Patents Assigned to Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20100226516
    Abstract: A method for operating a hearing apparatus includes determining feedback events, in which feedback suppression responds and/or in which feedback is detected above a predeterminable feedback threshold value, determining a frequency of the feedback events within a predeterminable duration and emitting a signal if the determined frequency exceeds a predeterminable frequency threshold value. A time instant for changing an earmold which is no longer optimally positioned and is the cause of a frequent feedback can therefore be advantageously predicted in a timely manner. A computer program product for implementing the method and a hearing apparatus with acoustic feedback suppression and/or acoustic feedback identification, are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Alexander Grafenberg, Johannes Lauer
  • Publication number: 20100226515
    Abstract: A noise reduction is provided for a hearing apparatus, with which both stationary and also non-stationary interference noises can be attenuated in an input signal. An output signal is in this way to convey a quite sound impression. A signal processing is provided, which effects a noise reduction on the basis of two different methods. Provision is made on the one hand for a noise reduction for stationary interference noises and on the other hand for a noise reduction for spatially oriented interference noises. A selection facility selects between the two noise reductions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Publication date: September 9, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Eghart Fischer
  • Publication number: 20100220881
    Abstract: The invention specifies a hearing apparatus (1) and an associated method with an active occlusion reduction unit (10). The hearing apparatus (1) also comprises at least one first means (R, M, 20, 30), which can be used to reduce an impact sound (TS) formed in the auditory canal of a wearer of the hearing apparatus (1) by steps of said wearer and/or effects on the occlusion reduction unit (10) caused by the impact sound (TS). This has the advantage that the impact sound artifacts that can be heard by a wearer of the hearing apparatus (1) are prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Volker Gebhardt
  • Publication number: 20100220882
    Abstract: A hearing device with a replaceable shell concept is configured such that the visible parts of a housing can be replaced quickly and easily. Therefore, it should be possible to replace a shell using few manual operations. The novel hearing aid has an acoustics unit that can be inserted into a shell part, wherein the acoustics unit has a projection engaging into a correspondingly shaped region of the shell part when the acoustics unit is in the inserted state. As a result of the engagement of the projection into the region, a movement of the acoustics unit in a direction out of the shell part is automatically blocked. Additionally, the acoustics unit can be fixed in the shell part by a pin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Stefanie Beyfuss, Uwe Flaig, Holger Kral
  • Publication number: 20100208921
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for background noise estimation use a first and a second hearing device for binaural supply of a hearing impaired person. In each case the hearing devices have a first and a second omnidirectional microphone and the two microphones of each hearing device are connected to each other electrically in order to form a first and/or a second monaural directional characteristic. The first and/or second microphone of the first hearing device is connected together wirelessly with the first and/or second microphone of the second hearing device to form a binaural directional characteristic. To estimate the background noise, the level of an output signal from the first and/or the second directional microphone having a monaural directional characteristic is combined with the level of an output signal from the directional microphone having a binaural directional characteristic. Background noise estimation is thereby enhanced in the case of binaural supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Eghart Fischer
  • Publication number: 20100208926
    Abstract: The equipment size of a hearing device is intended to be reduced. Therefore, a hearing device, in particular an ITE hearing aid, is proposed with a shell having a user-specific shape, a faceplate for closing-off the shell and an electronic component which is attached to the faceplate using a support. The support is individually formed taking into account the shape of the shell, and/or a position of the support on the faceplate is individually determined taking into account the shape of the shell. As a result of the individual support, it is possible to cut down on installation space and therefore the shell can be shortened. In particular, the support can be formed integrally with the faceplate in order to simplify the production method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2010
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Harald Klemenz, Poh Chye Lim, Markus Wild, Kim Ho Patrick Yau
  • Publication number: 20100202636
    Abstract: Adaptation of hearing devices is rendered more convenient and more accurate with a method for adapting a hearing device to a hearing device support. The hearing device is selected on the basis of initial data of several hearing devices with respect to the data relating to hearing loss of the hearing device support. The selected hearing device is preset using a target reinforcement curve and, optionally, a setting of the preset hearing device is finely adjusted. At least one of the mentioned steps of selecting and presetting as well as, optionally, the step of fine adjustment is carried out by means of a single perceptive model which individualizes the hearing loss data projected by the hearing loss of the hearing device support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2008
