Patents Assigned to Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8325953
    Abstract: A Hearing apparatuses and a hearing apparatus chip are provided. A hearing apparatus chip for processing a signal of a hearing apparatus includes a signal-processing component and a first ground wire connected to a first terminal of the component. The signal processing component includes a second ground wire galvanically separated from the first ground wire on the chip and is connected to a second terminal of the component by way of a capacitor, in order to conduct interference signals as a result of electromagnetic couplings. In particular, the sensitive ground of a preamplifier is not then interfered with by leakage currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas Dickel, Georg Gottschalk, Thomas Kasztelan
  • Patent number: 8325958
    Abstract: The components of a hearing apparatus and in particular of a hearing device are to be better protected against environmental influences. A hearing apparatus is thus provided with at least one acoustic converter, e.g. receiver, in a converter housing for receiving or outputting a sound, with a sound opening in the converter housing, through which or by which a sound is received or output respectively, being sealed with an airtight membrane. A pressure equalization facility is connected to the converter housing or is integrated onto the converter housing, so that the pressures on both sides of the membrane can be equalized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Uwe Rass
  • Patent number: 8320593
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus for adjusting a hearing aid and an associated method. The apparatus includes at least one hearing aid and at least one external unit which can exchange data with the hearing aid. It further includes a first memory unit in the external unit which stores a point in time and a hearing situation at which at least one predeterminable algorithm for signal processing is activated, an output unit in the external unit which outputs the stored points in time and hearing situations, an input unit in the external unit for entering a measure of evaluation which expresses the satisfaction of a hearing aid wearer with the activated algorithm, and a modification unit in the hearing aid for changing at least one parameter of the algorithm as a function of the measure of evaluation. The hearing aid user is able to evaluate and change the setting of their hearing aid retrospectively for specific hearing situations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Roland Barthel, Ulrich Giese
  • Patent number: 8319151
    Abstract: To further automate the manufacture of hearing aid component parts that are in part produced with a rapid prototyping method, a laser beam for curing material is generated by a laser, and a workpiece support that can be directly exposed by the laser is provided. The laser beam is deflected by an optic device so that the workpiece support can be indirectly exposed with the laser. Material can thereby be more easily applied in undercuts of workpiece blanks that form the basis of the hearing aid component parts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Tze Peng Chua, Matthias Jorgas, Harald Klemenz, Eng Cheong Lim, Pei Chyi Kristy Lim, Nisha Shakila Ma
  • Patent number: 8311251
    Abstract: An electronic component and, in particular, an external receiver of a hearing aid, are intended to be capable of being configured to be simpler and more robust. To this end, it is proposed that the electronic apparatus, which has an electronic component and a cable which is connected to the electronic component, is equipped with a first sleeve which is arranged around a part of the electronic component and a part of the cable and mechanically connects the two, and a second sleeve, which surrounds another part of the electronic component. The first sleeve and the second sleeve are coaxially directly connected to one another such that both sleeves together also completely surround the electronic component in the axial direction. The two sleeves can possibly be connected to one another by laser welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Uli Gommel, Daniela Hertel
  • Patent number: 8306249
    Abstract: A method and an appropriate acoustic signal processing device estimate a set of linear predictive coding coefficients of a microphone signal using minimum mean-square error estimation with a codebook containing several predetermined sets of linear predictive coding coefficients. The method includes determining sums of weighted backward transition probabilities describing the transition probabilities between the predetermined sets of linear predictive coding coefficients. The backward transition probabilities are obtained from signal training data by mapping the signal training data to one set of the codebook and by determining relative frequencies of transitions between two of the sets of the codebook. Modelling the “memory” of the codebook has the advantage that the accuracy of estimating linear predictive coding coefficients is increased considerably also for speech components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Tobias Rosenkranz
  • Patent number: 8305772
