Abstract: A self-expanding hearing device is disclosed. The device includes a body, a membrane coupled to the body, and a frame coupled to the body, so that a user can compress the frame for insertion into the user's ear canal, and when the user releases compression the frame expands so that the device is lodged in the ear canal.

Abstract: A noise attenuating system includes a core portion adapted to actively filter sound waves into various bands, passing only those bands corresponding to safe amplitude sounds to a wearer's ear canal. Unlike conventional active noise cancellation systems, active noise attenuation is accomplished without providing additional sound waves inverse to unsafe amplitude sound waves. Instead, unsafe amplitude sound waves are passively blocked, and only safe amplitude sound waves are passed through to the wearer's ear canal.

Abstract: A multi-band spectral subtraction scheme is proposed, comprising a multi-band filter architecture, noise and signal power detection, and gain function for noise reduction. In one embodiment, the gain function for noise reduction consists of a gain scale function and a maximum attenuation function providing a predetermined amount of gain as a function of signal to noise ratio (“SNR”) and noise. In one embodiment, the gain scale function is a three-segment piecewise linear function, and the three piecewise linear sections of the gain scale function include a first section providing maximum expansion up to a first knee point for maximum noise reduction, a second section providing less expansion up to a second knee point for less noise reduction, and a third section providing minimum or no expansion for input signals with high SNR to minimize distortion.

Abstract: The present invention provides a switch method and apparatus that is switchable among a plurality of operational modes by attenuating an input audio signal detected by the apparatus. The apparatus includes a microphone which converts the input audio signal to an input electrical signal (IES), a first memory which stores a threshold value, a second memory which stores at least one parameter set, a selector which is responsive to the first memory and to the IES for selecting a first parameter set as an enabled parameter set, and a signal conditioner coupled to the IES, the signal conditioner being responsive to the IES and to an enabled parameter set for producing a conditioned electrical signal (CES).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for minimizing latency in digital signal processing paths. One example is an active noise cancellation device. The system includes a digital closed feedback loop having a forward path and a feedback path. The forward path includes a compensation filter, a digital-to-analog converter, and an output transducer. The feedback path includes an input transducer, a feedback delta-sigma modulator, and a feedback sampling-rate converter. An input signal is processed in one of several ways into a processed digital input signal having a preselected intermediate sampling rate. Through the feedback path, an analog output signal is processed into a digital feedback signal having substantially the same preselected intermediate sampling rate. The processed digital input signal and the digital feedback signal are combined and processed through the forward path to produce an anti disturbance signal that is combined with a disturbance signal to form the analog output signal.

Abstract: A method for fitting a hearing compensation device comprises selecting a plurality of loudness levels for a plurality of frequencies and comparing each loudness level for each frequency for perceived sameness. The loudness levels may then be adjusted as needed to achieve perceived sameness across the frequency spectrum. A gain curve for each frequency is calculated from the selected plurality of loudness levels.

Abstract: A method for fitting a hearing device in an ear canal, comprises, providing a receiver module sized and shaped to fit in any of a wide range of ear canals, selecting a conformal tip from a plurality of differently sized conformal tips, each conformal tip of the plurality having an inside circumference adapted to engage the same size receiver module, wherein the selected conformal tip has an outside circumference slightly larger than the circumference of the ear canal, engaging the receiver module within the selected conformal tip, and inserting the selected conformal tip and engaged receiver module into the ear canal.

Abstract: A hearing device comprises a housing having an outer wall and a compartment adapted to receive a battery. The battery forms a portion of the housing outer wall when engaged with the compartment. The hearing device compartment also includes an integrated switch comprising a contact adapted to engage the battery in response to a deformation of the hearing device, and a conformal tip adapted to engage with the housing such that the conformal tip surrounds the compartment and the engaged battery.

Abstract: A regulated voltage down pump circuit comprises a reference generator circuit receiving a voltage. P channel and N channel device voltage thresholds are measured and compared. A first reference voltage is generated using the largest voltage threshold. A second reference voltage is generated an amount (which may be programmable) above the first reference voltage. The second reference voltage is compared with an output voltage of a pump circuit. When the output voltage is less than the second reference voltage, a clock signal is sent to the pump circuit that generates and pumps up the output voltage to the reference voltage. The pumped voltage at the second reference is then used for logic circuits at reduced power and nearly constant gate delay over voltage, temperature and process variations.

Abstract: A new subband feedback cancellation scheme is proposed, capable of providing additional stable gain without introducing audible artifacts. The subband feedback cancellation scheme employs a cascade of two narrow-band filters Ai(Z) and Bi(Z) along with a fixed delay, instead of a single filter Wi(Z) and a delay to represent the feedback path in each subband. The first filter, Ai(Z), is called the training filter, and models the static portion of the feedback path in ith subband, including microphone, receiver, ear canal resonance, and other relatively static parameters. The training filter can be implemented as a FIR filter or as an IIR filter. The second filter, BI(Z), is called a tracking filter and is typically implemented as a FIR filter with fewer taps than the training filter. This second filter tracks the variations of the feedback path in the ith subband caused by jaw movement or objects close to the ears of the user.

Abstract: A hybrid loop filter includes an integrator having an input and an output wherein the output forms an output of the hybrid loop filter, a plurality of transconductance amplifiers having an input and an output wherein each output of the plurality of transconductance amplifiers is coupled to the input of the integrator, a switched capacitor low pass chain having an input and a plurality of branches wherein each of the plurality of branches is coupled to the input of a separate one of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers, and a feedthrough branch having an input and an output wherein the input is coupled to the input of the switched capacitor low pass chain to form an input of said hybrid loop filter, and the output is coupled to the input of a separate one of the plurality of transconductance amplifiers.

