Patent Application
20220183659
U.S. Pat. No. 8,861,752 describes a speaker device for generating audio signals from modulated ultrasound which has several unique features; the frequency response is constant across the audio frequencies; very small form factor; low cost; high electrical to acoustical conversion efficiency leading to reduced power consumption by the speaker device. U.S. Pat. No. 10,284,961 describes implementation of the speaker device using micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technology. A speaker device includes a plurality of ultrasound membranes, and corresponding acoustic modulators. The ultrasound used in the speaker device is typically above 100 KHz and hence has significant attenuation in air. However, in earphone or headset applications the speaker device is located within a few cm from the ear including the ear canal and tympanic membrane.
Examples in the prior art describe methods for using ultrasound as a sensing modality related to the ear. As an example, US20100069752 describes a method using ultrasound for detecting ear disorders relating to the viscoelasticity of fluid in the ear. An alternative example US20190261094 describes a method for using ultrasound to detect the proximity of the ear to an earphone. Previous systems have required a dedicated ultrasound source and detector.
In this invention we utilize modulated ultrasound speaker as an ultrasound probe in addition to its audio functionality.
“audio signals” as used in the current disclosure means sound pressure waves ranging from 10 Hz to 45,000 Hz.
“audio generating device”—as used in the current disclosure means a device to generate audio signals.
“acoustic signal” as used in the current disclosure means a device to generate audio or ultrasound (ranging above 20 KHz up to 10 MHz) signals.
“acoustic transducer” as used in the current disclosure means a device to generate audio or ultrasound signals.
“controller” or “electronics integrated circuit”—as used in the current disclosure means a device that receives and outputs analog or digital electrical signals and includes logic or microprocessor units to process the input or output signals
“drive signal”—as used in the current disclosure means an electric analog signal. One or more of the drive signals are used to operate an audio generating device
“analog signal”—as used in the current disclosure means a time varying electric analog signal which can have any voltage or current value within a range of values
“digital signal”—as used in the current disclosure means a time varying electric digital signal which can have either of two voltage or current values.
“audio system” as used in the current disclosure means a system for generating audio signals and in some examples includes one or more audio generating devices and one or more controllers
“background sound signals” or “background noise” as used in the current disclosure means audio signals which are present when the audio system is not operating.
“communication bus” as used in the current disclosure means a means of communicating between one or more devices. Communication buses are any of but not limited to; wire; multiple wires; wireless; optical and others.
“power bus” as used in the current disclosure means a method or providing electrical power to one more device.
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other examples may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated and make part of this disclosure. This disclosure is drawn, inter alia, to methods, apparatus, computer programs, and systems of generating measuring physical or biological related phenomena using ultrasound.
In some examples, the ultrasound is generated and measured by a speaker device that includes a membrane and a shutter. The membrane is configured to oscillate along a first directional path and at a combination of frequencies with at least one frequency effective to generate an ultrasonic acoustic signal. A shutter and blind are positioned proximate to the membrane. In one non limiting example the membrane, the blind, and the shutter may be positioned in a substantially parallel orientation with respect to each other. In other examples the membrane, the blind, and the shutter may be positioned in the same plane and the acoustic signal is transmitted along acoustic channels leading from the membrane to the shutter. In a further example the modulator and or shutter are composed of more than one section.
In an alternative example the transmitted signal is a narrow band signal. Examples of narrow band signals include but are not limited to time limited pulses with least 10 or more cycles of the carrier ultrasound frequency; time varying frequency signals, other continuous or semi continuous ultrasound signals or repetition of such signals. The estimation of the time delay is obtained by any of but not limited to, phase delay estimation, frequency correlation (typically in FMCW configurations), time and frequency estimation. In a further example additional physical or biometric parameter are estimated by changes in the return signal frequency due to a doppler shift. Examples of such parameters include but are not limited to heart rate; heart rate variability; ear effusivity; infections; liquids in ear or surrounding tissue.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and/or processes in the fashion set forth herein, and thereafter use engineering practices to integrate such described devices and/or processes into data processing systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a typical data processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, a memory such as volatile and non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors and digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices, such as a touch pad or screen, and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A typical data processing system may be implemented utilizing any suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.
The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components and/or wirelessly interactable and/or wirelessly interacting components and/or logically interacting and/or logically interactable components.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 63/125,414, filed on Dec. 15, 2020, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63125414 | Dec 2020 | US |
