The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 17, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 28, 1999
Carl M. Panasik, Garland, TX (US);
Thomas M. Siep, Garland, TX (US);
Trudy D. Stetzler, Houston, TX (US);
Pedro R. Gelabert, Allen, TX (US);
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, TX (US);
Abstract
A hearing assist device ( ) for a person (P). The device comprises a speaker device (SP ) for presenting sound to an ear canal of the person and circuitry for identifying a specified area relative to the person. The device further comprises a first microphone (M ) for providing a first sound signal in response to a first sound source located inside the area and in response to a second sound source located outside the area. Further, the device comprises a second microphone (M ) for providing a second sound signal in response to the first sound source and the second sound source. Still further, the device comprises circuitry ( ) for determining a position of the first sound source and the second sound source in response to the specified area, the first sound signal and the second signal. Finally, the device comprises circuitry ( ) for outputting a processed signal in response to the position. In operation, the speaker device is operable to present processed sound to the ear canal in response to the processed signal, wherein the processed sound represents a different suppression of sound from the second sound source relative to sound from the first sound source.