Earpiece, hearing device and system for active occlusion cancellation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022014849-A1
Application number	US-202117348538-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 10, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, a hearing device and an earpiece configured to be worn in an ear of a user. The earpiece comprising: a first input transducer configured for receiving sound from the ear canal of the user's ear, the first input transducer being configured for providing a first input transducer signal; an output transducer configured for providing sound to the ear canal, the output transducer being configured for providing an output transducer signal; a processing unit comprising an active occlusion cancellation algorithm configured to generate an output signal based on at least the first input transducer signal for providing active occlusion cancellation; wherein the earpiece further comprises: an acoustic filter configured for improving the active occlusion cancellation, the acoustic filter comprising: a vent channel for venting the ear canal, and an acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter implemented in the vent channel.

First claim

1 . An earpiece configured to be worn in an ear of a user, the earpiece comprising:
a first input transducer configured to receive sound from an ear canal of the user, the first input transducer being configured to provide a first input transducer signal; an output transducer configured to provide output sound to the ear canal; a processing unit connected to the output transducer and the first input transducer, the processing unit comprising an active occlusion cancellation algorithm configured to generate an output signal based on at least the first input transducer signal for providing active occlusion cancellation; a vent channel for venting the ear canal; and an acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter in the vent channel.

2 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the vent channel and the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter are configured to improve the active occlusion cancellation.

3 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the vent channel and the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter together form an acoustic filter.

4 . The earpiece according to claim 3 , wherein the acoustic filter is configured to improve or optimize the output signal generated by the active occlusion cancellation algorithm.

5 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is configured to provide an increased acoustic resistance for the vent channel.

6 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the vent channel is configured to provide a reduction of a subsonic sound pressure level in the ear canal of the user.

7 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the vent channel is configured to provide a reduction of a low-frequency sound pressure level in the ear canal of the user.

8 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is configured to affect a frequency response associated with the vent channel.

9 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is configured to cancel or suppress or annul a resonance associated with the vent channel.

10 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is configured to smoothen a resonance associated with the vent channel.

11 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is a physical filter.

12 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter comprises an acoustic impedance value

13 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is associated with an acoustic impedance value.

14 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter comprises a surface size and/or a density.

15 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the earpiece is for a hearing aid configured to compensate for a hearing loss of the user.

16 . The earpiece according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter is configured to push a low-frequency roll off below a 80-100 Hz target.

17 . A system for an earpiece, the earpiece being configured to be worn in an ear of a user, the system comprising:
a first input transducer configured to receive sound from an ear canal of the user, the first input transducer being configured to provide a first input transducer signal; an output transducer configured to provide output sound to the ear canal; a processing unit connected to the output transducer and the first input transducer, the processing unit comprising an active occlusion cancellation algorithm configured to generate an output signal based on at least the first input transducer signal for providing active occlusion cancellation; a vent channel for venting the ear canal; and an acoustic vent resonance cancelling filter in the vent channel.

Assignees

• Gn Hearing As

Inventors

• Christiansen Nikolaj

Classifications

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title

• H04R2460/01

  Hearing devices using active noise cancellation · CPC title

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R2460/11

  Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion · CPC title

• H04R25/652

  Ear tips; Ear moulds (hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659) · CPC title