    Abstract: A flexible printed circuit board having an integrated shield, a circuit based thereon, and a hearing aid having the circuit, are provided. The flexible printed circuit board includes a mount layer, a metallization layer and a shielding layer for shielding against electromagnetic interference influences. It can be bent about a respective bending axis in at least two different bending areas, in which the two bending axes are at an angle of at least 45 degrees to one another. The shielding layer extends at least over the two bending areas. A circuit based on the printed circuit board can be fitted with electronic components in at least one circuit area and can be bent in the bending areas in such a way that the circuit area is shielded by the shielding layer against electromagnetic interference influences in at least three spatial directions which are substantially at right angles to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Leep Foong Chew, Raymond Kang, Meng Kiang Lim, Chow Lan Stella Yap
  • Publication number: 20120275630
    Abstract: A method of operating a hearing device monitors for a head movement of a hearing device wearer. When a head movement is detected, an acoustic signal acquired by a microphone is output in an amplified and phase-modulated manner with a receiver. Furthermore, a hearing device includes a motion sensor and a signal processing unit that is configured to execute the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: RONNY HANNEMANN, SEBASTIAN PAPE
  • Publication number: 20120269370
    Abstract: A hearing device has a housing, in which an earpiece and a battery are disposed. The housing has a first housing part and a second housing part. The housing parts are connected to one another by way of a connection. At least one housing part or an attenuation element provided in the connection between the housing parts is formed of an elastic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: ENDRE BARTI, HARTMUT RITTER, MICHAEL SATTLER, CHRISTIAN WEISTENHÖFER
  • Patent number: 8295518
    Abstract: The circuit complexity or the filter order, respectively, of an analysis/synthesis filter bank system especially for hearing aids is to be reduced. For this reason, the stop-band attenuation of at least one of the transfer functions of the analysis filter bank is composed of a separately configurable, frequency-independent analysis basic attenuation component and a separately configurable frequency-dependent analysis attenuation component. Furthermore, the stop-band attenuation of at least one of the transfer functions of the synthesis filter bank is composed of a separately configurable, frequency-independent synthesis basic attenuation component, a separately configurable, frequency-dependent first synthesis attenuation component and a separately configurable, frequency-dependent second synthesis attenuation component which is also dependent on the manipulation of the sub-band signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Daniel Alfsmann, Heinz Goeckler
  • Patent number: 8295517
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus with an external receiver is to be made even smaller. Provision is accordingly made for a hearing apparatus with a housing and a receiver device that is removably electrically coupled to the housing, said receiver device having an electronic identification element and having a receiver that is connected to an electrical cable with a sheath cable, with the sheath cable and the electronic identification element being conducted into the housing via a common single-pole connection. As a result of the multiple usage of the single-pole connection for shielding and identification, the female connector of the hearing device and the plug of the receiver device can be made smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Georg Gottschalk, Dietmar Lommel, Gottfried Rückerl, Ulrich Schätzle
  • Patent number: 8295521
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus with a housing including a housing interior is provided. Signal processing components are accommodated in the housing interior. The hearing apparatus includes a battery compartment fastened in or on the housing, which has a battery compartment interior into which a battery is inserted for supplying power to the hearing apparatus. Further, a membrane is provided, which separates the housing interior from the battery compartment interior. The membrane is fastened to the housing or to the battery compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hoong Yih Chan, PhanHow Amy Cheng, Leep Foong Chew, Cheoung Hong Lee, Meng Kiang Lim
  • Patent number: 8284969
    Abstract: A hearing aid has an operating device with an operating element for activating a first operating function and a second operating function of the hearing aid. The operating device is configured to cause an execution of an operating function of the hearing aid by activating the corresponding operating function via the operating element. The operating device suppresses the execution of the first operating function by activating the first operating function via the operating element if the second operating function is activated via the operating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Markus Heerlein, Harald Klemenz, Beng Hai Tan, Kim Ho Patrick Yau
  • Publication number: 20120250921
    Abstract: A hearing device has reduced acoustic wind sensitivity. For that purpose, the hearing device has a surface formed with a shark skin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Bernd MEISTER, Hartmut RITTER, Christian WEISTENHÖFER
  • Publication number: 20120250917
