US 12,015,899 B2Granted

Light sensor in hearing instrument

AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.

InventorsPeter Flanagan, Kyle Olson, Michael Karl Sacha, Andy S. Lin, Fa Wang

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system may have a rechargeable hearing instrument with a power source, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor configured to convert received UV light into electrical power and charging circuitry coupled to the UV sensor and to the power source. The charging circuitry may use the electrical power to charge the power source. A charger may have a charging cavity configured to receive the rechargeable hearing instrument. A power source within the charger powers a UV light source located within the charger configured to provide UV light to the UV sensor of the rechargeable hearing instrument when the rechargeable hearing instrument is placed within the charging cavity.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method for operating a hearing instrument, the method comprising the following steps:

measuring, with one or more sensors of the hearing instrument, an ambient light level at the hearing instrument;
determining a delta ambient light level that indicates a change in the detected ambient light level detected by the one or more sensors of the hearing instrument at different times;
recording the delta ambient light level;
determining whether an absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeds a predetermined threshold;
determining, based on the absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeding the predetermined threshold and the delta ambient light level being positive, a user has moved to an outdoor environment;
and
setting a signal processing parameter of the hearing instrument as a function of the determination the user is in the outdoor environment or an indoor environment.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/811,759Filed 11 Jul 2022 · continuation
Priority: 14 Jan 2020
Published: US 2022/0345835 A127 Oct 2022
Granted: 18 Jun 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H04R 25/505
Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics: using digital signal processing
A61B 5/01
Measuring for diagnostic purposes ; Identification of persons: measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for…
A61B 5/02055
Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition:…
A61B 5/02416
Measuring pulse rate or heart rate: using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation

Family

Application62/961,021Us provisional application · filed 14 Jan 2020
PCT/US2021/012956Parent of this continuation · filed 11 Jan 2021
US 2022/0345835 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Oct 2022
US 12,015,899 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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