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 Title: |
US5029216:
Visual aid for the hearing impaired
[ Derwent Title ]
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| Country: |
US United States of America
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| Inventor: |
Jhabvala, Murzban D.; Clarksville, MD
Lin, Hung C.; Silver Spring, MD
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| Assignee: |
The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics & Space Administration, Washington, DC
other patents from UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (597260) (approx. 4,819)
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| Published / Filed: |
1991-07-02
/ 1989-06-09
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| Application Number: |
US1989000363807
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| IPC Code: |
Advanced:
G02C 11/06;
G09B 21/00;
H04R 25/00;
IPC-7:
H04R 25/00;
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| ECLA Code: |
G02C11/06; G09B21/00C; H04R25/40F; H04R25/55B;
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| U.S. Class: |
Current:
381/313;
381/026;
381/092;
381/327;
Original:
381/068.1;
381/026;
381/092;
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| Field of Search: |
381/068,68.1,68.7,92,122,26
340/901,902,903,904
367/121,124,122,123
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| Priority Number: |
| 1989-06-09 |
US1989000363807 |
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| Abstract: |
A multi-channel electronic visual aid device which is able to signal to the user whether sound is coming from the left or right, front or back, or both. For the plurality of channels, which may operate in pairs, the sound is picked up by a respective microphone and amplified and rectified into a DC voltage. The DC voltage is next fed to an analog to digital converter and then to a digital encoder. The binary code from the encoder is coupled into a logic circuit where the binary code is decoded to provide a plurality of output levels which are used to drive an indicator which, in turn, provides a visual indication of the sound level received. The binary codes for each pair of channels are also fed into a digital comparator. The output of the comparator is used to enable the logic circuits of the two channels such that if, for example, the signal coming from the right is louder than that coming from the left, the output of the logic unit of the right channel will be enabled and the corresponding indicator activated, indicating the sound source on the right. An indication of the loudness is also provided. One embodiment of the invention may be carried by the hearing impaired or deaf, as a system, for example, which is embedded into eye glasses or a cap. Another embodiment of the invention may be integrated with a vehicle to give a hearing impaired or deaf driver a warning, with a directional indication, that an emergency vehicle is in the vicinity. In this second embodiment, the emergency vehicle transmits an RF signal which would be used as an enabling signal for the visual aid device to avoid false alarms from traffic and other sound sources in the vicinity of the dirver's vehicle.
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| Attorney, Agent or Firm: |
Marchant, R. Dennis ;
Adams, Harold W. ;
Sandler, Ronald F. ;
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| Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Isen, Forester W.; McGeary, III, M. Nelson
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| Maintenance Status: |
E3 Expired Check current status
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| INPADOC Legal Status: |
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| Family: |
None
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First Claim:
Show all 14 claims |
We claim:
1. A direction discriminating visual aid comprising:
- visual aid support means;
- at least two microphones located on said support means in a spaced apart relationship and being responsive to sounds received from at least two different directions by generating analog signals related to said sounds;
- at least two signal channels including first and second circuit means respectively coupled to said microphones, said first and second circuit means each including means for converting said analog signals into digital signals, said means for converting said analog signals into digital signals further including amplitude control means, signal rectifier means coupled to said control means for converting a received sound signal of selected amplitude in a DC signal, and means for converting the said DC signal to multibit binary coded signal;
- third circuit means coupled to said first and second circuit means for comparing said signals in said at least two signal channels and generating only one output signal indicative of the direction from which the loudest sound emanates, said third circuit means comparing the amplitude of the signals in said at least two channels and generating an output signal which is also indicative of the intensity of said sounds, said third circuit means comprising digital comparator means which generates an output enabling signal for the signal channel of said at least two signal channels translating the signal having the larger amplitude, said digital comparator means being responsive to the multibit binary coded signal in both channels to generate said output enabling signal; and
- means coupled to said third circuit means for providing a visual indication of the direction of emanation of said loudest sound as well as its intensity, said visual indication means comprising an indicator for each of said channels.
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| Background / Summary: |
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| Drawing Descriptions: |
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| Description: |
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| Forward References: |
Show 44 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one
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