Ear piece with active vent control
AssigneeSonova AG
InventorErwin Kuipers
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hearing device includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) component with a speaker, an earpiece with an active vent, and a sound tube operatively connecting the earpiece and the speaker of the BTE component. The hearing device further includes a controller that adjusts the configuration of the active vent. The controller can adjust the configuration of the active vent by control signals transmitted via conductive wires, electrically conductive layers, or via a wireless link.
Claims18
A hearing device comprising:
- a behind-the-ear (BTE) component with a speaker;
- an earpiece with an active vent;
- a sound tube operatively connecting the earpiece and the speaker of the BTE component;
- and
- a controller configured to adjust a configuration of the active vent,
- wherein the sound tube is configured to transmit an electrical control signal of the controller to the active vent, and
- wherein the sound tube is configured as a bi-directional channel enabling bi-directional communications between the earpiece and the BTE component.
A hearing device comprising:
- a behind-the-ear (BTE) component with a speaker;
- an earpiece with an active vent
- a sound tube operatively connecting the earpiece and the speaker of the BTE component and
- a controller configured to adjust a configuration of the active vent, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the configuration of the active vent by a control signal transmitted via a wireless link, and wherein the wireless link is configured as a bi-directional channel enabling bi-directional communications between the earpiece and the BTE component.
A hearing system comprising:
- a behind-the-ear (BTE) component with a speaker and a processor;
- an earpiece with means for adjusting a vent;
- and
- a sound tube operatively connecting the earpiece and the speaker of the BTE component,
- wherein the processor is operatively connected to, and configured to operate, the means for adjusting the vent based on an acoustic environment of the hearing device,
- wherein the sound tube is configured to transmit an electrical control signal of the controller to the active vent, and
- wherein the sound tube is configured as a bi-directional channel enabling bi-directional communications between the earpiece and the BTE component.
A method for operating a hearing device including a behind-the-ear (BTE) component with a speaker and a processor, an earpiece with an active vent, and a sound tube operatively connecting the earpiece and the speaker, wherein the sound tube is configured to transmit electrical control signals between the processor and the active vent, the method comprising:
- determining an acoustic environment of the hearing device;
- establishing bi-directional communications between the earpiece and the BTE component via a bi-directional channel;
- and
- adjusting a configuration of the active vent based on the acoustic environment of the hearing device by transmitting an electrical control signal of the controller to the active vent via the sound tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.