Wideband Gain Control Patents (Class 381/321)
  • Patent number: 8873782
    Abstract: A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Scheller
  • Patent number: 8861760
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for a level-dependent compression system for hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids. The present subject matter includes a hearing assistance device having a buffer for receiving time domain input signals and a frequency analysis module to convert time domain input signals into a plurality of subband signals. A power detector is adapted to receive the subband signals and to provide a subband version of the input signals. A nonlinear gain stage applies gain to the plurality of subband versions of the input signals, and a frequency synthesis module processes subband signals from the nonlinear gain stage and to create a processed output signal. The device also includes a filter for filtering the signals, and a level-dependent compression module. The level-dependent compression module is adapted to provide bandwidth control to the plurality of subband signals produced by the frequency analysis stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Olaf Strelcyk
  • Publication number: 20140301584
    Abstract: An assistive-listening system is used with sound-producing equipment that includes a signal source, and first and second sound sources operatively associated with the signal source and configured to produce sound corresponding to signals received from the signal source. The assistive-listening system includes a volume control operatively associated with the signal source and configured proportionally to change the volume of both the first and second sound sources. Also included is a support structure configured to support and position the second sound source so that a hearing-impaired listener may listen effectively to sound controlled by the volume control without disturbing normal-hearing listeners.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Ullrich
  • Patent number: 8855322
    Abstract: An original loudness level of an audio signal is maintained for a mobile device while maintaining sound quality as good as possible and protecting the loudspeaker used in the mobile device. The loudness of an audio (e.g., speech) signal may be maximized while controlling the excursion of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker (in a mobile device) to stay within the allowed range. In an implementation, the peak excursion is predicted (e.g., estimated) using the input signal and an excursion transfer function. The signal may then be modified to limit the excursion and to maximize loudness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Sang-Uk Ryu, Jongwon Shin, Roy Silverstein, Andre Gustavo P. Schevciw, Pei Xiang
  • Patent number: 8848954
    Abstract: The adjustment of the signal processing carried out by a hearing aid to the individual hearing loss of a user is intended to be simplified. For this purpose, a number of predefined adjustment programs, from which the user selects a suitable program by operating an operating element, are provided in the hearing aid. Neither a visit to a hearing aid acoustician nor special adjustment devices is/are required for adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Mark Balke, Ulrich Giese
  • Patent number: 8842860
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for outputting a sound with Hearing Aids Compatibility (HAC) in a mobile terminal. The sound output apparatus includes a modem chip including a first amplifier amplifying and transferring an electric signal to a switch, a switch that selectively connects an output line of the first amplifier to a receiver or a second amplifier, a second amplifier connected with the receiver and the switch and that amplifies and transfers an electric signal received from the first amplifier to the receiver when the switch connects the output line of the first amplifier to the second amplifier, and a receiver connected with the switch and the second amplifier and that converts and outputs an electric signal received from the first amplifier or the second amplifier into a sound. This allows for the stable transfer of a sound to hearing handicapped persons with HAC without distortion of the sound quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji Sang Jang, Chul Hyo Yoon, Jae Woon Park
  • Publication number: 20140270294
    Abstract: A method of processing a signal in a hearing aid (50), the method comprising the steps of determining a gain vector applied in a number of individual frequency bands, determining a gradient of a speech intelligibility measure as a function of the gain vector, modifying the value of the gradient and using the modified value of the gradient to optimize both speech intelligibility and listening comfort. The invention also provides a hearing aid (50).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: WIDEX A/S
    Inventors: Kristian Timm ANDERSEN, Mette Dahl MEINCKE
  • Patent number: 8831258
    Abstract: Psychoacoustic boundary conditions are to be better taken into account in the amplification of input signals of a hearing apparatus. To this end, a channel-specific compression characteristic curve is predetermined in a number of spectrally-separated processing channels of the hearing apparatus, which defines a relationship between an input level and an output level in the respective processing channel of the hearing apparatus. A respective input signal portion is amplified in each processing channel as a function of a channel-specific operating compression characteristic curve. A channel-specific input level threshold is predefined here for each processing channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Oliver Dressler
