CN107211203B

CN107211203B - Intelligent flexible interactive earplug

Info

Publication number: CN107211203B
Application number: CN201580058153.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 正木绢子; 丁·L·贾德尔; 维克多·M·瓦林兹拉
Original assignee: Specifically Shi Ma Co Ltd
Current assignee: Specifically Shi Ma Co Ltd
Priority date: 2014-10-30
Filing date: 2015-10-29
Publication date: 2020-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2035-10-29
Also published as: EP3213529A2; CN107211203A; EP3213529A4; TW201630434A

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an elastically deformable and flexible in-ear sound device with an extendable electronic circuit. In-ear sound devices, including but not limited to smart earplugs, flexible personal sound amplification products, personal music players, "walkie-talkies" and the like, may be configured in a variety of ways.

Description

Intelligent flexible interactive earplug

FIELD

Embodiments of the present invention relate to systems and methods for providing in-ear sound devices. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for using flexible electronic components to provide improved in-ear sound devices.

Background

The following description contains information that may be useful for understanding embodiments of the present invention. This is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the inventions claimed herein, or that any of the specifically or implicitly referenced publications are prior art.

With the development of portable multimedia devices and smart phones, numerous types of ear phones (earphones) and headsets with microphones (headsets) have been developed and used. However, previous devices have historically been cumbersome and uncomfortable, and these previous devices have also been limited in their technical capabilities.

Accordingly, there is a need for more advanced sound devices that can perform an expanded working set with improved performance rates compared to devices found in the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

Embodiments of the present invention include deformable and flexible in-ear sound devices. The in-ear sound device includes a deformable and flexible body having a longitudinal axis extending between a distal end and a proximal end. The in-ear sound device also includes an electronic package that includes extendable electronic circuitry. The electronic component package includes a speaker located at a distal end of the deformable and flexible body, wherein the extendable electronic circuitry is at least one of embedded in or on the deformable and flexible body. In some embodiments of the invention, the deformable and flexible body comprises a duct that can be opened and closed.

Embodiments of the present invention also include methods of outputting sound to a user's ear in a deformable and flexible in-ear sound device. The method comprises the following steps: electronic components including extendable electronic circuitry are positioned to be packaged on a deformable and flexible body having a longitudinal axis extending between a distal end and a proximal end. The stretchable electronic circuitry resides on the deformable and flexible body by at least one of embedding the electronic component package in or on the deformable and flexible body. The method further comprises the following steps: a speaker is positioned at the distal end of the deformable and flexible body.

Brief description of the drawings

The figures provided herein may or may not be provided to scale. The relative dimensions or proportions may vary. Embodiments of the present invention may be sized to fit within the ear canal of a user.

Fig. 1 provides a block diagram illustrating an in-ear sound device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 201 configured to be used as a headset according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 301 configured to function as a music player according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 401 configured to provide hearing amplification according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 501 configured to provide intercom functionality (portable and two-way wireless transceiver) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 610 employing extendable circuitry in an electronics package 611 of the in-ear sound device 610.

Fig. 7 shows an in-ear sound device 710 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 8 shows an in-ear sound device 810 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 9 shows an in-ear sound device 910 according to an embodiment of the present invention having a hole or conduit 906 running along its longitudinal axis 908.

Fig. 10 illustrates an in-ear sound device 1010 having a microphone 1005 at its proximal tip and at least one clamp 1006 to close a duct (e.g., duct 906 shown in fig. 9) in the in-ear sound device 1010, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 11 shows an in-ear sound device 1101 inserted into an ear 1105 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 12 shows an in-ear sound device 1201 inserted into an ear 1205 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 13 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention employing extendable electronic components formed on

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b of silicon, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 14 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the present invention employing extendable electronic components formed on discrete islands of

silicon

1402a, 1402b, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 15 shows an electronic component package 1505 comprising

discrete islands

1502a, 1502b, 1504a, and 1504b bound together using zigzag interconnections 1501, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 16 illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing an extensible electronic component package 1605 in which electronic components have been formed on

discrete islands

1602a, 1602b of silicon bonded together using interconnects 1601 having a crisscross or X pattern 1604 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 17 illustrates an electronic component package 1705 bonded to another stretchable electronic component package 1706 using zigzag interconnects 1703 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 illustrates a three-dimensional (3D) printer 1810 that may form an in-ear sound device 1832 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 shows an in-ear sound device 1901 that wirelessly communicates with

other devices

1906, 1909, 1911, and 1914 according to an embodiment of the invention.

Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

Various embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. References made to specific examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the claims.

It should be noted that while the numerous embodiments of the invention described herein are drawn to smart earplugs, various configurations are deemed suitable and various computing devices including servers, interfaces, systems, databases, agents, engines, controllers, or other types of computing devices operating independently or in conjunction may be applied. It should be appreciated that any of the referenced computing devices include a processor configured to execute software instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., hard disk, solid state disk, RAM, flash memory, ROM, etc.). The software instructions preferably configure the computing device to provide the roles, responsibilities, or other functions as discussed below with respect to the disclosed intelligent earplugs.

The following discussion provides many example embodiments of the claimed subject matter. While each embodiment represents a single combination of elements, the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. Thus, if one embodiment includes elements A, B and C, and a second embodiment includes elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include A, B, C or other remaining combinations of D, even if not explicitly disclosed.

All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.

As used in the specification herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of "a", "an", and "the" includes plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further, as used in the specification herein, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, and unless the context indicates otherwise, the term "coupled to" is intended to include both direct coupling (where two elements coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (where at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Thus, the term "coupled to" and the term "coupled with …" are used synonymously. The term "coupled to" and the term "coupled with …" are also used interchangeably to mean "communicatively coupled with …" wherein two or more network devices are capable of sending or receiving data over a network.

Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the claimed subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Embodiments of the present invention provide elastically deformable and flexible in-ear sound devices. The in-ear sound device may comprise a flexible electronic component that has been fabricated on a three-dimensional printer.

Embodiments of in-ear sound devices may be used for various purposes, including for use as amplified hearing devices, for use as music players, and for use as headphone (headset) devices.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide an intelligent earplug that provides elevated sound from a personal music player for various purposes to a walkie-talkie. Embodiments of the present invention provide an in-ear sound device comprising a wireless communication module that employs a wireless protocol such that the in-ear sound device ear bud can communicate with a mobile computing device, another in-ear sound device, or a remote server or network (e.g., cloud).

Embodiments of the invention may also provide an in-ear "smart phone," e.g., a smart device having functionality comparable to that of a smart phone, but using various user interfaces suitable for auditory, rather than visual, devices including but not limited to speech recognition techniques. Embodiments of a "smart phone" of an in-ear sound device may also include a visual user interface that operates on some form of computing platform, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The electronic component package used in embodiments of the in-ear acoustic device may include flexible electronic components such as, for example, miniature nano-electronic devices. The electronic components may include a microphone, an amplifier, a battery, a speaker, a wireless communication module, and/or any combination thereof. The electronic component package in some embodiments may include a processor and/or a data storage component. For example, the electronic components may include functionality for executing any number of software applications ("apps") and/or storing data such as media.

