US 11644693

Here is a concise summary and analysis of U.S. Patent No. 11,644,693.

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Patent Information:

• Title: Wearable audio system supporting enhanced hearing support
• Assignee: Ingeniospec LLC
• Inventors: Thomas A. Howell, David Chao, C. Douglass Thomas, Peter P. Tong
• Filing Date: July 25, 2022
• Issue Date: May 9, 2023
• Abstract: A wearable device and a method for providing audio to a user are disclosed. According to one aspect, a wearable device includes at least one electrical component configured to be positioned on or within a head-worn device. The electrical component is configured to provide an audio output to a user wearing the head-worn device.

Legal Status and Litigation:

A search of the USPTO database and external sources indicates that this patent has an anticipated expiration date of July 15, 2025. It has been involved in litigation, with a case filed in the Texas Western District Court (Case 1:25-cv-00867).

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

This patent contains two independent claims, which define the core of the invention.

• Claim 1: This claim describes a pair of eyeglasses with built-in electronics for hearing enhancement. The key features are:

  • The glasses have a speaker, a wireless receiver, a power source (battery), and a processor, all housed within one of the temples (the "arms" of the glasses).
  • The system can receive audio wirelessly from an external device (like a smartphone).
  • Crucially, the processor is configured to act as a hearing aid by adjusting the audio based on the user's specific hearing profile.

• Claim 16: This claim describes the method of using a head-worn device (like the glasses in Claim 1) to provide enhanced audio. The steps are:

  • Receiving audio signals wirelessly.
  • Processing these signals.
  • Applying a personalized hearing enhancement by altering the signals according to the user's hearing profile.
  • Playing the adjusted audio through a built-in speaker.
  • The entire system is powered by a battery contained within the head-worn device.