  • Patent number: 8824712
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for a behind-the-ear hearing aid with a capacitive sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Karl Sacha
  • Patent number: 8787606
    Abstract: Electronics for altering the audio frequency response of a micro-speaker without modifying the micro-speaker itself are used to provide a selected frequency response of the micro-speaker. The micro-speaker has a resonant peak region, from which the response declines for both higher and lower frequencies. In one embodiment the electronics includes a first circuit for modifying the frequency response curve up to the resonant peak region, and a second circuit for modifying the frequency response curve for audio frequencies higher than this region. Each filter yields an integer multiple of 6 dB per octave slope. In the described embodiment, for approximately correcting presbyacusis (age related hearing loss), a set of high pass filters, low pass filters, and/or high order filters are connected to the micro-speaker to progressively attenuate the frequency response curve as the frequency decreases from 10000 Hz to 100 Hz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventors: Garth William Gobeli, Stephen Mills
  • Patent number: 8767988
    Abstract: An analog front circuit for a medical device includes an automatic gain control loop and a 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter. The automatic gain control loop is configured to implement automatic control of loop gain and output an analog signal to the 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter. The 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter is configured to convert the analog signal output from the automatic gain control loop into a digital code and output the digital code to a DSP for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Chengying Chen, Yong Hei, Jun Fan, Jianhua Jiang
  • Publication number: 20140177891
    Abstract: A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Scheller
  • Patent number: 8755546
    Abstract: A sound processing apparatus, a sound processing method and a hearing aid efficiently emphasize the sound of an utterer regardless of the distance between microphones. The sound processing apparatus outputs a first directivity signal in which the main axis of directivity is formed in the direction of the utterer and outputs a second directivity signal in which the dead zone of directivity is formed in the direction of the utterer. The sound processing apparatus calculates the level of the first directivity signal and the level of the second directivity signal, and determines the distance to the utterer based on the level of the first directivity signal and the level of the second directivity signal. The sound processing apparatus derives a gain to be given to the first directivity signal according to the result of the determination and controls the level of the first directivity signal by using the gain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Pansonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Terada, Maki Yamada
  • Patent number: 8750929
    Abstract: A wireless communications device and method for providing an output signal. The device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device; a selection element connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection of several modes of output coupling for generating the output signal of the device; and, a processor connected to the control unit for processing a received signal with parameters selected according to a selected mode of output coupling. The several modes of output coupling correspond to several modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventors: Larry Edward Hawker, Scott MacIntosh
  • Patent number: 8744100
    Abstract: The user's personal intention is conveyed to a hearing aid using a method that does not place heavy physical and psychological loads. A hearing aid to be worn by a user for auditory compensation comprises: at least one microphone which converts a sound to an input signal; a hearing-aid signal processing unit configured to generate an output signal from the input signal; a receiver which outputs, as a sound, the output signal generated by the hearing-aid signal processing unit; and a hearing-aid processing control unit configured to generate control information for controlling signal processing, based on a non-audible sound which is made by the user and is hard to hear from outside, wherein, when the hearing-aid processing control unit generates the control information, the hearing-aid signal processing unit is configured to generate the output signal according to the generated control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Mariko Kojima
  • Patent number: 8705751
    Abstract: This application relates to a system for compression and mixing for hearing assistance devices by application of compression to individual sound sources before mixing, according to one example. Variations of the present system using surround sound provide separate signals from a surround sound synthesizer which are compressed prior to mixing of the signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent Edwards
