Patent Publication Number: US-2022225034-A1

Title: Solenoid actuator in a hearing device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/850,805, filed May 21, 2019, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Hearing devices, such as hearing aids, can be used to transmit sounds to one or both ear canals of a wearer. Some hearing devices can include electronic components disposed within a housing that is placed in a cleft region that resides between an ear and a skull of the wearer. Such housings typically can be connected to an earpiece that is disposed in an ear canal of the ear of the wearer. Some hearing devices can include electronic components disposed within a custom molded housing that resides in the ear canal of the wearer. Earpieces and custom molded housings may include a vent that can allow ambient sound to enter the ear canal and provide localization cues and situational awareness. Vents of custom fit earpieces may also prevent occlusion effects. 
     SUMMARY 
     In general, the present disclosure provides various embodiments of a solenoid actuator for a hearing device and a method of operating such solenoid actuator. The solenoid actuator may be operated to open and close a vent of an earpiece of the hearing device. 
     In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a hearing device that includes an earpiece having an earpiece passageway, and an ear-tip suspension element disposed in the earpiece. The ear-tip suspension element includes an ear-tip passageway connected to the earpiece passageway to form a vent through the earpiece. The hearing device further includes a solenoid actuator that includes a solenoid and a core, where the core is movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the vent; and a controller having one or more processors and operably coupled to the solenoid actuator to control movement of the core between the open and closed position. The controller is configured to move the core using the solenoid based on at least a listening environment of the hearing device. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a method that includes determining a listening environment of a hearing device, and moving a core of a solenoid actuator between an open position and a closed position to open and close a vent disposed in a housing of the hearing device based on at least the determined listening environment of the hearing device. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a solenoid boot that includes an ear-tip suspension element and a solenoid actuator. The ear-tip suspension element includes an ear-tip passageway and a barrier movable between an open position and a closed position to open and close the ear-tip passageway. The solenoid actuator includes a solenoid and a core. The core is coupled to the barrier and configured to move the barrier between the open position and the closed position based on a current received by the solenoid. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Throughout the specification, reference is made to the appended drawings, where like reference numerals designate like elements, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic perspective view of a hearing device. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic perspective view of a solenoid boot of the hearing device of  FIG. 1  with a solenoid actuator of an ear-tip suspension element disposed in an open position. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic perspective view of the solenoid boot of  FIG. 2  with the solenoid actuator of the ear-tip suspension element disposed in a closed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic exploded view of the solenoid boot of  FIGS. 2-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic cross-sectional view of an ear-tip suspension element of the solenoid boot of  FIGS. 2-4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic system block diagram of a hearing device. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic flow diagram of an illustrative technique, or process, for opening and closing a vent in a hearing device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Exemplary techniques, apparatus, and systems shall be described with reference to  FIGS. 1-7 . It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that elements or processes from one embodiment may be used in combination with elements or processes of the other embodiments, and that the possible embodiments of such techniques, apparatus, and systems using combinations of features set forth herein is not limited to the specific embodiments shown in the Figures and/or described herein. Further, it will be recognized that the embodiments described herein may include many elements that are not necessarily shown to scale. Still further, it will be recognized that timing of the processes and the size and shape of various elements herein may be modified but still fall within the scope of the present disclosure, although certain timings, one or more shapes and/or sizes, or types of elements, may be advantageous over others. 
     In general, the present disclosure describes various embodiments of solenoid actuators that are adapted to open and close vents in hearing devices. The disclosure herein will use the term “passageway” and “vent.” It is to be understood as used herein that a “passageway” can include any hole, cavity, depression, and/or groove that provides a pathway for sound. It is to be understood as used herein that a “vent” can include one or more passageways that extend through an in-ear hearing device or in-ear portion of a hearing device. For example, a vent may include one or more passageways that together extend from a surface of a custom fit earpiece adjacent to an audio outlet to a surface of the custom fit earpiece that is not intended to reside within the wearer&#39;s ear canal. 
