Patents Assigned to Sonova
  • Patent number: 11445309
    Abstract: A cable for a hearing device is provided. The hearing device may have an in-the-canal part with a receiver and a behind-the-ear part with an electronic module. The cable may be adapted to connect the in-the-canal part and the behind-the-ear part. The cable may be a flexible printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor tracks. An end of the flexible printed circuit board is populated with at least one of a sensor, an LED and a push button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Jonas Meyer
  • Patent number: 11445308
    Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling access of a client to a service of a hearing instrument, the method comprising the steps of: requesting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument by providing a client authenticator to the hearing instrument; authenticating the client based on a validation of the provided client authenticator by the hearing instrument; upon successful authentication, comparing a security level associated with the service requested by the client with a highest security level assigned to the client by the hearing instrument, wherein the security level is selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured security levels, and granting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument, if the requested security level is below or equal to the highest security level assigned to the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Michael von Tessin, Alexander Maksyagin
  • Patent number: 11438714
    Abstract: A hearing device includes a processor and a wireless transceiver operatively connected with the processor and configured to connect via a wireless link with a remote device and to exchange bi-directional audio packets with the remote device. The transmit power of the remote device is larger than the transmit power of the hearing device. The processor is configured to estimate the audio link packet error rate of the transmission via the wireless link, and generate a notification when the audio link packet error rate exceeds a pre-determined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Amre El-Hoiydi, Federico Ferrari
  • Patent number: 11438709
    Abstract: An acoustic filter (100) comprises a filter housing (10) with an acoustic channel (11) and acoustic valve (20) in the channel. The acoustic valve (20) can be moved to along a trajectory (S) between positions (P1, P2). An actuator (30) is configured to actuate the acoustic valve (20) along the trajectory (S). The actuator (30) comprises one or more mechanical elements (31,32). The mechanical elements can move the acoustic valve (20) along at least an initial part of the trajectory. The actuator (30) comprises one or more magnetic elements (41, 42) with a magnetic field (M1,M2) configured to exert a magnetic force (Fm) on the acoustic valve (20). This may help to move the acoustic valve (20) to the second position (P2) along a final part of the trajectory and keep the acoustic valve (20) at the second position (P2). Accordingly the stroke of the valve can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Adrian Lara-Quintanilla, Pieter Gerard Van 'T Hof, Engbert Wilmink
  • Patent number: 11412332
    Abstract: An exemplary system comprises a first and second hearing device associated with a first and second ear of a user, respectively. The first hearing device is configured to detect a first audio signal representative of audio content, generate a first intermediate signal representation (ISR) corresponding to the first audio signal, the first ISR comprising a sparsely-encoded non-audio signal having a complexity measure that is below a threshold, and transmit the first ISR to the second hearing device. The second hearing device is configured to detect a second audio signal representative of the audio content, generate a second ISR corresponding to the second audio signal, and transmit the second ISR to the first hearing device. The first hearing device is further configured to generate, based on the first and second ISRs, an output audio signal, and provide the output audio signal to the first ear of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Manuel Christoph Kohl, Joachim Thiemann, Raphael S. Koning, Josef Chalupper
  • Patent number: 11405711
    Abstract: Hearing device housing blanks and methods of making hearing device housings that store energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Michael Au, Yashvant Venkatakrishnan, Lu Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220232330
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for avoidance of user discomfort due to pressure differences by vent valve. In one embodiment, a method for equalizing air pressure in ear canal includes sensing a pressure difference between a pressure in ear canal (PEC) and an ambient pressure (PAMB) by a sensor of a hearing device. Based on sensing the pressure difference, an active valve is set to a first position to open a vent through the hearing device or to a second position to close the vent through the hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2022
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Erwin Kuipers
  • Patent number: 11394699
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to broadcasting encrypted data to multiple receiver devices, where some receiver devices have long-term access to the encrypted data and some receiver devices have a temporary access to the encrypted data. Receivers having long-term access are part of a “member group” because these member group devices have a master key and the master key enables the member group devices to derive the necessary information to decrypt the encrypted broadcast. In contrast, devices with temporary access possess only a guest key and not master key, without a master key the devices need to receive the guest key from another device to decrypt the broadcast. Access to the encrypted stream can also be based on broadcasting multiple or single diversifiers, where a diversifier can include group identification information to assist in restricting access to the encrypted stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventor: Stephan Gehring
  • Patent number: 11395090
    Abstract: An illustrative method for estimating a direct-to-reverberant ratio of a sound signal is described, wherein the direct-to-reverberant ratio is indicative of a ratio between direct sound received from a sound source and reverberated sound received from reflections in an environment of the sound source. The method includes determining a first energy value of a sound signal for a first time frame; assigning to an onset value of the first time frame a positive value, if the difference of the first energy value of the first time frame and a second energy value of a preceding second time frame is greater than a threshold, and a zero value otherwise; and determining the direct-to-reverberant ratio by providing an onset signal comprising the onset value to a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained to determine the direct-to-reverberant ratio based on the onset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignees: Universität Zürich, Sonova AG
    Inventor: Ruksana Giurda
  • Patent number: 11373654