  • Publication number: 20140105436
    Abstract: A hearing aid gain determination system includes: a biological signal measurement section for measureing an electroencephalogram signal; a sound group determination section for determining a frequency of a sound group including first, second and third sounds; a sound pressure determination section for determining sound pressures of the first to third sounds so that the respective sound pressures are less than a threshold and that the first to third sounds consecutively decrease; an output section for presenting the first to third sounds at the determined frequency and sound pressures; a characteristic amount extraction section for extracting a characteristic amount concerning time-frequency information of an event-related potential in a time range after presenting the first to third sounds; a gain determination section for determining a hearing aid gain for the frequency of the sound stimulation group against a predetermined criterion based on the characteristic amounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shinobu ADACHI, Koji MORIKAWA, Jun OZAWA
  • Patent number: 8682013
    Abstract: In digital hearing devices, it is common to reduce the preamplifier gain when very loud signals are received in order to avoid clipping. It is known to temporarily reduce the preamplifier gain with fast attack and release times when a clipping of the input signal in the digitizer is expected. Perceived signal quality of the audible signal provided to the user of the hearing device is herein improved by simultaneously providing relatively fast and relatively slow temporary reductions of the amplifier gain such that the slow gain reductions reduce the occurrences of fast gain reductions. This allows the hearing device to provide a high quality sound to the user where clipping is reduced due to the fast gain reductions and where signal artifacts, such as pumping and switching noise, produced by the fast gain reductions is reduced due to the slow gain reductions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Christian Park Kjeldsen, Jørn Skovgaard
  • Publication number: 20140074463
    Abstract: An exemplary system includes a detection facility configured to detect an input sound level of an audio signal presented to an auditory prosthesis patient; and an adaptive gain control (AGC) facility configured to 1) determine whether the detected input sound level is in a quiet region, an intermediate region, or a loud region, and 2) apply a gain to the audio signal in accordance with an AGC gain function that specifies the gain to be substantially equal to or less than a first gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the quiet region, substantially equal to or less than a second gain threshold if the detected input sound level is in the loud region, and greater than the first and second gain thresholds if the detected input sound level is in the intermediate region. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Publication date: March 13, 2014
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventors: Leonid M. Litvak, Nobutaka Okuyama, Abhijit Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 8660282
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present technology provide improved amplification circuits and hearing aids that can utilize such amplification circuits. In an embodiment, for example, an amplification circuit includes: a first sub circuit configured to create a voltage drop when a supply voltage is above a first voltage; and a second sub circuit configured to create a reverse voltage drop when the supply voltage is below a second voltage, wherein the first and second sub circuits operate to maintain idling current within a range. Certain embodiments of the present technology also provide hearing aids that include removable dampers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Johnson, Mead C. Killion
  • Publication number: 20140050340
    Abstract: An improved open-ear hearing aid to compensate for hearing loss includes a microphone for picking up incident sound and converting it to an electrical audio signal. An ear insert positionable within a human ear canal is provided for producing an output sound amplified within one or more frequency bands in response to incident sound picked up by the microphone. The in-band gain of the amplified sound output of the ear insert's loudspeaker is dependent on the user's hearing loss characteristics and the sound pressure levels of the incident sound. The form of the ear insert allows transmission of incident sound directly to the eardrum, where it is summed at the eardrum with the amplified sound output from the ear insert. Sound output is maximum at low incident sound pressure levels and minimum when the incident sound exceeds a set cut-off level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Inventors: John D. Meyer, Toban A. Szuts
  • Patent number: 8654998