     Hearing devices with custom fit earpieces may include vents that can allow ambient sound to enter the ear canal and provide localization cues and situational awareness. Vents of custom-fit earmolds may mitigate an undesirable condition known as the occlusion effect, e.g., an unnatural perception of a user&#39;s own voice often described as boomy and/or hollow. However, vents may allow unwanted sounds to reach the wearer&#39;s eardrum. For example, unwanted noise may include ambient sounds in noisy environments such as parties, restaurants, and other social gathering places. Additionally, vents may also contribute to one or more undesirable effects. For example, vents in digital signal processing (DSP) based hearing devices may allow acoustic waves to enter the ear canal earlier than the amplified signal, thereby creating a comb-filtered response that may be undesirable to users. Comb-filtered responses can be particularly undesirable when listening to music. Furthermore, if a hearing device is streaming music, vents may reduce the low-frequency response of the device. There is a desire, therefore, to provide a hearing device that can control the venting of an earpiece of the hearing device based at least in part on a listening environment of the wearer. 
     A solenoid actuator is a device that may include a coil of wire wrapped around a ferromagnetic core. Electricity applied through the coil produces a magnetic field that may operate on the core. The core may behave as a linear actuator where an electrical current can produce linear translation (often referred to as ‘stroke’). If the core (often referred to as a ‘shaft’) is sufficiently magnetic and the polarity of the electrical current is flipped, the actuator can reverse its stroke and return to its original position. A properly-engineered solenoid can be a compact and efficient way to create actuation (e.g., linear). 
     Adding an additional component on the end of the solenoid&#39;s shaft turns the solenoid into an actuator. This actuator, when mechanically coupled to an acoustical conduit, can open and close the conduit, thereby operating as a valve. The acoustical conduit can be a vent in a hearing device that may include a simple hole in the tip of a custom earmold. The actuation technique can include a barrier, cam, cantilever, or system of gears. For those skilled in the art of kinematics, these techniques and actuators can be developed to open or close a vent of a hearing device using a barrier such as, e.g., a valve, plunger, gate, flap, core, or other structure that may be moved or manipulated to block the vent. 
     A solenoid operating in a hearing device to open and close a vent can be used to manage the frequency response of the hearing device for different modes of operation. For example, if the hearing device is streaming music to the wearer, the vent can be closed to provide a flat response in low frequencies. Similarly, in loud ambient noise environments such as a cocktail party, the vent can be closed to attenuate the exterior ambient noise propagating through the vent. If a wearer with moderate hearing loss is in a quiet environment, the vent can be open to allow ambient sounds to propagate to the tympanic membrane more naturally. Further, if a wearer is in a quiet environment listening to music, the vent can be closed to prevent the acoustic signal from interacting with the amplified signal, thereby preventing an undesired comb filtering effect. 
     An exemplary schematic perspective view of a hearing device  10  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The hearing device  10  may include a hearing device body  12 , a cable  14 , a receiver  16 , and an earpiece  18 . 
     The cable  14  may be coupled between the hearing device body  12  and the receiver  16 . The cable  14  may provide an electrically conductive medium for providing electrical signals from electronic components  13  of the hearing device body  12  to the receiver  16 . The cable  14  may also be coupled to electronic components within earpiece  18  and provide electrical signals from electronic components  13  of the hearing device body  12  to electronic components within the earpiece  18 . The receiver  16  can generate sound based on the electrical signals provided by the electronic components  13  of the hearing device  10 . The earpiece  18  may allow receiver  16  to fit comfortably in a wearer or user ear canal. 
     The electronic components  13  are shown with dotted lines inside the hearing device body  12 . The electronic components  13  inside the hearing device body  12  may include a battery  20 , microphones  22 , a circuit board  24 , and a telecoil  26 . The battery  20  may be electrically coupled to the circuit board  24  to provide power to the circuit board  24 . Microphones  22  may be electrically coupled to the circuit board  24  to provide electrical signals representative of sound (e.g., audio data, etc.) to the circuit board  24 . Telecoil  26  may be electrically coupled to the circuit board  24  to provide electrical signals representative of changing magnetic fields (e.g., audio data, etc.) to the circuit board  24 . Circuit board  24  may be electrically coupled to a cable plug  28  to provide electrical signals and currents to the receiver  16  and components of earpiece  18 . 
     Microphones  22  may receive sound (e.g., vibrations, acoustic waves) and generate electrical signals (e.g., audio data, etc.) based on the received sound. Audio data may represent the sound that was received by microphones  22 . Microphones  22  can be any type suitable for hearing devices such as electret, MicroElectrical-Mechanical System (MEMS), piezoelectric, or other type of microphone. Audio data produced by microphones  22  can be analog or digital. Microphones  22  may provide the audio data to circuit board  24 . 
