frequency range between, e.g., 2000 Hz to 10,000 Hz, is transmitted
180.
[0094] Each respective filtered signal 178, 180 may be passed on to
a respective processor 182, 184 to further process each band's
signal according to an algorithm to achieve any desired output per
transducer. Thus, processor 182 may process the signal 178 to
create the output signal 194 to vibrate the lower frequency
transducer 116 accordingly while the processor 184 may process the
signal 180 to create the output signal 196 to vibrate the higher
frequency transducers 114 and/or 118 accordingly. An optional
controller 186 may receive control data 188 from user input
controls, as described above, for optionally sending signals 190,
192 to respective processors 182, 184 to shut on/off each
respective processor and/or to append ancillary data and/or control
information to the subsequent transducers.
[0095] In addition to or independent from either acoustic echo
cancellation and/or multiband actuation of transducers, yet another
process which may utilize the multiple transducers may include the
utilization of directionality via the conducted vibrations to
emulate the directional perception of audio signals received by the
user. Generally, human hearing is able to distinguish the direction
of a sound wave by perceiving differences in sound pressure levels
between the two cochlea. In one example for providing the
perception of directionality with an oral appliance, two or more
transducers, such as transducers 114, 118, may be positioned apart
from one another along respective retaining portions 21, 23, as
shown in FIG. 14A.
[0096] One transducer may be actuated corresponding to an audio
signal while the other transducer is actuated corresponding to the
same audio signal but with a phase and/or amplitude and/or delay
difference intentionally induced corresponding to a direction
emulated for the user. Generally, upon receiving a directional
audio signal and depending upon the direction to be emulated and
the separation between the respective transducers, a particular
phase and/or gain and/or delay change to the audio signal may be
applied to the respective transducer while leaving the other
transducer to receive the audio signal unchanged.
[0097] As illustrated in the schematic illustration of FIG. 14B,
audio signals received by the one or more microphones 110, 112,
which may include an array of intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal
microphones as described above, may be transmitted wirelessly or
via wire to the one or more processors 120, 124, as above. The
detected audio signals may be processed to estimate the direction
of arrival of the detected sound 200 by applying any number of
algorithms as known in the art. The processor may also simply
reproduce a signal that carries the information of the received
sound 202 detected from the microphones 110, 112. This may entail a
transfer of the information from one of the microphones, a sum of
the signals received from the microphones, or a weighted sum of the
signals received from the microphones, etc., as known in the art.
Alternatively, the reproduced sound 202 may simply pass the
information in the audio signals from any combination of the
microphones or from any single one of the microphones, e.g., a
first microphone, a last microphone, a random microphone, a
microphone with the strongest detected audio signals, etc.
[0098] With the estimated direction of arrival of the detected
sound 200 determined, the data may be modified for phase and/or
amplitude and/or delay adjustments 204 as well as for orientation
compensation 208, if necessary, based on additional information
received the microphones 110, 112 and relative orientation of the
transducers 114, 116, 118, as described in further detail below.
The process of adjusting for phase and/or amplitude and/or delay
204 may involve calculating one phase adjustment for one of the
transducers. This may simply involve an algorithm where given a
desired direction to be emulated, a table of values may correlate a
set of given phase and/or amplitude and/or delay values for
adjusting one or more of the transducers. Because the adjustment
values may depend on several different factors, e.g., speed of
sound conductance through a user's skull, distance between
transducers, etc., each particular user may have a specific table
of values. Alternatively, standard set values may be determined for
groups of users having similar anatomical features, such as jaw
size among other variations, and requirements. In other variations,
rather than utilizing a table of values in adjusting for phase
and/or amplitude and/or delay 204, set formulas or algorithms may
be programmed in processor 120 and/or 124 to determine phase and/or
amplitude and/or delay adjustment values. Use of an algorithm could
simply utilize continuous calculations in determining any
adjustment which may be needed or desired whereas the use of a
table of values may simply utilize storage in memory.
[0099] Once any adjustments in phase and/or amplitude and/or delay
204 are determined and with the reproduced signals 202 processed
from the microphones 110, 112, these signals may then be processed
to calculate any final phase and/or amplitude and/or delay
adjustments 206 and these final signals may be applied to the
transducers 114, 116, 118, as illustrated, to emulate the
directionality of received audio signals to the user. A detailed
schematic illustration of the final phase and/or amplitude and/or
delay adjustments 206 is illustrated in FIG. 15 where the signals
received from 202 may be split into two or more identical signals
214, 216 which may correlate to the number of transducers utilized
to emulate the directionality. The phase and/or amplitude and/or
delay adjustments 204 may be applied to one or more of the received
signals 214, 216 by applying either a phase adjustment (F) 210,
e.g., any phase adjustment from 0.degree. to 360.degree., and/or
amplitude adjustment (a) 212, e.g., any amplitude adjustment from
1.0 to 0.7, and/or delay (.tau.) 213, e.g., any time delay of 0 to
125 .mu.sec, to result in at least one signal 218 which has been
adjusted for transmission via the one or more transducers. These
values are presented for illustrative purposes and are not intended
to be limiting. Although the adjustments may be applied to both
signals 214, 216, they may also be applied to a single signal 214
while one of the received signals 216 may be unmodified and passed
directly to one of the transducers.
