Abstract: Examples disclosed herein are relevant to testing capacitors to identify potentially faulty DC blocking capacitors in implantable stimulators. In an example, the test includes selecting an active electrode, a return electrode, and a reference electrode. Short duration monophasic stimulation is used to charge up the DC blocking capacitors of the active and return electrodes. The electrodes are subsequently disconnected from all other nodes except a discharge circuit (e.g., a star circuit) and the tissue. The reference electrode is used to measure the voltage of the DC blocking capacitor of the active electrode during the charging phase and the discharging phase (via the discharge circuit). The characteristics of one or more of the capacitors charging or discharging can be sensed and then analyzed to determine whether the one or more capacitors are functioning properly. Faulty capacitors can be identified by comparing actual and expected characteristics.

Abstract: As disclosed, an external device is associated with the recipient of a hearing prosthesis and provides to the hearing prosthesis a control signal carrying an indication that the recipient is looking at output of the external device, perhaps including an indication of one or more characteristics of visual output and/or audio output from the external device. In response to such a control signal, the hearing prosthesis then automatically configures its sound processor in a manner based at least in part on the provided indication, such as to help process audio coming from the external device and/or to process audio in a manner based on the indicated characteristic(s) of visual output and/or audio output.

Abstract: A method including receiving by a hearing prosthesis, from a device external to the hearing prosthesis, both audio content outputted by the device external to the hearing prosthesis and configurable prosthesis data outputted by the device external to the hearing prosthesis, the configurable prosthesis data being data usable by the prosthesis to configure itself to operate in a given manner and responsive to receipt of the configuration data, the hearing prosthesis automatically configuring a sound processor of the hearing prosthesis in a manner based at least in part on the configurable prosthesis data.

Abstract: As disclosed, a hearing prosthesis that receives audio provided by an external device will also receive from the external device a control signal that indicates one or more characteristics of the audio, such as a specification of a dynamic range of the audio content, a specification of latency-sensitivity of the audio content, or various other characteristics of the audio. The hearing prosthesis then responds to receipt of the control signal by automatically configuring its sound processor in a manner based at least in part on the indicated one or more characteristics of the audio content, to help facilitate processing of the received audio.

Abstract: It is proposed a method for controlling the transmission of a sampled voice signal over a Bluetooth® radio link. The method comprises the steps of: a) monitoring the sampled voice signal for detecting whether the sampled voice signal comprises a number of consecutive silence samples; and b) halting the transmission of the sampled voice signal over the Bluetooth® radio link after having transmitted said consecutive silence samples.

Abstract: As disclosed, an external device is associated with the recipient of a hearing prosthesis and provides to the hearing prosthesis a control signal carrying an indication that the recipient is looking at output of the external device, perhaps including an indication of one or more characteristics of visual output and/or audio output from the external device. In response to such a control signal, the hearing prosthesis then automatically configures its sound processor in a manner based at least in part on the provided indication, such as to help process audio coming from the external device and/or to process audio in a manner based on the indicated characteristic(s) of visual output and/or audio output.

Abstract: As disclosed, a hearing prosthesis that receives audio provided by an external device will also receive from the external device a control signal that indicates one or more characteristics of the audio, such as a specification of a dynamic range of the audio content, a specification of latency-sensitivity of the audio content, or various other characteristics of the audio. The hearing prosthesis then responds to receipt of the control signal by automatically configuring its sound processor in a manner based at least in part on the indicated one or more characteristics of the audio content, to help facilitate processing of the received audio.

Abstract: Primary and secondary apparatuses avoid concurrent performance of activities, wherein the secondary apparatus has a best and possibly different worst case minimum amounts of time required to perform activity. The primary apparatus ascertains a first future moment when it will become inactive and ascertains whether its upcoming period of inactivity will not be less than the secondary apparatus' best case minimum amount of time required to perform activity. If not, the primary apparatus asserts, in advance of the first future moment, an inactivity indicator signal indicating its upcoming inactivity. The interval between assertion of the inactivity indicator signal and the first future moment is greater than or equal to a difference between the secondary apparatus' worst and best case minimum amounts of time required to perform activity.

Abstract: In mobile wireless communication systems the channel between the transmitter and receiver varies during a transmission. This is often referred to as fading, of which different kinds exist—each resulting in different impairments with specific properties. A low complexity scheme is described to reduce the noise created by inter-carrier interference or ICI. The method makes use of the guard interval and assumes slow variation of the channel. It is not restricted to wireless communication and can be used in any environment with varying channels.

Abstract: It is proposed a method for controlling the transmission of a sampled voice signal over a Bluetooth® radio link. The method comprises the steps of: a) monitoring the sampled voice signal for detecting whether the sampled voice signal comprises a number of consecutive silence samples; and b) halting the transmission of the sampled voice signal over the Bluetooth® radio link after having transmitted said consecutive silence samples.

Abstract: Primary and secondary apparatuses avoid concurrent performance of activities, wherein the secondary apparatus has a best and possibly different worst case minimum amounts of time required to perform activity. The primary apparatus ascertains a first future moment when it will become inactive and ascertains whether its upcoming period of inactivity will not be less than the secondary apparatus' best case minimum amount of time required to perform activity. If not, the primary apparatus asserts, in advance of the first future moment, an inactivity indicator signal indicating its upcoming inactivity. The interval between assertion of the inactivity indicator signal and the first future moment is greater than or equal to a difference between the secondary apparatus' worst and best case minimum amounts of time required to perform activity.

Abstract: A multicarrier transmission system uses a set of carriers spaced apart in frequency with a number of bits being assigned to each carrier. A transmitter has a mapper which maps a data signal to a parallel set of constellation values. A frequency domain-to-time domain transform stage converts the set of modulated carriers to a time-domain signal. A peak detector detects when the time-domain signal exceeds a predetermined criterion. A constellation modifier modifies the constellation value of at least one of the carriers to reduce the crest factor of the transmitted signal. A carrier is selected for modifying on the basis of a number of bits allocated to that carrier. The constellation modifier can select an alternative constellation value by an iterative method or by calculation. The constellation modifier can operate entirely in the time-domain.

Abstract: In mobile wireless communication systems the channel between the transmitter and receiver varies during a transmission. This is often referred to as fading, of which different kinds exist—each resulting in different impairments with specific properties. A low complexity scheme is described to reduce the noise created by inter-carrier interference or ICI. The method makes use of the guard interval and assumes slow variation of the channel. It is not restricted to wireless communication and can be used in any environment with varying channels.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is the use of two criteria in channel estimation, e.g. a value related to the length of an estimated Channel Impulse Response (CIR) and a value related to a noise content of the received signal, e.g. a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). These parameters can be used for the post-processing algorithm. An advantage of the present invention is that it is much more robust against long channels and/or high noise contents in received signals. Additionally it has moderate implementation complexity.