     Telecoil  26  may detect changing magnetic fields and generate electrical signals (e.g., audio data) based on the changing magnetic fields. For example, telecoil  26  can detect a changing magnetic field produced by a speaker in a telephone or a loop system and generate audio data based on such magnetic field. Telecoil  26  may provide the electrical signals (e.g., audio data) to the circuit board  24 . Using the telecoil  26 , the hearing device  10  may filter out background speech and acoustic noise to provide a better and more focused listening experience for the wearer. 
     The circuit board  24  may include any suitable circuit components for operating hearing device  10 . The circuit components of the circuit board  24  may include one or more of controllers, processors (e.g., the processing apparatus  62  of  FIG. 6 ), and memory for executing programs of the hearing device  10 . The circuit board  24  may additionally include any of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a communication device, passive electronic components, amplifiers, or other components used digital signal processing. 
     The earpiece  18  may be molded or otherwise shaped to fit at least partially in a wearer&#39;s ear canal and/or conform to the shape thereof. In one or more embodiments, earpiece  18  may be a hollow shell. The earpiece  18  can include any suitable material such as, e.g., plastic, elastomeric materials, ceramics, 3D-printed metals, foams, and non-Newtonian materials of various durometers, etc. Earpiece  18  extends from an ear-tip end  18 A to an external end  18 B. As shown, the earpiece  18  includes earpiece passageway  32 A and solenoid boot  34 . The solenoid boot  34  may include an ear-tip suspension element  36  and a solenoid actuator  38 . The ear-tip suspension element  36  may include an ear-tip passageway  32 B, an acoustic outlet  40 , and a barrier  42 . The passageways  32 A and  32 B may connect end to end to form a vent  32 . In embodiments where earpiece  18  is a hollow shell, passageway  32 A may encompass the entire inner volume of earpiece shell  18 , in which case passageway  32 B is the only acoustical conduit in such an embodiment. 
     The vent  32  may be open and closed by barrier  42 . The barrier  42  may be any suitable structure, e.g., a plunger, flap, valve, gate, needle, etc. In one or more embodiments, the barrier  42  is a plunger. The plunger may be any suitable shape such as, e.g., blade shaped, frustroconically shaped, bar shaped, needle shaped, etc. The barrier  42  may include any suitable materials such as, e.g., plastic, metal, elastomer, etc. The barrier  42  may move along a path between an open position (e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) and a closed position (e.g.,  FIG. 3 ) and/or rotate about a hinge. The path between the open position and the closed position may be linear or rotational. The barrier  42  may be mechanically coupled to a core (e.g., the core  46  of  FIGS. 3-4 ) of the solenoid actuator  38  to allow movement of the core of the solenoid actuator to move the barrier. In one or more embodiments, the path between the open position and the closed position may extend along a direction parallel to an axis (e.g., axis  47  of  FIGS. 2-3 ) of the core of the solenoid actuator  38 . Thus, the position of the barrier  42  may be controlled by the solenoid actuator  38 . In the closed position, the barrier  42  may block or occlude the vent  32 . The barrier  42  may block or occlude the vent  32  anywhere along ear-tip passageway  32 B when the barrier is in the closed position. In one or more embodiments, the barrier  42  may block or occlude the vent  32  where ear-tip passageway  32 B connects to earpiece passageway  32 A when the barrier is in the closed position. In the open position, the barrier  42  may allow passageways  32 A and  32 B to connect, providing an acoustic pathway that is not blocked or occluded and extends from the ear-tip end  18 A of earpiece  18  to a portion of the earpiece  18  designed to be outside the ear canal such as, e.g., the external end  18 B of the earpiece. 
