# US 2021/0243539 A1 · Sub-surface indicator lighting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243539 A1 - Document ID: US20210243539A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/973,247 - Filed: 2019-07-16 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-19 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Applicants: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: Nathan Isaacson; Jan Patrick Frieding - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243539A1 ## CPC - H04R 1/086: {Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens} - H04R 25/604: {of acoustic or vibrational transducers} - A61N 1/3758: {Packaging of the components within the casing} - F21V 19/0015: {Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources} - H04R 7/16: Mounting or tensioning of diaphragms or cones - H04R 19/04: Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) - H04R 25/609: {of circuitry (of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603)} - A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes} - A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation} - A61N 1/378: Electrical supply - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - H04R 2201/003: Mems transducers or their use - H04R 2225/021: Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - 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) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED ## Abstract Presented herein are devices/apparatuses having indicator lights (visual indicators), such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), positioned underneath/below the outer surface of a housing of the device. However, the indicator lights positioned below the outer surface of the housing, sometimes referred to herein as “sub-surface” or “sub-housing” indicator lights, are optically coupled to the outer surface of the housing via one or more optical connectors (e.g., light guides, light pipes, light diffusers, etc.). As such, the light emitted by the sub-surface indicator lights is still visible at the outer surface of the device housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a housing including at least one acoustic port; a microphone positioned within the housing in alignment with the acoustic port; at least one optical connector positioned within the acoustic port; and at least one indicator light positioned within the housing, wherein the at least one indicator light is optically coupled to the acoustic port via the optical connector such that light emitted from the at least one indicator light is visible outside of the housing via the acoustic port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical connector is a microphone gasket configured to mount the microphone to the housing and to create an acoustic seal between the microphone and the housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the microphone gasket is formed from a substantially flexible material and is configured to mechanically isolate the microphone from vibrations delivered to the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the microphone gasket is formed from a substantially flexible material and includes one or more translucent rigid members extending there through to transport light emitted by the at least one indicator light to the acoustic port. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical connector comprises a microphone membrane configured to be attached to an outer surface of the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one optical connector comprises the microphone membrane and a second optical connector optically coupling the at least one indicator light to the microphone membrane. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical connector further comprises an optical housing insert disposed in the acoustic port, wherein the optical housing insert includes a cavity to retain a microphone protector therein. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microphone is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone electrically mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the housing, and wherein the at least one indicator light is also electrically mounted on the PCB. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the MEMS microphone is mounted on a first surface of the PCB and the at least one indicator light is mounted on a second surface of the PCB. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the least one indicator light comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more light LEDs comprise at least one multi-color LED. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is an external component of an auditory prosthesis and the housing is shaped as a behind-the-ear (BTE) unit configured to be worn on the ear of a recipient of the auditory prosthesis. ### Claim 13 An apparatus, comprising: a housing comprising at least one acoustic port, an outer surface, and an inner surface; a printed circuit board (PCB) positioned within the housing adjacent to the acoustic port; a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone mounted on the PCB in-line with the acoustic port; at least one indicator light co-located with the MEMS microphone on the PCB below the inner surface of the housing; and at least one optical connector optically coupling the at least one indicator light to the outer surface of the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one indicator light is mounted on the PCB proximate to the acoustic port and is optically coupled to the acoustic port via the optical connector such that light emitted from the at least one indicator light is visible at the outer surface of the housing via the acoustic port. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one optical connector is a microphone gasket configured to mount the MEMS microphone to the housing and to create an acoustic seal between the MEMS microphone and the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the microphone gasket is formed from a substantially flexible material and is configured to mechanically isolate the MEMS microphone from vibrations delivered to the housing. ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one optical connector comprises a microphone membrane configured to be attached to the outer surface of the housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one optical connector comprises the microphone membrane and a second optical connector optically coupling the at least one indicator light to the microphone membrane. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one optical connector further comprises an optical housing insert disposed in the acoustic port, wherein the optical housing insert includes a cavity to retain a microphone protector therein. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least optical connector optically couples the at least one indicator light to the outer surface of the housing via an optical port that is separate from the acoustic port. ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (canceled) ### Claim 24 (canceled) ### Claim 25 (canceled)