    Abstract: An automatic audio transcription method comprises: sending an audio stream and an identifier of the audio stream from a microphone device to an audio support server and to at least one hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid and a portable device connected to the hearing aid; playing the audio stream with the hearing aid; registering the at least one hearing aid system at the audio support server by sending the identifier from the hearing aid system to the audio support server; transcribing the audio stream into a text stream; sending the text stream from the audio support server to the portable device associated with the identifier of the audio stream; and displaying the text stream with the portable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Hans-Ueli Roeck
  • Patent number: 11368773
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a hearing device housing including at least one opening. The method includes the steps of: designing a pre-model of the hearing device housing by 3D-modelling software, the pre-model including a protective structure covering the opening, the protective structure being prepared for removal; producing a preform of the hearing device housing based on the pre-model; and removing the protective structure thus providing the hearing device housing with the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Matthias Stadler, Natasha Thumm
  • Patent number: 11363440
    Abstract: There is provided a method of wirelessly connecting a communication device to other devices using a communication protocol, wherein the communication device searches for external devices known to the communication device by executing a search activity in which the search effort to be spent by the communication device increases with the number of known external devices to be searched, wherein the communication device adjusts the search effort spent on the search activity for each one of the external devices according to the relevance of that external device, with a higher relevance of the external device resulting in a higher search effort, and wherein the search effort is determined by at least one of the following parameters of the search activity: scheduling frequency, duty cycle and transmission power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
  • Patent number: 11363391
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing device configured to be worn by a user includes a microphone and a processor. The microphone detects an audio signal. The processor is configured to determine that the audio signal includes own voice content representative of a voice of the user and determine that an environmental noise level within the audio signal is below a threshold The processor is further configured to apply, based on the environmental noise level being below the threshold, a biomarker feature analysis heuristic to the own voice content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Nadim El Guindi, Anne Thielen
  • Patent number: 11343616
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for avoidance of user discomfort due to pressure differences by vent valve. In one embodiment, a method for equalizing air pressure in ear canal includes sensing a pressure difference between a pressure in ear canal (PEC) and an ambient pressure (PAMB) by a sensor of a hearing device. Based on sensing the pressure difference, an active valve is set to a first position to open a vent through the hearing device or to a second position to close the vent through the hearing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventor: Erwin Kuipers
  • Patent number: 11343618
    Abstract: A hearing device with online (real-time) intelligent performance management. The online management component of the hearing device learns a hearing device user's preferences for operation of the hearing device while the user is using the hearing device in every-day life. The online management component learns the user's preferences from the user's perception of the hearing device output in different listening environments and/or during different activities. The users perception include positive/satisfactory responses of the user to the output from the hearing device. The online management component builds up an individualized model for the user based upon the users perceptions whilst encountering different listening environments and/or engaging in different activities. The individualized model is used to control the hearing device to produce an acoustic output for the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Elmar Fichtl
  • Patent number: 11343621
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a volume modifier value; when the volume modifier value is in a soft sound emphasizer range, modifying a volume control curve by increasing a value of the volume control curve in a range below a reference value, the volume control curve defining how much a sound signal with a specific volume is amplified to a desired volume; when the volume modifier value is in a loud sound limiter range, modifying the volume control curve by increasing a value of the volume control curve in a range above a reference value; and applying the modified volume control curve to a sound processor of a hearing device, such that a sound signal processed by the hearing device and output by the hearing device to the user is amplified according to the modified volume control curve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Erich Crameri, Marius Beuchert, Nicola Hildebrand
  • Patent number: 11342949
    Abstract: A body-worn electronic device, including a loop antenna and a transmitter. The overall physical length of the loop antenna is less than 75% of the vacuum wavelength of a lower limit frequency of the operating frequency range of the transmitter, while the electrical length of the antenna is from 0.9 to 1.1 times the guided wavelength of the lower limit frequency of the operating frequency range of the transmitter. The loop antenna includes a plurality of conductors which are connected in series by inductors so as to increase the electrical length of the loop antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Antonio Perri, Yves Oesch, Francois Callias
  • Patent number: 11336982
    Abstract: A hearing device seal module for use with a hearing device core including a tubular seal carrier defining a lumen configured for passage of the hearing device core and including a resilient seal support region formed from resilient material and configured to receive the hearing device core, a seal carrier support configured to hold at least a portion of the resilient seal support region open during an insertion of the hearing device core, and a first seal secured to a first portion of the seal support region and extending outwardly therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Yashvant Venkatakrishnan, Xiuming Zhu, Michael Au, Frank Wang, Grace Gardner, Marius Ruefenacht, Barjinder Chana, Erdal Karamuk
  • Patent number: 11330376
    Abstract: The disclosed technology generally relates to a hearing device configured to process a signal in a first path and a second path, where the first path and second path apply different digital signal processing operations to the signal. The hearing device is configured to determine a relatedness factor that compares the processed signals along the first and second path. Based on the relatedness factor, the hearing device can apply different gains to the signal in the first and second paths. The hearing device can output a combined signal based on the signals from the first and second paths. In some embodiments, the second path can be associated with receiving a signal from an external device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Gilles Courtois, Eleftheria Georganti
  • Patent number: D963573
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Stefanie Klein