Hearing aid having selectable directional characteristics

Claim 2

A hearing aid comprising: a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a housing having a forwardly facing sound receiving aperture and a rearwardly facing sound receiving aperture; a first sound receiving path between said forwardly facing aperture and said first transducer port; a second sound receiving path for selectively coupling said rearwardly facing aperture to said first or second transducer port and including control valve means operative in a first position to couple sound energy received by said rearwardly facing aperture to said second sound receiving port, and in a second position to couple sound energy received by said rearwardly facing aperture to said first sound receiving port; electronic circuitry for amplifying and processing sound information received by said transducer; and an earpiece coupled to said circuitry and adapted to the ear of a user.

Claim 3

A hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said first sound receiving path includes a first passage between said forwardly facing aperture and said valve means, and a second passage between said first passage and said first transducer port; and said second sound receiving path includes a third passage between said rearwardly facing aperture and said valve means, and a fourth passage between said valve means and said second transducer port; said valve means being operative in its first position to provide a sound receiving path through said third and fourth passages, and operative in its second position to provide a sound receiving path through said first and third passages.

Claim 4

A hearing aid according to claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a rotatable member disposed at the juncture of said first, third and fourth passages and having an opening therethrough for coupling said third and fourth passages in said first position, and for coupling said first and third passages in said second position; and a manually actuable control knob attached to said rotatable member and operative to rotate said member between said first and second positions.

Claim 5

A hearing aid comprising: a housing adapted for disposition on the outer ear of a user and having a forwardly facing aperture for receipt of sounds from points forward of the user and a rearwardly facing aperture for receipt of sounds from points rearward of the user; a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a first sound receiving path between said forwardly facing aperture and said first transducer port; a second sound receiving path for selectively coupling said rearwardly facing aperture to said first or second transducer port and including valve means operative in a first position to couple said rearwardly facing aperture to said second sound receiving port, and operative in a second position to couple said rearwardly facing aperture to said first sound receiving port; electronic circuitry for amplifying and processing sound information received by said transducer; and an earpiece coupled to said circuitry and adapted to be attached to the ear of the user.

Claim 6

A hearing aid comprising: a housing adapted for disposition on the outer ear of a user and having a forwardly facing aperture for receipt of sounds from points forward of the user and a rearwardly facing aperture for receipt of sounds from points rearward of the user; a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a first sound receiving path between said forwardly facing aperture and said first transducer port; a second sound receiving path for selectively coupling said rearwardly facing aperture to said first or second transducer port and including valve means operative in a first position to couple said rearwardly facing aperture to said second sound receiving port, and operative in a second position to couple said rearwardly facing aperture to said first sound receiving port; electronic circuitry for amplifying and processing sound information received by said transducer; and an earpiece coupled to said circuitry and adapted to be attached to the ear of the user.

Claim 7

A hearing aid adapted to be disposed in the temple of an eyeglass frame and comprising: a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a first sound receiving aperture in the temple of said eyeglass frame forward of the ear position of a user; a second sound receiving aperture in said temple of said eyeglass frame forward of the ear position of a user and rearward of the first sound receiving aperture; a network of sound conducting paths havIng: a first sound conducting passage between said first sound receiving port and said first aperture to provide generally omnidirectional sound at said first sound receiving port; a second sound conducting passage between said second sound receiving port and said second aperture to provide sound at said second port which causes cancellation of generally rearward components of sound in the response of said transducer to the sound present at the first and second ports thereof; a valve including a movable member located for selective occlusion of said second passage; and a handle for moving said member between first and second positions with said member defining a portion of said second passage in said first position and with said member occluding said second passage in said second position thereby to provide a forwardly directed directional response by said transducer to said sound with said handle in said first position and a generally omnidirectional response with said handle in said second position.

Claim 8

A hearing aid adapted to be disposed in the temple of an eyeglass frame and comprising: a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a first sound receiving aperture in the temple of said eyeglass frame forward of the ear position of a user; a second sound receiving aperture in said temple of said eyeglass frame forward of the ear position of a user and rearward of the first sound receiving aperture; a network of sound conducting paths havIng: a first sound conducting passage between said first sound receiving port and said first aperture to provide generally omnidirectional sound at said first sound receiving port; a second sound conducting passage between said second sound receiving port and said second aperture to provide sound at said second port which causes cancellation of generally rearward components of sound in the response of said transducer to the sound present at the first and second ports thereof; a valve including a movable member located for selective occlusion of said second passage; and a handle for moving said member between first and second positions with said member defining a portion of said second passage in said first position and with said member occluding said second passage in said second position thereby to provide a forwardly directed directional response by said transducer to said sound with said handle in said first position and a generally omnidirectional response with said handle in said second position.

Claim 9

A hearing aid comprising: a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a housing adapted to be worn about the ear of a user and having a forward aperture and a rearward aperture; a network of sound conducting paths having: a first sound conducting passage between said first sound receiving port and said first aperture to provide generally omnidirectional sound at said first sound receiving port; a second sound conducting passage between said second sound receiving port and said second aperture to provide sound at said second port which causes cancellation of generally rearward components of sound in the response of said transducer to the sound present at the first and second ports; a valve including a movable member located for selective occlusion of said second passage; a handle for moving said member between first and second positions with said member defining a portion of said second passage in said first position and occluding said second passage in said second position thereby to provide a forwardly directed directional response by said transducer to said sound with said handle in said first position and a generally omnidirectional response with said handle in said second position.

Claim 10

A hearing aid comprising: a differential transducer having first and second sound receiving ports; a housing adapted to be worn about the ear of a user and having a forward aperture and a rearward aperture; a network of sound conducting paths having: a first sound conducting passage between said first sound receiving port and said first aperture to provide generally omnidirectional sound at said first sound receiving port; a second sound conducting passage between said second sound receiving port and said second aperture to provide sound at said second port which causes cancellation of generally rearward components of sound in the response of said transducer to the sound present at the first and second ports; a valve including a movable member located for selective occlusion of said second passage; a handle for moving said member between first and second positions with said member defining a portion of said second passage in said first position and occluding said second passage in said second position thereby to provide a forwardly directed directional response by said transducer to said sound with said handle in said first position and a generally omnidirectional response with said handle in said second position.