Fig. 1 provides a block diagram illustrating an in-ear sound device 101 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-ear sound device 101 is formed from a deformable and flexible body 110 that includes an electronic package 102. The electronic component package 102 is embedded in the deformable body 110 or on the deformable body 110, and the electronic component package 102 contains electronic circuitry for the in-ear sound device 101. The particular configuration of the electronic component package 102 may vary from embodiment to embodiment of the in-ear sound device 101.

The deformable body 110 allows the in-ear sound device 101 to be inserted into the ear canal of a user without damaging the in-ear sound device 101 or causing injury to the target ear. In various embodiments, the electronic component package 102 may be injected within the body 110 of the in-ear sound device 101, may be disposed on a surface of the body 110, may be encased within the body 110, and/or may be a combination of various other deployments. The elastically deformable material used to form the body 110 allows the in-ear sound device 101 to be "one size fits all needs" and allows the in-ear sound device 101 to conform to a wide variety of ear canal structures.

According to embodiments of the invention, the electronic component package 102 may include one or more electronic components, such as a microphone 103, a wireless communication module 104, an amplifier 105, a battery 113, a processor 107, a speaker 108, and a data storage component 109. The individual components in the electronic component package 102 may be electrically coupled and/or wired as desired for conventional functions of such components. Along the body 110, the electronic device package 102 may also be deformable in some embodiments of the invention.

Embodiments of in-ear sound device 101 may include a microphone 103 in communication with a speaker 108. Microphone 103 may be in electronic and/or mechanical communication with speaker 108. Sound/vibration picked up by microphone 103 may be transferred to speaker 108. In some embodiments, the picked up sound/vibration may be amplified via amplifier 105 and may be transferred to speaker 108. In various embodiments, amplifier 105 includes a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 112.

The speaker 108 may be closer to the eardrum during operation than the microphone 103 (as shown in fig. 11, the speaker 1108 is placed at the distal tip 1107 of the body of the in-ear sound device 1101, while the microphone 1110 is placed in the proximal portion 1111 of the in-ear sound device 1101). In some embodiments, speaker 108 may contact the eardrum or even be closer to the eardrum than indicated in fig. 1. The microphone 103 may be external to the ear or near the ear canal opening.

In some embodiments, the in-ear sound device 101 itself may be on the order of about 1mm to 5cm in length. In some embodiments, the distance between speaker 108 and microphone 103 may be a distance between 1mm and 5 cm. In general, the greater the distance between microphone 103 and speaker 108, the lower the probability of feedback problems between microphone 103 and speaker 108.

However, in some embodiments, the size of in-ear sound device 101 and/or the distance between microphone 103 and speaker 108 may be smaller and/or longer than the size/distance provided above. For example, embodiments of the invention may be prepared for users wearing protective headgear (e.g., police, soldiers, american football players, motorcycle riders, and/or bicycle riders). Similarly, embodiments of in-ear sound devices made for security personnel and hunters, etc., may be extended in size to accommodate additional microphones, or higher fidelity microphones and/or enhanced communication equipment.

In an embodiment, for example, when the wireless communication module 104 is configured for bluetooth, the sound input to the speaker 108 may come from the wireless communication module 104. In addition, the audio input to the speaker 108 may come from the data storage component 109 of the in-ear audio device 101.

In embodiments, the in-ear sound device 101 further comprises a processor 107, the processor 107 may be integral with the electronics package 102, or the processor 107 may operate under the control of a computing device (e.g., a mobile computing device) that sends instructions via the communication module 104.

The processor 107 in the in-ear sound device 101 may execute the software application 111 and embodiments of the present invention. The software application 111 may be stored in the data storage component 109 or transmitted to the processor 107 via the communication module 104 from a remote storage device that is remote from the in-ear sound device 101. For example, processor 107 may execute a software application resident on a mobile phone linked to in-ear sound device 101. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that numerous software applications known in the art may be utilized.

The processor 107 may be configured with processor-executable instructions 111 to perform operations to distinguish a meaningful sound (e.g., speech) from ambient noise. Such instructions may perform operations to receive a sound signal from microphone 103, such as determining whether the sound signal represents a meaningful sound, activating speaker 108 when the sound signal represents a meaningful sound, and deactivating speaker 108 when the sound signal does not represent a meaningful sound. Such instructions 111 for a speech detection procedure may be present in the memory component 109 of the in-ear sound device 101 or a coupled mobile computing device.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the processor 107 may include a CPU or similar computing device, or alternatively, simple circuitry that directs the operation of various components in the electronic component package 102. In embodiments where the processor 107 includes simple control circuitry, other components in the electronic component package 102 may also be simple and/or limited in number, such as only the battery 113, the data storage component 109, and the speaker 108 in addition to the processor 107.

The data storage component 109 may include non-transitory memory such as RAM, flash memory, ROM, hard disks, solid state disks, drives, optical media, and the like. The data storage component 109 may include various types of data, such as media, music, software, and the like.

The wireless communication module 104 may be implemented using a combination of hardware components (e.g., driver circuits, antennas, modulators/demodulators, encoders/decoders, and other analog and/or digital signal processing circuitry) and software components. A number of different wireless communication protocols and associated hardware may be incorporated into the wireless communication module 104.

The wireless communication module 104 includes structural and functional components well known in the art to facilitate wireless communication with other computing devices or remote networks. Wireless communication module 104 may include RF transceiver components such as antennas and supporting circuitry to enable data communication over a wireless medium; for example using WiFi (IEEE 802.11 family of standards), bluetooth (a family of standards promulgated by the bluetooth SIG company), or other protocols for wireless data communication. In some embodiments, the wireless communication module 104 may implement a short range sensor (e.g., bluetooth, BLTE, or ultra wideband).

In some embodiments, the wireless communication module 104 may provide near field communication ("NFC") capabilities; for example, the ISO/IEC 18092 standard or the like is implemented. NFC may support wireless data exchange between devices over very short distances (e.g., 20 centimeters or less). NFC typically involves near field magnetic induction communication systems that provide a short range wireless physical layer that communicates through a tight, low power and non-propagating magnetic field coupling devices. In such embodiments, the wireless communication module 104 may include a transmit coil in the in-ear sound device 101 to modulate the magnetic field measured by means of a receive coil in another device (e.g., another in-ear sound device or a smartphone).

In some embodiments of the present invention, the in-ear sound device 101 may communicate bi-directionally over a network. In such embodiments, the wireless communication module 104 may include a bluetooth digital wireless protocol so that the in-ear sound device 101 may communicate with the mobile computing device. Bluetooth technology provides a low cost communication link. The bluetooth transceiver in embodiments of the wireless communication module 104 may be configured to establish a wireless data link with a suitably equipped mobile computing device and/or another in-ear sound device.

In one embodiment, the communication module 104 of the in-ear sound device 101 can operate in conjunction with another in-ear sound device (e.g., one in-ear sound device in the left ear and another in-ear sound device in the right ear), while in another embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 can operate independently. In another embodiment, at least one in-ear sound device 101 may operate in conjunction with a mobile computing device.

