Sub-surface indicator lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11956599-B2
Application number	US-202217842394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2022
Priority date	Jul 19, 2018
Publication date	Apr 9, 2024
Grant date	Apr 9, 2024

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing including at least one acoustic port;
a microphone positioned within the housing; and
at least one light source that is separate from the microphone and positioned within the housing, wherein light emitted from the at least one light source is observable outside of the housing via at least one translucent member located at the at least one acoustic port, and:
(i) wherein the at least one translucent member is disposed in the at least one acoustic port, and wherein the at least one translucent member is a microphone gasket configured to mount the microphone to the housing and to create an acoustic seal between the microphone and the housing; or
(ii) wherein the at least one translucent member is disposed in the at least one acoustic port, and wherein the at least one translucent member comprises a microphone membrane configured to be attached to an outer surface of the housing; or
(iii) wherein the at least one translucent member comprises an optical insert disposed in the at least one acoustic port, wherein the optical housing insert includes a cavity to retain a microphone protector therein; or
(iv) wherein the microphone is a microelectrical systems (MEMS) microphone electrically mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) within the housing, and wherein the at least one light source is also electrically mounted on the PCB.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , 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.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , 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 light source to the at least one acoustic port.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one translucent member comprises the microphone membrane and an optical connector optically coupling the at least one light source to the microphone membrane.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the MEMS microphone is mounted on a first surface of the PCB and the at least one light source is mounted on a second surface of the PCB, and wherein the first surface of the PCB and the second surface of the PCB are on opposing sides of the PCB.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the at least one light source comprises an indicator light.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one translucent member optically couples the at least one light source to an outer surface of the housing via an optical port that is separate from the at least one acoustic port.

9. 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 at least one acoustic port;
a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone disposed in the housing; and
at least one light source that is separate from the MEMS microphone and mounted on the PCB below the inner surface of the housing, wherein light signals emitted by the at least one light source are observable at the outer surface of the housing via at least one translucent member disposed at the at least one acoustic port, and:
(i) wherein the at least one translucent member 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; or
(ii) wherein the at least one translucent member comprises a microphone membrane configured to be attached to the outer surface of the housing; or
(iii) wherein the at least one translucent member further comprises an optical housing insert disposed in the at least one acoustic port, wherein the optical housing insert includes a cavity to retain a microphone protector therein.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , 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.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one translucent member comprises the microphone membrane and wherein an optical connector optically couples the at least one light source to the microphone membrane.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one light source comprises an indicator light.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).

14. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing including at least one acoustic port;
a microphone positioned within the housing; and
at least one light source that is separate from the microphone and positioned within the housing, wherein light emitted from the at least one light source is observable outside of the housing via at least one translucent member located at the at least one acoustic port,
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 light source is also electrically mounted on the PCB,
wherein the MEMS microphone is mounted on a first surface of the PCB and the at least one light source is mounted on a second surface of the PCB, and wherein the first surface of the PCB and the second surface of the PCB are on opposing sides of the PCB.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one translucent member is disposed in the at least one acoustic port.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one translucent member is a microphone gasket configured to mount the microphone to the housing and to create an acoustic seal between the microphone and the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one translucent member comprises a microphone membrane configured to be attached to an outer surface of the housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one translucent member comprises an optical housing insert disposed in the at least one acoustic port, wherein the optical housing insert includes a cavity to retain a microphone protector therein.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the at least one light source comprises one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs).

20. The apparatus of claim 14 , the at least one light source comprises an indicator light.

Assignees

• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Isaacson Nathan
• Frieding Jan Patrick

Classifications

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H04R19/04

  Microphones (H04R19/01 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/02

  Details · CPC title

• A61N1/025

  Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors · CPC title

• A61N1/375

  Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings · CPC title