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Matthias Fröhlich, Matthias Latzel, Henning Puder, Andre Steinbuss
  • Publication number: 20100202646
    Abstract: The fitting of hearing aids and other hearing devices is intended to be made more comfortable. For this, provision is made for a hearing device with a housing which contains a signal processing unit and has a sound outlet. A supporting hook for attaching the hearing device to an ear or a head can be fixed on the sound outlet of the housing such that sound emanating from the sound outlet is guided through the supporting hook. A sensor for detecting the type of supporting hook is arranged in or on the housing. The sensor controls the signal processing unit as a function of the detected type of supporting hook. Thus, the user can for example use different types of supporting hooks without having to decide on a type of supporting hook during the first fitting. Moreover, the degree of mass production of the hearing aid can be further increased by the automatic recognition of the type of supporting hook.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Publication date: August 12, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Hoong Yih Chan, PhanHow Amy Cheng, Leep Foong Chew, Cheoung Hong Lee, Meng Kiang Lim
  • Publication number: 20100195839
    Abstract: A hearing device and an associated method for tuning a hearing aid include at least one hearing aid and at least one external unit. The device includes the following: a memory unit in the hearing aid which stores the times and the listening situations for which at least one predefinable algorithm for signal processing is activated; an output unit in the hearing aid and/or in the external unit which outputs and/or displays the stored times, listening situations and the activated algorithm; an input unit in the hearing aid or in the external unit for inputting an assessment rating which expresses the hearing aid wearer's satisfaction with the algorithm activated, and a change unit in the hearing aid for changing at least one parameter of the algorithm as a function of the assessment rating. Even algorithms of very short duration, such as an MPO, for example, are trainable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Roland Barthel, Andre Steinbuss
  • Publication number: 20100195857
    Abstract: For reducing the influence of interference fields on hearing aids, a hearing aid is provided with an electronic component into which a first and a second electromagnetic disturbance component can be injected by providing a predetermined electromagnetic interference field. The electrical component is formed asymmetric and/or a compensation component is arranged on the electrical component such that the first and the second interference components largely compensate for one another. A compensation plate or an element which is provided in any case, such as a microphone, may be used as the compensation component. If the electrical component is a coil, then its core may, for example, be conical or configured such that its winding density varies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Volker Gebhardt, Peter Nikles, Erika Radick, Gottfried Rückerl
  • Publication number: 20100195855
    Abstract: An apparatus and an associated method for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of a measuring signal emitted and detected by a hearing device include a generator unit for generating a measuring signal, a modulation unit for modulating the measuring signal prior to or during emission in such a way that the detected measuring signal is modulated according to the generated measuring signal, and a detection unit for detecting the measuring signal on the basis of the modulation. The result of a measurement, for instance an OLG measurement, is therefore more independent of external disturbances and the signal-to-noise ratio is increased.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Matthias Müller-Wehlau, Andre Steinbuss
  • Publication number: 20100195856
    Abstract: A method at least partially determines acoustic feedback of a hearing device worn by a hearing device wearer. The method includes a detection of the geometry of the auditory canal and/or the concha of the ear of the hearing device wearer and a determination of the feedback from the detected geometry. The thus determined feedback can also be used to adjust a hearing device. This is advantageous in that a measurement of the feedback does not have to be implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2010
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Alexander Grafenberg, Andre Steinbuss
  • Publication number: 20100189292
    Abstract: A hearing device with a plurality of microphones is intended to be able to be continued to be operated sensibly, even if a microphone fails. Therefore, a hearing device, and in particular a hearing aid, is proposed which provides a decision unit for deciding whether one of the microphones is defective, and a signal processing unit for processing the signals from the microphones using a plurality of processing algorithms. The signal processing unit switches from a first one of the processing algorithms to a second one of the processing algorithms if a decision is made in the decision unit that one of the microphones is defective. In particular, if a microphone fails, automatic switching from directional microphone operation into omnidirectional operation is for example made possible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: July 29, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Tobias Wurzbacher, Matthias Fröhlich
  • Publication number: 20100177916