The in-ear sound device 101 may operate as an intercom device that communicates with another in-ear sound device operating in another ear of the user, another device associated with the user, another in-ear sound device associated with another user, and/or a third party device. In some embodiments, a user of an in-ear sound device 101 may be able to communicate with another in-ear sound device user who uses more whisper than just and is a little better at a distance.

The in-ear audio device 101 may also include the capability to perform two-way communication over a long-range wireless network. In one embodiment, the long-range wireless network comprises a cellular network. In another embodiment, the long-range wireless network comprises a multimedia communication network. In another embodiment, the long-range wireless network includes wireless technologies such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple Access-one (cdmaone), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), PDC, digital cellular systems of Japan (JDC), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), code division multiple Access-2000 (cdma 2000), and digital enhanced cordless Telecommunications System (DECT).

Embodiments of the in-ear sound device 101 may also include a wireless communication module 104, the wireless communication module 104 configured to communicate with a remote server or network. In one embodiment, the remote network is a cloud computing platform.

As used herein, the term "mobile computing device" means a cellular telephone, a tablet computer, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a palmtop computer, a notebook computer, a laptop computer, a personal computer, a wireless email receiver, and a cellular telephone receiver (e.g.,

anddevice), multimedia web-enabled cellular phones (e.g., Blackberry)

) Multimedia-enabled smart phones (e.g.,and of apple Inc) And including programmable processors, memories, communication transceivers andany or all of the similar electronic devices of the display.

In an embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 may include one or more sensors 106a-106z, the one or more sensors 106a-106z configured to detect and/or measure various phenomena. In one embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 may include one or more sensors 106a-106z, the one or more sensors 106a-106z configured to detect a physiological parameter of the user. The physiological parameters detected or measured by the sensors 106a-106z may include body temperature, pulse, heart rate, maximum VO₂(also referred to as maximal oxygen consumption), pulse oximetry data, respiration rate, respiration volume, maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate variability, metabolic rate, blood pressure, EEG data, galvanic skin response data, and/or EKG/ECG. Thus, the sensors 106a-106z may detect, for example, temperature, humidity, motion, GPS/location, pressure, altitude of the environment, and blood analytes such as glucose of a user of the in-ear acoustic device.

In an embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 may include one or more sensors 106a-106z configured to detect a position or motion of a user, the one or more sensors 106a-106z such as, for example, an accelerometer, a GPS sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and/or a radiometer. In an embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 may include a sound sensor 106a coupled to a microphone 103.

The configuration of the particular sensors 106a-106z may vary across embodiments of the in-ear sound device 101; for example, one embodiment may include an ambient temperature sensor, a heart rate sensor, and a motion sensor, while another embodiment includes a pressure sensor, a pulse sensor, and a GPS locator.

In another embodiment, the in-ear sound device 101 may provide various warning and notification functions. For example, the in-ear sound device 101 may be utilized as an alarm clock. This functionality may be provided by the processor 107, and/or the processor 107 coupled to the data storage device 109, and/or the processor 107 coupled to the communication module 104 and a third device (e.g., a mobile phone). A person having ordinary skill would know how to fabricate the processor 107 to provide the warning function. Further, the processor 107 in combination with the data stored in the data storage component 109 may provide a calendar function, a timer function, a stopwatch function, and/or a reminder function, for example. Similarly, the processor 107 in combination with data from the various sensors 106a-106z, in combination with data 111 from the data storage component 109, can provide various warning and/or alert functions; such as a cardiac warning or a high blood pressure warning. Similarly, the combination with the communication module 104 and the sensors 106a-106z can provide various alerts to various third parties remote from the in-ear audio device 101. For example, if one or more accelerometers 106a are equipped with an in-ear sound device 101, third parties such as car accidents, bicycle accidents, and/or falls may be automatically notified.

The in-ear acoustic device 101 may also be configured to provide various forms of authentication. For example, microphone 103 in conjunction with DSP 112, processor 107, and data storage component 109 using sound data 111 may be used to provide authentication of an authorized user of in-ear sound device 101. This combination of electronic components may be used to determine when the in-ear sound device 101 has been stolen or otherwise operated by an unauthorized person. As described above, the processor 107 may be a simple control circuit configured for the authentication function, rather than a processor chip configured to control the authentication function. Authentication functions may also be used to authenticate the user before sensitive information is transmitted through speaker 108.

Authentication functions may be provided in a variety of ways, including but not limited to voice recognition programs, which are well known in the art. As disclosed in fig. 11, an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 1101 includes a speaker 1108 placed at a distal tip 1107 of a body 1112 of the in-ear sound device 1101 and a microphone 1110 placed in a proximal portion 1111 of the in-ear sound device 1101. The processor 107 (possibly in conjunction with the DSP 112) may analyze samples of the received user's voice.

In an alternative embodiment, authentication may be performed outside the in-ear sound device 101 via a device such as a smartphone. In such embodiments, the in-ear sound device 101 only requires the microphone 103 and the communication module 104 to perform the authentication function.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a user interface for the electronic component package 102 including the sensors 106a-106z may be provided to a user via the wireless communication module 104 and another device, such as a mobile phone or computer. According to embodiments of the present invention, a voice command user interface may also be provided via the microphone 103 and the processor 107. Having a general knowledge that a person would know how to configure such a user interface.

A combination of sensors and sensors 106a-106z may also be used to provide user interface functionality. For example, when a user moves his/her hand near the G-force sensor and provides some G-force (e.g., 1G/2G/3G), an accelerometer (or G-force sensor) may be activated, which action may trigger the sensor so that additional commands may be received by additional actions, such as further taps. For example, the user may tap his/her chin, ear, cheek, neck, or another pre-assigned location (e.g., via a pre-assigned single tap, double tap, or triple tap). This tapping action may trigger the sensor so that additional commands may be received by tapping. So, for example, once the G-force sensor has been activated, two or more taps may activate the music player. The user's selection may be confirmed by a suitable audible confirmation, which is transmitted through speaker 108. The selections made by the user and possible command selections may be spoken to the user via speaker 108. Similar sensor configurations may also be used for user input functions, such as accelerometers, pulse sensors, and temperature sensors.

The in-ear sound device 101 described herein is in many cases waterproof and wearable, such as during swimming or when bathing. The in-ear sound device 101 can also be worn during sleep without discomfort. This may allow the in-ear sound device 101 to be utilized during many times, as conventional sound devices may be uncomfortable, not functional at all, or even dangerous uses.

The in-ear sound device 201 includes a speaker 208, a battery 213, a communication module 204, and a control circuit 207 in an electronic package 202. The in-ear sound device 201 may include additional electronic components in the headset embodiment. The electronic component package 202 is placed in the deformable body 210 or on the deformable body 210.

The control circuit 207 may be operated in a manner known for such circuits, with the battery 213 being operated to control the reception of data (e.g., music or voice data) from outside the in-ear sound device 201 via the communication module 204 and the transmission of data to the speaker 208. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the control circuitry 207 may, in some embodiments, include a dedicated computer chip (or processor) configured to provide comparable or superior functionality to the control circuitry.