    Abstract: A call other than a conversion partner call and various sounds are detected by input audio signals from plural microphones without deteriorating a voice recognition precision. A hearing aid apparatus according to the present invention corrects a frequency characteristic of the call voice other than the conversation partner voice based on an arrival direction of the call voice other than the conversation partner voice, which is estimated based on the audio signal converted by the plural microphones, checks a call word standard pattern representing features of a phoneme and a syllabic sound based on other voice data picked up by using the microphones having one characteristic against a call voice other than the conversation partner voice in which the frequency characteristic is corrected by the frequency characteristic correction processing unit to determine whether the call voice is a call word, and forms a directivity in the direction other than the arrival direction of the voice of the conversation partner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuya Nomura, Tomohiro Konuma, Maki Yamada, Mitsuru Endo
  • Publication number: 20140044291
    Abstract: A hearing assistance system includes a pair of hearing aids performing dynamic range compression while preserving spatial cue to provide a hearing aid wearer with satisfactory listening experience in complex listening environments. In various embodiments, the dynamic range compression is binaurally coordinated based on number and distribution of sound source(s). In various embodiments, in addition to preserving spatial cue, the dynamic range compression is controlled to optimize audibility and comfortable loudness of target signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2013
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Jing Xia, Olaf Strelcyk, John Andrew Dundas, Sridhar Kalluri
  • Patent number: 8649540
    Abstract: Electronic earplugs, methods of enhancing and/or attenuating sound using electronic earplugs, and kits including electronic earplugs are provided. Certain electronic earplugs provided can deliver sound to a user's ear canal at levels below, equal to, and/or above ambient sound levels for specified ambient sound level ranges. Certain electronic earplugs provided can be switched between first and second settings with different sound level delivery settings. Certain electronic earplugs provided can be coupled with or integrated into two-way communication devices. Certain of such two-way communication devices can use induction to receive and transmit audio signals. Certain electronic earplugs provided can include a receive coil configured to allow remote radio signals to be received. Certain electronic earplugs provided can block at least about 35 dB of ambient sound when fully inserted into a user's ear canal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Etymotic Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Mead C. Killion, Stephen Drake Julstrom, Timothy Scott Monroe, Viorel Drambarean
  • Patent number: 8634578
    Abstract: A multiband dynamics compressor implements a solution for minimizing unwanted changes to the long-term frequency response. The solution essentially proposes undoing the multiband compression in a controlled manner using much slower smoothing times. In this regard, the compensation provided acts more like an equalizer than a compressor. What is applied is a very slowly time-varying, frequency-dependent post-gain (make-up gain) that attempts to restore the smoothed long-term level of each compressor band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Earl C. Vickers
  • Publication number: 20130308807
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to the use of a MEMS magnetometer or an array of MEMS magnetometers as energy harvesting sensor(s) in a hearing assistance device. The MEMS magnetometer(s) can be located within the existing geometry of a typical balanced-armature receiver currently used in hearing assistance devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Howard Burns
  • Patent number: 8588444
    Abstract: A method operates a hearing device having at least two omnidirectional microphones emitting microphone signals and a detection unit for defining acoustic feedback. The method includes connecting a first electrical connection of the microphones to one another in order to form a first signal with directional effect, an adjustment of the directional effect of the first signal such that the acoustic feedback in the first signal is maximized, and an analysis of the first signal by the detection unit for defining the acoustic feedback. It is advantageous that the feedback can be detected by a signal with an improved signal-to-noise ratio. Feedbacks are therefore recognized more reliably and more rapidly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Sebastian Pape, Stefan Petrausch
  • Publication number: 20130287238
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an SOI analog front circuit for a medical device, characterized in that it comprises an automatic gain control loop and a 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter, wherein: the automatic gain control loop is configured to implement automatic control of loop gain and output an analog signal to the 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter; and the 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter is configured to convert the analog signal output from the automatic gain control loop into a digital code and output the digital code to a DSP for processing. The analog front circuit for the medical hearing aid device may be implemented by integration of three comparators, an analog-digital hybrid automatic gain control loop and a 2-order-3-bit-quantization Sigma-Delta analog-to-digital converter on a single chip using SOI process with high reliability and low power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Chengying Chen, Yong Hei, Jun Fan, Jianhua Jiang