     The solenoid actuator  38  may include a core (e.g., the core  46  of  FIGS. 3-4 ) and a solenoid (e.g., the solenoid  50  of  FIG. 4 ). The solenoid actuator  38  may be operatively coupled to the circuit board  24 . In one or more embodiments, the solenoid actuator  38  may be operatively coupled to the circuit board  24  via the cable  14 . The solenoid actuator  38  may receive an electrical current from the circuit board  24  that causes the solenoid of the solenoid actuator  38  to generate a magnetic field. The generated magnetic field may cause the core of solenoid actuator  38  to move along a linear actuation path. The linear actuation path may extend along an axis (e.g., axis  47  of  FIGS. 2-3 ) of the core. The direction of the magnetic field lines of the magnetic field generated by the solenoid  50  of the solenoid actuator  38  depends on the direction of the provided electrical current. By reversing the direction of the provided current the magnetic field lines will be reversed and the core of the solenoid actuator  38  may be moved in the opposite direction along the linear actuation path. Thereby, hearing device  10  may control movement of the core along the linear actuation path between the open and the closed position. 
     The circuit board  24  may include a controller (e.g., processing apparatus  62  of  FIG. 6 ) including one or more processors. The controller of circuit board  24  may be operably coupled to a solenoid (e.g., solenoid  50  of  FIG. 4 ) of the solenoid actuator  38  to control movement of the core of the solenoid actuator between the open and closed position. The controller of circuit board  24  may be configured to move the core  46  using the solenoid  50  based on at least a listening environment of the hearing device  10 . The controller of circuit board  24  may be configured to provide a current to the solenoid  50  of the solenoid actuator  38  to control the movement of the core of the solenoid actuator. 
     Exemplary schematic perspective views of the solenoid boot  34  are shown in  FIGS. 2-4 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the barrier  42  and the core (e.g., core  46  of  FIGS. 3-4 ) of solenoid actuator  38  are in the open position. In one or more embodiments, the ear-tip passageway  32 B extends through the ear-tip suspension element  36  and is unobstructed, or not occluded by the barrier  42  when the barrier and/or the core  46  are in the open position. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the barrier  42  and the  46  core of the solenoid actuator  38  are in the closed position. In one or more embodiments, the ear-tip passageway  32 B is obstructed or occluded by the barrier  42  when the barrier and/or the core  46  are in the closed position. The position of the core  46  along the linear actuation path between the open and closed position may be maintained by a magnet  49  when the magnetic field of the magnet is stronger than the magnetic field produced by the solenoid  50 . In one or more embodiments, the position of core  46  at any open, closed, or intermediate location along the linear actuation path is maintained by the force of attraction between core  46  and magnet  49  located within receiver  16 . In embodiments where receiver  16  is a balanced-armature receiver, magnet  49  is a typical component used to balance the internal armature of the receiver. Magnet  49  may create an evanescent magnetic field outside the housing of the receiver  16 , thereby interacting with and exerting a force on the solenoid core  46 . In other words, to actuate the solenoid core  46 , the magnetic field produced by solenoid  50  may overcome the force of attraction between magnet  49  and the solenoid core  46 . After the solenoid core  46  is actuated to a new position by providing the solenoid  50  with an electrical pulse, the force of attraction between the solenoid core and the magnet  49  may keep the solenoid core fixed in the new position. 
     The magnet  49  may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. In one or more embodiments, the magnet  49  may include permanent magnetic materials such as, e.g., nickel, neodymium, iron, ceramics, cobalt, etc. In one or more embodiments, the magnet  49  may include conductive materials such as, e.g., copper, gold, silver, aluminum, etc. The magnet  49  may be disposed at least partially in ear-tip suspension element  36 . The magnet  49  may be positioned such that at least a portion of a magnetic field of the magnet runs parallel to the axis  47 . In one or more embodiments, the magnet  49  may be a magnet of the receiver  16 . In one or more embodiments, the magnet  49  may include more the one magnet, e.g., a magnet stack. 
     The ear-tip suspension element  36  may maintain a position of the receiver  16  and/or the magnet  49  adjacent to the solenoid actuator  38  such that the magnet can hold the core  46  in place at any point along the linear actuation path between the open and closed position when the magnetic field of the magnet is stronger than the magnetic field produced by the solenoid  50 . The ear-tip suspension element  36  may include any suitable structure or shape to maintain the position of the receiver  16  and/or the magnet  49  adjacent to the solenoid actuator  38 . For example, the solenoid boot  34  may include one or more of a cavity, recess, adhesive, retention element, etc. that can maintain the position of the receiver  16  and/or the magnet  49 . 
