Patents by Inventor Christian Weistenhofer

Christian Weistenhofer 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).

  • Patent number: 8855346
    Abstract: A hearing device has a housing, in which a loudspeaker and a battery are disposed. The housing has a first housing part and a second housing part. The housing parts are connected to one another by way of a connection. At least one housing part or an attenuation element provided in the connection between the housing parts is formed of an elastic material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Endre Barti, Hartmut Ritter, Michael Sattler, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 8744107
    Abstract: A hearing device has reduced acoustic wind sensitivity. For that purpose, the hearing device has a surface formed with a shark skin structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Bernd Meister, Hartmut Ritter, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 8682009
    Abstract: An acoustic actuator includes a support layer, in which a self-supporting structure is defined and connected to the support layer by at least two suspensions, at least one magnetostrictive layer which has been disposed on the support layer and is provided at least in part on the self-supporting structure, and a device for generating a magnetic field in the magnetostrictive layer. The way in which the loudspeaker works is based on the magnetostrictive effect, which results in a change in the dimensions of the self-supporting structure in an alternating magnetic field. This causes the self-supporting structure to oscillate. A method for producing an acoustic actuator is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Bassem Baffoun, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20130010993
    Abstract: Hearing apparatuses should be manufactured as simply as possible and with the closest possible fit. Accordingly, a molding structure, is provided, which represents a model for the direct shaping of an otoplastic of a hearing apparatus. The molding structure having a sealing element, which can be positioned in the auditory canal, and a molding mass which is inserted into the auditory canal to a side of the sealing element facing the outlet of the auditory canal. The molding mass and the sealing element here are connected to form the model and the sealing element is part of the hearing apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Anton GEBERT, Stefan KEXEL, Frank ROSENBERGER, Benjamin SCHMIDT, Christian WEISTENHÖFER
  • Patent number: 8345904
    Abstract: In hearing devices, more particularly in hearing aids, it is desirable to be able to design an earpiece for generating sound in the audible range which is as small as possible. Such an earpiece can then be worn comfortably on an ear or in an auditory canal. A sound transducer for the hearing device disclosed here may be formed as a micro-electromechanical system and the transducer enables generation of an acoustic signal with little distortion. Provision is made for a hearing device with a sound transducer, which has a field generation apparatus for generating an electric or magnetic field and an emission apparatus for generating sound. Here, the emission apparatus has a multiplicity of fingers that are penetrated by the field of the field generation apparatus, wherein the shape of the fingers can be changed by means of the field of the field generation apparatus in order to generate the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Thorsten Albach, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Tom Weidner, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20120269370
    Abstract: A hearing device has a housing, in which an earpiece and a battery are disposed. The housing has a first housing part and a second housing part. The housing parts are connected to one another by way of a connection. At least one housing part or an attenuation element provided in the connection between the housing parts is formed of an elastic material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: ENDRE BARTI, HARTMUT RITTER, MICHAEL SATTLER, CHRISTIAN WEISTENHÖFER
  • Publication number: 20120250921
    Abstract: A hearing device has reduced acoustic wind sensitivity. For that purpose, the hearing device has a surface formed with a shark skin structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Bernd MEISTER, Hartmut RITTER, Christian WEISTENHÖFER
  • Patent number: 8144907
    Abstract: The invention relates to a water-resistant hearing device, which has the following: At least one first electroacoustic transducer for receiving sound waves and converting said sound waves into electrical signals, an electronic circuit sealed against liquids by coating and/or encapsulation, at least one second electroacoustic transducer converting electrical signals supplied to the circuit into sound waves and an electrical energy source sealed against liquids by means of coating and/or encapsulation. In this way the electroacoustic transducers are made of materials which realize a deformation in an electrical and/or magnetic field and/or an electrical current flow and/or an electrical voltage (and/or vice versa) and are insensitive to liquids, in particular water, salt water and slight acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Jürgen Reithinger, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20110116663
    Abstract: An acoustic actuator comprises a support layer (3), in which a self-supporting structure (1) is defined which is connected to the support layer (3) by means of at least two suspensions (7), at least one magnetostrictive layer (4) which has been put on the support layer (3) and is provided at least in part on the self-supporting structure (1), and means (2; 5) for generating a magnetic field in the magnetostrictive layer (4). The way in which the loudspeaker works is based on the magnetostrictive effect, which results in a change in the dimensions of the self-supporting structure in an alternating magnetic field. This causes the self-supporting structure to oscillate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
    Inventors: Bassem Baffoun, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Christian Weistenhofer
  • Patent number: 7885416
    Abstract: If a hearing device user has become accustomed to the tone of a hearing device, it is difficult for him to change over to a new hearing device, since this normally possesses a different tone. Therefore, given a treatment with a second or subsequent device, the settings of the old hearing device can be acquired with a computer-controlled event and be considered in a first adjustment given the adaptation of the new hearing device. The new setting then results from the audiometric measurements, the data of the previous device, and if necessary further data. The tone of the new device is thus approximated to the old device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Josef Chalupper, Matthias Fröhlich, Thomas Hopf, Reinier Kortekaas, Kristin Rohrseitz, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20100296681
