Abstract: A hearing aid and a method for operating a hearing aid to improve the quality of the hearing aid, in particular depending on the situation, include a hearing aid component that can be worn in a human auditory canal and a balloon, the size of which can be changed and which at least partially encloses the hearing aid component. During the operation of the hearing aid, a value specific to the current hearing situation is detected by the hearing aid. The size of the balloon is then set according to the determined value.

Abstract: A hearing instrument has housing with a plug-in connection. The plug-in connection connects hearing tubes, sound tubes or electrical signal lines. The hearing instrument ensures against an unintentional detachment of the tubes and lines from the housing. The housing has a locking apparatus. The plug-in connection is arranged in the housing. The locking apparatus is embodied to prevent an unintentional detachment of the plug in the plug-in connection. The locking apparatus includes a catch, with a latching plate, and being moveably mounted in the housing. The catch moves at right angles to the plug-in direction of the plug and the latch is pushed into the housing and is protected herein by a blocking facility against unintentionally being pushed out. The blocking facility includes a stop and a blocking element, against which the stop strikes when sliding out. With the moveable catch, an easy-to-operate locking process is achieved.

Abstract: The fitting of a hearing device and in particular of a hearing aid using frequency compression is to be simplified. A method for determining a knee point of a frequency compression characteristic for a hearing device is therefore proposed wherein a maximum audible frequency of a hearing device user is first determined and the knee point is then determined using a predefined rule in dependence on a maximum audible frequency. An end point of a compression characteristic can also be automatically determined.

Abstract: An amplification factor for a hearing aid device is generated by way of the following steps: forming a numerator, wherein the numerator includes a total with a first total component which is formed by means of multiplication of a strength of an approximately undisturbed signal with a first weighting and a second total component, which is formed by multiplication of a strength of a disturbed signal with a second weighting; forming a denominator, which includes the numerator as a first summand and a strength of an interference signal as a second summand. The amplification factor is finally determined by forming a quotient from the numerator divided by the denominator. An apparatus is configured to implement and carry out the novel method.

Abstract: An ear piece is formed for insertion and placement in an external auditory canal. The ear piece has an inflatable balloon which, when it is inflated, expands and braces against the walls of the auditory canal. When it is deflated, it may be withdrawn from the auditory canal. The ear piece may be used in connection with a hearing aid, an MP3 player, a cell phone, or the like. A pump inflates the balloon and a valve controls the selective deflation of the balloon. The air intake to the pump is protected against contamination from inside the auditory canal. For that purpose it is formed inside a housing the air inlet of which is as far outside the ear canal as possible. In the case of a behind-the-ear application, the intake opening is formed in the housing that is to be placed behind the user's ear.

Abstract: A pump facility for an earmold of a hearing device communicates by way of a channel facility with a variable-volume element of the earmold. A medium can flow through the channel facility to the variable-volume element and away from the variable-volume element. A filling mechanism is embodied for pumping the medium through the channel facility to the variable-volume element. In addition a drainage mechanism is embodied for actively pumping and conveys the medium away from the variable-volume element through the channel facility.

Abstract: A hearing instrument contains a case and a sound tube. The instrument has a case/tube connection that is simple, easy to assemble, and can be established and released in a reversible manner. The hearing instrument has a case in which a receiver is disposed, and a sound tube for conveying output signals. Disposed in the case is a mounting insert having a receiver compartment and a socket. The receiver is inserted in the receiver compartment and the socket has a circumferential recess or ridge. The sound tube has a plug with a ridge or recess corresponding to the circumferential recess or ridge of the socket. The socket and plug can be reversibly interconnected and detached. The mounting insert obviates the need for an additional sound-conducting connecting piece between receiver and sound tube. This reduces the component count and improves a seal-tightness of the connection between receiver and sound tube.

Abstract: A classification and, in particular, a time stability thereof are intended to be improved. To this end, a method automatically sets a piece of equipment, in which a classifying is performed with an aid of movable clusters and fixed clusters. This allows the classification to be trained, but also allows a certain basic property of the system to be ensured. This is advantageous in particular for hearing aids and transformers in smart grids.

