Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for attentuating external origin noise reaching the eardrum, and for improving intelligibility of electro-acoustic communications

US4833719A · kind A · utility

88Cited by
1References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 23, 1987
Grant dateMay 23, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 23, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG10K2210/504
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to apparatus for attenuating externally originating noise reaching the eardrum while still enabling communication via an electro-acoustic path. Apparatus according to the invention comprises passive attenuation means disposed about each ear and delimiting a cavity (10). In addition it includes active attenuation means comprising a loudspeaker (6) placed inside the cavity (10) and a microphone (8) placed in the external ear duct or at the inlet thereto, said loudspeaker and microphone being interconnected by a constant gain amplifier (11) and an active analog filter (12) of the polynomial type, with the passive components thereof being designed to provide a given transfer function. One application lies in the construction of protective headsets fitted with incorporated loudspeakers enabling electro-acoustic communication.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.