Patent Publication Number: US-9838771-B1

Title: In-ear utility device having a humidity sensor

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is related to co-filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,843, entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having Tap Detector,”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,873 entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having Dual Microphones,”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,891 entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having Sensors,”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,908 entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having A Humidity Sensor,”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,931 entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having Information Sharing,”, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/163,949 entitled “In-Ear Utility Device Having Voice Recognition”, which are assigned to the assignee of the present application. These related applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
     FIELD 
     Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods pertaining to in-ear utility devices. More particularly, an embodiment of the invention relates to systems and methods that employ in-ear electronics to provide a wireless in-ear utility device that rests in the user&#39;s ear canal. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding embodiments of the invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 
     With the development of portable multimedia devices and smart phones, many types of ear pieces, such as earphones and headsets, have been developed and used. However, previous ear pieces have traditionally been bulky and uncomfortable as well as being limited in their technological abilities. Thus, the prospects for exploring new form factors for ear pieces have conventionally been limited. 
     Moreover, these ear pieces have conventionally been devices slaved to other devices, such as smartphones, with limited abilities to operate independently. Similarly, the prospects for exploring new and independent uses for ear pieces have also been limited conventionally. 
     Therefore, a need exists for more advanced in-ear utility devices that can perform an expanded set of tasks at an improved rate of performance over the devices found in the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention provide a wireless in-ear utility device, comprising a body having at least a portion shaped to fit into a user&#39;s ear canal, the body having a proximal end configured to reside in the user&#39;s ear canal at a distance no further away from the user&#39;s ear drum than 12 millimeters. The wireless in-ear utility device comprises a first humidity sensor located in the body, the first humidity sensor configured to detect a first humidity of the user&#39;s ear canal and record first humidity data. The wireless in-ear utility device also includes a second humidity sensor located in the body, the second humidity sensor configured to detect ambient environmental humidity and record second humidity data. The wireless in-ear utility device also includes a processor configured to receive first humidity data from the first humidity sensor and receive second humidity data from the second humidity sensor and determine if the received first humidity data and the received second humidity data indicate a change in a wearing state of the wireless in-ear utility device. 
     Embodiments of the invention comprise a method for operating a wireless in-ear utility device. The method comprises detecting a first humidity of a user&#39;s ear canal and recording first humidity data by a first humidity sensor located in a body of the wireless in-ear utility device, wherein the body has at least a portion shaped to fit into the user&#39;s ear canal, the body having a proximal end configured to reside in the user&#39;s ear canal at a distance no greater than 12 millimeters from the user&#39;s ear drum. The method also includes detecting a second humidity of an ambient environmental humidity and recording second humidity data by a second humidity sensor located in a body of the wireless in-ear utility device. The method further includes receiving the first humidity data from the first humidity sensor and second humidity data from the second humidity sensor in a processor located in the body, the processor configured to determine if the received first humidity data and the received second humidity data indicate a change in a wearing state of the wireless in-ear utility device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Figures provided herein may or may not be provided to scale. The relative dimensions or proportions may vary. Embodiments of the invention may be sized to fit within an ear canal of a user. 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates an in-ear utility device  101  inserted into an ear  105 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a cross section taken along the line AA shown in  FIG. 1A , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2A  provides a block diagram that illustrates an in-ear utility device  201 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2B  provides a diagram  220  that shows a shock provided by a first tap  221  and the shock provided by a second tap  223  as measured by an accelerometer sensor  206   a  in an in-ear sound device  201 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2C  provides a geometrical representation of tap sensing in which the taps are based on distance/tap events/time frame/coordinate, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2D  illustrates a first humidity sensor  261  and a second humidity sensor  266  that provides a means for turning an in-ear utility device  263  on/off and/or components of the in-ear utility device  263  using relative changes in humidity, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2E  illustrates a sensor array  231  that provides a means for turning the in-ear utility device and/or components of the in-ear utility device on/off using relative changes in temperature and humidity, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2F  illustrates how the output from a relative humidity sensor  241  and the output from a temperature sensor  243  can be provided to a processor, such as the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an in-ear utility device  303  having a flexible seal  302  that covers a portion of the in-ear utility device  303  that is inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) during normal use, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an in-ear utility device  401  with its deformable seals removed, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 5A-5B  illustrate an in-ear utility device  501  inserted into an ear canal  515 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates a portion of the distal ends of two in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  in a single user&#39;s ears  505   a ,  505   b , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5D  illustrates a top-down view of in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  performing binaural beamforming for sounds in front of the head  554  shown in  FIG. 5C , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 5E  illustrates an in-ear utility device  560  having two ambient noise microphones  562 ,  564  and two ambient noise microphone ports  561 ,  563  along with a voice focused microphone  566  and a voice focused microphone port  565 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 5F-5H  illustrate a 360-degree slit port  524  for the microphone port on a distal end  522  of an in-ear utility device  520 , according to an alternative embodiment of embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate a swivel joint  603  in the in-ear utility device  601  that allows the in-ear utility device  601  to pivot from zero (vertical) to negative 30 degrees from zero to plus 30 degrees. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  701  configured to function as a headphone, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  801  configured to function as a music player, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  901  configured to provide hearing amplification, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  1001  configured to provide a walkie-talkie function (a portable, two-way radio transceiver), according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  1101  configured as a single, integrated body rather than as a multi-pieced body as shown and described in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIGS. 12A-12D  illustrate a recharging case  1200  configured to recharge a pair of in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates a network  1300  through which various processing tasks for in-ear utility devices  1301   a ,  1301   b  can be distributed, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the invention provide a wireless in-ear utility device having a speaker placed closer to the user&#39;s eardrum than conventional sound-delivery devices but not typically as close as some medically-regulated hearing aids. Embodiments of the in-ear utility device may be used for a variety of purposes and include a variety of electronic packages, such as for use as an amplified hearing device, for use as a music player, for use as a headphone device, and for use in various health-monitoring applications. 
     Embodiments of the invention provide a wireless in-ear utility device configured to have a variety of electronic packages. The electronic packages may serve a variety of functions, such as a Bluetooth device, a noise cancellation device that allows the user to focus on sounds of interest, a health-monitoring device, and a fitness device, each embodiment having the sensors and electronic configuration needed to carry out its mission. Embodiments of the wireless in-ear utility device may include an electronic package that supports the Internet of Things (IoT), defined as a network of physical objects embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity, which enables the collection and exchange data between the in-ear utility device and other devices and/or the user. The Internet of Things allows objects to be sensed and controlled remotely across existing network infrastructure, allowing more direct integration between the physical world and computer-based systems. 
     The sensors of the in-ear utility device may perform a variety of functions. An accelerometer sensor  206   a  mounted in the body  210 , for example, can be used to measure the user&#39;s steps. The ear (e.g., the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ) is a stable location from which to make step count measurements since the head moves less independently from the legs than the arms (e.g., false positive step counts associated with wrist/arm borne accelerometers won&#39;t occur for people who make a lot of gestures with their arms while not otherwise moving). The accelerometer working with the processor  207  and the data repository  209  can detect motion indications indicative of a step. When a received motion matches the pattern for a step, then a step counter can be incremented. The accelerometer sensor, as discussed below, can also provide an operator alertness function, and the accelerometer sensor, as discussed below can also be used to provide a user interface based on tap detection. 
     Embodiments of the invention may provide a smart in-ear utility device that offers heightened and/or enhanced sounds for a variety of uses from a personal music player to a “walkie-talkie” type personal communicator. Embodiments of the invention may also provide an in-ear utility device that includes a wireless communications module that employs a wireless protocol so that the in-ear utility device may communicate with external devices, such as a mobile computing device, another in-ear utility device, a vehicle-borne computer, or a remote server or network, e.g., a cloud. 
     Embodiments of the invention may further provide an in-ear “smartphone,” e.g., a smart device having functionality rivaling that of a smartphone but using user interfaces appropriate for an aural rather than a visual device, including but not limited to voice recognition technology. The “smartphone” embodiment of the in-ear utility device may also (or alternatively) include a visual user interface operating on some form of a computing platform, or a visual display device tethered to the in-ear utility device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The visual user interface does not have to comprise a “screen” but could be provided by some form of altered reality and/or virtual reality (AR-VR), according to an embodiment of the invention. The “smartphone” embodiment of the in-ear utility device may include an audio user interface, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Electronic component packages used in embodiments of the in-ear utility device may comprise, for example, micro-electronic devices. Electronic components may include a microphone, an amplifier, a battery, a speaker, a wireless communications module, and/or any combination thereof. The electronic component package in some embodiments may include a processor (e.g., a CPU) and/or a data storage component. For example, the electronic component package  113  may include functionality for executing any number of software applications (“apps”) and/or storing data such as media. 
       FIG. 1A  illustrates an in-ear utility device  101  inserted into an ear  105 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  101  includes an electronics package  113 , such as the electronics component package  202  shown in  FIG. 2A . Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  101  may include a speaker  108  disposed at the proximal tip  107  of the body of the in-ear utility device  101  and a microphone  110 , disposed in the distal portion  111  of the in-ear utility device  101 . 
     Some embodiments of the in-ear device  101  are designed to rest in the ear  105  between 8 to 12 mm. away from the user&#39;s tympanic membrane (eardrum)  104 . Thus, the in-ear utility device  101  when placed properly in the ear canal  115  has a proximal tip  107  (along with the speaker  108 ) that lies from 8 to 12 mm. from the outer edge  106  of the eardrum  104  along a longitudinal axis  109 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Studies have shown that the length of the typical human ear canal  115  varies from 27 mm to 35 mm measured along a curved center axis. Thus, embodiments of the in-ear utility device  101  reside well inside the ear canal  115 . 
     The distance of the in-ear utility device  101  to a given user&#39;s eardrum  104  varies based on the depth of the user&#39;s ear canal  115 . Some users have shallow ear canals while other users have deep ear canals. Therefore, the distance of the in-ear utility device  101  may vary in depth from user to user. The in-ear utility device  101  comprises a body  112  having the longitudinal axis  109  extending between a distal end  111  and a proximal tip  107 . The distal end  111  of the in-ear utility device  101  resides just outside the user&#39;s ear  105  so that the in-ear utility device  101  may be easily removed by hand, according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments of the invention, the in-ear utility device  101  might reside inside the ear canal  115  with no part of the device outside the ear  105 . 
     In some embodiments, the speaker  108  may contact the eardrum  104  or be in even closer proximity to the eardrum than indicated in  FIG. 1A , e.g., with the possible assistance of an audiologist. (The assistance of an audiologist is not normally needed for proper operation of the in-ear utility device  201 .) In some embodiments of the invention, the in-ear utility device may reside in a broader range than 8 to 12 mm. from the user&#39;s eardrum  104 , e.g., 3 mm. to 15 mm. The 8 to 12 mm. range, however, should provide improved sound quality to the user while also residing at a distance that does not require the employment of an audiologist to satisfy health and safety regulations. 
     In contrast with the in-ear utility device  101 , conventional earbuds fit in the outer ear and face but are not inserted in the user&#39;s ear canal. Similarly, conventional in-ear headphones (e.g., in-ear monitors or IEMs) are inserted in the ear canal  115  but at a considerable distance (e.g., no closer than 20 mm away from the typical user&#39;s eardrum  104 ). Thus, the in-ear utility device  101  resides closer to the user&#39;s eardrum  104  than conventional headphones, earbuds, and in-ear headphones. Among other things, having the in-ear utility device  101  inserted in the user&#39;s ear canal  115  will aid in keeping the in-ear utility device  101  attached to the user even when the user is engaged in physically strenuous activities. 
       FIG. 1B  illustrates a cross section taken along the line AA shown in  FIG. 1A , according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1B , in practical application, the in-ear utility device  101  is inserted into the ear canal  115  where it conforms to the shape of the ear canal  115 . The typical use&#39;s ear canal  115  is not likely to comprise a perfect circle as shown in  FIG. 1B . 
     The in-ear utility device  101  does not typically fill up the whole of the user&#39;s ear canal  115 . One or more gaps  126  may occur between the in-ear utility device  101  and the ear canal  115 . The gaps  126  may lower pressure in the user&#39;s ear canal  115 . 
     The in-ear utility device  101  is typically covered with a seal or soft tip  114 , and the in-ear utility device  101  typically touches the ear canal  115  at the points where the tip or seal  114  touches the ear canal  115  and possibly at the far outer entrance to the ear canal  115 . The seal  114  might not cover portions of the in-ear utility device  101  outside the user&#39;s ear canal  115 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The seal  114  is configured to create gaps  126  between the in-ear utility device  101  and the ear canal  115 , according to an embodiment of the invention. These gaps  126  not only lower pressure in the ear canal  115 , the gaps also serve the additional purpose of allowing ambient sounds to pass through to the user&#39;s eardrum  104 . Thus, a user wearing the in-ear utility device  101  can continue to experience ambient sounds in a natural manner (e.g., constant sound stimulus), and the user&#39;s own voice should sound normal to him/her. The ability to still hear ambient sounds naturally while wearing an ear-borne hearing device does not commonly occur with devices such as headphones and hearing aids. In addition, the in-ear utility device  101  not touching many points on the ear canal  115  should also increase user comfort and provide better heat transfer, allowing the in-ear utility device  101  to be worn for extended periods of time, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Studies show that the cross-sectional area in the middle portions of the typical human ear canal  115  range between 25 mm 2  and 70 mm 2 . Thus, the embodiments of the seal  114  need to cover a fairly wide range of diameters. Thus, the seal  114  may be available in a variety of sizes, although the body  112  may be manufactured in a single size, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The seal  114  allows the portion of the body  112  that rests in the user&#39;s ear canal  115  to be narrower than the ear canal  115 . Thus, the body  112  that contains the electronic package  113  does not typically touch the user&#39;s ear canal  115 . The presence of the seal  114  protects the user against malfunctions of the electronics package  113 . So, for example, if the battery (e.g., the battery  213  shown in  FIG. 2A ) happens to develop a short, the user should be protected from shock and heat because of the presence of the seal  114 . The user is protected by the seal  114  in part because many embodiments of the seal  114  are constructed from a non-metallic material (i.e., lower heat transfer and possibly insulating). 
