公开(公告)号：US11158935B2

公开(公告)日：2021-10-26

申请号：US16723473

申请日：2019-12-20

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Casey Murray ,  Janet Marie Glenn ,  Zhenchao Yang

IPC: H01Q1/12 ,  H01Q1/27 ,  H01Q9/16 ,  H01Q5/50 ,  H04R25/00 ,  H01Q1/48

Abstract: Ear-worn devices may include one or more structural elements formed of high-dielectric material. The position and shape of the structural element may be selected relative to an antenna of the ear-worn device to provide specific enhancements of the electric and/or magnetic field generated by the antenna. The structural elements may include a host resin material and a plurality of dielectric material elements. The structural elements may have an effective dielectric constant greater than 5. One or more loading strips may be used to tune a resonating structure formed by the antenna and the structural elements. The antenna may be an antenna array with structural elements disposed between elements of the array.

公开(公告)号：US20210315457A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-14

申请号：US17245777

申请日：2021-04-30

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Kyle Walsh ,  Thomas Scheller ,  Christopher L. Howes ,  David A. Fabry

IPC: A61B5/00 ,  H04R25/00 ,  A61B5/16

Abstract: A computing system comprising one or more electronic computing devices receives data from a hearing-assistance device. The computing system determines, based on the data received from the hearing-assistance device, a cognitive benefit measure for a wearer of the hearing-assistance device. The cognitive benefit measure being an indication of a change of a cognitive benefit of the wearer of the hearing-assistance device attributable to use of the hearing-assistance device by the wearer of the hearing-assistance device. The computing device outputs an indication of the cognitive benefit measure.

公开(公告)号：US11076245B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-27

申请号：US16384245

申请日：2019-04-15

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Sidney A. Higgins ,  Wei Li Lin ,  David Tourtelotte

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H04R1/02 ,  H04R1/10

Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods to provide improved connections for components of hearing assistance devices. Various embodiments include an apparatus including a receiver case configured to house a hearing assistance device receiver, the receiver case including a spherical receiver spout having an opening. The apparatus also includes a receptacle housing having a spherical socket adapted to mate with the spherical receiver spout to form a ball and socket connection. An insert within the spherical socket is configured to establish a retained interference fit with the opening of the receiver spout when the connection is formed so as to create an acoustic seal therebetween.

公开(公告)号：US11064304B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-13

申请号：US16599524

申请日：2019-10-11

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Douglas F. Link ,  David Prchal ,  Sidney A. Higgins

IPC: H04R25/00

Abstract: A hearing aid comprising a microphone, a receiver, hearing aid electronics coupled to the microphone and the receiver, and conductive traces overlaying an insulator, the conductive traces configured to interconnect the hearing aid electronics and to follow non-planar contours of the insulator. Examples are provided wherein the insulator includes a hearing aid housing.

公开(公告)号：US11026027B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-01

申请号：US16408957

申请日：2019-05-10

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Paul Anders Shriner ,  Ezdeen Elgahannai

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H04B1/40 ,  H01Q1/24 ,  H04R1/10

Abstract: An ear-worn electronic device is configured to be worn by a wearer and comprises a housing configured to be supported by, at, in or on an ear of the wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the housing and comprises a radio frequency transceiver and a power source. An antenna is disposed in, on, or extending from the housing and operably coupled to the transceiver. A non-Foster circuit is operably connected to the antenna and coupled to the power source. The non-Foster circuit is configured to actively load the antenna and provide a negative reactance that offsets a reactance of the antenna.

公开(公告)号：US11019589B2

公开(公告)日：2021-05-25

申请号：US16277874

申请日：2019-02-15

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Paul Solum ,  Randall A. Kroenke

IPC: H04W56/00 ,  H04R25/00 ,  H04L7/00

Abstract: The present subject matter includes a system for communications between a transmitter and a receiver. In various embodiments, the system uses a sleep interval to allow the receiver to go to sleep between wake up times to “sniff” for transmissions from the transmitter. The system adjusts the length of the preamble of the transmitted signal or a repetition of packets to allow the receiver to detect a transmitted signal based on drift in the clocks of the system. In various embodiments, a receive channel is changed if a signal is not received at a prior channel selection. In various embodiments, the transmission is determined by detection of an event. In various embodiments, the event is an ear-to-ear event. In various embodiments, the receiver and transmitter are in opposite hearing aids adapted to be worn by one wearer.

公开(公告)号：US20210127218A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US16948903

申请日：2020-10-05

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Paul Solum

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H01Q1/27 ,  H01Q1/24

Abstract: A hearing assistance device to provide sound to the ear of a user, the device comprising a housing, hearing assistance electronics enclosed in the housing, an acoustic transducer adapted to be worn in the ear, a cable assembly adapted to connect the acoustic transducer to the hearing assistance electronics, a wireless communications receiver connected to the hearing assistance electronics, and an antenna comprising one or more conductors fouling at least a portion of the cable assembly.

公开(公告)号：US20210126352A1

公开(公告)日：2021-04-29

申请号：US17137809

申请日：2020-12-30

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Zhenchao Yang ,  Deepak Hosadurga ,  Karl Hilde ,  Beau Jay Polinske

IPC: H01Q1/27 ,  H01Q1/38 ,  H01Q1/22 ,  H01Q5/335 ,  H01Q9/04 ,  H01Q1/40 ,  H04R25/00

Abstract: A hearing device adapted to be worn by a wearer comprises a shell configured for placement on an exterior surface of an ear of the wearer. The shell comprises a first end, a second end, a bottom, a top, and opposing sides, wherein the bottom, top, and opposing sides extend between the first and second ends. Circuitry is provided within the shell comprising at least a microphone, signal processing circuitry, radio circuitry, and a power source. A folded antenna is coupled to the radio circuitry and extends longitudinally along one of the bottom and the top and along the opposing sides between the first and second ends. The folded antenna encompasses at least some of the circuitry and forms an elongated gap between the opposing sides. The elongated gap faces the other of the bottom and the top.

公开(公告)号：US10966035B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-30

申请号：US16554688

申请日：2019-08-29

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Beau Jay Polinske ,  Jorge F. Sanguino ,  Jay Rabel ,  Jeffrey Paul Solum ,  Michael Helgeson ,  David Tourtelotte

IPC: H04R25/00

Abstract: An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.

公开(公告)号：US10942700B2

公开(公告)日：2021-03-09

申请号：US16815964

申请日：2020-03-11

Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Inventor： Karim Helwani ,  Tao Zhang ,  Simon Carlile

IPC: G06F3/16 ,  H04S7/00 ,  H04R25/00 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G06F3/0481 ,  H04R5/033 ,  H04R3/00

Abstract: A hearing device comprises a processor configured to generate a virtual auditory display comprising a sound field, a plurality of disparate sound field zones, and a plurality of quite zones that provide acoustic contrast between the sound field zones. The sound field zones and the quiet zones remain positionally stationary within the sound field. One or more sensors are configured to sense a plurality of inputs from the wearer. The processor is configured to facilitate movement of the wearer within the sound field in response to a navigation input received from the one or more sensors. The processor is also configured to select one of the sound field zones for playback via a speaker or actuation of a hearing device function in response to a selection input received from the one or more sensors.