Abstract: An audio system includes one or more microphones, a speaker and processing circuitry. The one or more microphones are configured to output electrical signals in response to acoustic waves that are incident on the microphones. The processing circuitry is configured to amplify and filter the electrical signals, using a digital filter, so as to generate a drive signal for input to the speaker, to detect that a howl signal is building up by identifying in the drive signal multiple frequency components that are separated from one another by a constant frequency difference, and to adjust the drive signal to suppress the howl signal.

Abstract: A system for hearing assistance includes an array of microphones, which are configured be mounted in proximity to a head of a user of the system and to output electrical signals in response to first acoustic waves that are incident on the microphones. A speaker is configured for mounting in proximity to an ear of the user and configured to output second acoustic waves in response to a drive signal applied to the speaker. Processing circuitry is configured to generate the drive signal by amplifying and filtering the electrical signals using a beamforming filter that emphasizes first sounds that impinge on the array of microphones within a selected angular range while suppressing second sounds that are spoken by the user.

Abstract: A system for hearing assistance includes one or more microphones, a speaker and processing circuitry. The one or more microphones are configured to be mounted in proximity to a head of a subject and to output electrical signals in response to acoustic waves that are incident on the microphones. The speaker is configured for mounting in proximity to an ear of the subject. The processing circuitry is configured to amplify and filter the electrical signals so as to generate a drive signal for input to the speaker using a digital filter having multiple taps with respective tap coefficients selected to suppress feedback from the speaker to the microphones, and to compute the tap coefficients adaptively while estimating respective coherence values of the tap coefficients over time and weighting updates applied to the tap coefficients responsively to the respective coherence values.

Abstract: Apparatus (20) for hearing assistance includes a spectacle frame (22), including a front piece (30) and temples (32), with one or more microphones (23) mounted at respective first locations on the front piece and configured to output electrical signals in response to first acoustic waves (64) that are incident on the microphones. A speaker (28) is mounted at a second location on one of the temples outputs second acoustic waves (66). Processing circuitry (26) generates a drive signal for the speaker by processing the electrical signals output by the microphones so as to cause the speaker to reproduce selected sounds occurring in the first acoustic waves with a delay that is equal within 20% to a transit time of the first acoustic waves from the first location to the second location, thereby engendering constructive interference between the first and second acoustic waves.

Abstract: A system (20) includes a plurality of microphones (22), configured to generate different respective signals in response to acoustic waves (36) arriving at the microphones, and a processor (34). The processor is configured to receive the signals, to combine the signals into multiple channels, which correspond to different respective directions relative to the microphones by virtue of each channel representing any portion of the acoustic waves arriving from the corresponding direction with greater weight, relative to others of the directions, to calculate respective energy measures of the channels, to select one of the directions, in response to the energy measure for the channel corresponding to the selected direction passing one or more energy thresholds, and to output a combined signal representing the selected direction with greater weight, relative to others of the directions. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Audio apparatus includes a neckband, which is sized and shaped to be worn around a neck of a human subject and includes left and right sides that rest respectively above the left and right clavicles of the human subject wearing the neckband. First and second arrays of microphones are disposed respectively on the left and right sides of the neckband and configured to produce respective electrical signals in response to acoustical inputs to the microphones. One or more earphones are worn in the ears of the human subject. Processing circuitry is coupled to receive and mix the electrical signals from the microphones in the first and second arrays in accordance with a specified directional response relative to the neckband so as to generate a combined audio signal for output via the one or more earphones.