Did You Know...
...that in the early 1940s GE engineer James Wright was charged with a task of utmost importance to the war effort: develop a cheap substitute for rubber that could be used to produce tires, gas masks and a whole host of military gear. Wright tackled the task diligently -- and wound up inventing Silly Putty.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 6697494 | Method to generate a predetermined or predeterminable receiving characteristic of a digital hearing aid, and a digital hearing aid In order to generate a predetermined or predeterminable receiving characteristic of a digital hearing aid having at least two microphones, the analog output of at least one of the microphones (5a) is converted in an analog-digital manner by over-sampling ... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6694143 | System for using a local wireless network to control a device within range of the network This invention provides a communication device that is capable of interacting with a local wireless communication system when the communication device is within range of the local wireless communication system for controlling operating characteristics of ... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6694035 | System for conveying musical beat information to the hearing impaired A beat detection system provides tactile stimulation in response to musical characteristics and in particular to repetitive musical beat information. The device processes multiple acoustic bands and separates out the beat information from each band. Each ... | 02/17/2004 |
| 6684063 | Intergrated hearing aid for telecommunications devices A system integrates a hearing aid with devices such as wireless telephones, advantageously avoiding radio frequency (RF) interference. In one embodiment, a processor transforms an electrical signal to compensate for a hearing impairment. The function used... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6683927 | Digital data reproducing apparatus and method, digital data transmitting apparatus and method, and storage media therefor A digital data reproducing apparatus and method are provided, which are capable of reproducing both digital audio data from the main body of the apparatus and digital data from an external interface, using a simple construction. A main body of the apparat... | 01/27/2004 |
| 6671379 | Ear microphone apparatus and method An earset including a housing positionable with respect to an ear of a person, a microphone disposed with respect to the housing for insertion into the ear of a person, the microphone operable to detect a change in air pressure within the ear while the pe... | 12/30/2003 |
| 6664713 | Single chip device for voice communications The present invention is a chip for use in a voice communication device. The chip provides for both bone conduction sensing and air conduction sensing. The chip includes a bone conduction sensing pattern disposed within the chip and a microphone sensing p... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6658307 | Method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device The method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device in the form of a hearing aid initially provides a hearing aid with an IC that can be differently configured in view of its properties, permitting configuration upgrade informat... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6658123 | Sonic relay for the high frequency hearing impaired A portable battery~powered sonic relay amplifies periodic beeping sounds from an alarm clock, smoke alarm, electronic watch or the like and analyzes the sound pulses in a logic circuit. If the sounds are periodically repeated high frequency sounds, a soun... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6658122 | Method for in-situ measuring and in-situ correcting or adjusting a signal process in a hearing aid with a reference signal processor The application relates to an in-situ method to measure and adjust the sound signal presented to the eardrum by means of a hearing aid and a hearing aid employing such a method. The hearing aid comprises microphone (1), signal processing system comprising... | 12/02/2003 |
| 6647123 | Signal processing circuit and method for increasing speech intelligibility A signal processing circuit and method for increasing speech intelligibility. The invention comprises a receiving circuit for receiving an audio signal detectable by a human. A gain amplifying circuit provides gain amplification of the audio signal. A sha... | 11/11/2003 |
| 6639990 | Low power full duplex wireless link A two-way communication system using a delay element in one unit allows frequency information from an uplink signal received during an uplink receiving period to be delayed, then modulated and amplified for use in a transmitted signal in a downlink transm... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6633645 | Automatic telephone switch for hearing aid A hearing aid is provided with a switch that automatically switches the hearing aid input from a microphone input to a voice coil input in the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic field can be generated by a magnet in a telephone handset.... | 10/14/2003 |
| 6631196 | Method and device for using an ultrasonic carrier to provide wide audio bandwidth transduction The present invention is directed to a communication system wherein ultrasonic signals can be used as carriers to efficiently produce high fidelity, wide audio bandwidth sound. Exemplary embodiments rely on the airborne transport of an inaudible ultrasoni... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6629922 | Flextensional output actuators for surgically implantable hearing aids This relates to devices and methods for improving hearing, particularly in the field of hearing aids. The described output actuator is a component of a class of hearing devices known as surgically implantable hearing aids. This relates to both fully impla... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6631197 | Wide audio bandwidth transduction method and device The present invention is directed to a communication system wherein bone conducted ultrasonic signals are used as carriers to efficiently produce high fidelity, wide audio bandwidth sound. Exemplary embodiments rely on the use of modulation techniques whi... | 10/07/2003 |
| 6606391 | Filterbank structure and method for filtering and separating an information signal into different bands, particularly for audio signals in hearing aids A filterbank structure is provided which provides a flexible compromise between the conflicting goals of processing delay, filter sharpness, memory usage and band interaction. The filterbank has an adjustable number of bands and a stacking which provides ... | 08/12/2003 |
| 6603860 | Apparatus and method for monitoring magnetic audio systems An apparatus and method are provided for monitoring magnetic hearing systems by receiving a magnetic hearing system in an acoustic hearing aid testing device and then detecting the magnetic field output by the magnetic hearing system with a magnetic-to-ac... | 08/05/2003 |