  • Patent number: 8571242
    Abstract: In a digital hearing aid device (1) frequency modification is employed above a lower spectral bound and in accordance with a compression factor. The frequency modification is dynamically adjusted in dependence on a sound environment analysis (10) or an end-user input (30), by modifying the frequency modification parameters such as a lower spectral bound and a compression factor. The adjustment can be based on an interpolation between predefined parameters. In certain sound environments, such as loud noise, own-voice and telephone conversations, frequency modification is reduced or switched off. The proposed solutions have the advantage that the occurrence of disturbing noise and of distortions of harmonic relationships at the end-user's ear is reduced and signal processing resources as well as battery resources are saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Herbert Bächler, Raoul Glatt
  • Patent number: 8571245
    Abstract: A hearing assistance suitability determining device (120) according to the present invention is a hearing assistance suitability determining device (120) which determines a suitability (153) of a subject for dichotic hearing assistance, and includes: a hearing ability information obtaining unit (130) which obtains left-ear hearing ability information (150) and right-ear hearing ability information (151) each of which indicates a hearing ability for frequencies; a hearing ability type determining unit (131) which determines, among hearing ability types each of which is defined by a tendency in a change of the hearing ability with respect to the frequencies, a hearing ability type (152) of the hearing ability indicated by the left-ear hearing ability information (150) and the right-ear hearing ability information (151); and a suitability deciding unit (132) which determines, with reference to a suitability database (144), the suitability (153) of the subject for the dichotic hearing assistance based on a suitab
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takagi, Gempo Ito, Eiji Noguchi, Takashi Katayama, Hikaru Takato
  • Patent number: 8565460
    Abstract: A hearing aid used for a low tone frequency band, a hearing aid used for a high tone frequency band, and a controller that compares sound pressure of the high tone frequency band split by a frequency band analyzer of the hearing aid used for the high tone frequency band with sound pressure of the high tone frequency band split by a frequency band analyzer of the hearing aid used for the low tone frequency band. If the sound pressure of the high tone frequency band of the hearing aid used for the low tone frequency band is higher by at least a specific amount than the sound pressure of the high tone frequency band of the hearing aid used for the high tone frequency band, the sound pressure of the high tone frequency band of the hearing aid used for the high tone frequency band is raised.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Takagi, Gempo Ito
  • Publication number: 20130266166
    Abstract: Psychoacoustic boundary conditions are to be better taken into account in the amplification of input signals of a hearing apparatus. To this end, a channel-specific compression characteristic curve is predetermined in a number of spectrally-separated processing channels of the hearing apparatus, which defines a relationship between an input level and an output level in the respective processing channel of the hearing apparatus. A respective input signal portion is amplified in each processing channel as a function of a channel-specific operating compression characteristic curve. A channel-specific input level threshold is predefined here for each processing channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Siemens Medical Instruments PTE. LTD.
  • Publication number: 20130259278
    Abstract: Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for detecting battery chemistry or battery type and reconfiguring a hearing assistance device based on the detected battery. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a method of operating a hearing assistance device having a battery. A voltage of the battery is detected at a predetermined load current and a battery chemistry or battery type is determined based on the detected voltage. An operating parameter of the hearing assistance device is adjusted based on the determined battery chemistry or battery type, in various embodiments. Examples of adjustments made based on the determined battery chemistry or battery type include gain, feedback cancellation (FBC) filter, self-diagnostic thresholds of the hearing assistance device, indicator loudness, low battery set point, or an end-of-discharge battery set point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Howard Kill, James R. Newton, Zheng Yan, Harikrishna P. Natarajan
  • Patent number: 8542856
