Patents by Inventor Manuela Feilner

Manuela Feilner 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: 11856367
    Abstract: A method of providing an alert for a user by a hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of the user includes providing user-related data including information about at least one of the user, an ambient environment of the user, or a property of the hearing device worn by the user; characterized by providing vehicle-related data associated with at least one vehicle in a vicinity of the user, the vehicle-related data including information about a property of the vehicle; determining, based on the user-related data and the vehicle-related data, a relevance measure indicative of a probability that the user is endangered by the vehicle; and controlling an operation of the hearing device depending on the relevance measure, the operation alerting the user about the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Alexander Markus
  • Publication number: 20230262400
    Abstract: A hearing device arrangement includes two hearing devices which are connected to each other in a data transmitting manner. Each hearing device includes an audio input unit for obtaining an input audio signal, a processing unit for audio signal processing of the input audio signal to obtain an output audio signal, a neural network which, when executed by the processing unit performs a processing step of the audio signal processing, and an audio output unit for outputting the output audio signal. The hearing device arrangement is configured to transmit neural network data of the neural network of at least one of the hearing devices to the respective other hearing device to be used in the audio signal processing by the processing unit of the respective other hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Markus Hofbauer, Andreas Breitenmoser, Claudio Santelli, Paul Wagner, Sebastian Kroedel, Manon Barbier, Manuela Feilner
  • Publication number: 20230240560
    Abstract: An illustrative hearing system may be configured to receive, from a motion sensor included in a hearing device configured to be worn by a user, motion data representative of motion of the user while the user wears the hearing device and an output signal generated by a heart rate sensor in contact with the user. The hearing system may be further configured to determine, based the motion data, a heart rate probability distribution function and to determine, based on the output signal and the heart rate probability distribution function, a heart rate value for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: August 3, 2023
    Inventors: Nina Stumpf, Evgeny Murtola, Nadim El Guindi, Niklas Ignasiak, Anna M. Parker, Nicholas Ohs, Manuela Feilner, Hans-Ueli Roeck
  • Publication number: 20230233149
    Abstract: An illustrative hearing system may be configured to receive, from an inertial sensor included in a hearing device configured to be worn by a user, inertial sensor data representative of at least one of motion of the hearing device or orientation of the hearing device. The hearing system may further be configured to determine, based on the inertial sensor data, an activity state of the user and to determine, based on the activity state, a cardiorespiratory quality index representative of a quality level of a measurement of a cardiorespiratory property of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2022
    Publication date: July 27, 2023
    Inventors: Anna M. Parker, Nina Stumpf, Niklas Ignasiak, Nicholas Ohs, Manuela Feilner, Hans-Ueli Roeck, Nadim El Guindi
  • Publication number: 20230226309
    Abstract: A method for stabilizing a gait of a user wearing a hearing device comprises: sensing an audio signal with a microphone of the hearing device; modifying the audio signal with the hearing device into a modified audio signal; sensing a movement signal of the user with a movement sensor of the hearing device; determining a step signal indicative of a timing of steps of the user and/or a sway signal of the user indicative of a sway of the user over time from the movement signal; predicting a future step signal from the step signal; triggering a cue signal depending on the future step signal and/or the future sway signal; generating an output cue to be output to the user, the output cue comprising an acoustic cue; and adding the acoustic cue to the audio signal or the modified audio signal at the timing of the cue signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Niklas Ignasiak, Manuela Feilner
  • Patent number: 11701057
    Abstract: An illustrative hearing system may be configured to cause an emitting device included in a hearing device to emit an output signal while the hearing device is at least partially positioned within an ear canal of a user and cause a sensor positioned outside the ear canal to attempt to detect the output signal. The sensor may be configured to output sensor data representative of one or more signals detected by the sensor during a time period corresponding to the emitting of the output signal by the emitting device. The hearing system may further be configured to determine, based on the sensor data, a quality metric for an optical measurement performed or to be performed by an optical measurement device included in the hearing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Nadim El Guindi, Nina Stumpf, Niklas Ignasiak, Anna M. Parker, Nicholas Ohs, Manuela Feilner, Hans-Ueli Roeck
  • Publication number: 20230206745
