Abstract: An at least partially acoustically sealing element for retaining an in-the-ear device within an ear canal is characterized in that the element comprises at least one textile layer and that it is manufactured by means of thermoforming.

Abstract: A transducer protection system for the protection of at least one transducer opening in a housing of a hearing device, including a support and a plurality of fibers each fixed at one end to the support and free to move on the other end.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a method for charging a rechargeable battery (5) of a hearing aid (1). The proposed method comprises detecting a power supply (8) being connected to the hearing aid (1), estimating a state of charge of the battery (5), selecting one of at least a normal and a fast charging mode in dependence of the estimated state of charge, and charging the battery (5) according to the selected charging mode. Moreover, the present invention provides a hearing aid (1) including a battery charging unit (9) and adapted to support the proposed method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of operating a hearing aid (1), comprising the steps of receiving (100; 101) ambient audio information (20) by at least one microphone (2) of the hearing aid (1), to provide an ambient audio signal (20s); and an alternative audio information (30) by at least an interface unit (3) of the hearing aid (1), to provide an alternative audio signal (30s), wherein the alternative audio information (30) is transmitted by an alternative audio source (8). The present method comprises additionally the steps of weighting the alternative audio signal (30s) and the ambient audio signal, to form a weighted alternative audio signal (110) and a weighted ambient signal (109), respectively; mixing (111) the weighted alternative audio signal and the weighted ambient audio signal to produce a combined audio signal; generating (112) an output signal based on the combined audio signal; and supplying (112) an output signal to a receiver (5) of the hearing aid (1).

Abstract: A communication system maintains a signal processing license within a memory of the communication system. The signal processing license allows the communication system to perform a license-enabled signal processing function on signals received from one or more devices external to the communication system while the signal processing license is maintained within the memory. As such, the communication system detects that an additional communication system is within a transfer range of the communication system, and, in response, performs a transfer operation in which the signal processing license is transferred from the communication system to the additional communication system such that the signal processing license is no longer maintained within the memory once the transfer operation is completely performed.

Abstract: This invention relates to an earpiece (1) for coupling a hearing aid (10) to the ear (20) of a hearing aid user, comprising a seal (2) conforming to the shape of the user's ear canal (30) and therein retained; wherein the seal (2) comprises a sound output bore (3) connected to a receiver (11) of the hearing aid (10); and a multiplicity of through openings (4) spaced around the sound output bore (3). The number of the openings (4) is comprised in a range of 50 to 2000; and the openings (4) have diameters in the range of 50 to 250 micrometers. The present invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such an earpiece (1).

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for operating a hearing device 1 which prevents battery leakage, especially in the case when the hearing device 1 is powered by a mercury-free battery 2. The method comprises monitoring a supply voltage of at least one of a plurality of electronic units 7, 8, 9 of the hearing device 1, initiating a low battery leakage shutdown state when a low supply voltage condition is identified based on the monitoring, wherein the initiating a low battery leakage shutdown state includes activating at least one power gate 10 to disconnect at least one of the plurality of electronic units 7, 8, 9 from the power supply when entering the low battery leakage shutdown state, and discharging a buffer capacitor 4 provided for stabilizing the battery voltage. Moreover, a hearing device 1 optimized for being powered by a mercury-free battery 2 is provided.

Abstract: A method for providing sound to at least one user, in which audio signals are captured and transformed into audio data that is transmitted to at least one receiver unit; audio signals are generated from the received audio data and the hearing of the user(s) stimulated thereby; wherein the audio data is transmitted as audio data packets in separate slots of a TDMA frame structure, wherein the transmission unit and the receiver unit(s) are synchronized to form a wireless network, wherein each TDMA frame structure has at least one listening slot during which the synchronized network members do not transmit data and at least one network members listens, and wherein control data is transmitted from an external control device according to a sequence pattern selected according to the duration and periodicity of the listening slot(s) to be received by the at least one synchronized network member during said listening slot(s).

Abstract: This invention relates to an impression-taking pad (10) for taking an impression (20) of an ear canal (30) by an impression-taking material, having a lateral end (el) to be arranged away from a tympanic membrane (35) in said ear canal (30); and a medial end (em) to be arranged proximate to said tympanic membrane (35). The impression-taking pad (10) comprises an outer body (2) tapering from said lateral end (el) to said medial end (em). The impression-taking pad (10) further comprises an inner body (3) for releasable engagement with a tool (11, 12) for visual inspection of the ear canal (30), the inner body (3) being configured to support insertion of the impression-taking pad (10) in the ear canal (30) by the tool (11, 12).

Abstract: A method for adjusting a hearing device comprising: providing a user profile (42) of the user comprising actual user information (44) and a fitting history (47) stored in a database (34) of a fitting system (32), wherein the fitting history comprises fitting information (46, 46?, 46?) of at least one previous fitting session, in which previous fitting session the hearing device (10) or a different hearing device was adjusted for the user; determining a user experience value (54) of the user, wherein the user experience value (54) depends on the actual user information (44) and the fitting history (47); determining sound processing parameters (30) for the hearing device (10) based on the user experience value (54); and applying the determined sound processing parameters (30) in the hearing device (10), such that the hearing device (10) is adapted for generating optimized sound signals based on the applied sound processing parameters (30).