    Abstract: In a hearing aid (100), a control device (4) comprises a transmission characteristic calculator (18), a correction characteristic calculator (21), and a correction component (17). The transmission characteristic calculator (18) calculates an at-fitting transmission characteristic Gf (?) on the basis of correction-use sound data and first sound data produced by collection at an ear canal microphone (10) of correction-use sound outputted from a receiver (3) during fitting. The transmission characteristic calculator (18) calculates an in-usage transmission characteristic Gu (?) on the basis of correction-use sound data and third sound data produced by collection at the ear canal microphone (10) of correction-use sound outputted from the receiver (3) according to user operation after fitting. The correction characteristic calculator (21) calculates a correction characteristic H (?) on the basis of the at-fitting transmission characteristic Gf (?) and the in-usage transmission characteristic Gu (?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshihisa Nakatoh, Makoto Nishizaki
  • Patent number: 8538033
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for obtaining hearing enhancement fittings for a hearing aid device is described. A plurality of audiograms is collected. The plurality of audiograms is divided into one or more sets of audiograms. A representative audiogram is created for each set of audiograms. A hearing enhancement fitting is computed from each representative audiogram. A hearing aid device is programmed with one or more hearing enhancement fittings computed from each representative audiogram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Sonic Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald A. Wilson
  • Patent number: 8535236
    Abstract: An apparatus for analyzing a sound signal is based on an ear model for deriving, for a number of inner hair cells, an estimate for a time-varying concentration of transmitter substance inside a cleft between an inner hair cell and an associated auditory nerve from the sound signal so that an estimated inner hair cell cleft contents map over time is obtained. This map is analyzed by means of a pitch analyzer to obtain a pitch line over time, the pitch line indicating a pitch of the sound signal for respective time instants. A rhythm analyzer is operative for analyzing envelopes of estimates for selected inner hair cells, the inner hair cells being selected in accordance with the pitch line, so that segmentation instants are obtained, wherein a segmentation instant indicates an end of the preceding note or a start of a succeeding note. Thus, a human-related and reliable sound signal analysis can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung E.V.
    Inventors: Thorsten Heinz, Andreas Brueckmann, Juergen Herre
  • Patent number: 8532320
    Abstract: In a method and system for fitting the gain of a hearing aid (300) for a hearing impaired person, a loop gain of the hearing aid in the ear canal (350) of the hearing impaired person is measured for at least one frequency band. An effective vent parameter such as a corresponding vent diameter for the hearing aid by determining a vent parameter that generates the best fit between a modelled and the measured loop gain is estimated, a vent effect value based on the estimated effective vent parameter is determined, and a corrected hearing aid gain is provided by means of the determined vent effect value. The invention provides a method, a computer program, a system for fitting a hearing aid, a hearing aid and a computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Widex A/S
    Inventors: Morten Agerbaek Nordahn, Anders Holm Jessen, Jan Topholm
  • Publication number: 20130230198
    Abstract: Hearing apparatuses, in particular hearing aids, have improved intelligibility. This is accomplished by a method for amplifying a speech signal for a hearing apparatus by detection of an input sound, determining an input level of the input sound and amplification of the input sound. A mean input level of the input sound is determined and it is established whether the input sound has a speech component. If not, the input signal is amplified in dependence on the input level in accordance with a predefined first amplification characteristic. However, if a speech component is found, the input signal is amplified in dependence on the input level in accordance with a predefined second amplification characteristic. The second amplification characteristic is formed in dependence on the mean input level such that amplification is increased with respect to first amplification characteristic in a predefined level interval below the mean input level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: ULRICH GIESE, MAJA SERMAN
  • Patent number: 8515085
    Abstract: A signal processing apparatus is configured to change volume level or frequency characteristics of an input signal with a limited bandwidth in a first frequency range. The apparatus includes: an information extracting unit configured to extract second frequency characteristic information from a collection signal with a limited bandwidth in a second frequency range different from the first frequency range; a frequency characteristic information extending unit configured to estimate first frequency characteristic information from the second frequency characteristic information extracted by the information extracting unit, the first frequency characteristic information including the first frequency range; and a signal correcting unit configured to change volume level or frequency characteristics of the input signal according to the first frequency characteristic information obtained by the frequency characteristic information extending unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takashi Sudo, Masataka Osada
