Abstract: A hearing assistance system having adjustable bulk delay for cancellation of a time varying acoustic feedback path. The hearing assistance system including an FIR filter, coefficient update module, and delay rules module for programmable adaptive filtering. The hearing assistance system adjustable for continuous bulk delay adjustments. The hearing assistance system providing a number of coefficient update routines, including, but not limited to an LMS coefficient update process and a normalized LMS coefficient update process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hearing aid with a compressor having a low and gain independent delay and low power consumption. The hearing aid comprises a multi-channel compressor for compensation of dynamic range loss and with a digital input for inputting a digital sound signal, and an output connected to an amplifier with a selectable gain as a function of frequency for compensation of frequency dependent hearing loss, and connected to an output for outputting the processed digital sound signal.

Abstract: An adapter assembly for releasably supporting lapel mic on a mask includes a mask adapter for mounting on the mask, and a lapel adapter for mounting on the lapel mic. The lapel adapter is releasably connectable with the mask adapter to support the lapel mic on the mask. The adapter assembly has a sound opening that enables sound to pass from a voice emitter of the mask to the microphone of the lapel mic. The lapel connector of the lapel mic is accessible through the adapter assembly when the adapter assembly is connected with the lapel mic. The invention also relates to a method comprising the steps of attaching a lapel adapter to a lapel mic, attaching a mask adapter to a mask, and connecting the lapel mic to the mask.

Abstract: The present invention provides a low noise phantom powered capacitor microphone and a method of using a vacuum tube as an impedance converter of the microphone capsule in the capacitor microphone with no exclusive power supply. In the phantom powered capacitor microphone of which a vacuum tube V01 is used as the impedance converter, a part of the voltage supplied from the phantom power supply is converted to a predetermined voltage by one or more switched capacitor voltage converters, for example, by three switched capacitor voltage converters IC01, IC02 and IC03 seriously connected as three stages to obtain the heater voltage of the vacuum tube V01.

Abstract: The invention provides, in various embodiments, a transducer for generating hyper-directional sound beams, and a system and method employing a hyper-directional sound transducer for producing pressure gradients and forces across stationary and moving objects.

Abstract: The communication device in a hearing aid needs to be optimized with respect to spatial requirements and power consumption. To this end, provision is made for an inductor in an oscillator circuit to be used simultaneously as an antenna. Besides reducing the number of components, this also reduces the power consumption. Further optimization in terms of energy can be achieved by virtue of a comparator being used to actuate a controllable current source such that energy is fed into the oscillator circuit only during a half-cycle.

Abstract: A sound system for capturing and reproducing sounds produced by a plurality of sound sources. The system comprises a device for receiving sounds produced by the plurality of sound sources and converting the separately received sounds to a plurality of separate audio signals without mixing the audio signals. The system may further comprise a device for separately storing the plurality of separate audio signals on a recording medium without mixing the audio signals and a device for reading the stored audio signals from the recording medium. A sound system and method for modeling a sound field generated by a sound source and creating a sound event based on the modeled sound field is also disclosed. The system and method captures a sound field over an enclosing surface, models the sound field and enables reproduction of the modeled sound field.

Abstract: A binaural hearing device system comprises a reception device (1) for one ear with at least two input acoustical/electrical converters (3a, 3b). Via a communication link (5) a signal (A1) which depends on both input converter's output signals is transmitted to a second device (7) for the other ear which comprises at least an output electrical/mechanical converter.

Abstract: A hearing aid has an embedded Internet interface so that the hearing aid can automatically communicate error diagnosis data to a hearing aid acoustician via the Internet so that the hearing aid user need not visit the hearing aid acoustician and so that acoustician can initiate appropriate maintenance, training or repair measures. An appertaining method is also provided.

Abstract: An exciting device capable of producing sound by sound-producing vibration body of a main body of an apparatus is provided. An exciting member 32A thin and long in the direction X is provided on a vibration substrate 31 thin and long in the direction X. Both ends of the exciting member 32A are fixed to the vibration substrate 31. Further, a piezoelectric element 33 that functions as vibration generating means is provided in the middle in the direction X of the exciting member 32A. The vibration substrate 31 is directly or indirectly fixed to the sound-producing vibration body. Vibration of the exciting member 32A is transmitted to the sound-producing vibration body through the vibration substrate 31 so that the sound-producing vibration body produces sound.