The in-ear sound device 301 includes a speaker 308, a battery 313, a data storage component 309, and a control circuit 307 in an electronic component package 302. The in-ear sound device 301 may include additional electronic components in a music player embodiment. The data storage component 309 contains music data 311. The electronic component package 302 is placed in the deformable body 310 or on the deformable body 310.

The control circuit 307 may be operated in a manner known for such circuits to obtain music data 311 from the data storage component 309 and direct the transmission of the music data 311 to the speaker 308 in a battery 313 powered operation. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the control circuitry 307 may, in some embodiments, include a dedicated computer chip (or processor) configured to provide comparable or superior functionality to the control circuitry.

The in-ear sound device 401 includes a speaker 408, a battery 413, a microphone 403, an amplifier 405, and a control circuit 407 in an electronic package 402. The in-ear sound device 401 may include additional electronic components in a hearing amplification embodiment, such as a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 412. The electronic component package 402 is placed in the deformable body 410 or on the deformable body 410.

The control circuit 407 may be operated in a manner well known for such circuits to receive voice data from the microphone 403, direct the transmission of data to the amplifier 405 (and possibly the DSP 412) and then to the speaker 408 in a battery 413 powered operation. According to embodiments of the present invention, the control circuitry 407 may include a special purpose computer chip (or processor) configured to provide comparable or superior functionality to the control circuitry in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the control circuit 407 may also direct the operation of the DSP 412.

The in-ear sound device 501 includes a speaker 508, a battery 513, a microphone 503, a communication module 504, and a control circuit 507 in an electronics package 502. The in-ear sound device 501 may include additional electronic components in an intercom embodiment. The electronic component package 502 is placed in the deformable body 510 or on the deformable body 510.

Control circuitry 507 may be operated in a manner well known for such circuitry to receive voice data from microphone 503 and direct the transmission of data to speaker 508 in a battery 513 powered operation. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, control circuitry 507 may comprise a special purpose computer chip (or processor) configured to provide comparable or superior functionality to the control circuitry in some embodiments.

Fig. 6 illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear sound device 610 employing extendable circuitry in an electronics package 611 of the in-ear sound device 610. The electronic package 611 of the in-ear sound device 610 is embedded in or on the elastically deformable body 607, and the electronic package 611 of the in-ear sound device 610 contains an extensible electronic circuit that allows the in-ear sound device 610 to be inserted into the ear canal of a subject without damaging the in-ear sound device 610 or injuring the ear of the user.

In various embodiments, the electronic component package 611 may be injected within the body 607 of the in-ear sound device 610, may be placed on a surface of the body 607, may be encased within the body 607, and/or may be a combination of various deployments.

The stretchable electronic circuitry in the electronic component package 611 may comprise a flexible substrate such that when the flexible substrate is stretched, the components separate relative to each other. In other words, the speaker 605 may be relatively distant from the microphone 601 according to embodiments of the invention. The electronic interconnect maintains substantially the same electronic performance characteristics when the electronic component is extended. The electrical interconnections are sufficiently resilient to extend the unextended distance of separation between the extendable electrical components multiple times without degrading the performance of the in-ear acoustic device 610.

The in-ear audio device 610 includes a microphone 601, a wireless communication module 602, an amplifier 603, a battery 604, and a speaker 605. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, in-ear sound device 610 may include other components and sensors, such as those shown and described with respect to fig. 1. The in-ear sound device 610 may include additional components of the same type, such as a plurality of batteries 604.

In some embodiments of the present invention, sub-components of the electronics of the in-ear sound device 610 may be extendable, such as the microphone 601, the amplifier 603, the battery 604, the speaker 605, and the wireless communication module 602. In some embodiments of the present invention, the electronic component package 611 may include one or more extendable components in combination with non-extendable, conventional components.

Fig. 7 shows an in-ear sound device 710 according to an embodiment of the invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 7, an in-ear sound device 710 includes a speaker 705 at its proximal tip. The in-ear sound device 710 otherwise functions in a similar manner to the in-ear sound device 610 shown in fig. 6, and the in-ear sound device 710 may include additional components such as those shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 8 shows an in-ear sound device 810 according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the in-ear audio device 810 comprises a plurality of batteries 804, a wireless communication module 802 and an amplifier 803. The in-ear sound device 810 otherwise functions in a similar manner to the in-ear sound device 610 shown in fig. 6, and the in-ear sound device 810 may include additional components such as those shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 9 shows an in-ear sound device 910 according to an embodiment of the present invention having a hole or conduit 906 running along its longitudinal axis 908. The conduit 906 extends along the longitudinal axis 908 of the body 901 from a distal region 913 to a proximal region 911.

The closing of the tube 906 occludes (occlusion) or filters ambient sound, while opening the tube 906 allows external sound to enter the ear canal, such as ear canal 1215 shown in fig. 12. Thus, the in-ear sound device 910 may provide a user variable occlusion.

Opening the tube 906 provides a venting function that reduces dangerous back pressure in the ear canal (such as ear canal 1215 shown in fig. 12). Opening the duct 906 also reduces the occlusion effect that is created when the subject fills the outside of the ear canal, giving the user a perception of hollow, or booming, sounds like echoes of the user's own voice. Thus, opening the conduit 906 also facilitates conventional voice communication between a user of the in-ear sound device 910 and others (e.g., an airline valet when a wearer of the in-ear sound device 910 is otherwise listening to music). Furthermore, having the duct 906 open also allows the in-ear sound device 910 to more tightly fit the user's ear, which may be useful during activities (e.g., sports) when the in-ear sound device 910 may be more prone to becoming dislodged.

Closing the duct 906 improves the sound quality delivered to the user's ear. Closing the conduit 906 may also (and/or alternatively) provide additional noise cancellation that improves the quality of sound delivered to the user's ear. Closing the conduit 906 may also (and/or alternatively) protect a user of the in-ear sound device 910 from excessive sound, thus protecting the user's hearing. Some users may have the duct 906 in a closed position or near closed position at any time to deliver as high a sound quality as possible to their eardrum, such as the eardrum 1204 shown in fig. 12.

Thus, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, in-ear sound device 910 may include functionality as a clip 914 that may be used to change the diameter 915 of tube 906, allowing the level of occlusion of the ear canal (e.g., ear canal 1215 shown in fig. 12) to be adjusted. According to embodiments of the present invention, the clip 914 may be integral to the in-ear sound device 910 or may be coupled to the in-ear sound device 910. The in-ear sound device 910 may include more or fewer clips 914 than the 4 clips 914 shown in fig. 9.

The occlusion level of the user's ear may be adjusted/actuated by input from the user (by hand), or automatically by the user, or by a program using actuators in the clamp 914 that communicate with other components of the in-ear sound device 910, such as a processor and battery (e.g., processor 107 and battery 113 shown in fig. 1). A person having ordinary skill should be able to assign the appropriate mechanism for opening and closing the duct 906 of the in-ear sound device 910.

