Granted Patent B2

US 12,604,148 · App. 18/108,137 · Granted Apr 14, 2026

Inventors: William F. Austin (Eden Prairie, MN); Achintya Kumar Bhowmik (Cupertino, CA); David Alan Fabry (Eden Prairie, MN); Amit Shahar (Hod HaSharon, IL); Majd Srour (Nesher, IL)

Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

H04R25/554G06F3/14H04R1/08

Abstract

Claims (109)

1 . A hearing assisting system comprising:

a. a first ear-wearable device, the first ear-wearable device comprising a first microphone at a first microphone location, the first ear-wearable device further comprising:

a hearing device housing, the hearing device housing comprising:

a battery compartment comprising a battery;

a flexible mother circuit comprising and electrically connected to:

a digital signal processor;

an audio output device electrically connected to the digital signal processor;

a plurality of user switches electrically connected to the digital signal processor, wherein the user switches control volume and on/off;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor; and

a first memory storage device configured to store data from the IMU sensor;

a first transducer electrically connected to the audio output device and configured to be positioned within an ear of a user; and

a cable comprising one or more electrical conductors, the cable configured to provide electrical communication between the hearing device housing and the first transducer;

wherein the first ear-wearable device is configured to:

be worn by the user in contact with the ear of the user;

direct sound from the first transducer toward the user's ear when the first ear-wearable device is worn by the user; and

wirelessly transmit a first input audio signal received at the first microphone at the first microphone location;

b. a vision device, the vision device comprising or defining a lens portion, wherein the vision device is configured to be worn by the user so that the user looks through the lens portion, the vision device further comprising a display device, wherein the display device is configured to display visual information to the user when the user is wearing the vision device,

c. a second microphone, wherein the second microphone is configured to be positioned at a second microphone location;

wherein the hearing assisting system is configured to store computer instructions for:

receiving, from the first microphone, the first input audio signal;

receiving, from the second microphone, a second input audio signal, wherein the first audio input signal and the second audio input signal both comprise first audio information from a first time period;

processing the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal to identify first audio content information and first audio direction information related to the first audio content information; and

wirelessly transmitting, to the vision device, first display information to cause the vision device to display a non-transcript content representation of the first audio content information and a direction representation of the first audio direction information using the display device;

wherein the display information comprises at least one menu prompt to control the first ear-wearable device, and

wherein the hearing assisting system is configured to receive user input to execute the at least one menu prompt displayed, and wherein the at least one menu prompt is executed by the user tapping on the first ear-wearable device.

2 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , wherein the first ear-wearable device further comprises:

a first control circuit,

the first transducer, wherein the first transducer is configured to generate sound and is in electrical communication with the first control circuit,

the first microphone, wherein the first microphone is in electrical communication with the first control circuit, the first memory storage, and a first wireless communication device;

wherein the vision device further comprises:

a vision device control circuit,

a vision device wireless communication device,

a vision device camera, and

a vision device memory,

wherein the vision device wireless communication device is configured to receive the first display information.

3 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , further comprising a second ear-wearable device, the second ear-wearable device comprising:

a. a second control circuit;

b. a second electroacoustic transducer, wherein the second transducer is configured to generate sound and is in electrical communication with the second control circuit;

c. the second microphone, wherein the second microphone is in electrical communication with the second control circuit;

d. a second memory storage; and

e. a second wireless communication device; and

wherein the second ear-wearable device is configured to:

be worn by the user in contact with a second ear of the user;

direct sound from the first transducer toward the user's ear when the second ear-wearable device is worn by the user; and

wirelessly transmit the second input audio signal received at the second microphone.

4 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , further comprising a gateway device, the gateway device comprising:

a. a gateway device control circuit;

b. a gateway device memory; and

c. a gateway device wireless communication device, wherein the gateway device memory stores instructions for:

wirelessly receiving, at the gateway device wireless communication device, the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal;

processing the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal to identify the first audio content information and the first audio direction information; and

wirelessly transmitting, to the vision device, the first display information to cause the vision device to display the non-transcript content representation of the first audio content information and the direction representation of the first audio direction information using the display device.

5 . The hearing assisting system of claim 4 , wherein the vision device further comprises a first vision device microphone positioned on the vision device and a second vision device microphone, wherein the system analyzes audio input from the first microphone, the second microphone, the first vision device microphone, and the second vision device microphone to process the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal to identify the first audio content information and the first audio direction information, and wherein first vision device microphone is spaced apart from the second vision device microphone by at least 2 centimeters.

6 . The hearing assisting system of claim 4 , wherein the gateway device memory stores instructions for:

a. identifying a presence of a first emergency notification sound as the first audio content information within the first audio content information; and

b. upon identifying the presence of the first emergency notification sound, the non-transcript content representation will identify the first emergency notification sound;

wherein the first emergency notification sound is one of the group consisting of a siren, an emergency vehicle siren, a tornado siren, an emergency weather siren, a public safety siren, a horn, a train whistle, a train horn, a vehicle horn, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon-monoxide alarm, and a law enforcement announcement.

7 . The hearing assisting system of claim 6 , configured to, upon displaying content representation, apply a tinting to the lens portion for an alert time period.

8 . The hearing assisting system of claim 4 , wherein the gateway device memory stores instructions for identifying a name call as the first audio content information within the first audio content information, wherein the instructions comprise a user name and user name variations.

