Patents by Inventor Andreas Von Buol
Andreas Von Buol has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Method for adjusting a hearing device and a hearing device that is operable according to said method
Patent number: 9113272Abstract: The present invention is related to the adjusting of a hearing device (1) to the hearing preferences of a user of said hearing (1). The hearing device (1) comprises an input transducer (20) for providing an electrical signal that corresponds to an acoustical input signal, a processing unit (10) for processing the electrical signal according to a set of process parameters (G1, . . . , Gn) to provide an intermediate signal, and an output transducer (30) for providing an output signal to the user of said hearing device (1), wherein the output signal corresponds to the intermediate signal. The method comprises the step of providing a set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . . , Am), which, at least partly, represents an individual hearing characteristic of the user of said hearing device (1) and the further step of adapting the set of process parameters (G1, . . . , Gn) as a function of an adjustment control signal (ACS) and the set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . . , Am).Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2010Date of Patent: August 18, 2015Assignee: PHONAK AGInventors: Reto Kurmann, Nicola Schmitt, Volker Kühnel, Andreas Von Buol, Elmar Fichtl -
Patent number: 8582793Abstract: A method for determining feedback thresholds in a plurality of frequency bands and/or at a plurality of frequencies processed by a hearing device is disclosed. The feedback thresholds are defined as gains, at which feedback occurs while a hearing device user is wearing the hearing device. The method comprises the step of determining feedback thresholds in an order of precedence, wherein the order of precedence being defined according to a degree of importance that the feedback threshold is determined in a particular frequency band or at a particular frequency, respectively.Type: GrantFiled: September 20, 2007Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Patrick Baechler, Bernd Waldmann, Andreas Von Buol, Stefan Pislak
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METHOD FOR ADJUSTING A HEARING DEVICE AND A HEARING DEVICE THAT IS OPERABLE ACCORDING TO SAID METHOD
Publication number: 20130223662Abstract: The present invention is related to the adjusting of a hearing device (1) to the hearing preferences of a user of said hearing (1). The hearing device (1) comprises an input transducer (20) for providing an electrical signal that corresponds to an acoustical input signal, a processing unit (10) for processing the electrical signal according to a set of process parameters (G1, . . . ,Gn) to provide an intermediate signal, and an output transducer (30) for providing an output signal to the user of said hearing device (1), wherein the output signal corresponds to the intermediate signal. The method comprises the step of providing a set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . . ,Am), which, at least partly, represents an individual hearing characteristic of the user of said hearing device (1) and the further step of adapting the set of process parameters (G1, . . . ,Gn) as a function of an adjustment control signal (ACS) and the set of adjustment parameters (A1, . . .,Am).Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2010Publication date: August 29, 2013Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Reto Kurmann, Nicola Schmitt, Volker Kuhnel, Andreas Von Buol, Elmar Fichtl -
Patent number: 8213653Abstract: The hearing device to be worn by a user of the hearing device comprises an input transducer for transducing incoming acoustical sound into audio signals; a signal processor for processing audio signals; an output transducer for transducing audio signals into outgoing acoustical sound. Said signal processor is designed such that there exists an input SPL range of at least a portion of said incoming acoustical sound, in which an increase in input SPL of said at least one portion of said incoming acoustical sound results in a decrease in output SPL of at least a portion of said outgoing acoustical sound, wherein SPL stands for sound pressure level. Through this, at high input SPL the hearing device's power consumption can be reduced by making use of direct sound, which propagate as sound waves from outside the user's ear canal to the user's ear drum.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2006Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Andreas Von Buol, Andi Vonlanthen
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Publication number: 20110026746Abstract: A method for determining feedback thresholds in a plurality of frequency bands and/or at a plurality of frequencies processed by a hearing device is disclosed. The feedback thresholds are defined as gains, at which feedback occurs while a hearing device user is wearing the hearing device. The method comprises the steps of determining a quality index for a measured feedback threshold, and considering a measured feedback threshold as final if the quality index meets minimum predefined requirements.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2007Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Patrick Baechler, Stefan Pislak, Andreas Von Buol, Bernd Waldmann