In some embodiments, the clip 914 may be actuated by touch and/or voice commands depending on the electronic component package provided to the in-ear sound device 910 (e.g., the electronic component package 101 shown in fig. 1).

In addition to the clamp 914, there are numerous alternative means for controlling the opening and closing of the conduit 906. Alternative means for closing the conduit 906 include pressure pumps, thermodynamic means by adjusting temperature, via chemical means, and via electronic means.

Fig. 10 illustrates an in-ear sound device 1010 having a microphone 1005 at its proximal tip and at least one clamp 1006 to close a duct (e.g., duct 906 shown in fig. 9) in the in-ear sound device 1010, according to an embodiment of the present invention. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the in-ear sound device 1010 is otherwise similar to the in-ear sound device 910 shown in fig. 9, and the in-ear sound device 1010 may have an electronic component package similar to the electronic component package 102 shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 11 shows an in-ear sound device 1101 inserted into an ear 1105 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-ear sound device 1101 includes flexible electronic component packages, such as those shown in the in-ear sound device 610 shown in fig. 6 and/or the electronic component package 102 shown in fig. 1. An embodiment of the in-ear sound device 1101 includes a speaker 1108 placed at a distal tip 1107 of a body of the in-ear sound device 1101 and a microphone 1110 placed in a proximal portion 1111 of the in-ear sound device 1101.

The in-ear sound device 1101 includes a deformable and flexible body 1112 having a longitudinal axis 1109 extending between a distal end 1111 and a proximal end 1107. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distal end 1111 resides only outside the ear 1105, such that the in-ear sound device 1101 may be simply removed.

Embodiments of the present invention provide an in-ear acoustic device 1101 that is constructed of a deformable and flexible material that is comfortable to wear for extended periods of time and can be mass produced without the need for customization. According to embodiments of the present invention, the electronic component package 1113 is embedded in or on a deformable and flexible body of the in-ear sound device 1101, and the electronic component package 1113 contains electronic circuitry that allows the in-ear sound device 1101 to be inserted into the ear canal 1115 of a user without damaging the in-ear sound device 1101 or causing injury to the ear 1105 of the user. The electronic component package 1113 may be embedded into the flexible body 1112, may be wrapped around the flexible body 1112, and/or may be pressed into the flexible body 1112.

In practice, the in-ear sound device 1101 is "squashed" between the user's fingers and inserted into the ear canal 1115 with the in-ear sound device 1101 stretched to conform to the shape of the ear canal 1115.

In some embodiments, the in-ear sound device 1101 may return to a "collapsed" position prior to removing the in-ear sound device 1101 from the ear canal 1115. This may allow the in-ear sound device 1101 to slide out of the ear 1105 for simple removal. In other embodiments, the in-ear sound device 1101 may be in an extended position or may be in some intermediate position when the in-ear sound device 1101 is removed from the ear canal.

Embodiments of deformable body 1112 can be made from a wide variety of elastic polymeric materials well known in the art. There are many well known resilient polymeric materials that may be used to form an in-ear sound device such as in-ear sound device 1101. For example, natural rubber, neoprene, SBR rubber (styrene copolymer composite), silicone rubber, EPDM rubber, polybutadiene rubber, polyvinyl chloride elastomer, polyurethane rubber elastomer, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer elastomer, and elastomers based on acrylic precursors and vinyl halide based polymers may all be suitable materials in general, which may be used to provide the necessary Shore a Durometer values.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the deformable body 1112 of the in-ear acoustic device 1101 is composed of a material having a Shore A durometer hardness of about 10 to 30 or 15 to 25 (by the technique of ASTM 2240-81).

In some embodiments, the in-ear sound device 1101 may be manufactured by 3D printing, for example, using a printing apparatus such as a 3D printer 1810 shown in detail in fig. 18. The ear-type portion of the device (e.g., body 1112) and the electronic component package 1113 of the in-ear sound device 1101 are adapted to the manufacturer by 3D printing. Some components, such as speakers (e.g., speaker 108 shown in fig. 1), may need to be added to the device 1101 at the end of the manufacturing process (so the speakers at this point in time require post-manufacturing adjustments that some 3D printing machines may not be able to undertake).

Fig. 11 shows an in-ear sound device 1101 inserted into a human ear 1105. Embodiments of in-ear sound device 1101 can be configured for use in non-human ears, such as other primate, other mammals, and even non-mammalian species. Thus, in these embodiments of the invention, the components of the electronic component package and the resilient body will be adaptively sized.

Fig. 12 shows an in-ear sound device 1201 inserted into an ear 1205 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The in-ear sound device 1201 includes resilient electronic component packages, such as those shown in the in-ear sound device 610 shown in fig. 6 and/or the electronic component package 102 shown in fig. 1. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the in-ear sound device 1201 also includes a tube 1203, and the tube 1203 may be opened and closed using a clamp 1204.

Similar to the discussion of in-ear sound device 1101 illustrated in fig. 11, in practice, in-ear sound device 1201 "collapses" between the user's fingers and is inserted into ear canal 1215, where in-ear sound device 1201 expands to conform to the shape of ear canal 1215. In some embodiments, in-ear sound device 1201 may return to a "collapsed" position before in-ear sound device 1201 is removed from ear canal 1215. This may allow the in-ear sound device 1201 to slide out of the ear canal 1205 for easier removal. In other embodiments, the in-ear sound device 1201 may be in an extended position or in some intermediate position when the in-ear sound device 1201 is removed from the ear canal.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the body of the in-ear sound device 1201 may be constructed of similar materials as described with respect to the in-ear sound device 1101 shown in fig. 11.

Figure 13 illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing extendable electronic components formed on

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b of silicon. Fig. 13 shows a stretchable electronic component package 1305 in which discrete

electronic component islands

1302a, 1302b are connected together using interconnects 1301 having a zig-zag pattern (pattern)1304, according to an embodiment of the invention. The circuits formed by the self-extendable electronic components on the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b remain electrically coupled via the interconnects 1301 regardless of the amount of strain and/or deformation placed on these circuits by the user and the user's environment.

In an embodiment, the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b operate discretely, may function in a "device island" arrangement, and may be capable of performing functions described herein (e.g., the functions shown in fig. 1-12 above) or portions thereof. In embodiments, the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b may include integrated circuits, physical sensors (e.g., temperature, pH, light, radiation, etc.), biological and/or chemical sensors, amplifiers, a/D and D/a converters, light concentrators, electromechanical sensors, batteries, piezoelectric actuators, light emitting diodes including LEDs, and combinations thereof. In other words, the sensors 106a-106z shown in fig. 1.

Conventional integrated circuits ("ICs") (e.g., CMOS on single crystal silicon) are used to enable the utilization of high quality, high performance, and high functionality circuit elements that are also ready for general mass production using currently known processes. These conventional ICs may provide a variety of functions and data generation that are generally superior to those generated by more passive devices.

The

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b may range from, but are not limited to, dimensions of about 10-100 μm measured on the edge or measured by diameter, and connect the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b with one or more extremely extensible interconnects 1301. The

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b may or may not themselves be extensible, according to embodiments of the invention.