Abstract: The power density of a bass-reflex enclosure is improved by providing transducers in pairs, with the members of each pair being oriented front to back with respect to one another. The transducers are mounted on the enclosure with at least one of the transducers being substantially perpendicular to a front face of the enclosure and having its backside partially rested in the second transducer of the pair. The gap between the transducers is wider on the side open to the surrounding environment through the front face. Directivity may be provided by incorporating a second pair of transducers.

Abstract: A transmission coil system has a first and a second transmission coil in which the first transmission coil is connectable to a stimulation unit, and the second transmission coil can be used as part of a resonant circuit which can be stimulated to resonate, and having a coil core for two transmission coils that are loosely magnetically coupled to one another in that the two transmission coils are wound alongside one another on the coil core. Stimulation of the first transmission coil leads to a resonant increase in the applied voltage in the second transmission coil, and thus to an amplified transmission power. This may be used, for example, for remote control of the hearing aid, since, for example, it allows 200 bits/s data transmission over several meters from a low-voltage source.

Abstract: An adjustment of hearing device systems is achieved by an interactive adaptation that is undertaken during the operation. A classifier recognizes various auditory situations and starts interactive adaptation procedures, in the framework of which various settings are to be evaluated. Only settings that fit the auditory situation are thereby offered. As a result of the evaluations, an optimal hearing aid settings results for the respective auditory situation.

Abstract: A speaker grille is disposed in front of a speaker having a diaphragm and reproducing the sounds of 1 kHz and higher. The speaker grille is provided with a sound opening which includes a sound opening portion that opposes a region extending from the edge portion of a diaphragm to the fixing portion o n the outer circumference of the diaphragm of the speaker. The speaker grille offers superior sound characteristics, and at the same time a sufficient mechanical strength.

Abstract: In a speakerphone device identification of signals (i.e., voice input or speaker output) in a process for reducing acoustic feedback, in a communication device, is accomplished by adding a signature noise (i.e., an identification mark) to output signals radiated by the speaker to enable these signals to be separated from speech input to the microphone. Having identified the signal (i.e., speech output) likely to cause a “singing” phenomenon, appropriate insertion loss to reduce the feedback may be added to the appropriate speech path within the communication device, to reduce a probability of singing.

Abstract: The space in hearing device housings (1, 2) is to be enabled to be used more intensively. To this end, the invention pro-poses dispensing with a separate microphone housing and embodying said housing in one piece with the hearing device housing. To reduce the microphone's sensitivity to body sound the corresponding attenuation can be provided in the hearing device shells or the non body-sound-sensitive Silicon microphones (5).

Abstract: A monitor access is gradually applied an removed from a communications circuit, including a digital subscriber line (DSL), by a gradual monitor access (GMA) technique, in which a variable impedance element is gradually applied to the communications circuit until the monitor can be introduced to the communications circuit without data disruption.

Abstract: Hearing aid or similar device, where the device comprises at least one structural part whereto two or more spaced apart electronic components are fastened and where electric leads interconnects the electronic components and where the electric leads are provided on the surface of the structural part of the hearing aid.

Abstract: The loudspeaker has a first pair of drivers arranged in a line, a center point along the line, wherein the pair of drivers are substantially centered about the center point with a center to center distance, d0, between the drivers in the first pair of drivers, whereby the maximum frequency with out high amplitude side lobes is equal to c/2d0, and at least a subsequent pair of drivers arranged in the line array with the first pair of drivers and substantially centered about the center point, wherein the subsequent pair of drivers are spaced such that the center to center distance between each driver in the subsequent pair, dn, is equal to 4nd0, where n=0 at the innermost pair of drivers and n increases by 1 with each pair of drivers sequentially added. Each pair of drivers for n>0 has a first order low pass filter with a frequency equal to 2c/dn.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing improved intelligibility of contemporaneously perceived audio signals. Differentiation cues are added to monaural audio signals to allow a listener to more effectively comprehend information contained in one or more of the signals. In a specific embodiment, a listener wearing stereo headphones listens to simultaneous monaural radio broadcasts from different stations. A differentiation cue is added to at least one of the audio signals from the radio reception to allow the listener to more effectively focus on and differentiate between the broadcasts.