Patents by Inventor Jens Hain

Jens Hain has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11234084
    Abstract: The phase responses of a first and a second microphone are adjusted with first and second filters that filter their microphone signals. The first filter corresponds to a first contribution to a phase shift between the microphones and includes a first adaptation parameter. The second filter corresponds to a second contribution to the phase shift and has a second adaptation parameter. A global filter, which is formed with the first and second filters, represents the first and second contributions to the phase shift and includes the first and second adaptation parameters. The global filter determines a first value for the first adaptation parameter and a second value for the second adaptation parameter via a multidimensional optimization. The phase responses are adjusted by applying the first filter and the second filter to at least one of the microphone signals with the adaptation parameters set to the first and second values, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Henning Puder, Jens Hain
  • Patent number: 11223916
    Abstract: A method operates a hearing device. The hearing device has a microphone by which ambient sound is picked up and is converted into an input signal that has a wanted component and a noise component. A stationarity of the input signal is determined. A signal-to-noise ratio of the input signal is determined on a basis of a scaling factor. The scaling factor is determined on a basis of the stationarity, namely on a basis of a function that indicates the scaling factor on a basis of the stationarity of the input signal. A corresponding hearing device implements such a method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi, Jens Hain
  • Patent number: 11089410
    Abstract: A method for directional signal processing for a hearing aid. First and second input transducers generate first and second input signals from an ambient acoustic signal. A forward signal and a backward signal are generated from the first and second input signals and a first directional parameter is determined as a linear factor of a linear combination of the forward and backward signals. The first directional signal has a maximum attenuation in a first direction. A correction parameter is ascertained such that a second directional signal has a defined relative attenuation in the first direction. The second directional signal is generated from the forward signal and the backward signal with the first directional parameter and the correction parameter or with the first directional signal and the omnidirectional signal based on the correction parameter. An output signal of the hearing aid is generated based on the second directional signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi, Jens Hain
  • Publication number: 20210227337
    Abstract: The phase responses of a first and a second microphone are adjusted with first and second filters that filter their microphone signals. The first filter corresponds to a first contribution to a phase shift between the microphones and includes a first adaptation parameter. The second filter corresponds to a second contribution to the phase shift and has a second adaptation parameter. A global filter, which is formed with the first and second filters, represents the first and second contributions to the phase shift and includes the first and second adaptation parameters. The global filter determines a first value for the first adaptation parameter and a second value for the second adaptation parameter via a multidimensional optimization. The phase responses are adjusted by applying the first filter and the second filter to at least one of the microphone signals with the adaptation parameters set to the first and second values, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Henning Puder, Jens Hain
  • Publication number: 20210084416
    Abstract: A method operates a hearing device. The hearing device has a microphone by which ambient sound is picked up and is converted into an input signal that has a wanted component and a noise component. A stationarity of the input signal is determined. A signal-to-noise ratio of the input signal is determined on a basis of a scaling factor. The scaling factor is determined on a basis of the stationarity, namely on a basis of a function that indicates the scaling factor on a basis of the stationarity of the input signal. A corresponding hearing device implements such a method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Inventors: Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi, Jens Hain
  • Publication number: 20210044908
    Abstract: A method for directional signal processing for a hearing aid. First and second input transducers generate first and second input signals from an ambient acoustic signal. A forward signal and a backward signal are generated from the first and second input signals and a first directional parameter is determined as a linear factor of a linear combination of the forward and backward signals. The first directional signal has a maximum attenuation in a first direction. A correction parameter is ascertained such that a second directional signal has a defined relative attenuation in the first direction. The second directional signal is generated from the forward signal and the backward signal with the first directional parameter and the correction parameter or with the first directional signal and the omnidirectional signal based on the correction parameter. An output signal of the hearing aid is generated based on the second directional signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: EGHART FISCHER, HOMAYOUN KAMKAR-PARSI, JENS HAIN
  • Patent number: 9060232
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jens Hain, Dirk Junius, Matthias Müller-Wehlau, Sebastian Pape
  • Patent number: 8666080
    Abstract: Wearers of hearing apparatuses and in particular of hearing device systems having two speakers are to be able to enjoy the experience of spatial multi-channel reproduction. Provision is accordingly made to generate a dual-channel audio signal for a binaural hearing apparatus comprising a multi-channel audio signal having at least three individual channels. Accordingly at least one spatial impression-influencing signal level in at least one of the individual channels is changed, and a signal of at least one of the individual channels is connected with signals of the remaining individual channels to the dual-channel audio signal. A corresponding hearing apparatus and in particular a corresponding hearing device have a transformation system that takes over this preprocessing from the multi-channel audio signal to the dual-channel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jens Hain, Robert Kasanmascheff
  • Patent number: 8515107
    Abstract: Processing two input signals in a hearing aid with a first source separation and a second source separation is provided. A comparison of a first correlation with a second correlation and with a change in the first coefficient set as a function of a second coefficient set when the second correlation is smaller than the first correlation, with the second coefficient set being changed as a function of the first coefficient set when the second source separation is reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Jens Hain, Henning Puder
  • Patent number: 8452035