  • Publication number: 20130208934
    Abstract: High-quality adjustment of a hearing apparatus, and in particular of a hearing aid, is accelerated. In the adjusting method, a percentile analysis is carried out in order to obtain at least one frequency response of the hearing apparatus. Any discrepancy between the frequency response and an intended gain characteristic is determined. The setting of the hearing apparatus is then changed, such that the discrepancy is reduced. In order to check the effect of the setting change, a current frequency response after variation of the setting is determined by providing a constant noise signal or a single sinusoidal sweep at the input of the hearing apparatus and level measurement at the output. This frequency response measurement can be carried out as a second step considerably more quickly than the very precise percentile analysis at the start of the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: Siemens Medical Instruments PTE. Ltd
    Inventor: Josef Chalupper
  • Publication number: 20130208931
    Abstract: Among other things, embodiments of systems for assisting hearing for individuals are disclosed. A hand-carryable transceiver having inputs for sound or other audio signals is provided, with a transmitter for transmitting digital packets or signals with identifying information relating to the transmitter. An earpiece is adapted to receive the packets or signals from the transmitter, and direct signals to a speaker on the earpiece for hearing by an individual user. Methods for making and using the system are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventor: Theodore F. Moran
  • Patent number: 8509450
    Abstract: A method of enhancing an audio signal includes the steps of: a) receiving a primary audio input signal, b) receiving a detected audio signal which comprises: A) an echo component derived from play-out of the primary audio input signal and B) a noise component, and c) estimating from the primary audio input signal and the detected audio signal: 1) a set of frequency-specific lower bound gains, such that each frequency-specific lower bound gain, when applied to a respective frequency of the primary audio input signal, would cause the noise component to just mask the echo component at that respective frequency and 2) a set of frequency-specific upper bound gains, such that each frequency-specific upper bound gain, when applied to a respective frequency of the primary audio input signal, would cause the echo component to just mask the noise component at that respective frequency; d) estimating a set of frequency-specific gains in such a way that each frequency-specific gain falls between the respective frequency-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited
    Inventor: Xuejing Sun
  • Patent number: 8503705
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid system comprising an input transducer, a forward path, an output transducer and an electrical feedback path, the forward path comprising a signal processing unit for modifying an electrical input signal to a specific hearing profile over a predefined frequency range, wherein the predefined frequency range comprises a number of frequency bands, for which maximum forward gain values IGmax for each band can be stored in a memory, the electrical feedback path comprising an adaptive filter for estimating acoustical feedback from the output to the input transducer. The invention further relates to a method of adapting a hearing aid system to varying acoustical input signals. The object of the present invention is to provide an alternative acoustic feedback compensation scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Jesper Bünsow Boldt, Thomas Bo Elmedyb
  • Publication number: 20130195302
    Abstract: A hearing aid (60A) configured to be worn by a hearing-impaired user has a speech detector (10A) and a speech enhancer (40A) for enhancing speech being present in an input signal of the hearing aid (60A). The speech detector (10A) has means (11, 12) for independently detecting the presence of voiced and unvoiced speech in order to allow for the speech enhancer (40A) to increase the gain of speech signals suitably fast to incorporate the speech signals themselves. The hearing aid (60A) has means (49A, 50A) for communicating information regarding the detected speech signals wirelessly to a similar hearing aid (60B) worn contralaterally by the user for the purpose of mutually enhancing speech signals in the two hearing aids (60A, 60B) when speech is detected to be originating from the front of the user, and means (52B) for suppressing speech enhancement in the contralateral hearing aid (60B) when speech is detected to be originating from the ipse-lateral side of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: WIDEX A/S
    Inventor: WIDEX A/S
  • Publication number: 20130188813
