IP Library › Patent Application 11287918
Patent Application
App. No. 11/287,918

Low cost hearing protection device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
11/287,918
Abstract

An apparatus having at least one earpiece, a circuit and a power supply. The earpiece having a speaker and a microphone. The microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals. The circuit receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals utilizing a plurality of attenuation values. The circuit provides the attenuated sound signals to the speaker. The power supply provides power to the circuit.

Claims (14)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one earpiece, the earpiece having a speaker and a microphone, the microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals;

a circuit receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals utilizing a plurality of attenuation values, and providing the attenuated sound signals to the speaker; and

a power supply for providing power to the circuit.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuit includes a microcontroller for sampling the electrical sound signals and producing signals to cause the electrical sound signals to be attenuated based on the plurality of attenuation values.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the circuit further comprises a digital potentiometer attenuating the electrical sound signals in conformance with signals provided by the microcontroller.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a keypad for controlling the volume of the attenuated sound signals provided to the speaker.

5 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one earpiece, the earpiece having a speaker and a microphone, the microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals;

a circuit having a digital potentiometer coupled between the microphone and the speaker, the digital potentiometer receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals based upon input signals derived from a plurality of attenuation values, and providing the attenuated sound signals to the speaker; and

a power supply for providing power to the circuit.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the circuit includes a microcontroller for sampling the electrical sound signals and producing signals to cause the electrical sound signals to be attenuated based on the plurality of attenuation values.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the circuit includes a speaker driver amplifier coupled between the digital potentiometer and the speaker for driving the speaker with the attenuated sound signals output by the digital potentiometer.

8 . The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a keypad for controlling the volume of the attenuated sound signals provided to the speaker.