    Abstract: In hearing devices, more particularly in hearing aids, it is desirable to be able to design an earpiece for generating sound in the audible range which is as small as possible. Such an earpiece can then be worn comfortably on an ear or in an auditory canal. A sound transducer for the hearing device disclosed here may be formed as a micro-electromechanical system and the transducer enables generation of an acoustic signal with little distortion. Provision is made for a hearing device with a sound transducer, which has a field generation apparatus for generating an electric or magnetic field and an emission apparatus for generating sound. Here, the emission apparatus has a multiplicity of fingers that are penetrated by the field of the field generation apparatus, wherein the shape of the fingers can be changed by means of the field of the field generation apparatus in order to generate the sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: SIEMENS MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS PTE. LTD
    Inventors: Thorsten Albach, Reinhard Lerch, Alexander Sutor, Tom Weidner, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 7756282
    Abstract: In a hearing device with multiple microphones, and a signal generation method, the dynamic range of hearing devices is improved by using a combination including a silicon microphone and an electret microphone for the hearing device input. Low frequencies thus can be acquired by the silicon microphone and high frequencies can be acquired by the electret microphone, in order to generate a wide-band hearing device input signal. The fact that a silicon microphone possesses a lower internal noise than a conventional electret microphone at low frequencies is utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Uwe Rass, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20090208045
    Abstract: The invention relates to a water-resistant hearing device, which has the following: At least one first electroacoustic transducer for receiving sound waves and converting said sound waves into electrical signals, an electronic circuit sealed against liquids by coating and/or encapsulation, at least one second electroacoustic transducer converting electrical signals supplied to the circuit into sound waves and an electrical energy source sealed against liquids by means of coating and/or encapsulation. In this way the electroacoustic transducers are made of materials which realize a deformation in an electrical and/or magnetic field and/or an electrical current flow and/or an electrical voltage (and/or vice versa) and are insensitive to liquids, in particular water, salt water and slight acids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Inventors: Jurgen Reithinger, Christian Weistenhofer
  • Patent number: 7400738
    Abstract: An acoustic module for a hearing aid device has at least one microphone and at least one earphone (acoustic output transducer) combined together as a unit, the unit including a signal-processing unit for feedback suppression that is connected with the microphone and the earphone. Feedback signal portions are removed from the microphone signal by the signal-processing unit. The acoustic module places acousto-mechanical components within a unitary component, with acousto-mechanical characteristics that can be measured and included in the signal processing for feedback suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2008
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Niederdränk, Tom Weidner, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20080075310
    Abstract: There is described a hearing aid device, in particular a hearing aid such as, for example, an ITE device, comprising a section which can be provided in or on an ear and from which a multi-channel tube projects, the free end section of which can be inserted into an outer auditory canal of the ear, wherein an earpiece channel of the multi-channel tube is acoustically connected to an earpiece and an auditory canal microphone channel of the multi-channel tube is acoustically connected to an auditory canal microphone, in each case inside the hearing aid device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Georg-Erwin Arndt, Markus Hornig, Frank Koch, Marco Lederer, Christian Weistenhofer
  • Patent number: 7302069
    Abstract: The process of adapting a hearing aid to its wearer is to be simplified. To this end the acoustic conditions in the auditory canal, especially the acoustic impedance, are estimated by measuring the input impedance of the earpiece on the hearing aid. For adjusting the hearing aid it is worthwhile using the mechanical resonance of the system of hearing aid and auditory canal which can be detected with the aid of the input impedance. This is produced by a simplified equivalent circuit diagram from which the corresponding acoustic variables can be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Niederdränk, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 7263194
    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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Torsten Niederdränk, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Patent number: 7260234
    Abstract: An antenna coil is present in a hearing aid device to wirelessly transmit signals between a hearing aid device and a further device. Due to the required miniaturization of hearing aid devices, only minimal space is available for the arrangement of the antenna coil in the hearing aid device. The invention therefore provides for winding the antenna coil around or on an existing electro-acoustic transducer in the hearing aid device or around a capsule surrounding the transducer. A comparatively large antenna coil, for which little additional space is required, can thereby be provided in the hearing aid device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Kasztelan, Torsten Niederdränk, Peter Nikles, Christian Weistenhöfer
  • Publication number: 20060233412
    Abstract: Hearing aids are to be further miniaturized and simplified in terms of their manufacture. Provision is made for this purpose for the microphone facility for a hearing aid to be manufactured from at least one silicon microphone, said silicon microphone being attached to a MID plastic carrier (Molded Interconnected Device). This plastic carrier then features the double functionality of a microphone housing segment and a printed circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2006
    Publication date: October 19, 2006
    Inventors: Torsten Niederdrank, Joseph Sauer, Markus Trautner, Christian Weistenhofer
  • Publication number: 20050196001
    Abstract: In a hearing device with multiple microphones, and a signal generation method, the dynamic range of hearing devices is improved by using a combination including a silicon microphone and an electret microphone for the hearing device input. Low frequencies thus can be acquired by the silicon microphone and high frequencies can be acquired by the electret microphone, in order to generate a wide-band hearing device input signal. The fact that a silicon microphone possesses a lower internal noise than a conventional electret microphone at low frequencies is utilized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2005
    Publication date: September 8, 2005
    Inventors: Uwe Rass, Christian Weistenhofer