Patents Assigned to Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8358796
    Abstract: A method and an acoustic signal processing system for noise reduction of a binaural microphone signal are proposed. A source signal and two interfering signals input to a left and a right microphone of a binaural microphone system respectively. A left and a right microphone signal is filtered by a Wiener filter to obtain binaural output signals of the source signal. The Wiener filter is calculated as H W ? ( ? ) = 1 - S y ? ? 1 , y ? ? 1 ? ( ? ) S v ? ? 1 , v ? ? 1 ? ( ? ) + S v ? ? 2 , v ? ? 2 ? ( ? ) , wherein Sy1,y1(?) is the auto power spectral density of the sum of the interfering signals contained in the left and right microphone signal, Sv1,v1(?) is the auto power spectral density of the filtered left microphone signal and Sv2,v2 is the auto power spectral density of the filtered right microphone signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Henning Puder
  • Patent number: 8355516
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus and particularly a hearing aid intended to be able to recognize acoustic situations more reliably includes a microphone device for picking-up a sound signal, a reception device for picking-up an electrical or electromagnetic signal and a classification device for determining an acoustic situation from the signals of the microphone device and the reception device. A signal processing device processes the signals of the microphone device and the reception device as a function of an output signal of the classification device. In particular, the signals of the microphone device and the reception device are made available separately to the classification device for recognizing the situation. Thus, the individual input signals, or the correlation thereof, can be used for recognizing the situation. A method for operating a hearing apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Andre Steinbuss
  • Patent number: 8355519
    Abstract: A tool is provided with which a receiver of a hearing aid can be easily fitted into an earpiece or an ear mold and removed therefrom. The tool has an elongate main body, a first tool part for removing the receiver from a first earpiece, a second tool part for removing the receiver from a second earpiece, and a third tool part for fitting the receiver into the first or second earpiece. The elongate main body is divided into a first subsidiary body and a second subsidiary body). The two subsidiary bodies can be plugged at least partially one inside the other in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the main body. In addition, two of the three tool parts are arranged on one of the two subsidiary bodies, and the remaining tool part is arranged on the other of the two subsidiary bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Uli Gommel, Marco Lederer, Ottmar Ruschig, Friedrich Zenk
  • Publication number: 20130010993
    Abstract: Hearing apparatuses should be manufactured as simply as possible and with the closest possible fit. Accordingly, a molding structure, is provided, which represents a model for the direct shaping of an otoplastic of a hearing apparatus. The molding structure having a sealing element, which can be positioned in the auditory canal, and a molding mass which is inserted into the auditory canal to a side of the sealing element facing the outlet of the auditory canal. The molding mass and the sealing element here are connected to form the model and the sealing element is part of the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Anton GEBERT, Stefan KEXEL, Frank ROSENBERGER, Benjamin SCHMIDT, Christian WEISTENHÖFER
  • Patent number: 8351627
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes an identifier for identifying usage of the hearing aid at a correct side on the left ear or the right ear of a wearer. The identifier is constructed as a rotational element having a first feature and a second feature to be respectively set by a rotational movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Mo Choong Marie Chan, Uwe Flaig, Holger Kral, Martin Segerud, Wee Hiong Tan, Ju Lin Teo
  • Publication number: 20130004005
    Abstract: A connector for a hearing instrument, in particular a receiver-in-canal behind-the-ear hearing aid, is small and visually inconspicuous. The connector should be as invisible as possible on the hearing instrument as it is worn, and the connector allows a microphone arrangement favorable for directionality and sound pick-up. The connector is disposed on an earpiece tube, which defines a longitudinal direction at the connector. The connector is connected by insertion into a connector receptacle of a hearing instrument transversely to the longitudinal direction. The hearing instrument has a laterally arranged connector receptacle, into which a connector is inserted transversely to the longitudinal direction. Because of the transverse insertion, the connector can be arranged laterally on the housing and because of the lateral placement, the front end face of the housing is smaller and the housing is overall flatter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2010
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Joachim Roland Barth, Holger Kral, Frank Naumann, Andreas Ratay, Markus Trautner
  • Patent number: 8344689
    Abstract: A hearing aid with a rechargeable energy storage unit used as a power supply and an antenna used for wireless transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals is provided. The hearing aid also includes an energy charging unit which is arranged between the antenna and the energy storage unit, with the energy transmitted electromagnetically in a charging mode to the antenna being fed electrically via the energy charging unit into the energy storage unit. An energy charger and an energy storage method are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Mihail Boguslavskij
  • Patent number: 8345907
    Abstract: A hearing device that is worn in the ear has a hearing aid and a support device with a runner. The support device remains stationarily inserted in the auditory canal, while the hearing aid is moveably connected to the runner and moveably arranged along the runner. This provides for a hearing device that allows a simple, intuitively understandable modification of the volume and/or sound properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ulrich Giese, Silke Gürtler, Stefan Kexel, Nadine Seubert
  • Patent number: 8345903
    Abstract: A battery bay of a hearing device should be better protected against unwanted opening. A housing for a hearing device is therefore provided with: a battery bay that is mounted on the housing and can be moved into an open position as well as a closed position; a projection that is permanently attached to the housing, and a securing element to prevent a movement of the battery bay. The securing element is supported on the battery bay and can be pivoted between a secured position and an unsecured position. The securing element also engages behind the projection in the secured position and the closed position of the battery bay so that the battery bay cannot be moved into the open position. The securing element has a recess in which, in the secured position, a tool can be held to move the securing element into the unsecured position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Uwe Flaig, Michael Sattler
  • Patent number: 8345904
