US4052572A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hearing aid
Assignee: ELECTRO PHYSICAL RES Inc
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Filing: 1976-04-29
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Granted: 1977-10-04
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Expires: 1996-04-29
Abstract
Abstract "Hearing" without involving the ear is realized by electrical conduction of the sound-representing signals on a carrier optimally in the frequency range of 15-60 kHz, from an electrode held against a person's head to the auditory cortex and possibly to the auditory nerve. This is here called a "cortical hearing aid". The ability of the person to recognize sounds with a cortical hearing aid is notably enhanced by introduction of significant distortion of the audio signals, especially low-order harmonics of the audio frequencies. The distortion acts as a substitute for distortion ordinarily occurring in the ear but disregarded in the hearing process.
Inventors
- 👤 Curtiss R. Schafer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04R; H04R25/00; H04R25/60; H04R25/604; H04R25/606; A; A61; A61F; A61F11/00; A61F11/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
80 words
A cortical hearing aid comprising a source of audio frequency signals, means for providing a carrier-frequency signal, a modulator responsive to the audio frequency signal source and the carrier-frequency signal means to provide a modulated carrier-frequency signal, and means including an electrode coupled to the modulator and adapted to be placed against a subject's head to couple the modulated signal into the subject, said hearing aid including means for imposing harmonic distortion greater than 5% on the audio frequency signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
80 words
A cortical hearing aid comprising a source of audio frequency signals, means for providing a carrier-frequency signal, a modulator responsive to the audio frequency signal source and the carrier-frequency signal means to provide a modulated carrier-frequency signal, and means including an electrode coupled to the modulator and adapted to be placed against a subject's head to couple the modulated signal into the subject, said hearing aid including means for imposing harmonic distortion greater than 5% on the audio frequency signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A cortical hearing aid in accordance with claim 1, wherein the total distortion in the low-order harmonics of a single-frequency tone is in the range of about 5% to 20% of the audio-frequency signal strength.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A cortical hearing aid in accordance with claim 1, wherein the unmodulated carrier signal is about 500 volts at said electrode and the load circuit includes current-limiting impedance independent of the body impedance of the subject.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
A cortical hearing aid in accordance with claim 1, wherein the carrier frequency is in the range of about 15-60 kHz.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
A cortical hearing aid in accordance with claim 1 for enabling a person to sense with discrimination electrical signals representing the everyday spectrums of frequencies including speech and music, wherein said source of audio frequency signals includes a microphone and wherein said hormonic distortion is substantially greater than 5%.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A cortical hearing aid in accordance with claim 5, wherein the total distortion in the low-order harmonics of a single-frequency tone is in the range of 5% to about 20% of the audio-frequency signal strength, and wherein the carrier frequency is in the range of about 15-60 kHz.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of enabling a person to effect cortical sensing and recognition of a variety of sounds including speech and music, including the steps of providing an electrical signal having a spectrum of audio frequencies, providing a carrier-frequency signal, modulating the carrier-frequency signal with said electrical signal, impressing the output of the modulator on an electrode coupled to the person's head so as to effect cortical sensing of the spectrum of audio frequencies, said method including the step of imposing harmonic distortion of at least 5% on said electrical signal.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
90 words
The method of enabling a person to effect cortical sensing and recognition of a variety of sounds including speech and music, including the steps of providing an electrical signal having a spectrum of audio frequencies, providing a carrier-frequency signal, modulating the carrier-frequency signal with said electrical signal, impressing the output of the modulator on an electrode coupled to the person's head so as to effect cortical sensing of the spectrum of audio frequencies, said method including the step of imposing harmonic distortion of at least 5% on said electrical signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the total distortion in the low-order harmonics of a single-frequency tone is in the range of 5% to about 20% of the audio-frequency signal strength.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the carrier frequency is in the range of about 15-60 kHz.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 7 wherein the total distortion in the low-order harmonics of a single-frequency tone is in the range of 5% to about 20% of the audio-frequency signal strength, and wherein the carrier frequency is in the range of about 15-60 kHz.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2703344A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-10-03 | 1981-04-04 | 1981-10-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-10-03 | 1985-04-04 | 1985-10-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-10-03 | 1989-04-04 | 1989-10-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |