Abstract: A hearing apparatus allowing a user to reliably switch the apparatus on and/or off includes a battery compartment for a battery and an actuation element disposed at the battery compartment for switching the apparatus on and/or off. A contact element has a contact point and taps an electric potential on the battery with the contact point when the actuation element is in a first position. The actuation element, in a second position linearly displaced from the first position, lifts the contact element at a lifting section of the contact element being different from the contact point, to remove the contact point of the contact element from the battery. Thus, the contact point of the contact element only contacts the battery and no additional material, preventing materials from being scratched and an electric circuit from being interrupted and ensures that an even, grippable surface of the actuation element is always available.

Abstract: A hearing aid is enabled for dynamic compression in a way to further improve the perception of acoustic signals in the provision of hearing assistance to a hearing-impaired person. Here, an input signal is divided into a plurality of frequency bands. Input-level-controlled dynamic compression is performed in at least one first frequency band and output-level-controlled dynamic compression is performed in at least one second frequency band. This optimizes both loudness perception and speech intelligibility.

Abstract: A filter bank system that is optimized with respect to group delay and power consumption is provided. The filter bank system has multiple levels and has an input-side and an output-side filter bank based on a defined filter type. The input-side filter bank has input channels as a variable first parameter, and an oversampling factor as a variable second parameter. For optimizing the multilevel filter bank, a group delay and an operation rate are now respectively determined for each of a plurality of value pairs of the first and second parameters. The value pair for which the associated group delay and the associated operation rate satisfy a defined criterion, in particular for which they are as low as possible, is selected from the value pairs. The input-side filter bank is subsequently configured with the number of channels and the oversampling factor corresponding to the selected value pair.

Abstract: The adjustment of a hearing device is to be improved and configured in a more user-friendly fashion. To this end, a method is proposed whereby the hearing device is set individually to the user and is inserted at least partially into the auditory canal of the user. Finally an in-situ measurement of the acoustic impedance of the auditory system of the user including at least part of the auditory canal of the user is implemented with a tympanometric method. An automatic correction of the individual setting of the hearing device can take place on the basis of the results of the in-situ measurement.

Abstract: A hearing aid device suitable for executing a frequency compression is optimized to achieve a better assignment between channels of a source frequency range and channels of a target frequency range. A frequency range that can be transmitted by the hearing aid device is split into a number of frequency bands, after which a number of adjacent frequency bands are combined into at least one group of frequency bands and then one frequency band is selected from each group of frequency bands. The selected frequency bands are moved respectively into a target frequency band permanently assigned to the respective group. This prevents that a number of frequency bands from the source frequency range are shifted to the same target frequency band.

Abstract: A method and device for frequency compression of audio signals to reduce the occurrence of artifacts. A component of the audio signal having a plurality of frequency channels is shifted from a first frequency channel into a second frequency channel. A dominant instantaneous frequency is determined in the first frequency channel. During shifting or mapping, first the entire first frequency channel, including the dominant instantaneous frequency, is shifted or mapped into the second frequency channel, wherein the dominant instantaneous frequency obtains an intermediate frequency position. A final frequency position for the dominant instantaneous frequency is determined using a predefined compression characteristic in the second frequency channel, starting from the frequency position of the dominant instantaneous frequency in the first frequency channel. Finally, the dominant instantaneous frequency is shifted or mapped from the intermediate frequency position to the final frequency position.

Abstract: Artifacts occurring during frequency compression, in particular in the case of hearing aids, are avoided or reduced. The method compresses the frequency of an audio signal having a fundamental frequency and at least one harmonic. The audio signal is provided in a plurality of frequency channels. The harmonic of the audio signal is shifted or mapped from a first frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels into a second frequency channel. In addition a frequency which is likewise harmonic with respect to the fundamental frequency is estimated in the second frequency channel, the harmonic being shifted or mapped onto the estimated frequency. As a result the harmonic pattern is preserved in the compressed signal and the artifacts are reduced.

Abstract: Speech intelligibility is to be improved in hearing devices and in particular in hearing aids. A method for reconstructing a speech signal is therefore proposed, wherein a predefined amplitude spectrum of a speech component is stored. The amplitude spectrum of an input signal containing the speech signal is acquired. At least one matching portion and one non-matching portion of the predefined amplitude spectrum with respect to the amplitude spectrum of the input signal is detected. Finally the gain of the input signal in the non-matching portion of the amplitude spectrum is varied such that a closer match with the predefined amplitude spectrum is achieved compared to the original gain.

Abstract: The invention relates to a water-resistant hearing device, which has the following: At least one first electroacoustic transducer for receiving sound waves and converting said sound waves into electrical signals, an electronic circuit sealed against liquids by coating and/or encapsulation, at least one second electroacoustic transducer converting electrical signals supplied to the circuit into sound waves and an electrical energy source sealed against liquids by means of coating and/or encapsulation. In this way the electroacoustic transducers are made of materials which realize a deformation in an electrical and/or magnetic field and/or an electrical current flow and/or an electrical voltage (and/or vice versa) and are insensitive to liquids, in particular water, salt water and slight acids.