     An exemplary schematic exploded view of the solenoid boot  34  is shown in  FIG. 4 . The solenoid  50  may include any suitable materials such as, e.g., copper, aluminum, gold, silver, or any other electrically-conductive material. The solenoid  50  may be wrapped any suitable number of times to provide a magnetic field strong enough to move the core  46 . Additionally, solenoid  50  may be concealed or protected by a coating. The coating may include any suitable materials such as, e.g., epoxy, plastic, etc. The coating may prevent solenoid  50  from unwinding. As shown, solenoid  50  may be wrapped around a bobbin  48 . The bobbin  48  may be hollow to allow the core  46  to move freely along the linear actuation path. The bobbin  48  may include a stopping element, or cover, to prevent the core  46  from falling out of the bobbin and/or the solenoid boot  34 . The bobbin  48  may act as a guide to keep the axis  47  of the core  46  and the linear actuation path aligned. The bobbin  48  may include any suitable material such as, e.g., ferromagnetic material, plastic, ceramic, metal, etc. The bobbin  48  may be any suitable shape such as, e.g., cylindrical, polyhedral, cuboid, etc. 
     The core  46  may be shaped to allow the core to move within the bobbin  48  and/or the solenoid  50 . The core  46  may be any suitable shape such as, e.g., cylindrically shaped, bar shaped, polyhedrally shaped, etc. In one or more embodiments, the core  46  is cylindrically shaped. The core  46  may include any suitable magnetic materials such as, e.g., neodymium, ceramic, samarium-cobalt, ferric oxide, etc. The core  46  may include an external coating. The external coating of the core  46  may include any suitable material such as, e.g., nickel, copper, Teflon, etc. In one or more embodiments, the external coating of the core  46  includes a combination of nickel and Teflon. 
     The solenoid boot  34  may include a magnetic guide  52 . The magnetic guide  52  may include any suitable materials such as, e.g., permalloy, mu-metal, ferromagnetic coatings, or other high magnetic permeability metal alloys. The magnetic guide  52  may be any suitable size or shape, e.g., curved, bar, planar sheet, etc. The magnetic guide  52  may be arranged near or adjacent to the receiver  16  and/or magnet  49  to guide the magnetic field of magnet to desired locations (e.g., to the core  46 ). 
     An exemplary schematic cross-sectional view of the ear-tip suspension element  36  is shown in  FIG. 5 . As shown, the ear-tip suspension element  36  includes the ear-tip passageway  32 B, the solenoid retention element  35 , a solenoid cavity  37 , the acoustic port  40 , and a cavity  54 . As shown, retention element  35  may include the cavity  37  to receive at least a portion of the solenoid actuator  38 . The ear-tip passageway  32 B extends entirely through ear-tip suspension element  36 . Further, the acoustic port  40  extends to the cavity  54 . The acoustic port  40  may be positioned to align with an acoustic outlet of the receiver  16 . The cavity  54  may be shaped, or otherwise configured, to receive the receiver  16  and/or the magnet  49 . Ear-tip suspension element  36  may or may not include an obstruction (e.g., a wall) between the cavity  54  and the ear-tip passageway  32 B. 
     An exemplary schematic system block diagram of a hearing device  60  including a solenoid actuator (e.g., solenoid actuator  38  of  FIGS. 1-5 ) and for use in determining a listening environment as described herein is depicted in  FIG. 6 . The hearing device  60  may include a processing apparatus or processor  62  and a microphone  70  (e.g., microphones  22  of  FIG. 1 ). Generally, the microphone  70  may be operably coupled to the processing apparatus  62  and may include any one or more devices configured to generate audio data from sound and provide the audio data to the processing apparatus  62 . The microphone  70  may include any apparatus, structure, or device configured to convert sound into sound data. For example, the microphone  70  may include one or more diaphragms, crystals, spouts, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), membranes, sensors, charge pumps, etc. Sound data may include voice data when the sound received by the microphone  70  is sound of a voice. 
     The sound data generated by the microphone  70  may be provided to the processing apparatus  62 , e.g., such that the processing apparatus  62  may analyze, modify, store, and/or transmit the sound data. Further, such sound data may be provided to the processing apparatus  62  in a variety of different ways. For example, the sound data may be transferred to the processing apparatus  62  through a wired or wireless data connection between the processing apparatus  62  and the microphone  70 . 