Abstract: A hearing assistance system having a first hearing device worn at a first of a user's ears, a second hearing device worn at a second of the user's ears, and an external audio source device for transmitting an external audio data stream, each hearing device having an interface for wireless data exchange with the external device, including receipt of the external audio data stream, the hearing devices being adapted to establish a binaural link between the first and second hearing devices, the hearing assistance system being adapted to estimate the quality of at least one of the links from the external device to the hearing devices. The hearing assistance system is adapted to dynamically adjust the coding of the audio stream transmitted by the external device according to the estimated quality of the at least one of the links from the external device to the hearing devices.

Abstract: An antenna module for a hearing device includes a hollow core provided with an axial passageway and a winding around the core which is connectable with a hearing device. The antenna module is arranged to be at least partially contained within the ear canal of a user. This enables the antenna to be separated from sources of interference, since it can be positioned inside the ear canal away from hearing device electronics, thus reducing requirements for shielding and/or compensation. The invention further relates to an ear tip and a hearing device including such an antenna module.

Abstract: An ITE hearing aid having a shell worn at least partially in a user's ear canal, a faceplate closing the shell at a side oriented towards the exterior of the user's ear, and at least one microphone housed in the shell and acoustically connected to ambience via a sound port formed in the faceplate. The faceplate has a cover element covering a cavity of the sound port in a direction normal to a main plane of the faceplate and a lateral sound opening in a wall extending normal to the main plane. The cover element is elevated above a surface region surrounding the cover element, with the sound port wall extending between the cover element and this surface region. The shell is designed, with regard to shape and size, in a manner that the hearing aid is manually removable from the ear canal without the need to use a tool.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system, having first and second hearing devices worn at respective ears of a user, each hearing device having a BLUETOOTH® interface for wireless reception from an external audio source device, the hearing devices being adapted to establish a binaural data link between each other, wherein the hearing devices are adapted to define first and second sets of BLUETOOTH® profiles assigned to the first and second hearing devices respectively, with the first set and the second set differing by at least one profile, wherein the first devices are adapted to establish a BLUETOOTH® connection to an external device and to advertise their BLUETOOTH® profile to the external device, wherein the hearing devices are adapted to modify, by data exchange via the binaural link, the first and second set of BLUETOOTH® profiles by moving at least one of the profiles from one of the sets to the other set.

Abstract: A portable communication device having a transceiver unit (30) for establishing a wireless communication link (16) using a digital modulation scheme with a packet-based frequency hopping scheme including at least one advertising channel, an antenna (32), an antenna tuning circuit (34) connected to the transceiver unit and the antenna for tuning the antenna, and a control unit (36) for controlling the antenna tuning circuit. The transceiver unit is adapted to estimate the strength of signals received in the at least one advertising channel and to supply the control unit with a signal representative of the estimated signal strength in the at least one advertising channel. The control unit is adapted to control the antenna tuning circuit such that the antenna is tuned according to the signal representative of the estimated signal strength in the at least one advertising channel.

Abstract: A method of providing hearing assistance to a user of a hearing system (10, 11, 15) by utilizing an event-related audio broadcast stream (74), the method having the steps of: registering, by the user, for an event; providing, in response to said registering, a personal device (60) of the user with a stream access code required to connect to the broadcast audio stream; establishing a wireless link (72) between the hearing system and the personal device and transmitting the stream access code from the personal device to the hearing system; and connecting, by the hearing system, to the broadcast audio stream.

Abstract: A communication system maintains a signal processing license within a memory of the communication system. The signal processing license allows the communication system to perform a license-enabled signal processing function on signals received from one or more devices external to the communication system while the signal processing license is maintained within the memory. As such, the communication system detects that an additional communication system is within a transfer range of the communication system, and, in response, performs a transfer operation in which the signal processing license is transferred from the communication system to the additional communication system such that the signal processing license is no longer maintained within the memory once the transfer operation is completely performed.

Abstract: The method for adjusting a hearing system (2) to the preferences of a user (3) of the hearing system comprises a) playing an audio sequence to said user (3); wherein the audio sequence comprises a first sound object representative of a first real-life sound source and a second sound object representative of a second real-life sound source; b) receiving an input (R) in response to step a); c) adjusting at least one audio processing parameter (P) of said hearing system (2) in dependence of said input (R). Preferably, the method further comprises d) providing the user (3) synchronously with step a) with a visualization of a scene to which said audio sequence belongs; and providing a user input (U) which is indicative of a sound source or of a sound object or of an instant in or a portion of the audio sequence; and automatically selecting an audio processing parameter (P) of the hearing system (2) in dependence of the user input (U) and offering the selected audio processing parameter (P) for adjusting.

Abstract: A method for operating a hearing device for a user having tinnitus includes converting an acoustic input signal into a corresponding converted input signal, applying a transfer function to the converted input signal for generating a processed input signal, generating a stimulation signal depending on characteristics of a perceived disturbing internal signal resulting from a tinnitus perceived by a prospective user of the hearing device, limiting the stimulation signal by applying a predefined limiting scheme thereby generating a limited stimulation signal, superimposing the limited stimulation signal onto the processed signal thereby generating an output signal, and feeding the output signal to an output transducer for generating a hearing device output signal.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system having an audio signal wireless transmission unit for transmitting a stereo audio signal with left and right ear channels, a first ear unit for being worn at a user's ear and having a hearing instrument and a wireless audio signal receiver unit, the hearing instrument providing the first receiver unit with information as to which ear of the user the hearing instrument is being worn and information as to whether, or not, there is a like second ear unit. The first receiver unit is adapted to decide, depending on the received information as to which ear the first hearing instrument is fitted and whether a second ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive one of the right and left ear channels, and, in absence of a stereo channel, to supply the respective mono channel of the audio signal to the first hearing instrument.