Knowles Electronics, Inc.

Erik Wiederholtz

Thomas E Miller

Shehab Albahri

Christopher Lane Monti

Charles William King

Christopher Jones

Brenno Varanda

Timothy K Wickstrom

Andrew Bellavia

David Prince

Methods and apparatus change operation of a hearing device based on a state of an acoustic valve in the hearing device. In some examples an electrical circuit performs one or more of differing operations depending on a state of the acoustic valve. Some operations change the signal to a sound producing transducer and other operations change other operations of the hearing device. For example, an electrical circuit changes active noise cancelling operation, changes equalization settings, provides noise reduction improvements, provides beam forming changes and other operations based on a state of the acoustic valve. In some implementations, a change in acoustic valve state is used to change the operation of the hearing device.

Audio device with audio signal processing based on acoustic valve state

In one aspect, a low frequency driver is provided having a diaphragm operable to produce sound, a front volume, and an outlet that receives sound from the front volume and directs sound out from the low frequency driver. The low frequency driver further includes a low-pass filter chamber in communication with the front volume.

Driver with acoustic filter chamber

A hearing device such as a hearing aid, ear pod, headphone, or other wearable is provided, whose components include the following: an acoustic transducer with a vent port operable to produce sound, a housing of the acoustic transducer with a sound opening, and an actuatable acoustic valve disposed in the housing, where the acoustic valve is actuatable to alter passage of sound through the acoustic vent to change the state of the hearing device between an open vent state and a closed vent state, so that actuation of the valve changes an acoustic characteristic of the hearing device.

Audio device with acoustic valve

The present disclosure pertains to hearing devices configurable between open fit and closed fit configurations at different times through actuation of one or more acoustic valves located in one or more corresponding sound passages of the hearing device. The one or more acoustic valves of the hearing device are adaptively controlled based on context detected by one or more sensors. The context may be, but is not limited to, a mode of operation of the hearing devices which may include, for example, an audio content playback mode and a voice communication mode. The actuatable valves may be actuatable in situ without having to remove the hearing device from the user's ear thereby enabling the user to experience the benefit of a closed fit or an open fit depending on the user's desire or other context.

Hearing device with contextually actuated valve

A first acoustic transducer has an armature, and the armature moves within a magnetic field. The first transducer also comprises a first coil. A second acoustic transducer has a first outer circumferential edge and an inner circumferential edge. A housing includes at least portions of the first transducer and the second transducer. The first transducer is disposed at least partially within the cavity and within the inner circumferential edge of the second transducer. The first coil is fixed in space relative to the housing.

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St. Charles, IL, United States of America

Erik Wiederholtz