     The seal  114  may also include one or more slits  128  configured to relieve pressure in the user&#39;s ear canal  115 , allowing the in-ear utility device  101  to be worn comfortably by the user for long periods of time. The slits  128  also provide the user with non-occluded aural access to ambient sounds outside the user&#39;s ear  105 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Thus, portions of the user&#39;s ear canal  115  remain non-occluded by the in-ear utility device  101  due, in part, to the slits  128  and the gaps  126 . A user of the in-ear utility device  101  is typically able to hear sounds external to the in-ear utility device  101  and should also not suffer from increased pressure in the ear canal  115  due to the presence of the in-ear utility device  101  in the user&#39;s ear canal  115 , as discussed above. 
     The material selection for the in-ear utility device  101  may facilitate the in-ear utility device  101  in entering the ear  105  while facilitating retention of the in-ear utility device  101  in the ear  105  for long periods of time (e.g. while exercising). Embodiments of the invention provide an in-ear utility device  101  covered in (e.g., the seal  114 ) (or composed of) a deformable material that is comfortable to wear for a long period of time and can be produced in bulk eliminating the need for customization. For example, the seal  114  covering the in-ear utility device  101  may be customized to account for variations in size of user&#39;s ear canals (e.g., small, medium, and large). 
     The body  112  could comprise a variety of materials, including various metals. As noted above, the seal  114  protects the user&#39;s ear canal  115  from the body  112  of the in-ear utility device  101 . In addition, as shown in  FIG. 11 , an embodiment of the invention may be extremely small (e.g., nano sized). The seal  114  may be formed of a material that has a Shore A Durometer hardness value of between 20-30. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the body  112  of the in-ear utility device  101  itself may be formed of a material that has a Shore A Durometer hardness value of between 20-30. In such an embodiment, the body  112  serves a function similar to the seal  114 . 
     An electronic component package  113  is fixed inside, mounted on, and/or embedded in or on the body  112  of the in-ear utility device  101  and includes electronic circuitry configured to allow the in-ear utility device  101  to be inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal  115  without damaging the in-ear utility device  101  or causing injury to the user&#39;s ear  105 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic component package  113  includes a speaker  108  at its proximal end  107 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The seal  114  reduces the size available for the electronic component package  113 . Thus, the specific components in the electronic component package  113  may need to be carefully selected for small size, in addition to other characteristics, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIGS. 1A-1B  illustrate an in-ear utility device  101  inserted into a human ear  105 . Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  101  may be configured for non-human ears, such as other primates, other mammals, and even non-mammalian species. Components of the electronics component package and the elastic body would be sized accordingly in these embodiments of the invention. 
       FIG. 2A  provides a block diagram that illustrates an in-ear utility device  201 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  201  is formed of a body  210  that contains an electronic component package  202 . The specific configuration of the electronic component package  202  may vary from embodiment to embodiment of the in-ear utility device  201 , as discussed, for example, with respect to  FIGS. 2B-11 . In some embodiments, the in-ear utility device  201  may be on the order of about 5 mm. to 5 cm in length. 
     The body  210  may include a deformable seal (e.g., the seal  302  shown in  FIG. 3 ) to allow the in-ear utility device  201  to be inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) without damaging the in-ear utility device  201  or causing harm to the user&#39;s ear (e.g. the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The body  210  may be made in one size, and the covering seal (e.g. the seal  302  shown in  FIG. 3 ) allows the in-ear utility device  201  to conform to a broad range of ear canal anatomies, according to an embodiment of the invention. The seal may have several different sizes, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  201  may be waterproof and worn in many environments, such as during swimming or while bathing. The in-ear utility device  201  may also be worn during sleep without discomfort. This may allow the in-ear utility device  201  to be utilized during many times when conventional sound devices may be uncomfortable, simply not work, or even be dangerous to use. 
     Electronic Component Package 
     The electronic component package  202  may include one or more electronic components such as a microphone  203 , a wireless communications module (e.g., transceiver)  204 , an amplifier  205 , a battery  213 , a processor  207 , a speaker  208 , a voice recognition chip  214 , a Hall Effect sensor  219 , and a data storage component  209 , various sensors  206   a - 206   z , according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic component package  202  may include multiple copies of the same components, e.g., two microphones, either for backup purposes or to provide expanded capabilities. The individual components in the electronic component package  202  may be electrically coupled and/or wired as needed to provide conventional functionality for such components in a manner known to ordinarily skilled artisans, except when noted herein. 
     The small form factor for the in-ear utility device  201  typically requires the application of the smaller electronic components than the components typically found in other head-mounted devices, such as Bluetooth devices, according to an embodiment of the invention. The circuit connecting the electronic components suggests the application of flexible circuitry. Flexible electronics, also known as flex circuits, provide a means for assembling electronic circuits by mounting electronic devices on flexible plastic substrates, such as polyimide, PEEK, or transparent conductive polyester film. Additionally, flex circuits can be screen printed silver circuits on polyester. Flexible electronic assemblies may be manufactured using identical components used for more rigid printed circuit boards, allowing the board to conform to a desired shape, and/or to flex during its use. 
     Many types of electronic components may be employed in the in-ear utility device  201 , as discussed above. For example, in various embodiments, the in-ear utility device may include microelectronics, nanoelectronics, micro-circuitry, nano-circuitry and combinations thereof. 
     Microphone and Speaker 
     The microphone  203  may communicate with the speaker  208 . The microphone  203  may be in electronic and/or mechanical communication with the speaker  208 . Sound/vibrations picked up by the microphone  203  may be transmitted to the speaker  208 . In some embodiments, the sound/vibrations picked up may be amplified via the amplifier  205  and transmitted to the speaker  208 . In various embodiments, the amplifier  205  may include a digital signal processor (DSP)  212 . In various embodiments of the invention, the DSP  212  may perform (or assist in) a number of functions, such as noise cancellation and speech recognition. The DSP  212  need not be co-located with the amplifier  205 , according to embodiments of the invention. 
     The microphone  203  may be a significantly stronger microphone than typically found in hear aid devices. For example, the microphone may operate in the range of 80 Hz to 5000 KHz, a range not typically found in hearing aids. The microphone  203  at this range detects sounds at a much lower decibel range than the typical hearing aid and essentially detects a whole spectrum of human hearing, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Because the processor  207  and the microphone  203  may be more powerful than similar components found in hearing aids, the in-ear utility device  201  may need to remove white noise generated by the processor  207 , especially given the more powerful microphone  203  while noise removal can be accomplished by means of an appropriate audio filter. 
     A typical hearing aid microphone also operates at a comparatively low voltage such as 1.2V in comparison to the more powerful microphone  203  that operates at 3.5 to 5V. Thus, the circuitry inside the in-ear utility device  201  also needs to filter out white noise generated by its powerful electrical components, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The speaker  208  may be a significantly smaller speaker than typically found in Bluetooth devices. This smaller speaker  208  in combination with the smaller form factor of the body  210  allows the in-ear utility device  201  to penetrate farther into the user&#39;s ear canal than a Bluetooth device. 
     The microphone  203  does not need to communicate with the speaker  208 , exclusively, or at all in various embodiments of the invention. The microphone  203  may be employed for tasks not directly connected with the speaker  208  and vice versa. In an embodiment of the invention, the microphone  203  communicates sounds to the processor  207 , the DSP  212 , and/or the voice recognition chip  214 , and/or other apparatus to determine the type of environment that the user is located in (e.g., dense urban area, barren wilderness, etc.) and allow the processor  207  to make an appropriate action, depending on the task(s) set for the in-ear utility device  201 . 
     The speaker  208  typically resides closer to the user&#39;s eardrum (e.g., the eardrum  104  shown in  FIG. 1A ) than the microphone  203  during operation. As shown in  FIG. 1A , the speaker  108  is disposed at the proximal tip  107  of the body of the in-ear utility device  101  while the microphone  110  is disposed in the distal portion  111  of the in-ear utility device  101 . The microphone  203  may be external to the ear, or closer to ear canal opening. 
     In some embodiments, the distance between the speaker  208  and the microphone  203  may range between from 5 mm to 5 cm. As a general matter, the greater the distance between the microphone  203  and the speaker  208 , the lower likelihood of feedback between the microphone  203  and the speaker  208 . The speaker  208  and the microphone  203  may be placed closer together if feedback between the components can be nullified or compensated for, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     However, in some embodiments, the dimensions of the in-ear utility device  201  and/or the distance between the microphone  203  and the speaker  208  might be smaller and/or larger than the dimensions/distances provided above. For example, an embodiment of the invention may be prepared for users wearing helmets (e.g., as police officers, soldiers, football players, motorcyclists, and/or bicyclists). Similarly, an embodiment of the in-ear utility device  201  made for security personnel, hunters, etc. might be extended in size to accommodate additional microphones, or higher fidelity microphones, and/or enhanced communications equipment. 
     In embodiments, audio input to the speaker  208  may come from the wireless communications module  204 , such as when the wireless communications module  204  is configured for Bluetooth® communications. Additionally, audio input to the speaker  208  may come from the data storage component  209  of the in-ear utility device  201 . For example, playing stored music or instructions. These configurations may also include inputs from the microphone  203  but could occur without a microphone being included in the device. 
     Processor and Data Storage 
     In some embodiments, the in-ear utility device  201  includes a processor  207  which may be integral with the electronic component package  202  or operate under the control of a remote computing device (e.g., a mobile computing device) sending instructions via the communications module  204 . 
     The processor  207  in the in-ear utility device  201  may access data and/or execute software applications  211 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The data and software applications  211  may be stored in the data storage component  209  and/or delivered to the processor  207  via the communications module  204  from a remote storage device located away from the in-ear utility device  201 . For example, the processor  207  might execute a software application that resides on a mobile phone linked to the in-ear utility device  201 . A skilled artisan will appreciate that many software applications known in the art may be utilized by the processor  207 . A variety of different data and software applications herein have been labeled  211 , as an indication that the data and/or software applications are stored in the data storage component  209 . 
     For example, the processor  207  may be configured with processor-executable instructions  211  to perform operations to distinguish meaningful sound, such as speech, from ambient noise. Such instructions may perform operations for receiving sound signals from the microphone  203 , determining whether the sound signals represent meaningful sound, according to various criteria stored in the data storage component  209 , providing the sounds to the speaker  208  when the sound signals represent meaningful sound, and filtering the sounds from the speaker  208  when the sound signals do not represent meaningful sound. Such instructions  211  for a speech detection program may be present in the data storage component  209  of the in-ear utility device  201  or a coupled external computing device. 
     The processor  207  may comprise a CPU, or a like computing device, or may alternatively comprise a simple circuit that directs the operations of the various components in the electronic component package  202 , according to an embodiment of the invention. In embodiments in which the processor  207  comprises a simple control circuit, the other components in the electronic component package  202  may also be simple and/or few in number, e.g., just a battery  213 , a data storage component  209 , and a speaker  208 , in addition to the processor  207 . 
     In some embodiments, the processor  207  may be a significantly more powerful computing device than conventionally found in hearing aids. For example, the processor  207  might be a CSR8670 chip. CSR8670 is an audio system-on-chip (SoC) solution with wireless connectivity, embedded flash memory and integrated capacitive touch sensors. The CSR8670 includes noise cancellation and voice recognition capabilities. Thus, in some embodiments of the invention, the processor  207  may include some of the other components shown in  FIG. 2A . In contrast, the typical completely-in-ear-canal (CIC) hearing aid (e.g., a hearing aid in the ear canal rather than behind the ear) uses an SB3229-E1 chip or similar processing chip, which has a slower speed and a smaller feature set than the processor  207 . The processor  207  may require higher power than the typical hearing aid processor. The CSR8670 chip requires between 4V to 2.8V. The SB3229-E1 chip operates at much lower voltage, e.g., 1.2V. The CSR8670 chip operates at 20-34 milliamps while the SB3229-E1 chip operates in the micro-amps range. Thus, placing the processor  207  into the body  210  may require careful adjustment in order to operate properly, according to an embodiment of the invention. The filtering of white noise, for example, has already been mentioned. 
     The data storage component  209  may comprise a non-transitory memory, such as RAM, flash, ROM, hard drive, solid state, drive, optical media and the like. The data storage component  209  may include various types of data, such as media, music, software, and the like. The data storage component  209  may have a variety of sizes, e.g., 1 to 4 gigabytes, according to an embodiment of the invention. In-the-ear-canal (CIC) hearing aids, by comparison, typically have much smaller size memories. Integrating the data storage component  209  into the in-ear utility device  201  requires care to make sure that components function properly in the small form factor. 