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Publication number: 20100310103Abstract: A method for determining feedback thresholds in a plurality of frequency bands and/or at a plurality of frequencies processed by a hearing device is disclosed. The feedback thresholds are defined as gains, at which feedback occurs while a hearing device user is wearing the hearing device. The method comprises the step of determining feedback thresholds in an order of precedence, wherein the order of precedence being defined according to a degree of importance that the feedback threshold is determined in a particular frequency band or at a particular frequency, respectively.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2007Publication date: December 9, 2010Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Patrick Baechler, Bernd Waldmann, Andreas Von Buol, Stefan Pislak
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Patent number: 7826632Abstract: The present invention provides a method of adjusting a hearing instrument that is at least partially insertable into an ear canal, the hearing instrument (1) comprising at least two microphones, the method comprising the steps of: estimating the relative microphone location effect for each of the microphones; estimating the feedback stability for each of the microphones; determining the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones to be used in an omni-directional mode; and setting the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones. Thus, the present invention takes into account the acoustical stability of each of the microphones in order to optimally combine the microphones to achieve an optimal omni-directional performance if desired by the user of the hearing instrument.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2006Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Andreas Von Buol, Andi Vonlanthen
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Patent number: 7715571Abstract: A method for individually fitting a hearing instrument to a user, by: starting operation of the hearing instrument; pre-defining a desired target loudness function perceived by the user defined as function of frequency and input sound pressure level at the microphone; measuring for a given measurement parameter set of perceived loudness levels and frequencies or frequency bands the respective transducer input audio signal level to be applied to the transducer input to achieve the respective perceived loudness level at the respective frequency or frequency band, said measurement parameter set having at least a low, intermediate and high loudness levels, and said intermediate loudness level being measured for a larger number of frequencies or frequency bands and with a finer frequency resolution than said low and high loudness levels; calculating an individual gain function to be implemented in the audio signal processing unit to achieve the pre-defined target loudness function by taking into account the measurType: GrantFiled: March 23, 2006Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Michael Boretzki, Volker Kuehnel, Andreas Von Buol, Paul Zbinden
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Patent number: 7536022Abstract: Provided is a hearing device and method for compensating for a hearing loss. To compensate for the hearing loss, the hearing device and method utilize the gain during feedback in the forward path of a compressive system which, after having reached its steady state in “closed loop” operation, is equal to the feedback threshold gain. The steady state is reached soon after having applied a low input signal level to the hearing device, which input signal level is below 55 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level), for example, and would result, for the open loop compressive system, in a larger gain than the feedback threshold gain of the closed loop system, respectively, would result in the maximum possible hearing device gain if maximum possible hearing device gain is below feedback threshold gain. The signal feedback gain is assessed in this steady state.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2005Date of Patent: May 19, 2009Assignee: Phonak AGInventor: Andreas Von Buol
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Publication number: 20080031477Abstract: The present invention provides a method of adjusting a hearing instrument (1) that is at least partially insertable into an ear canal (2), the hearing instrument (1) comprising at least two microphones (3;4), the method comprising the steps of: estimating the relative microphone location effect for each of the microphones (3;4); estimating the feedback stability for each of the microphones (3;4); determining the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones (3;4) to be used in an omni-directional mode; and setting the optimum proportion and phase of the signals of the microphones (3;4).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2006Publication date: February 7, 2008Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Andreas Von Buol, Andi Vonlanthen
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Publication number: 20070263891Abstract: The hearing device to be worn by a user of the hearing device comprises an input transducer for transducing incoming acoustical sound into audio signals; a signal processor for processing audio signals; an output transducer for transducing audio signals into outgoing acoustical sound. Said signal processor is designed such that there exists an input SPL range of at least a portion of said incoming acoustical sound, in which an increase in input SPL of said at least one portion of said incoming acoustical sound results in a decrease in output SPL of at least a portion of said outgoing acoustical sound, wherein SPL stands for sound pressure level. Through this, at high input SPL the hearing device's power consumption can be reduced by making use of direct sound, which propagate as sound waves from outside the user's ear canal to the user's ear drum.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 10, 2006Publication date: November 15, 2007Applicant: Phonak AGInventors: Andreas Von Buol, Andi Vonlanthen