     The hearing device  60  may additionally include a receiver  72  (e.g., receiver  16  of  FIG. 1 ) operably coupled to the processing apparatus  62 . Generally, the receiver  72  may include any one or more devices configured to generate sound. For example, the receiver  72  may include one or more drivers, diaphragms, armatures, spouts, housings, etc. The receiver  72  may include any suitable sound producing transducer, e.g., balanced-armature receiver, moving-coil dynamic, electrostatic, piezoelectric, piezoresistive, etc. The sound generated by the receiver  72  may be controlled by the processing apparatus  62 , e.g., such that the processing apparatus  62  may cause sound to be generated by the receiver  72  based on sound data. Sound data may include, for example, voice data, hearing impairment settings, noise level, etc. 
     The hearing device  60  may additionally include a solenoid actuator  74  operably coupled to the processing apparatus  62 . Generally, the solenoid actuator  74  may include any one or more devices configured to open and close a vent (e.g., solenoid actuator  38  of  FIGS. 1-4 ). For example, the solenoid actuator  74  may include one or more cores, solenoids, coatings, etc. The solenoid actuator  74  may generate a magnetic field based on an electrical current received from the processing apparatus  62 . The generated magnetic field may move a core of the solenoid actuator  74 . 
     Further, the processing apparatus  62  includes data storage  64 . Data storage  64  allows for access to processing programs or routines  66  and one or more other types of data  68  that may be employed to carry out the exemplary techniques, processes, and algorithms of determining a listening environment of the hearing device  60  and controlling the solenoid actuator  74  based on the determined listening environment. For example, processing programs or routines  66  may include programs or routines for performing computational mathematics, matrix mathematics, Fourier transforms, compression algorithms, calibration algorithms, image construction algorithms, inversion algorithms, signal processing algorithms, normalizing algorithms, deconvolution algorithms, averaging algorithms, standardization algorithms, comparison algorithms, vector mathematics, analyzing sound data, analyzing hearing device settings, controlling a solenoid actuator, detecting defects, or any other processing required to implement one or more embodiments as described herein. 
     Data  68  may include, for example, sound data (e.g., noise data, etc.), hearing impairment settings, thresholds, hearing device settings, arrays, meshes, grids, variables, counters, statistical estimations of accuracy of results, results from one or more processing programs or routines employed according to the disclosure herein (e.g., determining a listening environment, controlling a solenoid actuator, etc.), or any other data that may be necessary for carrying out the one or more processes or techniques described herein. 
     In one or more embodiments, the hearing device  60  may be controlled using one or more computer programs executed on programmable computers, such as computers that include, for example, processing capabilities (e.g., microcontrollers, programmable logic devices, etc.), data storage (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), input devices, and output devices. Program code and/or logic described herein may be applied to input data to perform functionality described herein and generate desired output information. The output information may be applied as input to one or more other devices and/or processes as described herein or as would be applied in a known fashion. 
     The programs used to implement the processes described herein may be provided using any programmable language, e.g., a high-level procedural and/or object orientated programming language that is suitable for communicating with a computer system. Any such programs may, for example, be stored on any suitable device, e.g., a storage media, readable by a general or special purpose program, computer or a processor apparatus for configuring and operating the computer when the suitable device is read for performing the procedures described herein. In other words, at least in one embodiment, the hearing device  60  may be controlled using a computer readable storage medium, configured with a computer program, where the storage medium so configured causes the computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner to perform functions described herein. 
     The processing apparatus  62  may be, for example, any fixed or mobile computer system (e.g., a personal computer or minicomputer). The exact configuration of the computing apparatus is not limiting and essentially any device capable of providing suitable computing capabilities and control capabilities (e.g., control the sound output of the hearing device  60 , the acquisition of data, such as audio data or sensor data) may be used. Further, various peripheral devices, such as a computer display, mouse, keyboard, memory, printer, scanner, etc. are contemplated to be used in combination with the processing apparatus  62 . Further, in one or more embodiments, the data  68  (e.g., sound data, voice data, hearing impairment settings, hearing device settings, an array, a mesh, a digital file, etc.) may be analyzed by a wearer, used by another machine that provides output based thereon, etc. As described herein, a digital file may be any medium (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory, a CD-ROM, a punch card, magnetic recordable tape, etc.) containing digital bits (e.g., encoded in binary, trinary, etc.) that may be readable and/or writeable by processing apparatus  62  described herein. Also, as described herein, a file in wearer-readable format may be any representation of data (e.g., ASCII text, binary numbers, hexadecimal numbers, decimal numbers, audio, graphical) presentable on any medium (e.g., paper, a display, sound waves, etc.) readable and/or understandable by a wearer. 