    Abstract: The understanding of speech is to be improved in cases of hearing loss in which certain frequency ranges can no longer be perceived even at high volume or amplification, as applicable. A frequency transposition is performed on an input signal coming into a hearing aid and specific features of an electrical input signal are detected and a transposed signal is filtered as a function of the specific features detected in the electrical input signal. The hearing aid provides appropriate facilities for detecting specific features of the electrical input signal and filtering facilities for filtering the transposed signal. The objective of this is to detect particular properties of the input signal, in particular signal properties which are characteristic of fricatives, which may possibly be lost as a result of the frequency transposition, and at least partially to restore them in the transposed signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Sebastian PAPE, Maja SERMAN
  • Publication number: 20120250920
    Abstract: A hearing aid device and a method of manufacturing the hearing aid device provide a housing and a first conductive layer. The housing has a first non-conductive layer and a second non-conductive layer. The first conductive layer is disposed between the first non-conductive layer and the second non-conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Frank Beck, James Edward De Finis, Jens-Christian Holst, Harald Klemenz, Lavlesh Lamba, Pei chyi Kristy Lim, Uwe Rass, Joseph Sauer, Amit Vaze
  • Publication number: 20120250923
    Abstract: An auditory canal insert is to be produced which can be manufactured simply and cost-effectively and which is less susceptible to dirt, especially cerumen. To this end an auditory canal insert is proposed which has an at least essentially tubular inner section, an outer section lying at least in some area against a user's auditory canal wall when the device is being worn and a filter element, especially a cerumen-protection and/or attenuation element, in which the filter element is initially manufactured as a separate component and subsequently connected by an insert molding process in one piece with the inner section. For the filter element this thus enables a broad spectrum to be covered in respect of its acoustic and mechanical filter characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: DANIELA BECK, BJÖRN FREELS, ULI GOMMEL, SONGHUA YI
  • Publication number: 20120250916
    Abstract: A hearing aid device has a directional microphone system with a first microphone outputting a first microphone signal and a second microphone outputting a second microphone signal. A delay unit generates a directivity by delaying the second microphone signal or a fourth microphone signal derived therefrom by an internal time delay and associating it with the first microphone signal or a third microphone signal derived therefrom for generating a directional microphone signal. A cross-correlation analysis unit receives the first or the third microphone signal and the second or the fourth microphone signal and determines a value of a cross correlation of the two microphone signals. A control unit adjusting the time delay depending on the value of the cross correlation of the two microphone signals. A classifier determines audio conditions in which the hearing aid device is currently situated, and the time delay is adjusted depending on the audio conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD
    Inventors: Jens HAIN, Dirk JUNIUS, Matthias MÜLLER-WEHLAU, Sebastian PAPE
  • Publication number: 20120250918
    Abstract: The understanding of speech is to be improved in cases of hearing loss in which certain frequency ranges can no longer be perceived. A hearing aid has an input transducer for receiving an input signal and converting it into an electrical input signal, a signal processing unit for processing the electrical input signal and effecting frequency-dependent amplification of it, and generates an electrical output signal, and an output transducer for converting the electrical output signal into an acoustic output signal. The hearing aid further has a sound detector device for recognizing sounds in a voice signal coming into the hearing aid, a lookup table, in which a specific output code is assigned in each instance to certain sounds, and a coding device, by which the sounds contained in the electrical input signal are replaced by associated output code in the electrical output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Sebastian PAPE, Maja SERMAN
  • Patent number: 8280084
    Abstract: A method for signal processing for a hearing aid aims to better match signal processing for a hearing aid and in particular a hearing device to a situation and includes processing an input signal in accordance with a first processing algorithm to form a first intermediate signal and processing the input signal in accordance with a second processing algorithm to form a second intermediate signal in parallel with the processing of the input signal in accordance with the first processing algorithm. The input signal is classified by a classifier. Finally, an output signal with a constant mixture ratio is formed both from the first and from the second intermediate signals, taking into account the result of the classification. This allows the advantages of a plurality of algorithms to be used at the same time. A corresponding hearing aid is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Matthias Latzel, Andreas Tiefenau