Richard Wayne Harris
Medical Practice in Provo, UT

6748089, Jun 8, 2004

Oct 17, 2000

09/691765

Richard W. Harris - Provo UT 84606
Keith L. Davis - Salt Lake City UT

Sonic Innovations, Inc. - Salt Lake City UT
Richard W. Harris - Provo UT

H03G 300

381107, 381104, 381312

The present invention provides a switch method and apparatus that is switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by the apparatus. The apparatus includes a microphone which converts the input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES), a first memory which stores a threshold value, a second memory which stores at least one parameter set, a selector which is responsive to the first memory and to the IES for selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set, and a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, the signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES). An alternative switch method and apparatus switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by the apparatus includes a microphone which converts the input audio signal to an IES, a signal envelope detector (SED) coupled to the IES, the SED having a first time constant, wherein the SED produces a SED output in response to the IES, a noise envelope detector (NED) coupled to the IES, the NED having a second time constant that is greater than the first time constant, the NED produces a NED output in response to the IES, a first memory which stores at least one parameter set, a selector which is responsive to the SED output and to the NED output for selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set, and a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, the signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for producing a CES.