Abstract: A receiver suspension for isolating a hearing device receiver within a hearing device comprises a housing that defines a chamber. The housing is adapted to be inserted into a hearing device shell. The receiver suspension also comprises a cover that is adapted to engage with a proximal end of the housing. An isolation membrane at least partially surrounds the hearing device receiver such that, upon inserting the hearing device receiver into the housing, the isolation membrane suspends the receiver within the housing chamber, thus preventing the receiver from contacting the inside surface of the housing. Preferably, the isolation membrane is formed from a stretched polymer material such as polyurethane or silicone and forms a series of pleats when engaged with the receiver. Alternately, the receiver suspension includes an isolation spring having two grasping members interconnected with a flexure member.

Abstract: A hybrid loop filter includes an integrator having an input and an output wherein the output forms an output of the hybrid loop filter, a plurality of transconductance amplifiers having an input and an output wherein each output of the plurality of transconductance amplifiers is coupled to the input of the integrator, a switched capacitor low pass chain having an input and a plurality of branches wherein each of the plurality of branches is coupled to the input of a separate one of said plurality of transconductance amplifiers, and a feedthrough branch having an input and an output wherein the input is coupled to the input of the switched capacitor low pass chain to form an input of said hybrid loop filter, and the output is coupled to the input of a separate one of the plurality of transconductance amplifiers.

Abstract: A noise attenuating system includes a core portion adapted to actively filter sound waves into various bands, passing only those bands corresponding to safe amplitude sounds to a wearer's ear canal. Unlike conventional active noise cancellation systems, active noise attenuation is accomplished without providing additional sound waves inverse to unsafe amplitude sound waves. Instead, unsafe amplitude sound waves are passively blocked, and only safe amplitude sound waves are passed through to the wearer's ear canal.

Abstract: A simplified algorithm for digital signal interpolation and a novel architecture to implement the algorithm in an integrated circuit (“IC”) with significant space constraints are presented. According to embodiments of the present invention, the interpolator is divided into two parts. The first part of the interpolator increases the sample rate by a factor of two and smoothes the signal using a half-band Infinite Impulse Response (“IIR”) filter. The second part of the interpolator increases the sample rate of the signal by a factor of thirty-two using a zero-order-hold (“ZOH”) circuit. In one embodiment, the half-band IIR filter is implemented using an all-pass lattice structure to minimize quantization effects. The lattice coefficients are chosen such that the structure can achieve all filter design requirements, yet is capable of being implemented with a small number of shifters and adders, and no multipliers.

Abstract: A self-cleaning cerumen guard includes a thermally activated element. The cerumen guard is mounted on the distal end of a hearing device adjacent to a sound port. The thermally activated element is oriented in a manner which causes it to retract when heated to a first temperature range and extend when cooled to a second temperature range, such that, upon removal of the hearing device from an ear canal, the self-cleaning cerumen guard will automatically remove any accumulated debris from the sound port.

Abstract: A device for coupling a programming connector to a programmable hearing aid comprises an electrode coupled to a corresponding conductor of the programming connector, wherein the electrode is biased to maintain contact with a conductive surface in the hearing aid. The coupling device is adapted to engage within a receiver module of a CIC hearing device. Data from an outside source, such as a computer, can thereby be easily transferred through the programming connector to circuitry within the hearing device.

Abstract: A simplified algorithm for digital signal interpolation and a novel architecture to implement the algorithm in an integrated circuit (“IC”) with significant space constraints are presented. According to embodiments of the present invention, the interpolator is divided into two parts. The first part of the interpolator increases the sample rate by a factor of two and smoothes the signal using a half-band Infinite Impulse Response (“IIR”) filter. The second part of the interpolator increases the sample rate of the signal by a factor of thirty-two using a zero-order-hold (“ZOH”) circuit. In one embodiment, the half-band IIR filter is implemented using an all-pass lattice structure to minimize quantization effects. The lattice coefficients are chosen such that the structure can achieve all filter design requirements, yet is capable of being implemented with a small number of shifters and adders, and no multipliers.

Abstract: A system for detecting a low battery power condition and providing an audible warning of such a condition to a user of an electronic device such as a hearing aid is disclosed. In one embodiment, the battery output voltage is monitored and compared to a first threshold voltage at specified sampling intervals. When a battery output voltage measurement below the first threshold voltage is detected, this measurement is verified by a rule specifying that a low battery condition is not deemed to exist unless a predetermined percentage of voltage measurements within a predetermined time interval indicate that the battery output voltage is below the first threshold voltage. If the low battery condition is verified, an audible warning is generated, which is repeated at specified warning intervals. This audible warning affords an opportunity to the user for replacing the batteries in the device before loss of operation or degraded sound quality are experienced.

Abstract: In a serial interface for a programmable hearing aid, no address is provided for the data transferred to or read from the hearing aid, rather, for each instruction, the number of data words being transferred pursuant to each instruction and the beginning word are known in the controlled device. In the serial interface, the data is clocked into and out of the hearing aid on a serial data pin by a serial clock. Because no addresses are sent along with the data to the controlled device, the amount of data transferred to the hearing aid is significantly reduced, and no circuitry is required to save the address.