# US 12,003,913 B2 · Ear-worn electronic device incorporating gesture control system using frequency-hopping spread spectrum transmission

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- Number: US 12,003,913 B2
- Document ID: US12003913B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/603,806
- Filed: 2020-10-27
- Published: 2022-07-07
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-22
- Assignees: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
- Applicants: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
- Inventors: Dong Xue; Zhenchao Yang; Gregory J. Haubrich; Stephen Paul Flood
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003913B2

## CPC

- H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)}
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06F 3/162: {Interface to dedicated audio devices, e.g. audio drivers, interface to CODECs}
- G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path}
- H04B 17/327: Received signal code power [RSCP]
- H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils}
- H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

A system comprises a first ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer, and a second electronic device comprising a second ear-worn electronic device or other electronic device. A wireless transceiver operably coupled to an antenna is disposed in each of the electronic devices. One or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to transmit signals at a plurality of different frequencies in accordance with a frequency hopping sequence, collect 2-D RSSI data comprising an RSSI value as a function of frequency and of time in response to transmission of the signals, detect a particular input gesture of a plurality of input gestures of the wearer using the 2-D RSSI data, and implement a predetermined function of at least one of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a first ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer;
a second electronic device comprising a second ear-worn electronic device or other electronic device;
a wireless transceiver operably coupled to an antenna disposed in each of the electronic devices, wherein one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to:
transmit signals at a plurality of different frequencies in accordance with a frequency hopping sequence;
collect two-dimensional (2-D) RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) data comprising an RSSI value as a function of frequency and of time in response to transmission of the signals;
detect a particular input gesture of a plurality of input gestures of the wearer using the 2-D RSSI data; and
implement a predetermined function of at least one of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the second electronic device comprises the second ear-worn electronic device;
the 2-D RSSI data comprises ear-to-ear 2-D RSSI data measured by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices;
the particular input gesture of the wearer is detected by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices using the ear-to-ear 2-D RSSI data; and
the predetermined function is implemented by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the second electronic device comprises the second ear-worn electronic device which is configured to transmit the signals at the plurality of different frequencies in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence; and
the first ear-worn electronic device is configured to collect the 2-D RSSI data, detect the particular input gesture using the 2-D RSSI data, and implement the predetermined function in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the first ear-worn electronic device is configured to transmit the signals at the plurality of different frequencies in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence;
the second electronic device comprises an accessory electronic device; and
the accessory electronic device is configured to collect the 2-D RSSI data and detect the particular input gesture using the 2-D RSSI data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein:
the accessory electronic device is configured to:
implement the predetermined function in response to detecting the particular input gesture; or
transmit a signal to one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second ear-worn electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture; and
one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second ear-worn electronic device is configured to implement the predetermined function in response to the signal transmitted by the accessory electronic device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the first ear-worn electronic device and a plurality of second electronic devices collectively define a hearing system network comprising a plurality of wireless links;
the 2-D RSSI data is collected from each of the wireless links; and
the particular input gesture is detected by one or more of the electronic devices defining the hearing system network using the 2-D RSSI data collected from one or more of the wireless links.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein:
the second electronic device comprises the second ear-worn electronic device;
one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices implements the predetermined function in response to detecting the particular input gesture; and
the predetermined function comprises one or both of detecting and tracking one or more of a physiologic signal, a physiologic condition or a personal habit of the wearer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to:
detect the particular input gesture by comparing the collected 2-D RSSI data to reference 2-D RSSI data indicative of the plurality of input gestures; and
the reference 2-D RSSI data is stored:
in a memory of one or both of the first the ear-worn electronic device and the accessory electronic device; or
in a memory of an external server communicatively coupled to one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the accessory electronic device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to:
collect, from one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device, 2-D reflection coefficient data as a function of frequency and of time in response to transmission of the signals;
detect the particular input gesture of the wearer using one of the 2-D RSSI data and the 2-D reflection coefficient data; and
confirm, by at least one of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device, successful detection of the particular input gesture using the other of the 2-D RSSI data and the 2-D reflection coefficient data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to:
generate a request perceivable by the wearer for a confirmation input prior to initiating the predetermined function; and
implement the predetermined function in response to detecting the confirmation input provided by the wearer.

### Claim 11

A method using a first ear-worn electronic device worn by a wearer and wirelessly coupled to at least a second electronic device, each of the electronic devices comprising a wireless transceiver operably coupled to an antenna, the method comprising:
transmitting, from one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device, signals at a plurality of different frequencies in accordance with a frequency hopping sequence;
collecting, from one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device, two-dimensional (2-D) RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) data comprising an RSSI value as a function of frequency and of time in response to transmission of the signals;
detecting a particular input gesture of a plurality of input gestures of the wearer using the 2-D RSSI data; and
implementing a predetermined function of at least one of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method-of claim 11, wherein:
the second electronic device comprises a second ear-worn electronic device;
the 2-D RSSI data comprises ear-to-ear 2-D RSSI data measured by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices;
the particular input gesture of the wearer is detected by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices using the ear-to-ear 2-D RSSI data; and
the predetermined function is implemented by one or both of the first and second ear-worn electronic devices in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the first ear-worn electronic device transmits the signals at the plurality of different frequencies in accordance with the frequency hopping sequence;
the second electronic device comprises an accessory electronic device;
the accessory electronic device collects the 2-D RSSI data and detects the particular input gesture using the 2-D RSSI data; and
the accessory electronic device implements the predetermined function in response to detecting the particular input gesture; or
the accessory electronic device transmits a signal to one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second ear-worn electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture, and one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the second ear-worn electronic device implements the predetermined function in response to the signal transmitted by the accessory electronic device.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
detecting the particular input gesture comprises comparing the collected 2-D RSSI data to reference 2-D RSSI data indicative of the plurality of input gestures; and
the reference 2-D RSSI data is received from:
a memory of one or both of the first the ear-worn electronic device and an accessory electronic device; or
a memory of an external server communicatively coupled to one or both of the first ear-worn electronic device and the accessory electronic device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, comprising:
generating a request perceivable by the wearer for a confirmation input prior to initiating the predetermined function; and
implementing the predetermined function in response to detecting the confirmation input provided by the wearer.

### Claim 16

A system, comprising:
a first body-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer;
a second electronic device;
a wireless transceiver operably coupled to an antenna disposed in each of the electronic devices, wherein one or both of the first body-worn electronic device and the second electronic device are configured to:
transmit signals at a plurality of different frequencies in accordance with a frequency hopping sequence;
collect two-dimensional (2-D) RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indication) data comprising an RSSI value as a function of frequency and of time in response to transmission of the signals;
detect a particular input gesture of a plurality of input gestures of the wearer using the 2-D RSSI data; and
implement a predetermined function of at least one of the first body-worn electronic device and the second electronic device in response to detecting the particular input gesture.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein:
the first body-worn electronic device is a first ear-worn electronic device; and
the second electronic device is a second ear-worn electronic device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein:
the first body-worn electronic device is an ear-worn electronic device; and
the second electronic device is an accessory electronic device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the second electronic device comprises a source of digital audio data or a source of data files.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the second electronic device comprises one or more of an assistive listening system, a TV streamer, a radio, a smartphone, a laptop, and a cell phone/entertainment device (CPED).