9 . The hearing assisting system of claim 4 , wherein the first ear-wearable device further comprises a telecoil, wherein the hearing assisting system is configured to:

a. detect a first electromagnetic signal at the telecoil,

b. analyze the first electromagnetic signal to determine telecoil information related to a presence of an appliance that generated the first electromagnetic signal in an environment of the first ear-wearable device, and

c. transmit, to the vision device, telecoil display information to cause the vision device to display a representation of telecoil information using the display device.

10 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , wherein the direction representation comprises text describing a direction of a sound within the first audio information.

11 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , wherein the direction representation comprises an arrow pointing toward a direction of a sound within the first audio information.

12 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 , wherein the direction representation comprises tinting of a lens portion in a direction opposite from a direction of a sound within the first audio information.

13 . The hearing assisting system of claim 1 wherein the vision device comprises a contact lens configured to be worn on an eyeball of a user.

14 . The hearing assistance system of claim 13 , wherein the contact lens comprises:

a. an electronic component layer including a display device that is configured to provide visual information to the user; and

b. outer encasing layers.

15 . The hearing assistance system of claim 14 , wherein the contact lens further comprise a contact lens microphone.

16 . A method comprising:

receiving a first audio signal at a first microphone of an ear-wearable device of a hearing assisting system;

receiving a second audio signal at a second microphone of the hearing assisting system, wherein the first audio signal and second audio signal comprise first audio information from a first time period;

processing, by a processing system that includes one or more processors, the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal to identify first audio content information and first audio direction information related to the first audio content information; and

wirelessly transmitting, to a wearable vision device, first display information to cause the vision device to display a non-transcript content representation of the first audio content information and a direction representation of the first audio direction information using a display device of the vision device, wherein the vision device further comprises or defines a lens portion, wherein the vision device is configured to be worn by a user so that the user looks through the lens portion, wherein the display device is configured to display visual information to the user when the user is wearing the vision device;

wherein the ear-wearable device comprises a first transducer configured to be positioned within an ear of a user and a hearing device housing, the hearing device housing comprising:

a flexible mother circuit comprising and electrically connected to:

a digital signal processor;

an audio output device electrically connected to the digital signal processor,

a plurality of user switches electrically connected to the digital signal processor, wherein the user switches control volume and on/off;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor; and

a first memory storage device configured to store data from the IMU sensor;

wherein the first display information comprises at least one menu prompt to control the ear-wearable device, and

wherein the hearing assisting system is configured to receive user input to execute the at least one menu prompt displayed, and wherein the at least one menu prompt is executed by the user tapping on the ear-wearable device.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

a. identifying, by a processing system that includes one or more processors, a presence of a first emergency notification sound as the first audio content information within the first audio content information; and

b. upon identifying the presence of the first emergency notification sound, the non-transcript content representation will identify the first emergency notification sound;

wherein the first emergency notification sound is one of the group consisting of a siren, an emergency vehicle siren, a tornado siren, an emergency weather siren, a public safety siren, a horn, a train whistle, a train horn, a vehicle horn, a smoke alarm, a fire alarm, a carbon-monoxide alarm, and a law enforcement announcement.

18 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising identifying, by the processing system, a name call as the first audio content information within the first audio content information, wherein a memory system comprising one or more memory devices stores instructions comprising a user name and user name variations.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the first ear-wearable device further comprises a telecoil, further comprising:

a. detecting a first electromagnetic signal at the telecoil,

b. analyzing, using the processing system, the first electromagnetic signal to determine telecoil information related to a presence of an appliance that generated the first electromagnetic signal in an environment of the ear-wearable device, and

c. transmitting, to the vision device, telecoil display information to cause the vision device to display a representation of telecoil information using the display device.

20 . A method comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system that includes one or more processors implemented in circuitry, a signal from a telecoil of an ear-wearable device, wherein the ear-wearable device is configured to be worn by a user in contact with an ear of the user and direct sound from a first electroacoustic transducer toward the user's ear when the first ear-wearable device is worn by the user;

determining, by the processing system, telecoil information related to a presence of an electromagnetic signal in an environment of the ear-wearable device, based at least in part on the signal from the telecoil;

wirelessly transmitting, to a wearable vision device, first display information to cause the vision device to display a representation of the telecoil information using a display device of the vision device, wherein the vision device further comprises or defines a lens portion, wherein the vision device is configured to be worn by the user so that the user looks through the lens portion, wherein the display device is configured to display visual information to the user when the user is wearing the vision device;

wirelessly receiving, by the telecoil, audio information from a magnetic field produced by a listening system; and

generating sound, by the first electroacoustic transducer, containing the audio information from the magnetic field;

wherein the ear-wearable device comprises the first electroacoustic transducer configured to be positioned within an ear of a user and a hearing device housing, the hearing device housing comprising:

a flexible mother circuit comprising and electrically connected to:

a digital signal processor;

an audio output device electrically connected to the digital signal processor,

a plurality of user switches electrically connected to the digital signal processor, wherein the user switches control volume and on/off;

an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor; and

a first memory storage device configured to store data from the IMU sensor;

wherein the first display information comprises at least one menu prompt to control the ear-wearable device, and

wherein the hearing assisting system is configured to receive user input to execute the at least one menu prompt displayed, and wherein the at least one menu prompt is executed by the user tapping on the ear-wearable device.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (138)