     Wireless Communication Module 
     The wireless communications module  204  can be implemented using a combination of hardware (e.g., driver circuits, antennas, transceivers, modulators/demodulators, encoders/decoders, and other analog and/or digital signal processing circuits) and software components. Multiple different wireless communication protocols and associated hardware can be incorporated into the wireless communications module  204 . 
     The wireless communications module  204  includes structural and functional components known in the art to facilitate wireless communication with another computing device or a remote network. The wireless communications module  204  can include RF transceiver components such as an antenna and supporting circuitry to enable data communication over a wireless medium, e.g., using Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family standards), Bluetooth® (a family of standards promulgated by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.), or other protocols for wireless data communication. In some embodiments, the wireless communications module  204  can implement a short-range sensor (e.g., Bluetooth, BLE or ultra-wide band). 
     In some embodiments, the wireless communications module  204  can provide near-field communication (“NFC”) capability, e.g., implementing the ISO/IEC 18092 standards or the like. NFC can support wireless data exchange between devices over a very short range (e.g., 20 centimeters or less). NFC typically involves a near field magnetic induction communication system that provides a short range wireless physical layer that communicates by coupling a tight, low-power, non-propagating magnetic field between devices. In such embodiments, the wireless communication module  204  may include a transmitter coil in the in-ear utility device  201  to modulate a magnetic field which is measured by means of a receiver coil in another device, e.g., another in-ear utility device or a smartphone. In some embodiments, the wireless communications module  204  can have an ultrasound transducer function, receiving ultrasound data communications and translating them into an electronic signal. Ultrasound communications may offer lower power than some other modes of wireless communications. The wireless communications module  204  may also be capable of translating an electronic signal into an ultrasound signal for transmission to another device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the in-ear utility device  201  can communicate bi-directionally via a network. In such embodiments, the wireless communications module  204  may comprise a Bluetooth® digital wireless protocol such that the in-ear utility device  201  may communicate with a remote computing device. Bluetooth® technology provides a low-cost communication link. The Bluetooth® transceiver in an embodiment of the wireless communications module  204  may be configured to establish a wireless data link with a suitably equipped mobile computing device and/or another in-ear utility device. 
     In an embodiment, the wireless communications module  204  of the in-ear utility device  201  may operate in conjunction with another in-ear utility device (e.g. one in-ear utility device in a left ear and another in-ear utility device in a right ear), while in another embodiment an in-ear utility device  201  may operate independently. In yet another embodiment, at least one in-ear utility device  201  may operate in conjunction with a mobile computing device. 
     As shown further in  FIG. 10 , the in-ear utility device  201  may operate as a walkie-talkie device communicating with another in-ear utility device operating in another ear of the user, with another device associated with the user, with another in-ear utility device associated with another user, and/or with a third-party device. In some embodiments, a user of the in-ear utility device  201  might be able to communicate with another in-ear utility device user using little more than just a whisper and at great distances. 
     The in-ear utility device  201  may also include functionality (e.g., the wireless communication module  204 ) to communicate bi-directionally via a long-range wireless network. In one embodiment, the long-range wireless network includes a cellular network. In another embodiment, the long-range wireless network includes a multimedia communications 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, Japan Digital Cellular (JDC), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Code Division Multiple Access-2000 (cdma2000), and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephony (DECT). 
     The wireless communications module  204  may be 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 “remote computing device” or “mobile computing device” refers to anyone or all of cellular telephones, tablet computers, phablet computers, personal data assistants (PDAs), palm-top computers, notebook computers, laptop computers, personal computers, wireless electronic mail receivers and cellular telephone receivers (e.g., the Blackberry® and Treo® devices), multimedia Internet enabled cellular telephones (e.g., Blackberry Storm®), multimedia enabled smart phones (e.g., Android® and Apple iPhone®), and similar electronic devices that include a programmable processor, memory, a communication transceiver, and a display. 
     Sensors and Sensor Arrays 
     In embodiments, the in-ear utility device  201  may include one or more sensors  206   a - 206   z  configured to detect and/or measure various phenomena. In one embodiment, the in-ear utility device  201  may include one or more sensors  206   a - 206   z  configured to detect a physiological parameter of the user. Physiological parameters detected or measured by the sensors  206   a - 206   z  may include body temperature, pulse, heart rate, VO 2  Max (also known as maximal oxygen consumption), pulse oximetry data, respiratory rate, respiratory volume, maximum oxygen consumption, cardiac efficiency, heart rate variability, metabolic rate, blood pressure, EEG data, galvanic skin response data, and/or EKG/ECG. Thus, the sensors  206   a - 206   z  may detect, for example, the ambient temperature, humidity, motion, GPS/location, pressure, altitude and blood analytes such as glucose of the user of the in-ear utility device  201 . 
     In an embodiment, the in-ear utility device  201  may include one or more sensors  206   a - 206   z  configured to detect the location or motion of the user, such as, for example an accelerometer, a GPS sensor, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and/or radiometer. In an embodiment, the in-ear utility device  201  may include a voice sensor  206   a  coupled to the microphone  203 . 
     Specific sensor  206   a - 206   z  configurations may vary across embodiments of the in-ear utility device  201 , e.g., one embodiment might 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. The pulse sensor could be configured to reside on the in-ear utility device  201  in a position inside the user&#39;s ear canal and provide its readings to the processor  207 . The pulse measurements could serve a variety of functions, including as input to a program for determining driver alertness, as discussed below. 
     The various sensor configurations may be configured to work together to measure various phenomena that may be used to trigger a particular action and/or the sensors may operate independently to trigger a variety of actions. Operations of the sensors  206   a - 206   z  may be aided by the processor  207  and processing instructions  211  stored in the data storage component  209  and/or instructions retrieved from a remote data source via the wireless communications module  204 . 
     The in-ear utility device  201  may be configured to have an array of sensors  206   a - 206   z  configured to collect data. The data collected by the sensors  206   a - 206   z  may be data related to the user (e.g., biological data) and/or the user&#39;s environment (e.g., temperature, elevation, ambient noise). Such embodiments of the invention do not necessarily need to include sound processing devices (e.g., a microphone, a speaker, and/or an amplifier). The collected data may be processed by the processor  207  to provide services of use to the user and/or may be transmitted to a device external to the in-ear utility device  201 . 
     Sensors for the in-ear utility device  201  may be provided in packages that include extra capacitors and extra insulators for a variety of health and safety reasons, according to an embodiment of invention. The sensors for the in-ear utility device  201  are typically intended for long-term in-the-ear usage, according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, the sensor packages in the in-ear utility device  201  may be configured such that if a given sensor shorts, the external temperature of the in-ear utility device  201  will not rise appreciably and the user will not receive a short, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Equipment Operator Alertness Sensor Array 
     The sensor(s)  206   a - 206   z  might include an accelerometer  206   a  configured to determine if an equipment operator (e.g., a car driver, a truck driver, a locomotive engineer, an airplane pilot, and/or a sea captain) or someone having a critical need for alertness (e.g., a security guard, a policeman, a surgeon, etc.) is sufficiently or appropriately alert to perform their assigned task. 
     For example, assume that a driver wearing the in-ear utility device  201  has fallen asleep while driving and/or is inappropriately alert (e.g., the driver&#39;s head is bobbing up and down), the accelerometer can send an appropriate signal to the processor  207  that executes a safety program  211 . The accelerometer  206   a  may, for example, be configured to measure movement of the user&#39;s head position (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2C ), and the processor  207  can use these measurements to determine the operator&#39;s alertness. Based on the signal from the accelerometer  206   a  and instructions/data in the safety program  211  (e.g., an alertness application), the processor  207  may determine to take an appropriate remedial action (e.g., sound a warning through the speaker  208 ). An in-ear utility device  201  could be configured solely for this function (e.g., no music playing capabilities). Such an embodiment of the invention does not necessarily require an amplifier and/or a microphone. Alternatively, the in-ear utility device  201  could be configured to perform a variety of functions. 
     The safety program  211  could be designed in a number of ways and many existing operator safety programs already exist. The safety program  211  could, for example, receive sensor inputs in addition to the accelerometer input and integrate the results to form an accurate assessment of the operator&#39;s overall alertness state. The safety program  211  could also measure the frequency with which the accelerometer  206   a  reports the driver&#39;s head bobbing up and down. If the driver&#39;s head bobs up and down X times per minute for some number of minutes, the driver could be warned and/or an alarm could be sounded, and/or a third party could be alerted, and/or the vehicle could park itself, assuming the vehicle had capabilities for self-parking or some other stand-down mode. 
     The processor  207  might also use the wireless communication module  204  to send relevant data to another device about the alertness state of the driver wearing the in-ear utility device  201 . So, for example, the wireless communication module  204  might send driver alertness data (and/or alarm states) to a wireless computing device associated with the vehicle controlled by the wearer of the in-ear utility device  201 . Depending on the capabilities of the vehicle, the vehicle might opt to engage its own safety program, such as taking control of the vehicle away from the driver and then parking the vehicle by the side of the road. The processor  207  may send the driver data to a remote location (e.g., a trucking company&#39;s offices and/or an insurance companies offices) for remote data processing (e.g., tracking which drivers from a fleet of drivers have the greatest tendencies for nodding off while driving). 
     The sensors  206   a - 206   z  may also include sensors that can assist the processor  207  determine who is wearing the in-ear utility device  201 . So, for example, the data repository  209  might include biometric data  211  related to the user of the in-ear utility device  201 . If the processor  207  has determined that the user of the in-ear utility device  201  is operating heavy equipment, for example, then the sensors  206   a - 206   z , including the accelerometer, may be configured to track various actions and alertness states of the user. The in-ear utility device  201  may use the communication module  204  to communicate driver information with another device (e.g., the vehicle and/or a nearby smartphone) and then prevent the user from hearing certain things while operating the vehicle. So, for example the vehicle&#39;s own safety program might prevent the user from hearing Facebook posts while operating the vehicle. The safety program might be configured to prevent everything but emergency messages from reaching the user of the in-ear utility device  201  while the vehicle is in operation and controlled by the user. 
     The accelerometer may also be used to determine if the user of the in-ear utility device  201  has suffered a strong shock and/or fallen down. When the processor  207  receives a signal from the accelerometer that matches a pattern for a shock (e.g., fall pattern data  211  stored in the data storage component  209 ), then the processor  207  may take an appropriate action. So, for example, the processor  207  might instruct the playing of a safety check audio file  211  stored in the data storage component  209  through the microphone  208 . The processor  207  might also instruct that the fall condition be transmitted to a distant device (e.g., one operated by a security or health-monitoring company) via the communications module  204 . 
     Sensor for Turning In-Ear Utility Device On/Off 
     The in-ear utility device  201  may include a Hall Effect sensor  219  that is configured to determine if the in-ear utility device  201  has been inserted into a charging case (e.g., the charging case  1200  shown in  FIG. 12A ), and if so, then the processor  207  turns off the in-ear utility device  201  (e.g., the Hall Effect sensor  219  acts as a switch), according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The Hall Effect sensor  219  includes a transducer that varies its output voltage in response to a magnetic field. The Hall Effect sensor  219  can provide proximity switching, positioning, current sensing applications for the in-ear utility device  201  in connection with a charging case or charging station for the in-ear utility device  201 . The Hall Effect sensor  219  can be used to provide a means for recharging the in-ear utility device  201  without the in-ear utility device  201  necessarily needing to have a physical on/off switch, and by shutting down the in-ear utility device  201  provides a means for faster recharging of the battery  213  by the charging case or charging station, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The Hall Effect sensor  219  may be configured to detect the magnetic field of the charging case or charging station as the in-ear utility device  201  is being placed into the recharging device. So, for example, the Hall Effect sensor  219  may detect the charging case at a distance of one-half inch (12.7 mm.), and the processor  207  may direct electronic components of the in-ear utility device  201  to shut down, according to an embodiment of the invention. An embodiment of a charging case is shown in  FIGS. 12A-12D . 
     The Hall Effect sensor  219  also allows the in-ear utility device  201  to have a smaller and more stream-lined form factor than might otherwise be the case—in addition to providing a more efficient means for recharging the battery  213 . Hall Effect sensors are not conventionally found in Bluetooth devices or in hearing aids. The process of using the Hall Effect sensor  219  to turn off the in-ear utility device  201  may be reversed when the in-ear utility device  201  is removed from the charging case, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Alarm, Notification, and Verification Functions 
     In another embodiment, the in-ear utility device  201  may provide various alarm and notification functions. For example, the in-ear utility device  201  may be utilized as an alarm clock. This functionality could be provided by the processor  207  and/or the processor  207  coupled with the data storage device  209  and/or the processor  207  coupled with the communications module  204  and a third device (e.g., a mobile phone). An ordinary artisan should know how to make the processor  207  provide an alarm function. In addition, the processor  207  in conjunction, for example, with data  211  stored in the data storage component  209  may provide a calendar function, a timer function, a stopwatch function, and/or a reminder function. Similarly, the processor  207  in combination with data  211  from the data storage component  209  combined with data from various sensors  206   a - 206   z  may provide various alarm and/or warning functions, e.g., a heart attack warning or a high blood pressure warning. Likewise, in conjunction with the communications module  204 , the sensors  206   a - 206   z  could provide various alarms to various third parties remote from the in-ear utility device  201 . For example, if the in-ear utility device  201  was equipped with one or more accelerometers  206   a , then a third party could be automatically notified of an event such as a car crash, a bicycle crash, and/or a fall. 
