US 11,895,465 B2
Ear-worn electronic device incorporating microphone fault reduction system and method
Zac Jensen, Norwood Young America, MN (US); Ryan Chester, Bloomington, MN (US); Brian Dahl, Minnetrista, MN (US); Thomas Scheller, Eden Prairie, MN (US); and Joel Erdman, Waconia, MN (US)
Assigned to Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US)
Filed by Starkey Laboratories, Inc., Eden Prairie, MN (US)
Filed on Dec. 16, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/553,720.
Application 17/553,720 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/041947, filed on Jul. 14, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/880,941, filed on Jul. 31, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0109938 A1, Apr. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01); H04R 29/00 (2006.01); H04W 4/80 (2018.01)
CPC H04R 25/405 (2013.01) [H04R 25/305 (2013.01); H04R 29/005 (2013.01); H04R 2225/51 (2013.01); H04R 2225/55 (2013.01); H04W 4/80 (2018.02)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer, comprising:
a housing configured to be supported in, on or about an ear of the wearer;
electronic circuitry disposed in the housing and comprising a processor;
a power source and a receiver or a speaker respectively disposed in or on the housing; and
a microphone array disposed in or on the housing and operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry, the microphone array comprises a plurality of microphones;
wherein the processor is configured to:
operate a set of two or more of the microphones in a directional mode;
detect degradation in performance of any microphone of the microphone set; and
switch microphone operation from the directional mode to a safe mode using at least one non-degraded microphone of the microphone set in response to detecting the microphone performance degradation, wherein the processor discontinues use of a degraded microphone or microphones when operating in the safe mode.