[0100] As mentioned above, compensating 208 for an orientation of
the transducers relative to one another as well as relative to an
orientation of the user may be taken into account in calculating
any adjustments to phase and/or amplitude and/or delay of the
signals applied to the transducers. For example, the direction 230
perpendicular to a line 224 connecting the microphones 226, 228
(intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal) may define a zero degree
direction of the microphones. A zero degree direction of the user's
head may be indicated by the direction 222, which may be
illustrated as in FIG. 16 as the direction the user's nose points
towards. The difference between the zero degree direction of the
microphones and the zero degree direction of the user's head may
define an angle, .THETA., which may be taken into account as a
correction factor when determining the phase and/or amplitude
adjustments. Accordingly, if the positioning of microphones 226,
228 are such that their zero degree direction is aligned with the
zero degree direction of the user's head, then little or no
correction may be necessary. If the positioning of the microphones
226, 228 is altered relative to the user's body and an angle is
formed relative to the zero degree direction of the user's head,
then the audio signals received by the user and the resulting
vibrations conducted by the transducers to the user may be adjusted
for phase and/or amplitude taking into account the angle, .THETA.,
when emulating directionality with the vibrating transducers.
[0101] In addition to or independent from any of the processes
described above, another feature which may utilize the oral
appliance and processing capabilities may include the ability to
vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user, e.g.,
the oral appliance may be configured to wirelessly receive and
conduct signals from secondary audio sources to the user. Examples
may include the transmission of an alarm signal which only the user
may hear or music conducted to the user in public locations, etc.
The user may thus enjoy privacy in receiving these ancillary
signals while also being able to listen and/or converse in an
environment where a primary audio signal is desired.
[0102] FIG. 17A shows an example of placing one or more microphones
110, 112 as well as an optional wireless receiver 122 along one or
both retaining portions 21, 23, as above. In a schematic
illustration shown in FIG. 17B, one variation for receiving and
processing multiple audio signals is shown where various audio
sources 234, 238 (e.g., alarms, music players, cell phones, PDA's,
etc.) may transmit their respective audio signals 236, 240 to an
audio receiver processor 230, which may receive the sounds via the
one or more microphones and process them for receipt by an audio
application processor 232, which may apply the combined signal
received from audio receiver processor 230 and apply them to one or
more transducers to the user 242. FIG. 17C illustrates another
variation where a wireless receiver and/or processor 122 located
along one or more of the retaining portions 21 may be configured to
wirelessly receive audio signals from multiple electronic audio
sources 244. This feature may be utilized with any of the
variations described herein alone or in combination.
[0103] The audio receiver processor 230 may communicate wirelessly
or via wire with the audio application processor 232. During one
example of use, a primary audio signal 240 (e.g., conversational
speech) along with one or more ancillary audio signals 236 (e.g.,
alarms, music players, cell phones, PDA's, etc.) may be received by
the one or more microphones of a receiver unit 250 of audio
receiver processor 230. The primary signal 250 and ancillary
signals 254 may be transmitted electrically to a multiplexer 256
which may combine the various signals 252, 254 in view of optional
methods, controls and/or priority data 262 received from a user
control 264, as described above. Parameters such as prioritization
of the signals as well as volume, timers, etc., may be set by the
user control 264. The multiplexed signal 258 having the combined
audio signals may then be transmitted to processor 260, which may
transmit the multiplexed signal 266 to the audio application
processor 232, as illustrated in FIG. 18.
[0104] As described above, the various audio signals 236, 240 may
be combined and multiplexed in various forms 258 for transmission
to the user 242. For example, one variation for multiplexing the
audio signals via multiplexer 256 may entail combining the audio
signals such that the primary 240 and ancillary 236 signals are
transmitted by the transducers in parallel where all audio signals
are conducted concurrently to the user, as illustrated in FIG. 19A,
which graphically illustrates transmission of a primary signal 270
in parallel with the one or more ancillary signals 272, 272 over
time, T. The transmitted primary signal 270 may be transmitted at a
higher volume, i.e., a higher dB level, than the other ancillary
signals 272, 274, although this may be varied depending upon the
user preferences.
[0105] Alternatively, the multiplexed signal 258 may be transmitted
such that the primary 240 and ancillary 236 signals are transmitted
in series, as graphically illustrated in FIG. 19B. In this
variation, the transmitted primary 270 and ancillary 272, 274
signals may be conducted to the user in a pre-assigned, random,
preemptive, or non-preemptive manner where each signal is conducted
serially.
[0106] In yet another example, the transmitted signals may be
conducted to the user in a hybrid form combining the parallel and
serial methods described above and as graphically illustrated in
FIG. 19C. Depending on user settings or preferences, certain audio
signals 274, e.g., emergency alarms, may preempt primary 270 and/or
ancillary 272 signals from other sources at preset times 276 or
intermittently or in any other manner such that the preemptive
signal 274 is played such that it is the only signal played back to
the user.
[0107] The applications of the devices and methods discussed above
are not limited to the treatment of hearing loss but may include
any number of further treatment applications. Moreover, such
devices and methods may be applied to other treatment sites within
the body. Modification of the above-described assemblies and
methods for carrying out the invention, combinations between
different variations as practicable, and variations of aspects of
the invention that are obvious to those of skill in the art are
intended to be within the scope of the claims.
* * * * *