     The in-ear utility device  201  can also be configured to provide various forms of authentication. Authentication may be provided in a number of ways, including but not limited to application of voice recognition processes known in the art. For example, the microphone  203  in combination with the DSP  212 , the processor  207 , and the data storage component  209  using voice data  211  can provide authentication of the authorized user(s) of the in-ear utility device  201 . The user could provide a voice sample detected by the microphone  203  that is provided to the processor  207  that then retrieves the voice data  211  and compares the voice sample against the voice data  211 . The processor  207  (possibly in conjunction with the DSP  212 ) analyzes the received voice sample and determines if the current user&#39;s voice matches the voice data  211 . This electrical component combination could be used to determine when the in-ear utility device  201  has been stolen or otherwise being operated by an unauthorized person. As mentioned above, the processor  207  could be a simple control circuit configured for the authentication function rather than a processor chip configured to control the authentication function. The authentication function could also be used to verify the user before delivering sensitive information through the speaker  208 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, authentication may be performed outside the in-ear utility device  201  via an external device such as a smartphone. In such an embodiment, the authentication function for the in-ear utility device  201  comprises the microphone  203  and the communications module  204  to perform the authentication function in a manner similar to the process described above for an organic authentication function. 
     User Interface for In-Ear Utility Device 
     Sensors, and combinations of sensors  206   a - 206   z , may also be used to provide a user interface function for the in-ear utility device  201 . For example, an accelerometer  206   a  (or a G-force sensor) might activate when a user moves or taps his/her hand (or by the user shaking his/her head while wearing an ear-borne accelerometer in the in-ear utility device) in a predetermined manner (e.g., taps of a certain force or intensity within a certain time frame or head nods of certain characteristics) that can be sensed by the accelerometer sensor  206   a . Such an action could trigger the accelerometer sensor  206   a  such that additional commands might be received through additional actions such as further tapping or by head shaking. 
     For example, a user might tap his/her jaw, ear, check, neck, or another pre-designated location (e.g., via a predesignated single tap, double tap, or triple tap). This tapping action could trigger the accelerometer sensor  206   a  such that additional commands could also be received through additional taps. So, for example, once the G-force sensor  206   a  has been activated, then two more taps might activate a music player (e.g., the music player described in  FIG. 8 ) or cause a music selection to be forwarded by some number of seconds. The taps detected by the accelerometer  206   a  could be delivered to the processor  207  that may retrieve additional data  211  from the data storage component  209 . The user&#39;s selection could be confirmed by appropriate auditory confirmation (e.g., confirmatory audio message) delivered through the speaker  208 . The processor  207  could retrieve an appropriate confirmatory audio message  211  from the data storage component  209  and deliver it to the speaker  208 . Choices made by the user as well as possible command selections could be confirmed (e.g., spoken) to the user via the speaker  208  through the use of one or more confirmatory audio messages. Similar sensor configurations  206   a - 206   z  could also be used for user input functions, such as accelerometers, pulse rate, and temperature sensors. 
       FIG. 2B  provides a diagram  220  that shows a shock (of a certain intensity) provided by a first tap  221  and the shock (of a similar intensity) provided by a second tap  223  as measured by an accelerometer sensor  206   a  in an in-ear sound device  201 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 2B , the taps  221 ,  223  have a tap intensity and a time duration within the predetermined range for a tap command recognizable by the in-ear utility device  201  and also include a predetermined quiet period between the taps  221 ,  223 , according to an embodiment. The tap time duration and the quiet period represent a predetermined command convention established by the in-ear utility device  201  for recognizing taps as commands and not ignoring them as being merely random shocks. (Of course, the accelerometer  206   a  might record all shocks and report them to the processor  207  for another purpose.) 
     The accelerometer sensor  206   a  passes its data to the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A , and the processor  207  compares the received data against relevant command data  211  (e.g., a predetermined pattern) stored in the data storage component  209 . If the taps  221 ,  223  match an appropriate predetermined pattern (e.g., a pattern for predetermined action command or predetermined on/off command), then the processor  207  engages an appropriate action (e.g., sends an action signal), such as turning on/off the in-ear utility device  201  and/or performing another task (e.g., a predetermined action command). For example, a representative tap sequence could perform an audio profile selection command that causes the processor  207  to select a given audio profile from the data storage component  209 , such as the audio profiles discussed herein. In some embodiments of the invention, the processor  207  may access a confirmatory audio message  211  stored in the data storage component  209  and play the confirmatory audio message through the speaker  208  before engaging any action as a means for determining that the user&#39;s tap and/or head nod command has been properly interpreted by the processor  207 . 
     The accelerometer sensor  206   a  might communicate tap data to the processor  207  using inter-integrated circuit (I2C) communications, according to an embodiment of the invention. I2C is typically a multi-master, multi-slave, single-ended, serial computer bus that is typically used for attaching lower-speed peripheral integrated circuits (e.g., the accelerometer sensor  206   a ) to processors and microcontrollers, such as the processor  207 . Such communications use binary code with a unique address through one programmed input/output (PIO). PIO is a method of transferring data between a CPU (e.g., the processor  207 ) and a peripheral (e.g., the accelerometer  206   a ). Other electric components and sensors  206   a - 206   z  of the in-ear utility device  201  may also use I2C for internal communications, according to an embodiment of invention. 
       FIG. 2C  provides a geometrical representation of tap sensing in which the taps are based on distance/tap events/time frame/coordinate, according to an embodiment of the invention. Tap sensing has functional similarity with a common loop touch-pad or clicking keys of a computer mouse or tapping on a surface at a specific location, according to an embodiment of the invention. A tap event is detected if a pre-defined slope of the acceleration of the least one axis is exceeded. Two different tap events can be distinguished: A “single tap” is a single event within a certain time (e.g., the tap  221  shown in  FIG. 2B ), followed by a certain quiet time. A “double tap” consists of a first such event (e.g., the tap  221 ) followed by a second event within a defined time frame (e.g., the tap  223  shown in  FIG. 2B ). 
     The orientation recognition feature of the accelerometer  206   a  provides information about an orientation change of the accelerometer  206   a  with respect to the gravitational field vector ‘g’, as shown in  FIG. 2C . The measured acceleration vector components with respect to the gravitational field are defined as shown in  FIG. 2C . Therefore, the magnitudes of the acceleration vectors may be calculated as follows:
 
acc_ x= 1 g×sin θ×cos φ
 
acc_ y=− 1 g×sin θ×sin φ
 
acc_ z= 1 g×cos θ
 
acc_ y /acc_ x =−tan φ
 
     Depending on the magnitudes of the acceleration vectors the orientation of the in-ear utility device  201  in space is determined and stored in an orientation vector. For example, there may be three orientation calculation modes with different thresholds for switching between different orientations: symmetrical, high-asymmetrical, and low-asymmetrical. Additional operational characteristics for the accelerometer  206   a  may be found in manuals, such as BMA222E, Digital, Triaxial Acceleration Sensor for the Bosch Sensortec manufactured by Bosch, which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, in the tap sensor user interface, the accelerometer sensor  206   a  sends the processor  207  a communication sequence at periodic intervals that contain received tap data. In other embodiments of the invention, the tap sensor user interface may be driven by tap events, e.g., the accelerometer communicates nothing until a tap occurs. 
     A user interface for the electronic component package  202  shown in  FIG. 2A , including the sensors  206   a - 206   z , could also be provided to the user via the wireless communications module  204  and an external device, such as a mobile phone or a computer, according to an embodiment of the invention. A voice command user interface could also be provided via the microphone  203  and the processor  207 , according to an embodiment of the invention. A voice command user interface could also be provided via the voice recognition chip  214  applied in combination with the microphone  203  with additional data  211  from the data storage component  209  and the processor  207 , as well as hybrid user interfaces that combine the tap user interface discussed above with a user interface hosted on a visual device, such as a smartphone. An ordinary artisan should understand how to configure these various user interfaces. 
     The user interface could be provided on a remote device (e.g., a smartphone) with a subset of commands provided by an audio interface in the in-ear utility device  201 . So, for example, commands such as “fast forward” in a music playing apparatus could be engaged through the tap user interface with more complicated tasks, such as music genre selection, coming from a graphical user interface on a remote device (e.g., a smartphone). 
     On/Off Sensor Array for In-Ear Utility Device 
       FIG. 2D  illustrates a first humidity sensor  261  and a second humidity sensor  266  that provides a means for turning on/off an in-ear utility device  263  and/or turning on/off components of the in-ear utility device using relative changes in humidity between the two humidity sensors  261 ,  266 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The two sensors  261 ,  266  (e.g., the sensors  206   a - 206   b  shown in  FIG. 2A ) operate in conjunction with the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A . The in-ear utility device  263  may be identical to the in-ear utility device  201 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The ear canal  264  typically has a different humidity than the ambient humidity outside the ear  267 . The ear canal  264  is typically more humid and warmer than the ambient environment outside the ear, but in any event, the two humidities typically differ. Thus, when the humidity in a user&#39;s ear canal  264  differs from the humidity outside the ear  267 , then the processor  207  can conclude that the user is wearing the in-ear utility device  263  (e.g., that the in-ear utility device  263  is donned or worn). Similarly, when the humidity in a user&#39;s ear canal  264  matches the humidity outside the ear  267 , then the processor  207  can conclude that the user is not wearing the in-ear utility device  263  (e.g., that the in-ear utility device  263  is not worn or doffed). So, for example, assume that the data threshold trigger for the humidity sensors  261 ,  266  occurs within the range of a 30% congruence in humidity as measured by the sensors  261 ,  266 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     When the processor  207  receives an indication (e.g., based on receipt of the humidity data from the humidity sensors  261 ,  266 ) that the humidity readings have changed to levels indicating that the in-ear utility device  261  has been removed from the ear, then the processor  207  engages an appropriate action; e.g. the in-ear utility device  261  shuts down, or particular components of the in-ear utility device shut down, and/or the in-ear utility device  261  switches to a lower energy state, and/or the in-ear utility device  261  attempts to confirm with the user (e.g., via the speaker  208 ) that the in-ear utility device  261  is no longer in the ear, according to an embodiment of the invention. When the in-ear utility device  263  is turned off, then the battery  213  could still provide minimal power to the humidity sensor  266  and the humidity sensor  261  and the processor  207 . If the humidity sensor  266  and/or the humidity sensor  261  detect changes in humidity indicative of the in-ear utility device  263  being put in the user&#39;s ear canal  264 , then the processor  207  can take an appropriate action, e.g., directing the battery to provide power to more components of the in-ear utility device  263 . 
       FIG. 2E  illustrates a sensor array  231  that provides an alternative means for turning an in-ear utility device on/off using relative changes in temperature and humidity, according to an embodiment of the invention. The sensor array  231  comprises two sensors (e.g., the sensors  206   a - 206   b  shown in  FIG. 2A ) that operate in conjunction with the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A . 
     The sensor array  231  comprises a temperature sensor  235  and a humidity sensor  236 . The humidity sensor  236  includes a sensor window  237  that samples environmental humidity (e.g., humidity in the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The temperature sensor  235  and the humidity sensor  236  employ I2C data communications (discussed above) to communicate temperature and humidity data to the in-ear utility device processor (e.g., the processor  207 ), according to an embodiment of the invention. The sensors  235 ,  236  may also use PIO to communicate data to the processor. 
     The human ear is generally more humid and warmer than the typical ambient environment outside the ear. Thus, a positive change in temperature and humidity on a relative scale provides an indication that the in-ear utility device  261  has gone from not being worn to be worn by a user. Similarly, the reverse indicates that the user has removed the in-ear utility device  261 . So, for example, assume that the data threshold triggers for the temperature chip  235  and the humidity sensor  236  are within the range of a 30% to 70% change in humidity or temperature, according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed and shown in  FIG. 2D , a similar on/off function can be constructed using two humidity sensors at different locations rather than a paired temperature and humidity sensor, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The temperature chip  235  can be configured to monitor the user&#39;s body temperature. The temperature chip  235  resides inside the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1 ). A typical human&#39;s ear canal may include a variety of temperatures, depending on how close to the tympanic membrane (e.g., the tympanic membrane  104  shown in  FIG. 1A ), with temperatures near the tympanic membrane typically warmer than temperatures at the outer end of the ear canal. Near the tympanic membrane the temperature may be 99 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) while in the middle of the ear canal temperatures may be range from 95-98 degrees Fahrenheit (34-36 degrees Celsius) while at the outer end of the canal may range in temperatures from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (16 to 32 Celsius). 
     When the processor  207  receives an indication that the temperature has changed to levels indicating that the user of the in-ear utility device  261  has a temperature beyond normal measures (e.g. a fever), then the processor  207  engages an appropriate action; e.g. the in-ear utility device  261  sends an audio message  211  (retrieved from the data storage component  209 ) through the speaker  208  to the user, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  261  could also send temperature data to an external device via the communications module  204 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Thus, the temperature chip  235  essentially provides a fixed thermometer in the user&#39;s ear canal and could essentially serve as a first warning to the user of an ill health condition (e.g., becoming too hot while exercising and/or having a fever due to a cold). 