     In view of the above, it will be readily apparent that the functionality as described in one or more embodiments according to the present disclosure may be implemented in any manner as would be known to one skilled in the art. As such, the computer language, the computer system, or any other software/hardware that is to be used to implement the processes described herein shall not be limiting on the scope of the systems, processes or programs (e.g., the functionality provided by such systems, processes or programs) described herein. 
     The techniques described in this disclosure, including those attributed to the systems, or various constituent components, may be implemented, at least in part, in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. For example, various aspects of the techniques may be implemented by the processing apparatus  62 , which may use one or more processors such as, e.g., one or more microprocessors, DSPs, ASICs, FPGAs, CPLDs, microcontrollers, or any other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry, as well as any combinations of such components, image processing devices, or other devices. The term “processing apparatus,” “processor,” or “processing circuitry” may generally refer to any of the foregoing logic circuitry, alone or in combination with other logic circuitry, or any other equivalent circuitry. Additionally, the use of the word “processor” may not be limited to the use of a single processor but is intended to connote that at least one processor may be used to perform the exemplary techniques and processes described herein. 
     Such hardware, software, and/or firmware may be implemented within the same device or within separate devices to support the various operations and functions described in this disclosure. In addition, any of the described components may be implemented together or separately as discrete but interoperable logic devices. Depiction of different features, e.g., using block diagrams, etc., is intended to highlight different functional aspects and does not necessarily imply that such features must be realized by separate hardware or software components. Rather, functionality may be performed by separate hardware or software components, or integrated within common or separate hardware or software components. 
     When implemented in software, the functionality ascribed to the systems, devices and techniques described in this disclosure may be embodied as instructions on a computer-readable medium such as RAM, ROM, NVRAM, EEPROM, FLASH memory, magnetic data storage media, optical data storage media, or the like. The instructions may be executed by the processing apparatus  62  to support one or more aspects of the functionality described in this disclosure. 
     An exemplary schematic flow diagram of an illustrative technique, or process,  80  for opening and closing a vent (e.g., vent  32  of  FIG. 1 ) in a hearing device (e.g., hearing device  10  of  FIGS. 1-5 ) is shown in  FIG. 7 . Although described in regard to hearing device  10  of  FIGS. 1-5 , the technique can be utilized with any suitable hearing device. The technique  80  may include determining a listening environment  82 . Determining a listening environment  82  may be based on sound received by the microphones  22 , settings of the hearing device  10 , a wearer selected listening environment, etc. In one or more embodiments, determining the listening environment may include receiving a listening environment selection. The listening environment selection may be received from a wearer. In another embodiment, the listening environment may be determined based on at least sound received by the hearing device  10 . 
     The technique  80  may include moving the core  46  of the solenoid actuator  38  at  84  between an open position and the closed position to open and close the vent  32  disposed in the earpiece  18  of the hearing device  10  based on at least the determined listening environment of the hearing device. Moving the core  46  may include moving the barrier  42  of the ear-tip suspension element  36  coupled to the core. When moving to the closed position, the barrier  42  may be moved to block at least a portion of the vent  32 . In one or more embodiments, the technique  80  may include moving the core  46  to the closed position when the hearing device is streaming music or when noise detected by the hearing device reaches at least a threshold level. 
     Exemplary techniques, apparatus, and systems herein allow for opening and closing a vent of a hearing device using a solenoid actuator. Opening and closing a vent allows hearing devices to provide an experience customized to the listening environment of the hearing device. For example, the vent can be closed when the hearing device is playing music to provide better low frequency response. Additionally, the vent may be open in quiet environments to allow for situational environments and improve “own voice” sound for the wearer. 
     All references and publications cited herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety into this disclosure, except to the extent they may directly contradict this disclosure. Illustrative embodiments of this disclosure are discussed and reference has been made to possible variations within the scope of this disclosure. These and other variations and modifications in the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the disclosure, and it should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Accordingly, the disclosure is to be limited only by the claims provided below.