Patents Assigned to Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
  • Patent number: 8908890
    Abstract: With a hearing aid device, the problem arises of having to match the output power and/or the frequency response of the hearing aid device to the level of hearing impairment of the patient as precisely as possible. In such cases allowance must be made for the noise level, which is a function of the technology used, to be kept as low as possible and for the signal-to-noise level to be as great as possible. A switching arrangement and/or a hearing aid device and method are provided in which the power amplifier is embodied with at least two output stages. The outputs of the individual output stages can be connected in parallel by means of a controllable switching facility. A simple adjustment of the output power and/or frequency response can be achieved in this way by simply connecting a corresponding number of output stages in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Alexander, Thomas Dickel, Gunter Sauer, Tom Weidner
  • Patent number: 8842862
    Abstract: The adjustment of a hearing device with regard to a current feedback path is to be designed in a more user-friendly manner. For this purpose, provision is made for hearing aid equipment, in particular a hearing device or a non-programmable device such as a headset, including a measuring device for measuring a feedback path and an operating facility for operating the hearing aid equipment by the wearer. The operating facility allows a measurement cycle to be activated to determine at least one characteristic of the feedback path. The hearing aid wearer can thus make adjustments themselves in terms of the feedback path and therefore does not have to rely on an acoustician.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Tom Weidner
  • Patent number: 8699735
    Abstract: The invention relates to an identification element for a hearing device unit of a hearing device system, with the hearing device system comprising a hearing device unit provided for the left ear of a wearer and a hearing device unit provided for the right ear of a wearer, with the identification element) visibly identifying the hearing device unit from the outside, characterized in that the identification element visibly identifies the hearing device unit as a left or right hearing device unit and comprising a means for assigning a function as a left or right hearing device unit to a signal processing facility of the hearing device unit. The assigning means can be mechanical, electrical and/or magnetic assigning means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Kral, Frank Wagner
  • Patent number: 8682009
    Abstract: An acoustic actuator includes a support layer, in which a self-supporting structure is defined and connected to the support layer by at least two suspensions, at least one magnetostrictive layer which has been disposed on the support layer and is provided at least in part on the self-supporting structure, and a device for generating a magnetic field in the magnetostrictive layer. The way in which the loudspeaker works is based on the magnetostrictive effect, which results in a change in the dimensions of the self-supporting structure in an alternating magnetic field. This causes the self-supporting structure to oscillate. A method for producing an acoustic actuator is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Bassem Baffoun, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 8666314
    Abstract: A wireless audio transmission, for example from a television to a hearing device, is to be achieved simply and with a low signal delay. For this purpose are proposed a transmission facility with a transmission device for transmitting audio data in a signal conforming to a Bluetooth® communications protocol, a hearing-aid-specific coder which is integrated into the transmission device for the purpose of compressing the audio data before its transmission, and a relay station for converting the Bluetooth® signal from the transmission device into a signal for inductive transmission to the hearing device. In the relay station, no recoding is performed during the conversion. The transmission device transmits in accordance with the Bluetooth® A2DP protocol. The hearing-aid-specific coder has a lower sampling rate than the standard Bluetooth® coder SBC. Encoding delays and processing delays in the relay station can be minimized by this system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Lotter, Jürgen Reithinger
  • Patent number: 8630432
    Abstract: In one aspect, a programmable hearing apparatus is provided to allow a convenient programming of the hearing apparatus with minimal effort. To this end, programming data is stored in a transponder. The transponder is activated by the hearing apparatus. Consequently, programming data is transmitted from the transponder to the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Rass
  • Patent number: 8611572
    Abstract: The determination of a suitable step size for controlling the adaptation of a filter of an acoustic feedback compensator especially for hearing aids is to be improved. A step size controller is therefore provided in which an input signal is analyzed in at least two frequency bands. In doing so, any steep signal edges in the individual frequency bands are detected. The adaptation step size of an adaptive filter is then controlled depending on the number of frequency bands in which steep signal edges are detected, wherein the magnitude of the signal edges can be included in the decision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Henning Puder
  • Patent number: 8605924
    Abstract: The object of the invention is to enable a hearing apparatus and more particularly a hearing device to be controlled automatically in a more reliable manner by means of an external device. For that purpose there is provided in the hearing apparatus a transponder detection unit for detecting a transponder and providing a corresponding detection signal. Signal processing in the hearing apparatus is performed as a function of the detection signal. An external device, e.g. a telephone is physically joined to the transponder. This enables the hearing apparatus to detect the presence of the external device and control its own signal processing accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Uwe Rass
  • Patent number: 8571243
    Abstract: Feedback whistle in hearing devices is intended to be able to be suppressed without loss of output of the useful signal. To this end, it is provided to establish or predetermine a frequency range which is susceptible to feedback. From an input signal which has a spectral component in the frequency range susceptible to feedback, a predeterminable component is substituted with a synthetic signal. Mixing-in a synthetic signal is also possibly used to widen the spectrum of an input signal, which is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Ulrich Komagel, Tom Weidner
  • Patent number: 8553918
    Abstract: A hearing device or another hearing apparatus is to be made smaller in terms of its dimensions. It is proposed for this purpose to develop a battery contact at least in one section as an induction coil. The current produced by the battery can thus compensate for an interference field of a telephone coil, said interference field being produced for example by a hearing device earpiece, and no separate coils need to be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Kasztelan, Vincent Ong, Lit Min Sam
  • Publication number: 20130223665
    Abstract: Hearing apparatuses should be manufactured as simply as possible and with the closest possible fit. Accordingly, a molding structure is provided, which represents a model for the direct shaping of an otoplastic of a hearing apparatus. The molding structure has a sealing element, which can be positioned in the auditory canal. A molding mass is inserted into the auditory canal to a side of the sealing element facing the outlet of the auditory canal. The molding mass and the sealing element here are connected to form the model of the hearing apparatus and the sealing element has the exact shape of a part of the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
    Inventor: Siemens Audiologische Technik GMBH
  • 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: 8488821
    Abstract: With housing elements of a hearing device which are fastened to a frame for accommodating internal components of the hearing device, the use of a large number of additional parts is problematic because of the risk of losing parts. In accordance with the invention a snap-on fastening means is used to fasten a housing element to the frame of the hearing device, with an opening being provided in the housing element and the frame for accommodating the snap-on fastening means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Kral, Stefanie Preusche, Joseph Sauer
  • Patent number: 8462969
    Abstract: Own voice recognition (OVR) for hearing aids, detects time instances where the person wearing the device is speaking. Classification of the own voice is performed dependent on a fixed or adaptive detection threshold. Automatic tuning in a real-time system depends on general noise statistics in the input signals. The noise is removed from the received signal and is characterized by signal-to-noise ratio and noise color. An optimal detection threshold for own voice recognition is determined based on the noise characteristics. A noise detection model is created by smoothed Voronoi tessellation. Own voice detection is performed by a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Heiko Claussen, Michael T. Loiacono, Henning Puder, Justinian Rosca
  • Patent number: 8433071
    Abstract: In-situ measurement comprises two consecutive measurements (open ear gain and in-situ gain), from which a result is formed by forming a difference. For the two measurements, it is important that the in-situ tube is positioned in the same place in the auditory canal. Otherwise there are different level and phase ratios, such that the result obtained from the formation of a difference is not meaningful. Thus, the in-situ tube is permanently connected to the ear plug, as a result of which the positioning of the in-situ tube remains the same for both measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Matthias Latzel
  • Patent number: 8422710
    Abstract: The production of a hearing aid device suitable for wireless signal transmission is simplified by providing fastening elements connected as one piece with the housing shell. The fastening elements serve for placement and fastening of an antenna or coil in the housing shell of the appertaining hearing aid device. The production of a hearing aid device with a corresponding antenna or coil is thereby simplified. The alignment of the antenna or coil in the housing shell can also already be optimized using a computer model of the housing shell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventor: Torsten Niederdrānk
  • Patent number: 8416974
    Abstract: A hearing aid device has a shell that fits into the upper part of the concha of the outer ear of a hearing-impaired person, and connecting element that is held in the concha of the outer ear and terminates in an ear piece in the ear canal. The combination of the shell and the connecting element in the concha retain the hearing aid in the outer ear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Knud Ammitzboll, Mark Balke, Uwe Rass
  • Patent number: 8411886
    Abstract: The invention relates to a hearing aid with at least one sound receiver and a sound generator. The hearing aid has an audio signal unit operatively connected to the sound generator, the audio signal unit being designed to generate an audio signal perceptible to a human ear. The audio signal has a plurality of mutually different frequencies of a frequency range. The audio signal unit has at least one tone generator. The at least one tone generator is designed to generate the audio signal with at least one fundamental frequency representing a tone and with harmonics of the fundamental frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Roland Barthel, Wolfgang Sörgel
  • Patent number: 8385572
    Abstract: The object is to improve the effect of a noise reduction algorithm for hearing apparatuses and in particular hearing aids. This is achieved by a method wherein the input signal is modeled by a wanted signal model and a noise signal model. In addition, a signal statistic of the input signal is recorded in a data logging unit. The wanted signal model and/or the noise signal model can now be changed as a function of said signal statistic. Finally the noise component of the input signal is reduced using the noise signal model and/or the wanted signal model. This means that the models used can be continuously adapted to the hearing apparatus user's current situation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Oliver Dreβler, Eghart Fischer, Ulrich Kornagel, Wolfgang Sörgel
  • Patent number: 8385577
    Abstract: A thin hearing tube is to be fastened in a hearing apparatus such that it can be easily exchanged again. To this end, the end of the sound tube is melted, so that its diameter is enlarged. The sound tube can then be drawn into the bore, the inner diameter of which is smaller than the enlarged outer diameter of the end of the sound tube, until the extended end of the sound tube rests closely against one side of the bore. By cutting the sound tube end or by cutting through the tube at another point, it can be removed from the bore without any problem, so that a new tube can be fastened there.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Werner Fickweiler, Robert Kasanmascheff