    Abstract: An at least partially implantable hearing assistance system, having an audio signal source, an audio signal processing unit for processing audio signals from the audio signal source, an implantable output transducer for stimulating a user's hearing according to the processed audio signals, a hermetically sealed gas-filled chamber forming part of said output transducer or forming part of an microphone as said audio signal source, a barometric pressure sensor for sensing the presently prevailing atmospheric pressure, and a correction signal unit for generating a correction signal as a predetermined function of the sensed atmospheric pressure, wherein said correction signal is adapted to be used by a pressure compensation element of the system for adjusting the system gain in a manner so as to compensate for the impact of deviations of the atmospheric pressure from a reference value on the compliance of said gas-filled chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2010
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventor: Bernd Waldmann
  • Publication number: 20130182876
    Abstract: A method for providing hearing assistance to a user by capturing input audio signals; estimating a speech level of the input audio signals and an ambient noise level of the input audio signals; applying a gain model to the input audio signals to transform the input audio signals into filtered audio signals, wherein, for a each ambient noise level, the gain varies as a function of the speech level and wherein the function varies according to the ambient noise level changing the ratio of the gain at low speech levels and at high speech levels as a function of the ambient noise level; wirelessly transmitting the filtered audio signals to a receiver unit forming or being connected to a user hearing stimulator, the stimulator being worn at or in the user's ear; and stimulating the user's hearing by the stimulator according to audio signals supplied by the receiver unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventors: Hans Mülder, Francois Marquis
  • Patent number: 8488807
    Abstract: An audio signal compensation device includes: a signal processor configured to perform filtering on an input audio signal; a filter coefficients storage module configured to store a plurality of filter coefficients; a user interface configured to provide options for a determination of filter coefficients to a user and to obtain a selection result from the user; and a filter coefficients determining module configured to determine a set of filter coefficients among the plurality of filter coefficients based on the selection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Norikatsu Chiba, Kimio Miseki, Yasuhiro Kanishima, Kazuyuki Saito, Toshifumi Yamamoto, Takashi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 8488825
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes: a first microphone configured to generate a first input signal from an input sound; a second microphone configured to generate a second input signal from the input sound; a signal processing unit configured to generate an output signal from the first input signal and the second input signal; and a receiver configured to play an output sound from the output signal. The signal processing unit determines time responses of the first input signal and the second input signal based on a contact sound generated when the hearing aid is contacted in a predetermined time period, and distinguishes a plurality of settings of the hearing aid and changes the setting based on the time responses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Iwano, Atsunobu Murase
  • Publication number: 20130170680
    Abstract: A BTE hearing aid includes a BTE hearing aid housing, at least one BTE sound input transducer, a processor configured to generate a hearing loss compensated output signal, a sound signal transmission member for transmission of a signal from a sound output of the BTE hearing aid housing to an ear canal of a user at a second end of the sound signal transmission member, an earpiece configured to be inserted in the ear canal, an output transducer, and an ITE microphone housing accommodating at least one ITE microphone, wherein the ITE microphone housing is configured to be positioned in an outer ear, wherein the processor is further configured for processing an audio signal from the at least one ITE microphone and an audio signal from the at least one BTE sound input transducer in such a way that the hearing loss compensated output signal substantially preserves spatial cues.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventors: Karl-Fredrik J. GRAN, Guilin MA, Jacob U. TELCS
  • Patent number: 8462957
    Abstract: A hearing aid (101) comprises a microphone (121) converting sound into an electrical signal, a processor (105) disposed inside a main body case (102), a first volume adjuster (104) having a variable resistor, and a receiver (123) converting an electrical signal into sound. The processor (105) has an amplifier (135) amplifying an electrical signal from the microphone (121), a second volume adjuster (105b) setting a degree of amplification by the amplifier (135), and a controller (130) controlling the second volume adjuster (105b) and the amplifier (135). The controller (130) detects the resistance value of the variable resistor, determines whether or not the resistance value has exceeded a specific threshold, acquires a specific value for the degree of amplification by the amplifier (135), and sets the degree of amplification by the amplifier (135) to this specific value when the controller determines that the resistance value has exceeded the specific threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Shigekiyo Fujii, Hiroshi Kondo, Yasushi Ueda, Yasushi Imamura, Kazutaka Maruoka