The interconnect 1301 has a zigzag pattern 1304 between the

discrete islands

1302a and 1302 b. The zig-zag pattern 1304 provides increased stability and ease of manufacture. The zig-zag pattern 1304 allows twisting, stretching, and compression of the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b while still allowing the stretchable electronic package 1305 and the various components of the electronic package 1305 to remain electrically connected.

The geometry of the interconnects 1301 makes these interconnects 1301 exceptionally flexible. Each interconnect 1301 is patterned and etched such that its structured form has width and thickness dimensions that may be of comparable size (e.g., its ratio or inverse ratio does not exceed about 10 times), and the structured form of each interconnect may preferably be of equal size. In embodiments, the dimensions may be no greater than about 5 μm (e.g., with both dimensions being about 1 μm or less).

With reference to embodiments of the present invention, when the term "extendable" and its origins and derivatives are used to modify a circuit or a component of the circuit, the term is meant to encompass circuits having components with soft or elastic properties that can be longer or wider without tearing or breaking, and the term is also meant to encompass such circuits having components configured in such a way as to contain and retain functionality when applied to an extendable, distendable or otherwise extendable surface, whether or not the components themselves are individually extendable as described above.

The extendable electronic circuitry attaches at least two isolated electronic components (e.g.,

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b) to the resilient substrate and arranges the electrical interconnections (e.g., interconnection 1301) between the components in a written alternating (boustrophedonic) pattern that interconnects the two isolated electronic components and the electrical interconnections. The resilient substrate may then be extended such that the components separate relative to each other, wherein the electrical interconnects maintain substantially the same electrical performance characteristics during the extension, and wherein the extension may extend the separation distance multiple times the unextended distance between the electronic components.

In an embodiment, the extension and compression may be accomplished by fabricating the IC from a thin film single crystal semiconductor material, forming the IC into "islands" mechanically and electrically connected by "interconnects," and transferring the IC to a flexible substrate capable of extension and compression. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b are regions of a non-extensible/non-compressive IC, while the interconnect 1301 is a region formed to some extent as a highly extensible/highly compressible material. The underlying elastic substrate may be more flexible than the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b such that minimal strain is transmitted into the

islands

1302a and 1302b, while most strain is transmitted to the interconnects 1301, which include only electrical connections (and less). Each interconnect 1301 attaches an island 1302a to another island 1302b and each interconnect 1301 can accommodate strain between the two previously mentioned

islands

1302a and 1302b, including translation, rotation, or a combination of translation and rotation of one island 1302a relative to the other island 1302 b. Even if made of a rigid material, the interconnect 1301 still behaves like a weak spring (rather than a rigid plate or beam). This configuration thus allows the fabrication of an extremely malleable electronic component package 1305.

With reference to embodiments of the present invention, when the term "extendable" and its origins and derivatives are used to modify a circuit or a component of the circuit, the term is meant to encompass circuits having components with soft or elastic properties that can be longer or wider without tearing or breaking, and the term is also meant to encompass such circuits having components configured in such a way as to accommodate and retain functionality when applied to an extendable, distendable or otherwise extendably extended surface (whether or not the components themselves are individually extendable as described above). The term "stretchable" and its origins and derivatives, when used to modify a circuit or a component of the circuit, are also meant to have the meanings ascribed to the above. Thus, when referring to embodiments of the present invention, "extend," "extend," and all derivatives of such "extend" and "extend" may be used interchangeably.

Fig. 14 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention employing an extendible electronic component package 1405, which comprises

discrete islands

1402a, 1402b bound together using shorter interconnects 1401 (compared to the interconnects 1301 illustrated in fig. 13), according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 15 shows an electronic component package 1505 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the electronic component package 1505 comprising

discrete islands

1502a, 1502b, 1504a, and 1504b bound together using zigzag interconnections 1501. According to embodiments of the invention, similar to the

discrete islands

1302a, 1302b shown in fig. 13, the

discrete islands

1502a, 1502b, 1504a, and 1504b include a wide variety of electronic components.

The use of interconnects 1501 running in various directions from

islands

1502a, 1502b, 1504a, and 1504b allows the islands to be extended in various directions, according to embodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of the invention, the interconnect 1501 may be replaced with or blended with various other types of interconnects 1501.

discrete islands

1602a, 1602b of silicon bonded together using interconnects 1601 having a criss-cross (crisscoros) or X pattern 1604 according to an embodiment of the invention.

In an embodiment, the

discrete islands

1602a, 1602b operate discretely, may operate in a "device island" arrangement, and may be capable of performing the functions described herein or portions thereof. In an embodiment, the

discrete islands

1602a, 1602b may include integrated circuits (e.g., the electronic component package 102 shown in fig. 1), sensors (e.g., the sensors 106a-106z shown in fig. 1), other electronic components, and combinations thereof.

Fig. 17 shows an electronic component package 1705 that is bound to another stretchable electronic component package 1706 using zigzag interconnections 1703. An electronic component package 1705 has been formed from electronic components located on discrete islands 1704a, 1704b that are held together using zigzag interconnections 1701. Similarly, an electronic component package 1706 has been formed from electronic components located on discrete islands 1707a, 1707b that are held together using zig-zag interconnections 1701. The two electronic component packages 1705 and 1706 are bonded to each other using zigzag interconnections 1703.

The use of interconnects 1701 that extend in various directions from the islands 1704a, 1704b, 1707a, and 1707b allows the islands to be extended in various directions in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. According to embodiments of the present invention, the interconnect 1701 may be replaced with various other types of interconnects or the interconnect 1701 may be mixed with various other types of interconnects.

Fig. 18 shows a three-dimensional (3D) printer 1810 that can form an in-ear sound device 1832. In general, 3D printing is a cumulative partial-form technique that incrementally builds objects by applying multiple successive layers of thin material. The 3D printer 1810 includes a printhead 1812 that is configured to controllably deposit/bond stock (stock) material onto a substrate. The stock material may include an electronic component package 1814 (e.g., the electronic component package 611 shown in fig. 6) that is bound to the material 1816 of the earplug (e.g., the deformable body 607 shown in fig. 6 and/or the electronic component package 102 shown in fig. 1). Motion controller 1818 is configured to controllably translate printhead 1812 within a predefined workspace. The techniques described with respect to fig. 18 may be applied to the type of 3D printing known from fused wire manufacturing. Other types and forms of 3D printers may be used to print the in-ear sound device 1832. The printhead 1812 may be configured to receive material for the electronic component package 1814 from a source such as a roll 1820 or hopper (e.g., using a resistive heating element 1822) to melt the inventory material and discharge the melted material for the electronic component package 1814 through a nozzle 1824 onto the substrate of the ear plugs 1816. In general, the nozzle 1824 may define an aperture 1826 at its distal tip 1828 through which the molten material 1814 may exit the printhead 1812.

Once exiting the nozzle 1824, the molten material for the electronics package 1814 may begin to cool and may resolidify on the substrate of the earplug 1816. Where melted electronic component encapsulation material 1814 is applied over a previously formed material layer 1834 (e.g., a portion of an earplug), the temperature of the melted inventory material 1814 may cause local surface melting to occur in the previous material layer 1834. This localized melting may help bond the newly applied material with the previous layer 1834.