Abstract: An ear fitting piece for creating an ear impression and a method for creating an ear impression. In order to allow the creation of an ear impression at low cost, the ear fitting piece for creating an ear impression has a liquid, which has a first state in which it can be shaped and a second state in which it is solidified, a soft rubber sleeve, which encloses the liquid, and an activating device, which is designed to cause a change of state from the first state to the second state of the liquid. A further change of state from the second state to the first state of the liquid can be caused by heating.

Abstract: A connector for a hearing instrument has an electrical or acoustic connection component and a mechanical connection component. The electrical or acoustic connection component is brought into mutual engagement with an electrical or acoustic connection element inside a housing of the hearing instrument. The mechanical connection component is brought into mutual engagement with a mechanical connection element of the hearing instrument. The connector is disposed on a receiver tube or a sound tube. The connector connects the tube to the electrical or acoustic connection element of the hearing instrument and is detachably connected inside the housing to a connector receptacle of the hearing instrument and, in the connected state, is disposed completely inside the housing. The hearing instrument has an opening through which the connector is introduced and inserted into the connector receptacle. A hearing instrument system contains the above described hearing instrument and the above described connector.

Abstract: A pushbutton for a hearing device is provided. The pushbutton includes a probe guided into a housing shell and includes a locking element. The locking element produces a first snap-on connection between the housing shell and the probe when inserted into the probe. As a result, the pushbutton is fixedly connected to the housing shell, as a result of which the housing shell can be easily exchanged.

Abstract: A binaural supply with a hearing system is to be enabled, whereby the computing outlay and energy consumption are to be kept as minimal as possible. A hearing system comprising a first hearing apparatus including a first signal input facility and a first communication facility and a second hearing apparatus including a second signal input facility, a second communication facility for receiving a signal from the first communication facility and a second signal processing facility for processing signals from the second signal input facility and the second communication facility are provided to form a common output signal. The signal transmitted from the first to the second communication facility corresponds to a real spectral part of the overall frequency spectrum of the first input signal. As only one part of the overall spectrum is transmitted and/or binaurally processed, the computing outlay and energy consumption is reduced.

Abstract: In one aspect, a hearing device is provided with a multi-stage activation circuit including a primary activation unit, an evaluation unit and a main activation unit. The primary activation unit monitors a sound-induced input level and forwards incoming signals to the evaluation unit when a threshold value of the input level is exceeded. The evaluation unit is activated when the threshold value is exceeded and determines a feature of incoming signals suitable for identifying and/or classifying a sound causing the incoming signals. The main activation unit is activated, for example, when the feature determined by the evaluation unit indicates a noise that should be perceptible to the wearer of the hearing device. The main activation unit activates further components of the hearing device including the signal processing and amplification circuit and the output unit.

Abstract: A smaller and more reliable rechargeable in-the-ear (ITE) hearing device is provided. The ITE hearing device includes a housing, which has a housing surface which points outwards in the worn state, an accumulator in the housing, at least one charging contact for charging the accumulator and a gripping element, which is arranged on the housing surface. The gripping element can be moved from a non-operational position into an operational position. The charging contact is concealed by the gripping element or the housing when the gripping element is in the non-operational position and is not concealed when the gripping element is in the operational position. As a result of the charging contact being concealable, the hearing device's reliability is improved. If the charging contact is fastened to the gripping element, the gripping element achieves an additional functionality resulting in a smaller design overall.

Abstract: While prior art hearing aids and/or tinnitus therapy devices only contribute to making an existing tinnitus condition more bearable, the invention provides for a method for operating a hearing aid and/or tinnitus therapy device as well as a hearing aid and/or tinnitus therapy device which contributes to a tinnitus being able to be eliminated over the long-term. An acoustic output signal is generated in which the tinnitus frequency and/or the tinnitus frequency spectrum are suppressed. This makes the neuroplastic reorganization of the central auditory system of a sufferer possible, which reverses the tinnitus-causing maladaptive change in their central auditory system.

Abstract: A hearing device which is simple to assemble and to which a wearing hook can be fastened in a stable fashion is provided. The hearing device includes a receiver, which has a sound outlet, a wearing hook, which has a sound channel, a connecting piece for connecting the sound outlet of the receiver to the sound channel of the wearing hook and includes a housing frame, in which the receiver and to which the wearing hook are fastened respectively. The connecting piece may be formed largely of metal or ceramic and may be directly fastened to the housing frame.

Abstract: A method for operating a hearing device, which is embodied for wireless signal transmission of a data signal at a transmission frequency, provides an audio signal as a pulsed signal, in which a plurality of pulses fall within a predefined time slot. A frequency spectrum of the audio signal has a notch into which the transmission frequency is placed, and the pulses of the audio signal within the predefined time slot are shifted such that the energy of the frequency spectrum drops in the vicinity of the transmission frequency.