| 6592513 | Method for creating a coupling between a device and an ear structure in an implantable hearing assistance device A method for creating a coupling between an implantable device, such as a transducer, and a structure of the ear, such as an ossicle, in an implantable hearing assistance device. The device is positioned such that it either lightly touches or is positione... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6589688 | Battery holder with integrated switch A battery holder for a microelectronic device, said holder comprising a frame having a substantially circular base and a curved portion with an upper and a lower surface. The curved portion encloses at least part of the substantially circular base, and th... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6590986 | Patient-isolating programming interface for programming hearing aids A programming interface for programming hearing aids is in PCMCIA compact flash format and meets the requirements of IEC 60601-1, type BF and UL 2601-1 when connected to a desktop or laptop computer.... | 07/08/2003 |
| 6585075 | Hearing aid having hard mounted speaker and energy absorbing tip A hearing aid having a speaker that is hard mounted to the housing of the hearing aid and has an energy absorbing tip at that end of the hearing aid that is innermost in the ear and closest to the ear canal of the person wearing the hearing aid. According... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6587568 | Hearing aid and method for operating a hearing aid to suppress electromagnetic disturbance signals Given a hearing aid comprising a microphone, a signal processing unit and an earphone, a detector element for detecting electromagnetic disturb signals is provided, as well as a filter element that is configured dependent on the recognized disturbance sig... | 07/01/2003 |
| 6580798 | Hearing aid The suppression of interfering noise in an input signal (7) takes place in a main signal path (5), which contains neither a transformation in the frequency range nor a splitting-up into partial band signals, but only a suppression filter (4). The transmis... | 06/17/2003 |
| 6577739 | Apparatus and methods for proportional audio compression and frequency shifting Apparatus and methods for audio compression and frequency shifting retain the spectral shape of an audio input signal while compressing and shifting its frequency. The fast Fourier transform of the input signal is generated, to allow processing in the fre... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6572531 | Implantable middle ear implant A hearing aid comprised of conventional cochlear implant electronics implanted in the middle ear and coupled to an actuator configured to mechanically vibrate the middle ear ossicles. The implant electronics, typically used for driving an electrode array ... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6574340 | Method for determining a parameter set of a hearing aid In a method for determining a parameter set for a hearing aid during the computerized setting of the hearing aid, a macro call is determined, the macro call is converted into at least one setting command according to a macro definition, and the parameter ... | 06/03/2003 |
| 6556686 | Programmable hearing aid device and method for operating a programmable hearing aid device In a programmable hearing aid device, keys are provided for enabling and/or disenabling functions, performance features or programmable adjustments. Hardware keys and software keys are used in order to prevent an inexpert, defective or unauthorized usage ... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6549633 | Binaural digital hearing aid system In a binaural hearing aid with signal processors in each unit, each signal processor includes a first processor part for hearing compensation processing of signals representing the sound received at that unit, and a second processor part for hearing compe... | 04/15/2003 |
| 6539096 | Method for producing a variable directional microphone characteristic and digital hearing aid operating according to the method A digital hearing aid with a variable directional microphone characteristic, has a signal processing unit, an earphone and at least two microphones, with a sigma-delta converter as well as a delay element following immediately thereafter in at least one m... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6537200 | Partially or fully implantable hearing system The invention relates to a partially or fully implantable hearing system which is provided with a unit (14, 30; 460) for electromechanical or electroacoustic stimulation of the middle ear or inner ear or direct electrical stimulation of the inner ear. The... | 03/25/2003 |
| 6532295 | Method for fitting a universal hearing device shell and conformal tip in an ear canal A method for fitting a hearing device in an ear canal, comprises, providing a receiver module sized and shaped to fit in any of a wide range of ear canals, selecting a conformal tip from a plurality of differently sized conformal tips, each conformal tip ... | 03/11/2003 |
| 6529607 | Method for producing a constant sound pressure level in hearing aids and corresponding hearing aid In a method and apparatus for producing constant sound pressure level in a hearing aid, a microphone, a receiver and a signal processing unit are provided. A switching unit produces constant sound pressure levels. The switching unit has an envelope genera... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6516075 | Hearing enhancement system A hearing enhancement system, for co-operation with a conventional hearing aid used in T-switch mode, comprises a microphone (10), an electronics module (22) including an amplifier and a power supply, and an induction loop (12). The induction loop (12) ha... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6516073 | Self-powered medical device A self-powered medical device, which is operated independently of the public utility network, has at least one voltage source, a signal input for accepting an analog input signal and a signal processing unit. The sampling rate for the input signal or the ... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6498858 | Feedback cancellation improvements Feedback cancellation apparatus uses a cascade of two filters along with a short bulk delay. The first filter is adapted when the hearing aid is turned on in the ear. This filter adapts quickly using a white noise probe signal, and then the filter coeffic... | 12/24/2002 |
| 6466678 | Hearing aid having digital damping A hearing aid is set forth that includes one or more hearing aid components that introduce an undesired undamped peak into the frequency response of the hearing aid. An electronic damping filter is utilized to compensate for the undamped peak. The electro... | 10/15/2002 |
| 6453051 | Hearing aid with audible alarm A low battery detection circuit is disclosed for detecting low battery voltages in hearing aids and other battery operated devices. The low battery detection circuit operates reliably on a small amount of current, which does not significantly increase ove... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6434246 | Apparatus and methods for combining audio compression and feedback cancellation in a hearing aid The present invention combines audio compression and feedback cancellation in an audio system such as a hearing aid. The feedback cancellation element of the present invention uses one or more filters to model the feedback path of the system and thereby s... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6434247 | Feedback cancellation apparatus and methods utilizing adaptive reference filter mechanisms A feedback cancellation system for a hearing aid or the like adapts a first filter in the feedback path that models the quickly varying portion of the hearing aid feedback path, and adapts a second filter in the feedback path that is used either as a refe... | 08/13/2002 |