       FIG. 2F  illustrates how the output from a relative humidity sensor  241  and the output from a temperature sensor  243  can be provided to a processor, such as the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A , according to an embodiment of the invention. Assume, for example, that measurements from the relative humidity sensor  241  and the temperature sensor  243  undergo respective amounts of signal conditioning  246 ,  247  before being combined into a single data stream. 
     Assume further that the relative humidity sensor  241  and the temperature sensor  243  provide their outputs in analog form. Thus, the combined output from the sensors  241 ,  243  passes through an analog-to-digital convertor  245  prior to being provided to a data processing and system control unit  253  (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ), according to an embodiment of the invention. The processor may then provide the data to various subcomponents and/or take an appropriate action based on the data received. As discussed above, on/off function could be configured using humidity sensors placed at different location on the in-ear utility device. In such an embodiment, the inputs shown in  FIG. 2F  for the temperature sensor might likely not be present because the temperature sensor would not be needed. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an in-ear utility device  303  having a flexible seal  302  that covers a portion of the in-ear utility device  303  that is inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B ) during normal use, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Embodiments of the invention provide the in-ear utility device  303  covered, or partially covered, with the seal  302  that is comfortable to wear for a long period of time. The external seal  302  deforms when the in-ear utility device  303  is inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) without damaging the in-ear utility device  303  or causing harm to the user&#39;s ear (e.g., the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The deformable seal  302  cushions the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) from the material of the in-ear utility device&#39;s body  318 . 
     The seals  302  can be produced in bulk eliminating the need for customizing the body  318  of the in-ear utility device  303 . The seal  302  allows the in-ear utility device  303  and its body  318  to be “one size fits all” and conform to a broad range of ear canal anatomies, according to an embodiment of the invention. The seal  302  may be produced in several sizes (e.g., small, medium, larger) to accommodate differences in the size of human ear canals (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The seal  302  may even be produced in more customized sizes (e.g., from a mold or a measurement) due to the variability in human ear canal sizes. 
     The seal  302  needs to be comfortable for the user in order for the user to be able to wear the in-ear utility device  303  for long periods of time. Comfort from the seal  302  comes from making the seal  302  in a size that fits well into the user&#39;s ear canal. Comfort for the seal  302  also comes from making the seals from a flexible and soft material. 
     The seal  302  can be fabricated from many resilient polymeric materials known in the art, according to an embodiment of the invention. There are many known resilient polymeric materials that may be used to form the in-ear utility device  303  and/or its components, such as the seal  302 . For example, natural rubber, neoprene rubber, SBR rubber (styrene block copolymer compounds), silicone rubber, EPDM rubber, polybutadiene rubber, polyvinylchloride elastomers, polyurethane elastomers, ethylene vinyls, acetate elastomers, elastomers based on acrylic acid precursors and vinyhalide polymers may all be generally suitable materials which can be used to provide the necessary softness for the seal  302 . The seal  302  covering the in-ear utility device  303  is formed of a material that has a Shore A Durometer hardness value (by a technique such as ASTM 2240-81) of between 20-30, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The seal  302  allows the portion of the body  318  that rests in the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B ) to be narrower than the ear canal. Thus, the body  318  that contains the electronic component package  313  does not typically touch the user&#39;s ear canal. The presence of the seal  302  protects the user against malfunctions of the electronic component package  313 . So, for example, if the battery (e.g., the battery  213  shown in  FIG. 2A ) happens to develop a short, the user should be protected from shock and heat because of the presence of the seal  302 . The user is protected by the seal  302  in part because many embodiments of the seal  302  are constructed from a non-metallic material (i.e., lower heat transfer and possibly insulating). 
     The electronic component package  313  may include a speaker  309  disposed at the proximal tip  308  of the in-ear utility device  303 . The electronic component package  313  is embedded in the body  318  of the in-ear utility device  303  and includes electronic circuitry configured to perform a variety of tasks and user-engaged functions, including the tasks described in  FIGS. 1-2, 4-11 . 
     The in-ear utility device  303  may also include one or more microphone ports (e.g., the microphone port  512  shown in  FIG. 5A ) to facilitate receipt of sounds into the in-ear utility device  303 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The microphone port  512  is further disclosed in conjunction with  FIGS. 5A-5C . 
     Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  303  have no wires protruding from the body  318  and no external behind-the-ear components. The in-ear utility device  303  may be used by the hearing impaired population as well as the general public. Thus, the in-ear utility device  303  may be used for sound amplification and communication purposes as well as a number of additional purposes as discussed herein. 
     The in-ear utility device  303  may also include a joint  312  that swivels to facilitate insertion of the in-ear utility device  303  in the user&#39;s ear, according to an embodiment of the invention. The joint  312  is described further in  FIGS. 6A-6C . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an in-ear utility device  401  with its deformable seal removed, according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed in  FIG. 3 , the in-ear utility device  302  may include a deformable seal  302  for the portion of the in-ear utility device  303  (e.g., an in-ear portion  418   b  for the in-ear utility device  401 ) that enters the user&#39;s ear. 
     The in-ear utility device  401  comprises an electronic components package  422  that includes a battery  410 , a power booster  411 , a communications module (e.g., transceiver)  412 , a DSP chip  413 , a first microphone  414 , a second microphone  415 , a voice recognition chip  416 , and a noise cancellation chip  417  that provides noise cancellation for the first microphone  414  and/or the second microphone  415 , and a speaker  419 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The first microphone  414  may deliver sound to the speaker  419 . The first microphone  414  may be in electronic and/or mechanical communication with the speaker  419 . Sound/vibrations picked up by the first microphone  414  may be transmitted to the speaker  419  (directly and/or after various forms of signal processing have been applied to improve the quality of the signal). In some embodiments, the sound/vibrations detected by the first microphone  414  may be amplified via an amplifier, such as the amplifier  205  shown in  FIG. 2A , and transmitted to the speaker  419 . In some embodiments, the amplifier operates in conjunction with the digital signal processing (DSP)  413 . 
     The microphones  414 ,  415  can be used for amplification for the hearing impaired. Various embodiments of the in-ear sound device  401  can be configured to determine which sound sources the user and/or an application  211  run by the processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) wants to amplify. If the sounds to be amplified are all sounds in the in-ear utility device&#39;s environment, then it makes sense to amplify the signal from the ambient noise microphone  415 . If the in-ear utility device  401  is configured to amplify the sound from the person(s) to whom the user of the in-ear sound utility device  401  are talking to, then the in-ear utility device  401  would amplify the signal from the voice microphone  414  since it will be more focused on picking up sounds from the direction that the wearer of the in-ear utility device  401  is facing. This process works well regardless of whether the in-ear utility device  401  is trying to perform noise cancellation based on the ambient microphone  415 . The in-ear utility device  401  can have multiple modes for directional amplification such that the in-ear utility device  401  can switch among them depending on the situation. The user of the in-ear utility device  401  may have an actuator that allows the user to switch between modes. The actuator may be engaged by the tap sensor user interface discussed herein and/or by a visual user interface on a host device, according to an embodiment of the invention. The actuator may comprise a user-selectable actuator that could be applied to many embodiments of the invention. 
     In some embodiments of the invention, the distance between the speaker  419  and microphone ports  420  may be at a distance from 15 mm to 5 cm. The distance may need to be adjusted to avoid feedback, depending on the specific components that are used. As a general matter, the greater the distance between the microphone ports  420  and the speaker  419 , the lower likelihood of feedback between the microphone ports  420  and the speaker  419 . 
     The power booster  411  supplies additional electrical potential (e.g., 1.4 volts) in order to boost (or amplify) to a higher voltage (e.g., 3 volts) the voltage provided by the battery  410  to supply power to components of the in-ear utility device  401  that require higher voltage to operate properly, according to an embodiment of the invention. As mentioned, power demands for embodiments of the in-ear utility device operate at higher power than a conventional hearing aid. 
     Voice Recognition and Ambient Sound 
     The first microphone  414  may focus on picking up the voice of the user more strongly than the ambient sound microphone  415  while the second microphone  415  may be focused on detecting ambient sound, according to an embodiment of the invention. One or more voice focused ports for receiving sounds input to the first microphone  414  may reside in a number of locations on the in-ear utility device  401 , such a voice focused port  512  shown in  FIG. 5A . 
     The voice recognition chip  416  may be configured to perform operations to distinguish the user&#39;s voice from ambient noise. The voice recognition chip  416  may receive sound signals from the first microphone  414 , determine whether the sound signals represent the user&#39;s voice, activate the speaker  419  when the sound signals represent meaningful sound, and filter the sounds delivered to the speaker  419  when the sound signals do not represent meaningful sound. 
     The voice recognition chip  416  may receive inputs from the first microphone  414  and/or the second microphone  415 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As an alternative, the in-ear utility device  401  may include a processor, such as the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A  that has been configured to execute a program  211  that performs operations to distinguish meaningful sound from ambient noise. 
     The voice recognition chip  416  (or similar functionality) may be configured to engage a phone call, such as answering an incoming phone call and/or placing a new call, according to an embodiment of the invention. The voice recognition chip  416  may also provide a capability for disengaging a phone call as well. Similarly, the accelerometer sensor  206   a  in conjunction with the tap user interface may be used to provide a capability for engaging/disengaging telephony functions, according to an embodiment of the invention. Telephony functions can also be engaged through an application on a remote device, such as a smartphone, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Noise Cancellation 
     The noise cancellation chip  417  filters unwanted ambient noise prior to filtering the sounds into the first microphone  414  and/or a second microphone  415 . The noise cancellation chip  417  may otherwise operate in a conventional manner. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5A-5C , an in-ear utility device  501  includes microphone input ports  512 ,  514  that take advantage of reflections from various parts of the human ear (e.g., the pinna and the conchae bowl) to ensure that the voice focused microphone (e.g., the first microphone  414 ) has a stronger component of relevant voice sound relative to the ambient noise microphone (e.g., the second microphone  415 ) that itself will have a stronger component of ambient noise. This difference between the two signals can be used by existing signal processing techniques (e.g., using the processor  207  and/or the DSP  413 ) to cancel the ambient noise and thereby optimize the sound quality of the voice data, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     By using multiple microphone types for the first and second microphones  414 ,  415 , such as an omnidirectional microphone and a directional microphone, the in-ear utility device  401  can exploit the spatial diversity of the speech and noise relying on spatial information about relative position of speech of interest and the competing noise. Thereby, subtracting the noise from the noisy speech. Thus, the first microphone  414  may comprise an omnidirectional microphone in some embodiments, and the second microphone  415  may comprise a directional microphone in some embodiments. 
     For embodiments of the invention in which two in-ear utility devices coordinate their efforts (see, e.g.,  FIG. 5C ), each in-ear utility device  401  may have in each ear (e.g., the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ) a directional microphone (e.g., the first microphone  414 ) facing toward the user&#39;s mouth (see, e.g.,  FIGS. 5A-5B ) and an omnidirectional microphone (e.g., the second microphone  415 ) that captures sound from all directions. In such an embodiment, the in-ear utility device  401  may either use the first directional microphone (e.g., the microphone  414 ) to pick up the user&#39;s speech or subtract sound coming from the directional microphone from the omnidirectional microphone (e.g., the second microphone  415 ) and that should give better information about sounds coming from in front of the user. Even though the second microphone  415  is an omnidirectional microphone (capturing sound from 360 degrees), due to the location of the microphone (i.e. at entrance of ear canal), it will still see the pinna effect discussed below. This means that sound coming from behind the user will be attenuated and sound from the user&#39;s front will be amplified. 
     The in-ear utility device  401  may employ conventional noise cancellation techniques that are unrelated to the number of microphones and are based on spectral analysis of the signal and determining which parts of the signal that appears likely to be noise. Conventional noise cancellation processes employ the scientific certainty that a sound wave and its inverse cancel each other out. Conventional software, including available open source software, allows noise cancellations systems to take two copies of an audio clip, invert one of them, generate a third clip by mixing the two together and the third clip will be silent. This is how conventional active noise cancellation methods operate, by carefully blending the voice microphone signal with the inverted ambient noise signal making the appropriate adjustments for amplitude, etc. using various conventional signal processing techniques. These functions may be carried out by the processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) if not dedicated hardware. 
     In performing voice recognition, the in-ear utility device  401  may retain some ambient sound and not filter all of it out before delivering a combined sound signal to the speaker  419 . In other words, the user will likely want to retain some ambient sound for the user to hear in order to be fully aware of his environment. 
     As described further in  FIGS. 5A-5C , many different noise cancellation methods can be employed in the in-ear utility device  401 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Among other things, if the user wears an in-ear utility device  401  in the left ear and another in-ear utility device in the right ear, then the two in-ear utility devices can share audio data collected by their respective microphones and work together to improve voice recognition and/or improve noise cancellation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The electronics components package  422  may include other combinations of electronic components and additional components (as discussed in  FIGS. 1-3, 5-11 ), according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, the in-ear utility device  401  may also include a processor and a memory device such as the processor  207  and the data storage device  209 , shown in  FIG. 2A , and/or including one or more sensors  206   a - 206   z , according to an embodiment of the invention. Among other things, the processor using data and instructions from the data storage device may perform noise cancellation and/or various enhancement techniques. 