    Abstract: A method for determining unbiased signal amplitude estimates () after cepstral variance modification of a discrete time domain signal (s(t)), wherein the cepstrally-modified spectral amplitudes () of the discrete time domain signal (s(t)) are X-distributed with 2{tilde over (?)} degrees of freedom. A bias reduction factor (r) is determined using the equation r 2 = ? ? ~ ? ? ? ? ( ? ~ ) - ? ? ( ? ) , where 2? are the degrees of freedom of the X-distributed spectral amplitudes of the discrete time domain signal (s(t)) and ? ? ( x ) = - 0.5772 - ? n = 0 ? ? ( 1 x + n - 1 1 + n ) ; then the unbiased signal amplitude estimates () are determined by multiplying the cepstrally-modified spectral amplitudes () with the bias reduction factor (r) according to the equation =.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Timo Gerkmann, Rainer Martin
  • Publication number: 20100177915
    Abstract: A method for signal processing for a hearing aid aims to better match signal processing for a hearing aid and in particular a hearing device to a situation and includes processing an input signal in accordance with a first processing algorithm to form a first intermediate signal and processing the input signal in accordance with a second processing algorithm to form a second intermediate signal in parallel with the processing of the input signal in accordance with the first processing algorithm. The input signal is classified by a classifier. Finally, an output signal with a constant mixture ratio is formed both from the first and from the second intermediate signals, taking into account the result of the classification. This allows the advantages of a plurality of algorithms to be used at the same time. A corresponding hearing aid is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 15, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Matthias Latzel, Andreas Tiefenau
  • Publication number: 20100172528
    Abstract: A battery compartment for a behind-the-ear hearing device includes a battery compartment body having a battery receiving space for accommodating a battery and at least one latching element for locking to a hearing device housing. The latching element and the battery compartment body are formed of different materials and the latching element is disposed in a holding device in the battery compartment body. A behind-the-ear hearing device with a latching element and the use of polyoxymethylene for manufacturing the latching element, are likewise provided. As a result of the separation of the latching element and the battery compartment body and the use of different materials, a switching and locking function can be optimized and the wearing quality can be improved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Publication date: July 8, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Werner Fickweiler, Björn Freels, Markus Trautner
  • Publication number: 20100158290
    Abstract: The preferred direction of a directional microphone of a hearing device and, in particular, a hearing aid should be selected automatically in a quick and reliable fashion. To this end, provision is made for a method for operating a hearing device with such a microphone which can be switched into at least a first and a second directional characteristic. Initially, respectively one signal-to-noise ratio is determined for the first and the second directional characteristic. Subsequently, the directional microphone is switched into that one of the two directional characteristics which leads to the higher signal-to-noise ratio. In particular, the total signal powers of different directional microphone signals can be determined to this end and the interference signal powers can be calculated in parallel thereto in a channel-specific fashion. Corresponding SNR values then result from the differences in the logarithmic power values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Henning Puder
  • Publication number: 20100160714
    Abstract: A hearing aid has a hearing aid component, a brain wave signal receiver configured to receive brain wave signals, and a hearing aid controller configured to control the hearing aid component dependent on the detected brain wave signals. Therefore the hearing aid can be controlled by the detected brain wave signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Tze Peng Chua, Kunibert Husung, Dirk Junius, Harald Klemenz, Matthias Latzel, Eng Cheong Lim, Nisha Shakila Ma, Yen Ling Elaine Tham
  • Publication number: 20100128910
    Abstract: The circuit complexity or the filter order, respectively, of an analysis/synthesis filter bank system especially for hearing aids is to be reduced. For this reason, the stop-band attenuation of at least one of the transfer functions of the analysis filter bank is composed of a separately configurable, frequency-independent analysis pass-band attenuation component and a separately configurable frequency-dependent analysis attenuation component. Furthermore, the stop-band attenuation of at least one of the transfer functions of the synthesis filter bank is composed of a separately configurable, frequency-independent synthesis pass-band attenuation component, a separately configurable, frequency-dependent first synthesis attenuation component and a separately configurable, frequency-dependent second synthesis attenuation component which is also dependent on the manipulation of the sub-band signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Daniel Alfsmann, Heinz Goeckler
  • Publication number: 20100104120
    Abstract: A hearing apparatus and particularly a hearing aid intended to be able to recognize acoustic situations more reliably includes a microphone device for picking-up a sound signal, a reception device for picking-up an electrical or electromagnetic signal and a classification device for determining an acoustic situation from the signals of the microphone device and the reception device. A signal processing device processes the signals of the microphone device and the reception device as a function of an output signal of the classification device. In particular, the signals of the microphone device and the reception device are made available separately to the classification device for recognizing the situation. Thus, the individual input signals, or the correlation thereof, can be used for recognizing the situation. A method for operating a hearing apparatus is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventor: Andre Steinbuss