    Abstract: Sound from the receiver of a hearing device may be fed back to its microphones via acoustic feedback paths, which may cause undesirable whistling. It is particularly difficult to predict the creation of feedback in a microphone array with adjustable directional characteristic. This is because the stability of the system then is dependent on a directional parameter by way of which the directional characteristic is fixed. The invention enables feedback-free operation of such a hearing device. A prescribed stability condition is used to establish for which values of the directional parameter feedback-free operation is possible. The directional parameter is then restricted to these values during operation of the hearing device. As an alternative thereto, a value for a strength of a feedback effect is established for a current value of the directional parameter and the directional parameter or a control parameter for the purpose of feedback suppression is then set as a function of the established value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Jens Hain
  • Patent number: 8331591
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a hearing aid. A local source operating mode is established by a signal processing section of the hearing aid for tracking and selecting a local acoustic source of an ambient sound. Electrical acoustic signals from which the local acoustic source is determined by the signal processing section are generated by the hearing aid from the detected ambient sound. The local acoustic source is selectively taken into account by the signal processing section in an output sound of the hearing aid such that the local acoustic source is at least acoustically prominent and is therefore better perceived compared to another acoustic source for a hearing aid wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Matthias Fröhlich, Jens Hain, Henning Puder, Andre Steinbuss
  • Patent number: 8325954
    Abstract: Method for processing an input signal in a hearing aid, with the input signal being broken down into a discrete signal for each source relative to an acoustic signal, with the discrete signals being assigned to a spatial position of the source and with the discrete signals being output, or output attenuated, relative to the spatial position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Matthias Fröhlich, Jens Hain, Henning Puder, André Steinbuβ
  • Patent number: 8325957
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a hearing aid wearer to actively operate a hearing aid. A signal processing section of the hearing aid has a demixing module for separating audio signals and a postprocessor module which sets up a hold mode of operation for the hearing aid. An audio signal, which is preferred by the hearing aid wearer, from an ambient sound, is tracked and selected by virtue of the hearing aid wearer transmitting to the hearing aid a command which sets up the hold mode of operation in the signal processing section of the hearing aid for a certain period. The signal processing section tracks the preferred audio signal and selectively takes account of it in an output sound from the hearing aid such that it is audibly highlighted for the hearing aid wearer in comparison with another audio signal and is thereby perceived better.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Matthias Fröhlich, Jens Hain, Henning Puder, Andre Steinbuss
  • 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
  • Patent number: 8275162
    Abstract: A method for operating a hearing device, an associated microphone system comprising at least two omnidirectional microphones, and a hearing device are provided. The microphones emit microphone signals and are electrically interconnected with one another in order to form directional characteristics. A damping of the upper frequency range of the microphone signals is determined from the lower frequency range of the microphone signals. The impression of a wide-band directional microphone is produced as a result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Bäuml, Jens Hain
  • Patent number: 8199949
    Abstract: A method for processing at least one first and one second input signal in a hearing aid, with the input signals being filtered to create intermediate signals, the intermediate signals being added to form output signals, the input signals being assigned to a defined signal situation, and with the signals being filtered as a function of the assigned defined signal situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Matthias Fröhlich, Jens Hain, Henning Puder, André Steinbuβ
  • Patent number: 8194900
    Abstract: A “speaker” operating mode is established by a signal processor of a hearing aid for tracking and selecting an acoustic speaker source in an ambient sound. Electric acoustic signals are generated by the hearing aid from the ambient sound that has been picked up, from which signals an electric speaker signal is selected by the signal processor by a database of speech profiles of preferred speakers. The electric speech signal is selectively taken into account in an output sound of the hearing aid in such a way that it will for the hearing-aid wearer acoustically at least be prominent compared with another acoustic source and consequently be better perceived by the hearing-aid wearer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Matthias Fröhlich, Jens Hain, Henning Puder, André Steinbuβ
  • Patent number: 8121309
    Abstract: The directional effect of a static directional microphone is to be improved. In particular shadowing effects of the head for a hearing device worn on the head of the user are to be taken into account when adjusting at the directional microphone. To this end it is proposed that—like the adaptation of an adaptive directional microphone—the energy or power of the directional microphone signal emitted by the directional microphone is minimized, with the difference that in this case extremely long adaptation times are predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Eghart Fischer, Jens Hain
  • Publication number: 20110228960
    Abstract: Sound from the receiver of a hearing device may be fed back to its microphones via acoustic feedback paths, which may cause undesirable whistling. It is particularly difficult to predict the creation of feedback in a microphone array with adjustable directional characteristic. This is because the stability of the system then is dependent on a directional parameter by way of which the directional characteristic is fixed. The invention enables feedback-free operation of such a hearing device. A prescribed stability condition is used to establish for which values of the directional parameter feedback-free operation is possible. The directional parameter is then restricted to these values during operation of the hearing device. As an alternative thereto, a value for a strength of a feedback effect is established for a current value of the directional parameter and the directional parameter or a control parameter for the purpose of feedback suppression is then set as a function of the established value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Publication date: September 22, 2011
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Jens Hain
  • Publication number: 20110103611
    Abstract: A hearing device and an associated method use an adaptive directional microphone for suppressing feedback. The hearing device includes an adaptation unit which sets the directional microphone so that a sound signal fed back from an earpiece of the hearing device to the directional microphone is attenuated. Acoustic feedback is advantageously attenuated or suppressed simply in an artifact-free manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2010
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: GEORG-ERWIN ARNDT, JENS HAIN, SEBASTIAN PAPE