Ear Simulators

Ear simulators are useful for talk/hear-through headsets and can also be used for other purposes where mimicking the acoustic response of human ears is beneficial. People often need hearing protection in loud environments. However, effective hearing protection reduces situation awareness. Hear-through systems provide the user with acoustic cues from the environment, but at safe levels. Ideally, hear-through hearing protections systems are acoustically transparent. That is, the user essentially hears no difference wearing the system except when the ambient noise is potentially damaging, in which case, the system provides gain reduction, compression and clipping techniques to prevent damaging exposure.

In addition to the patents, RTH has developed trade secrets relating to the optimal processing of ambient signals including automatic gain control, compression and clipping to achieve the best user experience. 

Click on the images on to see the title page of patents and on the links below to download full patents.

1. US 8,638,963

Ear defender with concha simulator

Acoustic device used to simulate the response of the human ear with microphone. The device helps create the directivity and response characteristics of a human ear and may be used on ear defenders. When used in a hear-through system helps to restore natural sounding monitoring of ambient environment.

2. US D655,273

Earcup for a headset

Design patent for an earcup with mechanical features appropriate for hear-through systems.

3. US 9,084,053

Microphone environmental protection device

This pending patent describes a device for protecting microphones from environmental conditions that is particularly suited for talk/hear-through systems. Foreign patent applications have been filed and are pending.