     The in-ear utility device  401  may also include a swivel joint (e.g., the swivel joint  603  shown in  FIG. 6 ) that connects an out-of-ear portion  418   a  and the in-ear portion  418   b  allowing the out-of-ear portion  418   a  to have a different orientation than the in-ear portion  418   b , according to an embodiment of the invention. The ability of the out-of-ear portion  418   a  to have a different orientation from the in-the-ear portion  418   b  may aid in fitting the in-ear utility device  401  into the ear of a user (e.g., the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The in-ear utility device  401  may include more swivels than just a single joint  603 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 11 , the in-ear utility device may alternatively comprise a single piece, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 5A-5B , one or more voice focused port(s)  512  may channel detected sounds to a microphone focused on picking up the voice of the user more strongly than the ambient sound (e.g., the first microphone  414  shown in  FIG. 4 ), according to an embodiment of the invention. The voice focused port(s)  512  may reside on a side  509  of a cap end  511  of the in-ear utility device  501 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The side  509  resides on an out-of-ear portion  510   a  of the in-ear utility device  501  that corresponds to out-of-ear portion  418   a  shown in  FIG. 4 . The in-ear utility device  501  is shaped such that when inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal  515  the voice focused port  512  will rest facing outward or forward in alignment with the user&#39;s eyes and mouth, as shown in  FIG. 5B . 
     As previously discussed, in some embodiments the port  512  may be located inside the user&#39;s ear canal  515 .  FIG. 5B  illustrates an in-ear utility device  501  inserted into an ear canal  515 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Voice recognition using the voice focused port  512  takes advantage of the microphone input port location being a fixed distance from the user&#39;s voice when the user is speaking. As shown in  FIG. 5B , a second portion  510   b  of the in-ear utility device  501  (shown here only partially) is inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal  515  during normal operation. The first portion  510   a  of the in-ear utility device  501  having the voice focused port  512  remains outside the user&#39;s ear during operation but fixed in position because of the anchoring of the second portion  510   b  in the user&#39;s ear canal  515 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     A fixed distance from the voice focused port  512  to the user&#39;s mouth  507  is useful because this fixed distance helps in setting the spectral and intensity profile of the user&#39;s voice for voice recognition purposes and therefore easier to pick out the user&#39;s voice from the incoming audio signal. Therefore, the fixed distance can improve the signal-to-noise ratio even in noisy environments. 
     Changing the distance between the microphone input port and the input signal affects the signal-to-noise ratio of the captured sound. Moreover, in a reverberant room, the distance between the speaker and the microphone could also affect the spectrogram of the recorded sound. Therefore, the fact that the in-ear utility device  501  is always recording the user&#39;s voice from a fixed distance makes the speech recognition easier and more accurate. 
     The in-ear utility device  501  shown in  FIG. 5A  has been configured for insertion into a user&#39;s left ear. This orientation means that the voice focused port  512  shown in  FIG. 5A  would face the user&#39;s mouth in normal operation, as shown in  FIG. 5B . Thus, the voice focused port  512  would be appropriate for the in-ear utility device  501   b  shown in  FIG. 5C . 
     The in-ear utility device  501  includes at least one ambient noise port  514 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  501  may even include multiple ambient noise ports  514  (e.g., more than 10 such ports), according to an embodiment of the invention. The ambient noise ports  514  may be disposed around the exterior of the cap end  511  of the in-ear utility device  501  in a 360 degree pattern from the center point  517  of the cap end  511  on the outer surface of the in-ear utility device  501 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Among other things, the ambient noise port(s)  514  can support the voice recognition process by helping cancel out unwanted frequencies in the manner previously discussed. The ambient noise port(s)  514  may provide input to a microphone, such as the second microphone  415  shown in  FIG. 4 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The ambient noise port(s)  514  aid in calibrating the direction of sounds  520   a - 520   c  entering the in-ear utility device  501  via the pinna  513  of the ear  505 . The pinna  513 , or conchae bowl, provides a horn, of sorts, that aids in naturally focusing the sounds  520   a - 520   c . The location of the ambient noise port(s)  514  has been selected to facilitate its operation by advantageously exploiting the natural focusing and amplification provide by the pinna  513 . 
     Due to the placement of the microphone ports  512 ,  514  the signal from the user&#39;s voice is amplified much more than ambient sound, especially given the anatomy of the human ear to which the in-ear utility device makes advantageous use of. The pinna  513  has evolved as a tool for enhancing and amplifying sounds having a pitch that is typical for a human voice while leaving most other frequencies untouched. Moreover, sounds which are coming from the front of the user sound louder than sounds coming behind the user due, in part, to the construction of the ear. Thus, the in-ear sound device  501  has been developed to advantageously apply the natural condition of the ear  505  and the pinna  513 . This gives the in-ear sound device  501  the added benefit that the sound from the user&#39;s voice sound much louder than any sounds coming from behind the user, among other things. 
     Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  501  may employ directional microphones. Thus, the microphone  414  shown in  FIG. 4  and the second microphone  415  shown in  FIG. 4  may be directional microphones. As discussed with regard to the microphone ports  512 ,  514 , one of these ports, the voice focused port  512  is specifically aimed at the user, and the ambient noise port(s)  514  are aimed straight in the vicinity of the speaker. Depending on whether the in-ear utility device  501  wants to focus on the user&#39;s voice or the sounds coming to the user and the user&#39;s environment, the signals from each of the microphones  414 ,  415  can be subtracted from each other, and the signal from the microphone that is of interest can be amplified. 
     The fact that one of the microphone input ports is in the ear canal  515  allows for cues from the pinna  515  which can be applied for front/back localization by the processor (or combination of equipment performing the sound processing functions). Moreover, use of directional microphones may also help in front/back localization of the speaker of interest. In addition, using of the right in-ear utility device  505   a  and the left in-ear utility device  505   b  (discussed in  FIG. 5C ) improves sound localization of right/left differentiation. 
     The microphone ports  512 ,  514  could be placed in a variety of locations on the in-ear utility device  501 . The microphone ports  512 ,  514  could even be located inside the portion of the in-ear utility device  501  that resides in the user&#39;s ear canal  515 . One microphone port, for example, could face inward to the user&#39;s ear canal, which facilitates determining when the user is speaking. The in-ear utility device  501  could even include a bone conduction microphone. In some embodiments of the invention, the ambient noise port(s)  514  could be replaced with a signal port, such as the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 5F-5H . 
     Many different noise cancellation methods can be employed in the in-ear utility device  501 , as discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 4 . Among other things, if the user wears an in-ear utility device  501  in the left ear and another in-ear utility device in the right ear (as shown in  FIG. 5C ), then the two in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  can be configured to work together to improve speech recognition and/or improve noise cancellation, according to an embodiment of the invention. On some occasions, the user of the in-ear utility device  501  may simply want to use the in-ear utility device  501  to cancel all the sound around himself and not hear any speech. 
     For example, left/right sound localization cues in the horizontal are obtained from interaural level differences and interaural time differences between the right ear  501   a  and left ear  501   b , which may be advantageously used by the right in-ear utility device  505   a  and the left in-ear utility device  505   b . Maintaining these cues by applying similar signal processing (e.g., the DSP  212  shown in  FIG. 2A ) on both the right in-ear utility device  505   a  and left in-ear utility device  505   b  help with sound localization of the speaker of interest, e.g., the user of the in-ear utility device. Therefore, results may be improved when the right in-ear utility device  505   a  communicates with the left in-ear utility device  505   b  (e.g., the right in-ear utility device  505   a  transfers external sounds to the left in-ear utility device  505   b ). With improved sound localization of the speaker of interest (e.g., the user of the in-ear utility device), speech understanding and communication may improve, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     When the right in-ear sound device  505   a  communicates (e.g., transfers external sounds) with the left in-ear sound device, binaural beamforming can be conducted to narrow the directional focus of the beam so that anything outside that region is attenuated which improve the signal-to-noise ratio significantly and improves speech recognition, according to an embodiment of the invention. Embodiments of the invention that perform beamforming may include two microphones per in-ear utility device  505   a ,  505   b , two microphones for the right in-ear utility device  505   a  and two microphones for the left in-ear utility device  505   b , and the ports for the microphones may typically be located at some distance away from each other in the in-ear utility device  505   a ,  505   b.    
     Moreover, once the source of the speech of interest is determined (e.g., the user of the in-ear sound device), the in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  can amplify the speech of interest and reduce the surrounding sound for further improvements in speech intelligibility. 
     The in-ear utility device  501  may communicate (e.g., via the communication module  204  shown in  FIG. 2A ) with a counterpart in-ear utility device (e.g., an in-ear utility device  501   b  in the left ear communicating with an in-ear utility device in the right ear  501   a ) to improve overall functionality. For example, the microphone(s) in the left ear in-ear utility device  501   b  may combine received sounds with the microphone(s) in the right ear in-ear utility device  501   a . Inputs from these multiple microphones may improve overall noise cancellation for each in-ear utility device  501   a ,  501   b.    
     Similarly, microphones in either or both of the in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  may be placed in different locations. Placing the microphones in different locations allows different sound signals to be received by the in-ear utility device  501 , and these different signals may facilitate noise cancellation. 
     Using voice profiles (e.g., voice profiles  211  stored in the data storage component  209  shown in  FIG. 2A ), a processor in the in-ear utility device  501  (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) can employ noise cancellation to identify a very specific sound in a haze of noise (e.g., picking a particular person out in a crowd). So, for example, assume a user of the in-ear utility device  501  attends a concert with his/her spouse. Assume further that the in-ear utility device  501  has a voice profile of the spouse. By applying the voice profile for the spouse (e.g., a voice profile  211  stored in the data storage component  209 ), the in-ear utility device&#39;s noise cancellation process can use the voice profile as a filter to cancel sounds not fitting the voice profile and thereby allow the user to hear the spouse&#39;s voice at a greater distance in a noisy crowd than would be the case without the additional processing or with the unaided ear. 
     Voice profiles could take a number of different formats but typically include information regarding the tonality, cadence, and frequency response of the person associated with the voice profile. Creating such profiles are not a part of the invention herein; however, such voice profiles can be created by having a person record a small number of sentences and then analyzing the response to derive the essential characteristics of the person&#39;s voice. Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  501  could obtain and store a large number of voice profiles (e.g., in the storage device  209  shown in  FIG. 2A ). Voice profiles are one representative embodiment of an audio profile, which could be a similar profile for some sound (human, animal, machine, etc.) that is amenable to being used as a filter; thus, the voice profiles discussed herein are representative examples of audio profiles. 
     The enhancement of a speaker&#39;s voice can be performed in a number of ways. For example, from a spectrogram of a speech, the pitch range, intonational pattern, voice quality, dialectal traits of the speaker can be obtained. In other words, the characteristics of the speaker&#39;s voice or voice biometrics can be gleaned. 
     If the data storage component of the in-ear utility device (e.g., the data storage component  209  shown in  FIG. 2A ) has a database of different people&#39;s voice profiles (e.g., based on voice biometrics), then the processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) can identify a particular speaker in a speech sample. Once the speaker of interest is determined, then the incoming sound captured by the in-ear utility device  501  can be filtered by the characteristics of the speaker of interest and that received sound signal can be amplified under the direction of the processor and all other sounds can be filtered or diminished. Using statistical models of speech and noise, once the processor of in-ear utility device  501  knows the temporal and spectral characteristics of speech of interest, the processor can engage the filtering out of all other sounds. 
       FIG. 5C  illustrates a portion of the distal ends of two in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  in a single user&#39;s ears  505   a ,  505   b  in a head  554 , according to an embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 5C  shows the right ear  505  shown in  FIG. 5B  and adds a left ear  505   b.    
     The distal ends of the in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  provide a fixed distance from the user&#39;s mouth  507  since the in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  are anchored in the user&#39;s ear canals. As previously shown in  FIG. 1A  and  FIG. 1B  and  FIGS. 5A-5B , the in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  are placed in the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) during operation and are far less subject to movement once placed in the user&#39;s ears  505   a ,  505   b.    
     Thus, the in-ear utility device  501  essentially resides at a fixed distance from the user&#39;s mouth  507 . The fixed proximity to the user&#39;s mouth  507  coupled with the stability of the fixed distance simplifies calibration of the user&#39;s voice by the processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) and simplifies recognition of the user&#39;s voice. 
     Sounds from the user&#39;s mouth  507  can be focused and amplified by allowing the in-ear utility devices  501   a ,  501   b  to advantageously apply the natural focusing and amplification by the pinna  513   a ,  513   b  of the user&#39;s ears  505   a ,  505   b , as shown in  FIG. 5B , especially the conchae bowl portion of the pinna. Here, sounds from the user&#39;s voice  520   a - 1 ,  520   b - 1 ,  520   c - 1  traveling to the user&#39;s right ear  505   a  can be collected and focused naturally by the pinna  513   a  in the user&#39;s right ear  505   a  before entering a microphone port on the in-ear utility device  501   a . Similarly, sounds from the user&#39;s voice  520   a - 2 ,  520   b - 2 , and  520   c - 2  traveling to the user&#39;s left ear  505   b  can be collected and focused naturally by the pinna  513   b  in the user&#39;s left ear  505   b  before entering a microphone port on the in-ear utility device  501   b.    
       FIG. 5D  illustrates a top-down view of in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  performing binaural beamforming for sounds in front of the head  554  shown in  FIG. 5C , according to an embodiment of the invention. When the in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  perform binaural beamforming, then the in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  will particularly focus on sounds in front of the user&#39;s head  554  and will in particular focus on sounds  550  essentially pointed to by the user&#39;s nose  552 . 