Abstract: A receiver for a receiver-in-the-canal hearing instrument can be securely held by a dome comprising a receiver receptacle that selectively receives and holds the receiver. After the dome has been assembled, pulling on the electrical cable connected to the receiver will not dislodge the receiver from the dome.

Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals at sides of the system are used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using these two directional signals. These levels are used for subjecting every microphone signal to individual Wiener filtering. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or low frequencies or in combination and complement each other.

Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals occurring at sides of the system, is used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left and right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using two directional signals. These levels are used for individual Wiener filtering for every microphone signal. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or for low frequencies and in combination complement each other.

Abstract: When volume-changeable elements are used in earpiece apparatus, a valve apparatus for expanding and contracting purposes is provided. A valve apparatus is provided with a discharge opening for the outlet of air from the volume-changeable element. The discharge opening can be closed directly by the volume-changeable element itself.

Abstract: A behind the ear (BTE) hearing instrument has a coupling between a housing and a sound tube. The sound tube is removably connected to the housing by a coupling connected to the sound tube. A sound-tube-side coupling component has a sound channel leading to the sound tube and a housing-side coupling component has a sound channel leading to a receiver, which, when the coupling is closed, are connected to each other by an acoustic seal. The coupling has a lug and an abutment, which connect the sound-tube-side coupling component to the housing-side coupling component in a form-fit and movable manner, in a spatial direction relative to each other. A locking device is provided that, when it is closed, impedes a movement of the coupling components relative to each other. The lug including the corresponding abutment and the locking device are disposed spatially separated from each other in the coupling.

Abstract: A hearing instrument has an earpiece for inserting in an auditory canal and has an expandable balloon. In the earpiece is arranged a receiver and which earpiece enables additional connections for acoustic signals and compressed air. The earpiece contains a case, a receiver and a balloon. The case has a proximal case segment and a distal case segment. The receiver is arranged between the two case segments. The two case segments mechanically fix the receiver and are connected to one another in a sealed manner. A sound channel and an air supply channel, which are separate from each other, are formed between receiver and case, the wall of each channel being formed both by the receiver and by the case. A sound exit aperture is provided, which is connected to a receiver output aperture of the receiver and to the sound channel. The balloon is connected to the air supply channel.

Abstract: A method for testing hearing aids, particularly in respect of the effect thereof on speech comprehension, is improved. The method has the following steps: a) a test system is provided, b) an audible voice signal in the form of at least one meaningless syllable is selected and presented c) the meaningless syllable and a number of further meaningless syllables are displayed on a graphical user interface in the test system, d) a heard meaningless syllable is selected from the displayed meaningless syllables by the user, e) the selection made is evaluated, and f) method steps c) to e) are repeated until a termination criterion is encountered. The audible voice signal is selected in each case on the basis of at least one selection made by the person in response to a previously presented voice signal. The method allows particularly fast and informative hearing aid tests.

Abstract: A hearing apparatus that processes an audio signal by adaptive filtering operates efficiently. The hearing apparatus has a first stage transformation unit and at least two second stage transformation units. Each of the second stage transformation units splits the signal of one of the first stage channels through transformation onto sub-channels of the channel. A filter unit in each channel that has a second stage transformation unit filters the signal of the channel depending on weighting factors that are determined in each case for the sub-channels. The filter units are configured to exchange weighting factors among themselves, which means that only some of the weighting factors actually need to be calculated.

Abstract: A device and a method reduce direction dependent spatial noise. The device includes a plurality of microphones for measuring an acoustic input signal from an acoustic source. The plurality of microphones form at least one monaural pair and at least one binaural pair. Directional signal processing circuitry is provided for obtaining, from the input signal, at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal. A target signal level estimator estimates a target signal level by combining at least one of the monaural directional signals and at least one of the binaural directional signals, which at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal mutually have a maximum response in a direction of the acoustic source.