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Publication number: 20070223752Abstract: A method for individually fitting a hearing instrument to a user, comprising at least one microphone for generating an input audio signal from ambient sound, an audio signal processing unit for processing the input audio signal into a processed output audio signal, and a transducer for stimulation of the human auditory system according to the processed output audio signal as input to said transducer is described, the method comprising: providing the user with the hearing instrument and starting operation of the hearing instrument; pre-defining a desired target loudness function, wherein loudness perception of a stimulus by the user when using the hearing instrument is defined as function of frequency and input sound pressure level at the microphone; measuring for a given measurement parameter set of perceived loudness levels and frequencies or frequency bands the respective transducer input audio signal level to be applied to the transducer input in order to achieve the respective perceived loudness level atType: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2006Publication date: September 27, 2007Applicant: Phonak AGInventors: Michael Boretzki, Volker Kuehnel, Andreas Von Buol, Paul Zbinden
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Patent number: 7194100Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the individualized adaptation of a hearing aid to a person. The method consists basically of the measurement and quantification by parameters of the loudness perception of the individual, weighted by a first factor. Also weighted is a standardized normal loudness perception and its parameters by a second factor. Finally, the weighted loudness perceptions and their parameters are used for determining the optimal settings of the hearing aid for the individual concerned. The advantage of the method according to this invention lies in the fact that it permits significantly better adaptation of the hearing aid to the individual person.Type: GrantFiled: April 10, 2001Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Phonak AGInventors: Volker Kühnel, Andreas Von Buol
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Publication number: 20060050911Abstract: The present invention uses the fact that the gain during feedback in the forward path of a compressive system, as it is the case for a hearing device used to compensate a hearing loss, after having reached its steady state in “closed loop” operation, is equal to the feedback threshold gain. The steady state is reached soon after having applied a low input signal level to the hearing device, which input signal level is below 55 dB SPL (Sound Pressure Level), for example, and would result, for the open loop compressive system, in a larger gain than the feedback threshold gain of the closed loop system, respectively, would result in the maximum possible hearing device gain if maximum possible hearing device gain is below feedback threshold gain. The signal feedback gain is assessed in this steady state.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2005Publication date: March 9, 2006Applicant: Phonak AGInventor: Andreas Von Buol
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Patent number: 7010135Abstract: A feedback threshold in a hearing device is determined by feeding an input signal to the hearing device while it is inserted in an ear canal of a user. The input signal results in a higher amplification than a supposed, that is, not yet known, feedback threshold. An amplification in the forward path of the device is measured. The feedback threshold is equal to the measured amplification.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2002Date of Patent: March 7, 2006Assignee: Phonak AGInventor: Andreas Von Buol
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Publication number: 20040066946Abstract: A feedback threshold in a hearing device is determined by feeding an input signal to the hearing device while it is inserted in an ear canal of a user. The input signal results in a higher amplification than a supposed, that is, not yet known, feedback threshold. An amplification in the forward path of the device is measured. The feedback threshold is equal to the measured amplification.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2002Publication date: April 8, 2004Inventor: Andreas Von Buol
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Publication number: 20020146137Abstract: This invention relates to a method for the individualized adaptation of a hearing aid to a person. The method consists basically of the measurement and quantification by parameters of the loudness perception of the individual, weighted by a first factor. Also weighted is a standardized normal loudness perception and its parameters by a second factor. Finally, the weighted loudness perceptions and their parameters are used for determining the optimal settings of the hearing aid for the individual concerned. The advantage of the method according to this invention lies in the fact that it permits significantly better adaptation of the hearing aid to the individual person.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 10, 2001Publication date: October 10, 2002Applicant: Phonak AGInventors: Volker Kuhnel, Andreas Von Buol