Wearable audio system supporting enhanced hearing support

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11644693-B2
Application number	US-202217873104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2022
Priority date	Jul 28, 2004
Publication date	May 9, 2023
Grant date	May 9, 2023

Abstract

Techniques for providing wearable electronic devices with electrical components are disclosed. The electrical components can provide electrical technology to eyewear to facilitate audio support including enhanced hearing. The electrical components can operate independently or together with other electrical components provided elsewhere. The wearable electronic devices with electronic components can, for example, provide audio output, audio enhancements, or event-related audio content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A personal audio system operable to at least generate customized audio output, comprising:
a pair of ear buds, each configured to be placed in an ear of a user; and
a mobile communication device at least for supporting audio output, the mobile communication device configured to store at least a hearing profile associated with the user, the stored hearing profile associated with the user at least characterizes hearing impairment regarding the user's ability to hear, the mobile communication device configured to produce audio output signals customized for the user based on at least the stored hearing profile associated with the user such that the customized audio output signals at least compensate for the hearing impairment regarding the user's ability to hear, the mobile communication device configured to produce the customized audio output signals using at least signal amplification, and the mobile communication device configured to transmit the customized audio output signals to the pair of ear buds,
wherein each of the ear buds is configured to receive at least a portion of the customized audio output signals transmitted by the mobile communication device, and
wherein each of the ear buds is configured to generate at least a portion of the customized audio output for the user in accordance with at least the portion of the customized audio output signals being received.

2. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is configured to establish the hearing profile for the user.

3. A personal audio system as recited in claim 2 , wherein the hearing profile for the user is established by the mobile communication device at least via generating audio tones and outputting such to one or more of the ear buds and receiving a user indication corresponding to the user's ability to hear the generated audio tones.

4. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the signal amplification is frequency-dependent amplification.

5. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the earbuds includes a speaker, and
wherein the at least a portion of the customized audio output being generated by each of the ear buds is generated by the corresponding speaker.

6. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the earbuds in the pair of earbuds comprises an array of microphones configured for directional audio pickup.

7. A personal audio system as recited in claim 6 , wherein direction of the directional audio pickup is in front of the user.

8. A personal audio system as recited in claim 6 , wherein direction of the directional audio pickup is outward from the user.

9. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the earbuds in the pair of earbuds comprises a plurality of microphones configured for audio pickup.

10. A personal audio system as recited in claim 9 , wherein the plurality of microphones includes at least:
a first microphone configured to receive audio pickup from the user; and
a second microphone configured to receive audio pickup outward away from the user.

11. A personal audio system as recited in claim 10 , wherein the audio pickup from at least the second microphone is used at least for noise cancelation.

12. A personal audio system as recited in claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the audio pickup from the second microphone is subtracted from the audio pickup from the first microphone.

13. A personal audio system as recited in claim 12 , wherein each of the ear buds includes at least a speaker and is configured to generate at least a portion of the customized audio output for the user via the speaker.

14. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the mobile communication device is or includes a mobile phone.

15. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the customized audio output includes music.

16. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the customized audio output includes a voice conversation.

17. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the earbuds in the pair of earbuds comprises a plurality of microphones configured for audio pickup,
wherein at least one of the microphones is configured to pick up an audio command, and
wherein the mobile communication device is configured to induce an operation or action based on the audio command.

18. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the customized audio output signals are produced based on amplifying or attenuating different frequency bands differently according to at least the stored hearing profile.

19. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the hearing profile associated with the user is self-determined by the user.

20. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein the mobile communication device includes computing capabilities and a storage device, the storage device storing at least a software program executed by the mobile communication device to enable the user to establish the hearing profile associated with the user, and
wherein the mobile communication device is configured to establish the hearing profile associated with the user via the software program executed by the mobile communication device based on the user interacting with the software program via the mobile communication device.

21. A personal audio system as recited in claim 20 , wherein the software program at least interactively guides the user to establish the hearing profile for the user.

22. A personal audio system as recited in claim 21 , wherein the software program at least interactively guides the user to establish the hearing profile for the user by at least causing various audio tones to be output to the user via at least one of the earbuds, prompting the user to provide a hearing input with respect to one or more of the various audio tones being output, and receiving the hearing user input pertaining to one or more of the various audio tones being output.

23. A personal audio system as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the earbuds in the pair of earbuds comprises
a radiation detector configured to capture radiation data; and
first electronic circuitry electrically connected to the radiation detector, the first electronic circuitry configured to process at least the radiation data captured by the radiation detector,

wherein the first electronic circuitry is configured to determine whether the earbud is being worn by a user based on at least the processed radiation data.

24. A personal audio system operable to at least generate customized audio output, comprising:
a head-worn wearable electronic device including at least a pair of speakers, each of the speakers being configured to be wearable proximate to an ear of a user; and
a mobile communication device at least for supporting audio output, the mobile communication device configured to store at least a hearing profile associated with the user, the stored hearing profile associated with the user at least characterizes hearing impairment regarding the user's ability to hear, the mobile communication device configured to produce audio output signals customized for the user based on at least the stored hearing profile associated with the user such that the customized audio output signals at least compensate for the hearing impairment regarding the user's ability to hear, t

Assignees

• Ingeniospec Llc

Inventors

• Howell Thomas A
• Chao David
• Thomas C Douglass
• Tong Peter P

Classifications

• G02C5/001

  specially adapted for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for or not fully classifiable according to technical characteristics, e.g. therapeutic glasses · CPC title

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02C11/06 Primary

  Hearing aids (construction of electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title

• G02C5/143

  having special ear pieces · CPC title

• G02C5/14

  Side-members · CPC title