    Abstract: In hearing devices, more particularly in hearing aids, it is desirable to be able to design an earpiece for generating sound in the audible range which is as small as possible. Such an earpiece can then be worn comfortably on an ear or in an auditory canal. A sound transducer for the hearing device disclosed here may be formed as a micro-electromechanical system and the transducer enables generation of an acoustic signal with little distortion. Provision is made for a hearing device with a sound transducer, which has a field generation apparatus for generating an electric or magnetic field and an emission apparatus for generating sound. Here, the emission apparatus has a multiplicity of fingers that are penetrated by the field of the field generation apparatus, wherein the shape of the fingers can be changed by means of the field of the field generation apparatus in order to generate the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Thorsten Albach, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Tom Weidner, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20120328112
    Abstract: A more efficient method reduces reverberation in binaural hearing systems. This has been done by developing a method for obtaining a reduced-reverberation, binaural output signal, for a binaural hearing apparatus. First of all, a left input signal and a right input signal are provided. The two input signals are combined to form a reference signal. The reference signal is used to ascertain spectral weights, or these weights are provided in another way, in order to use them to reduce late reverberation. To this end, the two input signals have the spectral weight applied to them. Furthermore, a coherency for signal components of the weighted input signals is ascertained. Non-coherent signal components of both weighted input signals are then attenuated in order to reduce early reverberation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Marco Jeub, Heinrich Loellmann, Peter Vary
  • Publication number: 20120328139
    Abstract: A behind-the-ear hearing device has a housing with a plug-in connector on a sidewall of the housing for connecting to an earpiece tube or sound tube. The lateral arrangement of the plug-in connector moves the plug-in connector away from the exposed position on the front end face of the housing. This enables the front end face, which is generally visible, to be made smaller. Advantageously, at least two microphones are provided, with one microphone position in the vicinity of the front end face of the housing. The front microphone position is thus moved farther away from a position that may possibly be covered by the pinna, and the rear microphone position can also be moved farther toward the front. The microphone positions are thus approximately horizontal, which promotes the spatial resolution of the detected surrounding sound (directionality) by the signal processing of the hearing aid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2010
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Frank Naumann, Holger Kral, Andreas Ratay, Joachim Roland Barth
  • Publication number: 20120328138
    Abstract: A hearing instrument has an integral injection-molding casing. The hearing instrument fixes the internal components in an integral casing that is simple in design; requires few components; and is easy to handle. The hearing instrument contains an integral casing and a frame arranged within the casing. The casing has an assembly opening through which the frame is pushed into the casing. The casing has a microphone opening oriented perpendicular to the insertion direction, which microphone opening interacts with a fixation device arranged on the frame in order to fix the frame in the casing. This provides a simple fixation mechanism. The microphone opening can be applied as a bore after the production of the casing, and therefore be produced in an injection-molding method. The fixation device can be embodied as a microphone. The microphone can be inserted into the microphone opening by a spring force.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 27, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: VOLKER GOLY
  • Patent number: 8340332
    Abstract: A hearing aid configuration and an associated method provide wireless transmission of data between a hearing aid and an external unit. The external unit, for example a programming device, is worn with a lanyard around the neck of a hearing aid user. The configuration additionally contains at least one second antenna disposed in the lanyard and at least one third antenna arranged in the lanyard which is connected by an electric series circuit to the second antenna. The advantage of this is that the lanyard can be made long enough to be comfortable to wear and a sufficiently high receive signal of the wireless data transmission is still guaranteed in the external unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Peter Nikles, Ulrich Schätzle
  • Publication number: 20120321091
    Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals occurring at sides of the system, is used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left and right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using two directional signals. These levels are used for individual Wiener filtering for every microphone signal. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or for low frequencies and in combination complement each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Eghart Fischer
  • Publication number: 20120321092
    Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals at sides of the system are used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using these two directional signals. These levels are used for subjecting every microphone signal to individual Wiener filtering. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or low frequencies or in combination and complement each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Eghart Fischer
  • Publication number: 20120314892
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus has an input converter for converting an input signal into an electrical signal, an amplifier for amplifying the electrical signal and an output converter for converting the amplified electrical signal into an output signal, and a battery compartment, into which a battery for supplying electrical energy at least to the amplifier can be introduced. The hearing apparatus further has a sensor unit, which is embodied to detect a position of the battery compartment in a contactless fashion and to output signals as a function thereof, by which the hearing apparatus can be switched on or off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: PhanHow Amy CHENG, Cheoung Hong LEE, Meng Kiang LIM
  • Patent number: 8331597
    Abstract: In order to connect a hearing device to a carrying hook, a connecting element is used, which has to satisfy high demands with regards to its precision and stability. To ensure this, the connecting element is designed as a powder injection molded part, in particular as a ceramic injection molded part or metal part, which is manufactured in a ceramic injection molding process or a metal injection molding process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Werner Fickweiler, Björn Freels, Holger Kral, Joseph Sauer
  • Patent number: D674490
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John William Bailey, Stewart James Heaysman, Frank Naumann, Steven Rose
  • Patent number: D674491
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: John William Bailey, Stewart James Heaysman, Frank Naumann, Steven Rose