In one embodiment, printhead 1812 may be controlled within a cartesian coordinate system 1836, where each of the three actuators may cause the resulting motion of printhead 1812 in a respective orthogonal plane (where the X-Y plane is generally defined as the plane parallel to working surface 1830 and the Z direction is defined as the dimension orthogonal to working surface 1830). Because the material for electronic component package 1814 is applied to the substrate of earbud 1816, the thickness 1838 and width of the applied bead of material may be a function of the rate at which movement 1840 of printhead 1812 is fed into printhead 1812 relative to the substrate of earbud 1816 and the solid stock material of electronic component package 1814. Each bead of material applied may have a substantially constant height/thickness 1838 and width for a constant printhead motion 1840 and a constant feed rate of solid inventory material of the electronic component package 1814.

Some components of the electronic component package 1814 may not be suitable for printing using a 3D printer due to various post-manufacturing requirements. For example, a speaker (e.g., speaker 108 as shown in fig. 1) generally requires an adjustment that often requires extension. Thus, in some embodiments, the in-ear sound device 1832 may be manufactured primarily using the 3D printer 1810, while some additional components (such as speakers) added at the end of the product or at certain stages of production are not controlled by the 3D printer 1810 (e.g., added by another device or inserted by hand). This should be relatively simple for the speaker, as it is typically located at the end of the in-ear sound device 1832. For example, a fully tuned speaker may be added to the end of a semi-finished in-ear sound device using mechanical production equipment.

In an embodiment, the in-ear sound device 1832 may be considered disposable and the in-ear sound device 1832 may be intended for one-time use or limited use due to the reduced cost of the device.

Fig. 19 shows an in-ear sound device 1901 that wirelessly communicates with

other devices

1906, 1909, 1911, and 1914 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The communication module 1904 on the in-ear sound device 1901 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with the communication module 1907 on the in-ear sound device 1906 that is paired with the in-ear sound device 1901. In other words, the user may wear the in-ear sound device 1901 in the left ear, while the in-ear sound device 1906 may be worn in the right ear of the user. The in-ear sound device 1901 may wirelessly communicate with the paired in-ear sound device 1906 using various communication protocols, such as NFC communication as discussed above.

The in-ear sound device 1901 may also communicate with another in-ear sound device 1909 via a communication module 1908 on the in-ear sound device 1909. The communication module 1904 may communicate with the communication module 1908 on the in-ear sound device 1909 using a different communication protocol than the communication protocol used by the in-ear sound device 1901 to communicate with a closely networked device such as the in-ear sound device 1906.

The in-ear sound device 1901 may also communicate with a transceiver 1910 on the mobile phone 1911. The mobile phone 1911 may be a device such as a smart phone. The communication module 1904 may use a different communication protocol than the communication protocol used to communicate with the in-ear sound device 1906 or the in-ear sound device 1909.

The in-ear sound device 1901 may also communicate with a remote data server 1913 located on a remote computing device 1914 via a communication module 1912 associated with the remote data server 1913. The remote data server 1913 may include servers and even cloud computing devices, for example, according to embodiments of the present invention.

The in-ear sound device 1901 may not necessarily be equipped to communicate with all of the

devices

1906, 1909, 1911 and 1914. According to an embodiment of the invention, the communication module 1904 may be configured for only one communication type. Similarly, the communication module 1904 may be configured to communicate using a range of different communication protocols.

Many modifications of the in-ear sound device other than those already described will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. The embodiments of the invention discussed herein may have generally implied the use of materials from some well-known device manufacturers; however, the present invention may be adapted for use with equipment from other sources and manufacturers. Apparatus used with the present invention may be configured to operate in accordance with conventional protocols (e.g., USB) and/or may be configured to operate in accordance with specific protocols. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the claims. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, but should be construed to include all systems and methods that operate under the claims set forth herein below. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A deformable and flexible in-ear sound device comprising:

a deformable and flexible body having a longitudinal axis extending between a distal end and a proximal end;

an electronic component package comprising an extendable electronic circuit, wherein the electronic component package comprises a speaker located at the proximal end of the deformable and flexible body, and wherein the extendable electronic circuit is at least one of embedded in or on the deformable and flexible body;

at least one sensor in the electronic component package configured to measure a data element; and

a processor in the electronic component package configured to analyze the data element and take an action if the data element exceeds a threshold, wherein the at least one sensor and the processor are configured to operate as a measurement device that provides one of an alert, a stopwatch, a calendar, and a notification function, and wherein the action comprises sending an audible notification to the speaker if the data element exceeds the threshold associated with the measurement device; and

a communication module in communication with a remote device, and wherein if the data element exceeds the threshold associated with the measurement device, the actions further comprise sending a notification to the remote device via the communication module.

2. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the extendable electronic circuitry comprises an extendable interconnect that electrically couples electronic components of the electronic component package, the electronic component package comprising the processor and the speaker.

3. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 2, wherein the electronic components of the electronic component package are disposed in an interactive written pattern connected by the extendable interconnect.

4. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 2, wherein the extensible interconnects connect the electronic components of the electronic component package using one of a zig-zag pattern and an X-cross pattern.

5. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of electronic components of the electronic component package are also extendable.

6. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the deformable and flexible body is comprised of a material having a shore a hardness value between 10 and 30.

7. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the deformable and flexible body and the extendable electronic circuitry are comprised of materials suitable for fabricating a 3D printer integrated unit.

8. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the deformable and flexible body comprises a conduit along the longitudinal axis extending from the distal end to the proximal end, the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device further comprising:

a plurality of clamps configured to open and close the conduit, wherein opening the conduit reduces backpressure in the ear of the user.

9. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the electronics package further comprises the communication module and the processor, wherein the processor is configured to operate the speaker and the communication module as an earphone that receives sound data from the remote device and plays the sound data through the speaker.

10. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises a CPU.

11. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 9, wherein the remote device comprises a portable electronic device, and wherein the communication module is configured for short-range communication.

12. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 11, wherein the short range communication comprises a bluetooth protocol.

13. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile phone.

14. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component package further comprises:

a data storage component having stored sound data; wherein the processor has been configured to operate the speaker and the data storage component as a music player that retrieves sound data from the data storage component and plays the sound data through the speaker.

15. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 14, wherein the processor comprises a CPU.

16. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component package further comprises:

a microphone located at the distal end of the deformable and flexible body and configured to convert sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device into an electrical signal; and

an amplifier configured to increase the power of the electrical signal;

wherein the processor has been configured to operate the speaker, the microphone, and the amplifier as a hearing device that receives external sound in the microphone, amplifies the electrical signal in the amplifier, and transmits the electrical signal to the speaker, the microphone converting the external sound to the electrical signal.

17. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a CPU.

18. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 16, further comprising: a digital signal processor, wherein the processor is configured to operate the digital signal processor.

19. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component package further comprises:

a microphone located at the distal end of the deformable and flexible body and configured to convert sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device into an electrical signal;

wherein the processor has been configured to operate the speaker, the communication module, and the microphone as a two-way communication device that receives sound data from the remote device via the communication module and plays the sound data through the speaker, and further configured to receive sound data from the microphone and send the sound data from the communication module to the remote device.

20. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 19, wherein the processor comprises a CPU.

21. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 19, wherein the remote device comprises another deformable and flexible in-ear sound device, and wherein the communication module is configured for short-range communication.

22. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 21, wherein the short range communication comprises at least one of bluetooth and near field communication ("NFC").

23. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to execute a software application.

24. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 23, wherein the electronic component package further comprises: a data storage component configured to store a software application executed by the processor.

25. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 23, wherein the communication module is configured to receive data from the remote device comprising instructions for a software application and provide the data to the processor.

26. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the electronic component package further comprises:

a microphone configured to receive sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device;

wherein the processor is configured to analyze the received sound, separate a meaningful sound from ambient noise, and provide the meaningful sound to the speaker.

27. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive data from the remote device using at least one of bluetooth, WiFi, BLTE, near field communication, global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access-one (cdmaone), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), PDC, japanese digital cellular system (JDC), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), code division multiple access-2000 (cdma 2000), and digital enhanced wireless telephone system (DECT).

28. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor and the processor are arranged to provide a user interface for the user of the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device by receiving instructions from the user, and wherein the speaker is configured to transmit operating instructions to the speaker.

29. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured as at least one of a thermometer, a pulse rate monitor, a heart rate monitor, a maximum oxygen carrying capacity monitor, a pulse oximetry monitor, a respiratory rate monitor, a respiration monitor, an oxygen consumption monitor, a cardiac efficiency monitor, a heart rate variability monitor, a metabolic rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, an EEG data monitor, a galvanic skin response monitor, an EKG/ECG monitor, a blood analyte monitor, an ambient temperature monitor, a humidity monitor, a motion detector, a GPS locator, a pressure sensor, a height sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

30. The deformable and flexible in-ear sound device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone configured to receive sound data from a user's voice;

a data repository containing identification data relating to the user's voice;

wherein the processor is configured to analyze the received sound data to determine if it matches the identification data and is further configured to take an action if the identification data matches the received sound data.

31. A method for outputting sound to a user's ear with a deformable and flexible in-ear sound device having an electronic component package comprising an extendable electronic circuit on a deformable and flexible body having a longitudinal axis extending between a distal end and a proximal end, wherein the extendable electronic circuit resides on the deformable and flexible body by at least one of embedding the electronic component package in or on the deformable and flexible body, the method comprising:

playing an audible sound through a speaker located at the proximal end of the deformable and flexible body to an ear of a user;

measuring a data element by at least one sensor in the electronic component package;

analyzing the data element by a processor in the electronic component package, the processor configured to take an action if the data element exceeds a threshold, wherein the at least one sensor and the processor are configured to operate as a measurement device that provides one of an alert, a stop list, a calendar, and a notification function;

sending an audible notification to the speaker if the data element exceeds the threshold associated with the measurement device;

communicating with a remote device using a communication module; and

sending a notification to the remote device via the communication module if the data element exceeds the threshold associated with the measurement device.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

an extensible interconnect is electrically coupled in the extensible electronic circuit.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

positioning the electronic components of the electronic component package in an interactive writing pattern connected by the extensible interconnect.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

connecting the extensible interconnects to the electronic components of the electronic component package using one of a zig-zag pattern and an X-cross pattern.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein said deformable and flexible body comprises a material having a shore a hardness value between 10 and 30.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein placing the electronic component package on the deformable and flexible body comprises: printing the electronic component package and the deformable and flexible body as an integrated unit on a 3D printer.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the deformable and flexible body comprises a conduit along the longitudinal axis extending from the distal end to the proximal end, the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device further comprising:

configuring a plurality of clamps to open and close the conduit, wherein opening the conduit reduces backpressure in the user's ear.

38. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

configuring the processor residing in the electronic component package to operate the speaker and the communications module as a headset that receives sound data from the remote device and plays the sound data through the speaker.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the remote device comprises a portable electronic device, the method further comprising configuring the communication module for short-range communication.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the short-range communication comprises a Bluetooth protocol.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a mobile phone.

42. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

storing data in a data storage component in the electronic component package; and

the processor is configured to operate the speaker and the data storage component as a music player that retrieves sound data from the data storage component and plays the sound data through the speaker.

43. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

converting sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device into an electrical signal by a microphone located at the distal end of the deformable and flexible body;

increasing the power of the electrical signal by an amplifier located in the electronic component package; and

operating the processor as a hearing device, wherein the processor controls the speaker, the microphone, and the amplifier to receive external sounds in the microphone, convert the external sounds into the electrical signal, amplify the electrical signal in the amplifier, and transmit the electrical signal to the speaker.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising a digital signal processor controlled by the processor.

45. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

converting sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device into an electrical signal by a microphone located at the distal end of the deformable and flexible body; and

operating the processor as a two-way communication device by controlling the speaker, the communication module, and the microphone to receive sound data from the remote device via the communication module and play the sound data through the speaker, and the processor is further configured to receive sound data from the microphone and transmit the sound data from the communication module to the remote device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the remote device comprises another deformable and flexible in-ear sound device, the method further comprising configuring the communication module for short-range communication.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the short-range communication comprises at least one of Bluetooth and near field communication ("NFC").

48. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

executing a software application in the processor located in the electronic component package.

49. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving sound external to the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device within a microphone;

analyzing the received sound in the processor;

separating meaningful sounds from ambient noise in the received sounds; and

providing the meaningful sound to the speaker.

50. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving data from the remote device through the communication module in the electronics package using at least one of Bluetooth, WiFi, BLTE, near field communication, Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple Access-one (cdmaOne), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), PDC, Japanese digital cellular System (JDC), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), code division multiple Access-2000 (cdma 2000), and digital enhanced cordless Telecommunications System (DECT).

51. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one sensor and the processor are arranged to provide a user interface for a user of the deformable and flexible in-ear sound device, comprising:

receiving, by the at least one sensor, an instruction input from the user;

analyzing, by a processor in the electronic component package, the received command input; and

transmitting, by the speaker, an operating instruction to the user.

52. The method of claim 31, wherein the at least one sensor is configured as at least one of a thermometer, a pulse rate monitor, a heart rate monitor, a maximum oxygen carrying capacity monitor, a pulse oximetry monitor, a respiratory rate monitor, a respiration monitor, an oxygen consumption monitor, a cardiac efficiency monitor, a heart rate variability monitor, a metabolic rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, an EEG data monitor, a galvanic skin response monitor, an EKG/ECG monitor, a blood analyte monitor, an ambient temperature monitor, a humidity monitor, a motion detector, a GPS locator, a pressure sensor, a height sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer.

53. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

receiving sound data from a user's voice through a microphone in the electronics package;

analyzing, by the processor residing in the electronic component package, the received voice data to determine whether the received data matches recognition data related to the user's voice, wherein the recognition data is stored in a data component in the electronic component package; and

if the identification data matches the received voice data, then action is taken.