    Abstract: An illustrative system includes two wearable devices configured to be worn near a jaw on opposite sides of a user's head, each device comprising: at least one microphone, at least two accelerometers, at least one loudspeaker, wherein the system is configured to process data acquired by the accelerometers and by the microphones to: detect chewing, and output an audible notification via the loudspeakers to notify the user to brush the user's teeth after chewing is no longer detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2021
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Nicholas Ohs, Nadim El Guindi, Nina Stumpf, Niklas Ignasiak, Anna M. Parker, Manuela Feilner, Hans-Ueli Roeck
  • Patent number: 11510016
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a hearing device (12) adapted to be worn behind an ear (28) comprises: determining a cymba angle (54) between a cartilage (50) above the cymba (46) of the ear (28) and a viewing direction (38) of the user; estimating a tilt angle (39) of the hearing device (12) with respect to the viewing direction (38) from the cymba angle (54); and adjusting a beam former direction (37) of a beam former (34) of the hearing device (12), such that the beam former direction (37) is aligned with the viewing direction (38).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Amre El-Hoiydi
  • Publication number: 20220337964
    Abstract: An illustrative fitting system may be configured to connect a first hearing device worn by a first user and a second hearing device worn by a second user with a fitting device for data communication, read configuration and sound processing data from the first hearing device and the second hearing device into the fitting device, determine, with the fitting device and based on the configuration and sound processing data, first parameters for an audiological functionality performable by the first hearing device and second parameters for an audiological functionality performable by the second hearing device, and simultaneously send the first parameters from the fitting device to the first hearing device and the second parameters from the fitting device to the second hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventor: Manuela Feilner
  • Publication number: 20220301683
    Abstract: A method for detecting and quantifying a liquid and/or food and/or medication intake of a user wearing a hearing device which comprises at least one microphone. The method comprises: receiving an audio signal from the at least one microphone and/or a sensor signal from at least one further sensor; and collecting and analyzing the received audio signal and/or further sensor signals so as to detect each time the user drinks and/or takes medication and/or eats something, wherein drinking and/or medication intake is distinguished from eating and/or wherein drinking is distinguished from medication intake, and so as to determine values indicative of how often this is detected and/or a respective amount of liquid and/or food and/or medication ingested by the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventor: Manuela Feilner
  • Patent number: 11451910
    Abstract: An illustrative method is disclosed for determining potential partner devices for a hearing device worn by a user, wherein the hearing device is adapted for establishing a data communication connection with other devices with a data communication interface and for receiving an audio data stream from the other devices via the data communication interface. The method includes generating context data from sensor data recorded by the hearing device; inputting the context data into a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained with historical context data to classify potential partner devices; and outputting at least one classification by the machine learning algorithm, the classification classifying the potential partner devices and indicating whether the user expects a data communication connection with the potential partner devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Arnaud Brielmann, Amre El-Hoiydi
  • Publication number: 20220257162
    Abstract: A method is described for tracking happy moments of a user wearing a hearing device comprising at least one microphone and at least one classifier configured to detect specific states of the user or of the user's environment based on a sensor signal indicative of the user's mood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Eleftheria Georganti, Melissa Lawrence, Manuela Feilner, Ulrike Lemke, Thomas Wessel
  • Publication number: 20220167099
    Abstract: A method of providing an alert for a user by a hearing device configured to be worn at an ear of the user includes providing user-related data including information about at least one of the user, an ambient environment of the user, or a property of the hearing device worn by the user; characterized by providing vehicle-related data associated with at least one vehicle in a vicinity of the user, the vehicle-related data including information about a property of the vehicle; determining, based on the user-related data and the vehicle-related data, a relevance measure indicative of a probability that the user is endangered by the vehicle; and controlling an operation of the hearing device depending on the relevance measure, the operation alerting the user about the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Alexander Markus
  • Publication number: 20210385588