     The in-ear sound device  505   a  and the in-ear sound device  505   b  may be paired with each other, according to an embodiment of the invention. One of the in-ear sound devices may serve as a master device while the other device serves as a slave device. Microphone inputs from the in-ear sound devices  505   a ,  505   b  can be combined (e.g., in the master in-ear sound device) so that signal processing (e.g., using DSP  212  shown in  FIG. 2A ) can be performed on the microphone inputs so as to pick out a specific object (e.g., a person) that the user wants to concentrate on (e.g., via beamforming) and/or to improve signal-to-noise ratio in the combined signal, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     When the right in-ear sound device  505   a  communicates its sound inputs with the left in-ear sound device  505   b , binaural beamforming can be conducted to narrow the directional focus of the beam so that anything outside a region in an arc around the front of the user&#39;s head is attenuated, which improves the signal-to-noise ratio significantly and improves speech recognition, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Embodiments of the invention that perform beamforming may include at least two microphones per in-ear utility device  505   a ,  505   b , e.g., two microphones for the right in-ear utility device  505   a  and two microphones for the left in-ear utility device  505   b.    
     The ports for the microphones may typically be located at some distance away from each other in the in-ear utility device  505   a ,  505   b . For example, the microphone port for ambient sound may be located on the opposite side of the in-ear utility device from the voice focused port, such as the voice focused port  512  shown in  FIG. 5A . In other words, in some embodiments of the invention, an outwardly facing ambient noise port (such as the ambient noise ports  514 ) might be replaced (or supplemented) by an ambient noise port at a location opposed to the voice focused port. 
     In some embodiments, it may be simpler to have two ambient noise ports (e.g., one outwardly facing and one opposed to the voice focused port) and two ambient noise microphones with a controller (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) that simply switches one ambient microphone off and another on, depending on whether the in-ear utility device is performing binaural beamforming or a similar function as opposed to performing a task optimized by an outwardly facing ambient microphone port. Of course, it would also be possible to use a smaller number of microphones and have some sort of physical device that opened and closed the various input ports depending upon their function. 
       FIG. 5E  illustrates an in-ear utility device  560  having two ambient noise microphones  562 ,  564  and two ambient noise microphone ports  561 ,  563  along with a voice focused microphone  566  and a voice focused microphone port  565 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The ambient noise port  561  is on the opposite side of the in-ear utility device  560  from the voice focused microphone port  565 . The ambient noise port  563  can take a number of forms and shapes, including those shown in  FIG. 5A  and  FIG. 5F , and need not be a single port but could be an array of ports as well. 
     The voice-focused microphone port  565  may typically come to rest inside the user&#39;s ear canal  515  at a portion facing the user&#39;s mouth  507  and in a region to benefit from natural amplification provided by the pinna  513  of the user&#39;s ear  505 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The ambient noise port  561  may typically come to rest inside the user&#39;s ear canal  515  at a portion facing away from the user&#39;s mouth  507  and in a region to benefit from natural amplification provided by the pinna  513  of the user&#39;s ear  505 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Instructions for proper placement of the in-ear sound device  560  may be provided to the user via various instructional materials. In addition, the accelerometer sensor  206   a  may be configured to determine the orientation of the ambient noise port  561  and the voice-focused microphone port  565 . For example, the accelerometer sensor  206   a , working with the processor and the speaker (e.g., the processor  207  and the speaker  208  shown in  FIG. 2A ), could signal a beeping sound when the in-ear sound device has an acceptable orientation, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     A control circuit or processor (such as the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) controls which microphones  562 ,  564 ,  566  are operating at any given time, e.g., by turning off the power to these microphones. When the power to a given microphone is turned off, then sounds entering through the microphone&#39;s respective port will be not be amplified and essentially ignored. 
     For example, the processor switches on microphones  562 ,  566  when the in-ear utility device  560  is performing a beamforming function, and the microphone  564  is similarly switched off for this task. Similarly, the processor may switch off microphones  562 ,  566  and switch on microphone  564  if the in-ear utility device is focused on an ambient noise listening task. Likewise, microphones  562 ,  564  may be switched off, and microphone  566  turned on when the in-ear utility device  560  is focused on a voice recognition task, according to an embodiment of the invention. The processor may also switch on microphones  564 ,  566  for certain listening tasks, according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed above, when one of the microphones  562 ,  564 ,  566  is switched off, then sounds entering a respective port  561 ,  563 ,  565  are not processed and essentially ignored. 
     The processor may turn microphones on and off fairly rapidly, allowing the in-ear utility device  560  to perform a number of functions and tasks nearly concurrently, according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, as discussed herein, these various hearing tasks may be controlled by the user via various voice commands received by the in-ear utility device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIGS. 5F-5H  illustrate a 360-degree slit port  524  for the microphone port on a distal end  522  of an in-ear utility device  520 , according to an alternative embodiment of embodiment of the invention. The slit port  524  provides an opening all around the distal end  522  and directs sounds to a microphone (e.g., the first microphone  414  shown in  FIG. 4 ). 
       FIG. 5G  illustrates a cross-section  526  of the distal end  522  of the in-ear utility device  520  showing the slit port  524 , according to an embodiment of the invention. A top portion  532  of the slit port  524  is suspended slightly above a bottom portion  534 . The top portion  532  can be fastened to the bottom portion  534  by a variety of fasteners  536 . The fastener  536  could be a hook, a hinge, a tongue that is glued to connect the top portion  534  to the bottom portion  536 , a piece that is melted, or even formed as an integral piece, etc. 
     The bottom portion  534  can be attached to the body of the in-ear utility device  520  by a number mechanisms, such as a hook  538  that slides into another piece on the in-ear utility device  520 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 5H  illustrates dimensions of the 360-degree slit port  524  on the distal end  522  of the in-ear utility device  520 , according to an embodiment of the invention. A top portion  532  may have a smaller diameter in comparison to the inner diameter of the bottom portion  534  such that the two pieces are separated by a distance  540 . The distance  540  may range from 1.0 to 2.7 millimeters, according to an embodiment of the invention. The top portion  532  may be raised above the bottom portion  534  by a distance  542 . The distance  542  may range from 0.1 to 0.5 millimeters, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIGS. 6A-6C  illustrate a swivel joint  603  in the in-ear utility device  601  that allows the in-ear utility device  601  to pivot from zero (vertical) to negative 30 degrees and from zero to plus 30 degrees. The swivel joint  603  may pivot to other ranges of degrees in other embodiments of the invention. 
     Human ears often have ear canals (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1 ) of various shapes and sizes (e.g., an s-shaped ear canal). Thus, the swivel joint  603  facilitates placing the in-ear utility device  601  in the user&#39;s ear securely. 
       FIG. 6A  shows the in-ear utility device in a −30 degree position.  FIG. 6B  shows the in-ear utility device  601  in a zero position, and  FIG. 6C  shows the in-ear utility device  601  in a +30 degree position, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The swivel joint  603  allows the in-ear utility device  601  to pivot into an ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) that is twisted and not straight, according to an embodiment of the invention. Embodiments of the in-ear utility device could pivot to a greater and/or smaller degree, e.g., from 10 degrees to 90 degrees. 
     Some users of the in-ear utility device  601  may have ear canals that are not straight but spiral upwards or downwards or both. The in-ear utility device  601  having the swivel joint  603  may be useful to users having straight ear canals but will be especially useful for user&#39;s having spiral ear canals. 
     The swivel joint  603  allows the in-ear utility device  601  to move closer to the user&#39;s eardrum (e.g., the eardrum  104  shown in  FIG. 1A ). The closer the in-ear utility device  601  resides to the user&#39;s eardrum  104 , the smaller amounts of power the in-ear utility device  601  needs to operate the speaker (e.g., the speaker  108 ), according to an embodiment of the invention. In addition, the closer proximity of the in-ear utility device  601  to the user&#39;s eardrum may also increase the quality of sound delivered by the in-ear utility device  601 . 
     The in-ear utility device  601  may have more than one swivel joint  603 . Additional swivels placed in the in-ear utility device  601  will increase the degrees of freedom offered by the in-ear utility device  601 . It is known in the art, that some users have ear canals that are so spiraling that they double back on themselves. Such users will particularly benefit from the increased degrees of freedom provided by the swivel(s) in the in-ear utility device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  701  configured to function as a headphone, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  701  may have the shape and other ergonomic characteristics of the in-ear utility device  303  shown in  FIG. 3 , for example. 
     The in-ear utility device  701  comprises a speaker  708 , a battery  713 , a communication module  704 , and a control circuit  707  in an electronic component package  702 . The in-ear utility device  701  may comprise additional electronic components in the headphone embodiment. However, the components provided here are sufficient to enable an in-ear headphone capability. The electronic component package  702  is placed in or on a body  710  designed for comfortably wearing for long periods of time, according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic component package  702  does not need to be inserted as a single unit; individual components may be inserted individually, for example. 
     The control circuit  707  may operate in a conventional manner for such circuits, controlling the receipt of data (e.g., music or voice data) from outside the in-ear utility device  701  via the communication module  704  and directing transfer of the data to the speaker  708 , with operations powered by the battery  713 . The control circuit  707  may in some embodiments comprise a dedicated computer chip (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) configured to provide equivalent or superior functionality to a control circuit, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  801  configured to function as a music player, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  801  may have the shape and other ergonomic characteristics of the in-ear utility device  303  shown in  FIG. 3 , for example. 
     The in-ear utility device  801  comprises a speaker  808 , a battery  813 , a data storage component  809 , and a control circuit  807  in an electronic component package  802 . The in-ear utility device  801  may comprise additional electronic components in the music player embodiment. However, the components provided here are sufficient to provide a music player capability. The data storage component  809  includes music data  811 . The electronic component package  802  is placed in or on a body  810 . The electronic component package  802  does not need to be inserted as a single unit; individual components may be inserted individually, for example. 
     The control circuit  807  may operate in a conventional manner for such circuits, obtaining music data  811  from the data storage component  809  and directing transfer of the music data  811  to the speaker  808 , with operations powered by the battery  813 . The control circuit  807  may in some embodiments comprise a dedicated computer chip (or processor) configured to provide equivalent or superior functionality to a control circuit, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  801  may include a communications module, such as the communications module  204  shown in  FIG. 2A . The communications module may provide a means for storing new music. Alternatively, a port could allow music to be directly added to the data storage component  809 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  901  configured to provide hearing amplification, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  901  may have the shape and other ergonomic characteristics of the in-ear utility device  303  shown in  FIG. 3  for example. 
     The in-ear utility device  901  comprises a speaker  908 , a battery  913 , a microphone  903 , an amplifier  905 , and a control circuit  907  in an electronic component package  902 . The in-ear utility device  901  may comprise additional electronic components in the hearing amplification embodiment, such as a digital signal processor (DSP)  912 . However, the components provided here are sufficient to provide an in-ear hearing amplification capability. The electronic component package  902  is placed in or on a body  910  design for comfortably wearing for long periods of time, according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic component package  902  does not need to be inserted as a single unit; individual components may be inserted individually, for example. 
     The control circuit  907  may operate in a conventional manner for such circuits, receiving sound data from the microphone  903 , directing transfer of the data to the amplifier  905  (and possibly the DSP  912 ), and then directing the amplified and/or enhanced sound to the speaker  908 , with operations powered by the battery  913 . The control circuit  907  may in some embodiments comprise a dedicated computer chip (or processor) configured to provide equivalent or superior functionality to a control circuit, according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, the control circuit  907  may also direct the operations of the DSP  912 . 
     The in-ear utility device  901  may include additional microphones, as discussed above, and the microphones may have specialized ports depending upon their specific function, as discussed above. Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  901  may also include a voice recognition chip along the lines of the voice recognition chip previously discussed. 
       FIG. 10  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  1001  configured to provide a walkie-talkie function (a portable, two-way radio transceiver), according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  1001  may have the shape and ergonomic characteristics of the in-ear utility device  303  shown in  FIG. 3 , for example. 
     The in-ear utility device  1001  comprises a speaker  1008 , a battery  1013 , a microphone  1003 , a communication module  1004 , and a control circuit  1007  in an electronic component package  1002 . The in-ear utility device  1001  may comprise additional electronic components in the walkie-talkie embodiment. However, the components provided here are sufficient to provide an in-ear walkie-talkie capability. The electronic component package  1002  is placed in or on a body  1010  designed for comfortably wearing for long periods of time, according to an embodiment of the invention. The electronic component package  1002  does not need to be inserted as a single unit; individual components may be inserted individually, for example. 
     The control circuit  1007  may operate in a conventional manner for such circuits, receiving sound data from the microphone  1003 , directing transfer of the data to the speaker  1008 , with operations powered by the battery  1013 . The control circuit  1007  may also send the audio data received by the microphone  1003  to a remote device using the communications module  1004 . The control circuit  1007  may also receive audio data from the communication module  1004  and direct the audio data to the speaker  1008 . 
     The control circuit  1007  may in some embodiments comprise a dedicated computer chip (or processor like the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) configured to provide equivalent or superior functionality to a control circuit, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates an embodiment of an in-ear utility device  1101  configured in a single, integrated body  1118  rather than as a multi-pieced body as shown and described in  FIG. 3-5 . The integrated body  1118  of the in-ear utility device  1101  includes a microelectronics component package  1113 . The in-ear utility device  1101  is shown in  FIG. 11  with the body  1118  separated from a seal  1102  that typically covers at least a tip end of the body  1118  when the in-ear utility device  1101  is inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ). 
     Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  1101  may fit completely inside the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) with no part of the device extending outside the user&#39;s ear. The in-ear utility device  1101  may include a ring  1111  that facilitates removal of the device from the user&#39;s ear, e.g., the in-ear utility device  1101  may be removed by latching the ring  1111  with a small utility device having a matching hook. In an alternative embodiment, the body  1118  may be made of a metallic substance such that the in-ear utility device  1101  can be removed from the user&#39;s ear using a magnet. 
     Embodiments of the invention provide an in-ear utility device  1101  covered, or partially covered, with a seal  1102  that is comfortable to wear for a long period of time. The seal  1102  can be produced in bulk eliminating the need for customizing the body  1118  of the in-ear utility device  1101 . The external seal  1102  deforms when the in-ear utility device  1101  is inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) without damaging the in-ear utility device  1101  or causing harm to the user&#39;s ear (e.g., the ear  105  shown in  FIG. 1A ). 
     The deformable seal  1102  cushions the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) from the material of the in-ear utility device&#39;s body  1118 , allowing the user to wear the in-ear utility device  1101  for an extended period of time. The seal  1102  allows the body  1118  of the in-ear utility device  1101  to be a “one size fits all” and conform to a broad range of ear canal anatomies, according to an embodiment of the invention. The seal  1102  may be produced in several sizes (e.g., small, medium, larger) to accommodate differences in the size of human ear canals (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ). 
     The electronic component package  1113  is embedded in the body  1118  of the in-ear utility device  1101  and includes electronic circuitry allowing the in-ear utility device  1101  to be inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal (e.g., the ear canal  115  shown in  FIG. 1A ) without damaging the in-ear utility device  1101  or causing injury to the user&#39;s ear, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The electronic component package  1113  may include a speaker  1109  disposed at the proximal tip  1108  (e.g., the proximal tip  107  shown in  FIG. 1A ) of the in-ear utility device  1101 . The speaker  1109  is disposed at the proximal tip of the body  1118 , and when the seal  1102  is fitted onto the in-ear utility device  1101 , the proximal tip  1108  for the in-ear utility device  1101  becomes the seal  1102 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Embodiments of the in-ear utility device  1101  have no wires protruding from the body  1118  and no external behind-the-ear components associated with the in-ear utility device  1101 . The in-ear utility device  1101  may be used by the hearing impaired population as well as the general public. Thus, the in-ear utility device  1101  may be used for sound amplification and communication purposes as well as a number of additional purposes, such as those previously discussed herein. 
     The in-ear utility device  1101  may also include a microphone port (e.g., the microphone port  512  shown in  FIG. 5 ) to facilitate receipt of sounds into the in-ear utility device  1101 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  1101  may have other ports, including ports for specific purposes, such as voice receipt/recognition and ambient noise receipt. 
     In-Ear Utility Device Recharging Case 
       FIGS. 12A-12D  illustrate a recharging case  1200  configured to recharge a pair of in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 12A  illustrates a pair of in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  inserted into charging ports  1210 ,  1211  in the bottom  1208  of the charging case  1200 . The lid  1204  includes two magnets  1205 ,  1206 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The magnets  1205 ,  1206  are mounted in the lid  1204  in alignment with the charging ports  1210 ,  1211 . Thus, the magnets  1205 ,  1206  will be above the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  when the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  are in the charging ports  1210 ,  1211 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     When a lid  1204  is open, the magnetic field from the magnets  1205 ,  1206  will not engage the Hall Effect sensors in the in-ear utility devices, e.g., the Hall Effect sensor  219  shown in  FIG. 2A . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12B , when the lid  1204  is shut, the magnets  1205 ,  1206  trigger the Hall Effect sensors in the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 . As discussed with the Hall Effect sensor  219  shown in  FIG. 2A , the Hall Effect sensors engage the turning off of the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 . 
     The in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  may include LEDs  1212 ,  1213 , according to an embodiment of the invention. When the user opens the lid  1204  after the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  have re-charged, the Hall Effect sensor (e.g., the Hall Effect sensor  219  shown in  FIG. 2A ) will engage the turning on of the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 . Turning on the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  will also cause the LEDs  1212 ,  1213  to turn on. The LEDs  1212 ,  1213  will flash until the in-ear utility device  1201  has been paired with the in-ear utility device  1202 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Once the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  have been paired with each other, then the LEDs  1212 ,  1213  will stop flashing. 
     The in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  may be paired with each other using a third device (e.g., a smartphone), according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  may also be paired with each other using a pairing circuit included in the charging case  1200 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 12C  provides a side view of the charging case  1200  with the lid  1204  closed while the in-ear utility device  1201  charges in the charging port  1210 , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The magnetic field produced by the magnet  1205  should be perpendicular to the Hall Effect sensor (e.g., the Hall Effect sensor  219  shown in  FIG. 2A ) in the in-ear utility device  1201  in order for the magnet  1205  to activate the Hall Effect sensor. Thus, the magnet  1205  and the charging port  1210  should be positioned inside the charging case  1200  such that the Hall Effect sensor in the in-ear utility device  1201  is perpendicular to the magnet  1205 , according to an embodiment of the invention. As discussed above, when the lid  1204  is closed, the magnetic field activates the Hall Effect sensor, causing the in-ear utility device  1201  to turn off, and the LED  1212  (not shown in  FIG. 12C  will also not flash. 
       FIG. 12D  illustrates a micro-USB port  1214  that can provide power to the charging case  1200 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Once the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  are changed, the user can unplug the charging case  1200  and take the case  1200  with him/her. Depending on the battery type in the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202 , the in-ear utility devices  1201 ,  1202  will be able to retain their charge for some period of time in the case  1200  after being recharged, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
       FIG. 13  illustrates a network  1300  through which various processing tasks for in-ear utility devices  1301   a ,  1301   b  can be distributed, according to an embodiment of the invention. Some processing tasks can be performed by the processors on the in-ear utility devices  1301   a ,  1301   b ; other processing tasks can be performed by a remote device, such as a smartphone  1314 , and other processing tasks can be performed by a powerful remote computing facility  1318  (e.g., a cloud computing network), according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     A user may wear in-ear utility devices  1301   a ,  1301   b  in each ear  1305   a ,  1305   b . In some configurations, one of the in-ear utility devices (e.g., the in-ear utility device  1301   a ) may serve as a master device between the two in-ear utility devices  1301   a ,  1301   b , according to an embodiment of the invention. In other embodiments, each in-ear utility device may operate independently and communicate independently with remote devices, such as the smartphone  1314 , and the remote computing facility  1318 . 
     The processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) in an in-ear utility device (e.g., the in-ear utility device  1301   a ) may be programmed to have an understanding of tasks that it can complete itself and tasks that should be completed by a remote device. So, for example, if the user asks the in-ear utility device  1301   a , “Where is the nearest restaurant?” the processor on the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may recognize the utterance as an instruction. However, the processor may also recognize that this is a command that it cannot process alone. 
     Consequently, the processor passes the command to either the smartphone  1314  and/or the remote computing facility  1318 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The remote computing facility  1318  may locate the requested information and return the answer to the in-ear utility device, which then delivers the answer to the speaker of the in-ear utility device. As previously discussed, the in-ear utility device may communicate to the smartphone  1314  using a protocol such as Bluetooth and may communicate to the remote computing facility  1318 , possibly via a mobile base station  1316 , according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  1301   a  may communicate to the mobile base station  1316  using a protocol such as GSM, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Any number of tasks may be performed on the in-ear utility device  1301   a , and any number of tasks may be performed on the smartphone  1314  and/or the remote computing facility  1318 , according to an embodiment of the invention. Tasks that may be most amenable to execution on the smartphone  1314  and/or the remote computing facility  1318  are tasks that require accessing large databases (e.g., restaurant guides) and/or need a more powerful computing device than can be provided by the in-ear utility device  1301   a.    
     Existing computerized applications can be enabled for operation on, or in conjunction with, the in-ear utility device  1301   a , according to an embodiment of the invention. Thus, a user may be able to access applications such as Skype translator, Google translator, WeChat, Facebook message, etc. via the in-ear utility device  1301   a , according to an embodiment of the invention. In some embodiments, a version of one of these existing applications may be tailored for operation on the in-ear utility device  1301   a , e.g., some portion of the application resides on the in-ear utility device  1301   a  with other application tasks handled remotely. In other embodiments, the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may simply engage a remote application. 
     Tasks that may be amenable to processing outside the in-ear utility device include voice authentication, artificial intelligence, speech recognition, and real-time translation. However, each of these tasks can also be performed entirely or partially on the in-ear utility device  1301   a . So, for example, the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may be configured to perform some simple translation tasks while leaving more complicated tasks to processing outside the in-ear utility device. Thus, the processor of the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may be configured to understand which tasks it can perform itself and which tasks require assistance from another device, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Similarly, the processor (e.g., the processor  207  shown in  FIG. 2A ) may also be configured for notification response management, according to an embodiment of the invention. So, for example, the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may be paired with the smartphone  1314 . The smartphone  1314  may have calendar and/or alarm functions. The smartphone  1314  may not filter its calendar/alarm messages (e.g., “The butcher turns 50 today.”). However, the user of the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may not want to hear from the speaker of the in-ear utility device  1301   a  every calendar/alarm message provided by the smartphone  1301   a.    
     The processor on the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may be configured by the user to play only calendar/alarm messages at or above a particular threshold, according to an embodiment of the invention. The calendar/alarm filter could be provided either on the smartphone  1314  and/or on the in-ear utility device  1301   a , according to an embodiment of the invention. The calendar/alarm filter could also be provided by an external utility such as Google Calendar. The filter, could, for example, be an extension to Google Calendar or a similar function. 
     In operation, for example, the filter instructs the in-ear utility device  1301   a  to play only high priority alarm messages. Alternatively, the filter may reside on the smartphone  1314  or remote computing facility  1318  and simply determine a subset of alarm messages to send to the in-ear utility device  1301   a , and the in-ear utility device  1301   a  plays all the alarm messages of that subset that it receives. So, for example, “Job interview in 5 minutes” may have the highest priority, and the platform (e.g., the smartphone  1314  and/or the remote computing facility  1318 ) hosting the calendar/alarm filter may send this message to the in-ear utility device  1301   a  for playing to the user while the platform decides not to send “Send flowers to Joe sometime today” to the in-ear utility device  1301   a  such that the user won&#39;t hear this message via the in-ear utility device  1301   a , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     The filtering function itself may be adjustable by the user and/or automatically by particular events, according to an embodiment of the invention. For example, as previously discussed, the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may include a driver safety application. If the in-ear utility device  1301   a  (or a related external system) becomes aware that the user is driving an automobile, then the calendar/alarm function may automatically engage (or be engaged by an external system in the automobile itself) to thwart the playing of all calendar/alarm messages and/or such calendar/alarm messages not at or above a high threshold, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     In addition, the processor on the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may also be configured not to play calendar/alarm messages when the in-ear utility device  1301   a  is aware that the user is speaking, according to an embodiment of the invention. The in-ear utility device  1301   a  may then schedule replaying of the calendar/alarm message after the passage of a predetermined amount of time, according to an embodiment of the invention. As previously discussed, the microphones on the in-ear utility device  1301   a  may be configured to listen to the user&#39;s acoustic environment. 
     Similarly, as mentioned above, existing applications (e.g., WeChat) may be enabled for operation on the in-ear utility device  1301   a . Once these applications have been enabled, the filtering function described above may also be applied to notifications provided by these applications as well, according to an embodiment of the invention. Thus, the filter in conjunction with the application can determine when, where, and how notifications from these applications are delivered to the user. In other words, not all notifications may be provided to the user through the speaker of the in-ear utility device  1301   a  residing in the user&#39;s ear  1305   a , according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     Various embodiments of the invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. References made to particular examples and implementations are for illustrative purposes, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention or the claims. 
     It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications of the in-ear utility device besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except by the scope 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. 
     Headings and sub-headings provided herein have been provided as an assistance to the reader and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention disclosed herein. Headings and sub-headings are not intended to be the sole or exclusive location for the discussion of a particular topic. 
     While specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited to these embodiments only. Embodiments of the invention discussed herein may have generally implied the use of materials from certain named equipment manufacturers; however, the invention may be adapted for use with equipment from other sources and manufacturers. Equipment used in conjunction with the invention may be configured to operate according to conventional protocols (e.g., Wi-Fi) and/or may be configured to operate according to specialized 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 hereinbelow. Thus, it is intended that the invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. 
     It should be noted that while many embodiments of the invention described herein are drawn to a smart wireless in-ear utility device, various configurations are deemed suitable and may employ various computing devices including servers, interfaces, systems, databases, agents, engines, controllers, or other types of computing devices operating individually or collectively. One should appreciate that any referenced computing devices comprise a processor configured to execute software instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium (e.g., hard drive, solid state drive, RAM, flash, ROM, etc.). The software instructions preferably configure the computing device to provide the roles, responsibilities, or other functionality as discussed below with respect to the disclosed smart in-ear utility device. 
     All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were 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 herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the terms “ambient noise” and “ambient sound” have been used synonymously. Similarly, “sound” and “noise” have been used synonymous, except where the context shows a difference in meaning, e.g., “meaningful sound from mere noise.” Likewise, “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously. The terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are also used euphemistically to mean “communicatively coupled with” where two or more networked devices are able to send or receive data over a network.