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a hearing device (12) adapted to be worn behind an ear (28) comprises: determining a cymba angle (54) between a cartilage (50) above the cymba (46) of the ear (28) and a viewing direction (38) of the user; estimating a tilt angle (39) of the hearing device (12) with respect to the viewing direction (38) from the cymba angle (54); and adjusting a beam former direction (37) of a beam former (34) of the hearing device (12), such that the beam former direction (37) is aligned with the viewing direction (38).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Manuela FEILNER, Amre EL-HOIYDI
  • Patent number: 11184484
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling hearing devices are disclosed. Each hearing device is worn by a user, the hearing devices being communicatively interconnected with each other for data exchange to form a hearing device system. A method includes acquiring a sound signal of each user with a microphone of the hearing device of the user; determining from the sound signal a speaker signal, which indicates, whether the user is a speaking user; determining a priority score for each user from the speaker signal of the user; outputting sound signals from speaking users to the users via the hearing devices of the users, such that sound signals from speaking users with a priority score smaller than a threshold are muted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Harald Kruger
  • Patent number: 11128962
    Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling hearing devices are disclosed. Each hearing device is worn by a user, the users of the hearing devices having a conversation and the hearing devices being communicatively interconnected with each other for data exchange to form a hearing device system. A method includes acquiring a sound signal of each user with a microphone of the hearing device of the user; acquiring spatial information of each user; determining conversation patterns from the spatial information acquired for all users; determining conversation groups from the conversation patterns; outputting the sound signals from the users with a hearing device, such that sound signals from users of a conversation group that the user of the hearing device is a member of are output to the user and that sound signals from users of conversations groups of which the user is not a member are muted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Harald Kruger, Anahi Balbi, Claudio Santelli
  • Publication number: 20210258704
    Abstract: An illustrative method is disclosed for determining potential partner devices for a hearing device worn by a user, wherein the hearing device is adapted for establishing a data communication connection with other devices with a data communication interface and for receiving an audio data stream from the other devices via the data communication interface. The method includes generating context data from sensor data recorded by the hearing device; inputting the context data into a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained with historical context data to classify potential partner devices; and outputting at least one classification by the machine learning algorithm, the classification classifying the potential partner devices and indicating whether the user expects a data communication connection with the potential partner devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Manuela Feilner, Arnaud Brielmann, Amre El-Hoiydi
  • Patent number: 11032654
    Abstract: A method for the broadcasting of sound to persons (10, 20, 30) with mobile hearing systems (11, 21, 31) at a meeting with a speaker (1) and with an audiovisual system (2, 3, 4), the audiovisual system having a computer (2), a screen (3) and a microphone (4).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Röck, Hilmar Meier, Harald Krueger, Manuela Feilner
  • Patent number: 10873816
    Abstract: A method for providing feedback of an own voice loudness of a user of a hearing device comprises: extracting an own voice signal of the user from an audio signal acquired with a microphone of the hearing device; determining a sound level of the own voice signal from the audio signal; determining an acoustic situation of the user; determining at least one of a minimal threshold and a maximal threshold for the sound level of the own voice signal from the acoustic situation of the user; and notifying the user, when the sound level is at least one of lower than the minimal threshold and higher than the maximal threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Manuela Feilner
  • Patent number: 10834510
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hearing devices with proactive power management are provided. Various embodiments dynamically adapt power consumption to the preferences, needs, and behavior of the hearing device user such that the hearing device provides function until the hearing device can be recharged. Moreover, some embodiments exploit the trend of more intelligent devices and machine learning to create dynamic power management schedules which can be temporarily implemented to create an optimal blend of performance versus battery life while minimizing perception of the feature or performance reduction to the user. Moreover, the dynamic nature of the power management used in various embodiments can account for battery degradation, updated firmware, and/or other factors that may impact battery life as the hearing device ages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Stephan Gehring, Manuela Feilner