Abstract: A device and a method reduce direction dependent spatial noise. The device includes a plurality of microphones for measuring an acoustic input signal from an acoustic source. The plurality of microphones form at least one monaural pair and at least one binaural pair. Directional signal processing circuitry is provided for obtaining, from the input signal, at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal. A target signal level estimator estimates a target signal level by combining at least one of the monaural directional signals and at least one of the binaural directional signals, which at least one monaural directional signal and at least one binaural directional signal mutually have a maximum response in a direction of the acoustic source.

Abstract: The object is to improve the effect of a noise reduction algorithm for hearing apparatuses and in particular hearing aids. This is achieved by a method wherein the input signal is modeled by a wanted signal model and a noise signal model. In addition, a signal statistic of the input signal is recorded in a data logging unit. The wanted signal model and/or the noise signal model can now be changed as a function of said signal statistic. Finally the noise component of the input signal is reduced using the noise signal model and/or the wanted signal model. This means that the models used can be continuously adapted to the hearing apparatus user's current situation.

Abstract: A microphone system and an associated method are proposed. The microphone system comprises at least two omnidirectional, microphone signal-emitting directional microphones connected electrically to one another to establish directivity, at least one filter unit with at least one adaptation parameter for the adaptive filtering of the at least two microphone signals and a control unit to change the at least one adaptation parameter such that the sum of interference power is reduced. The value range of the at least one adaptation parameter is limited. The control unit determines limits from a comparison of the noise floor of the ambient noise with a microphone noise number. The adaptation range of an adaptive differential directional microphone is a function of stationary component of background noise, so the directivity can be selected such that the non-stationary microphone noise resulting due to directivity is masked by the stationary component of the background noise.

Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals at sides of the system are used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using these two directional signals. These levels are used for subjecting every microphone signal to individual Wiener filtering. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or low frequencies or in combination and complement each other.

Abstract: A method and system for improving signal-to-noise ratio of output signals of a microphone system having two or more microphones due to acoustic useful signals occurring at sides of the system, is used in hearing instruments, especially hearing aids worn on the head. High and low frequency portions (cut-off frequency between 700 Hz and 1.5 kHz, approx. 1 kHz) are processed differently. In low frequency ranges, differential microphone signals directed towards left and right are produced to determine lateral useful and noise sound levels using two directional signals. These levels are used for individual Wiener filtering for every microphone signal. The natural head shadowing effect is used in high frequency ranges as a pre-filter for noise and useful sound estimation for subsequent Wiener filtering. The methods are used in hearing instruments worn on the head individually for high or for low frequencies and in combination complement each other.

Abstract: A method for operating a hearing aid in a hearing aid system where the hearing aid is continuously learnable for the particular user. A sound environment classification system is provided for tracking and defining sound environment classes relevant to the user. In an ongoing learning process, the classes are redefined based on new environments to which the hearing aid is subjected by the user.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a hearing aid. A local source operating mode is established by a signal processing section of the hearing aid for tracking and selecting a local acoustic source of an ambient sound. Electrical acoustic signals from which the local acoustic source is determined by the signal processing section are generated by the hearing aid from the detected ambient sound. The local acoustic source is selectively taken into account by the signal processing section in an output sound of the hearing aid such that the local acoustic source is at least acoustically prominent and is therefore better perceived compared to another acoustic source for a hearing aid wearer.

Abstract: Method for processing an input signal in a hearing aid, with the input signal being broken down into a discrete signal for each source relative to an acoustic signal, with the discrete signals being assigned to a spatial position of the source and with the discrete signals being output, or output attenuated, relative to the spatial position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for a hearing aid wearer to actively operate a hearing aid. A signal processing section of the hearing aid has a demixing module for separating audio signals and a postprocessor module which sets up a hold mode of operation for the hearing aid. An audio signal, which is preferred by the hearing aid wearer, from an ambient sound, is tracked and selected by virtue of the hearing aid wearer transmitting to the hearing aid a command which sets up the hold mode of operation in the signal processing section of the hearing aid for a certain period. The signal processing section tracks the preferred audio signal and selectively takes account of it in an output sound from the hearing aid such that it is audibly highlighted for the hearing aid wearer in comparison with another audio signal and is thereby perceived better.

Abstract: For enabling fast, customer-specific and precise matching of a hearing device's directional characteristic, a hearing device having a signal processing unit for performing a processing algorithm is provided, with at least one design-related parameter of the hearing device having been made available to the signal processing unit and with the signal processing unit performing the processing algorithm based on the design-related parameter of the hearing device. It should be considered as especially advantageous in the case of the inventive hearing device that a processing algorithm can be performed particularly precisely and customer-specifically based on the provided design-related parameters of the hearing device.

Abstract: A method for processing at least one first and one second input signal in a hearing aid, with the input signals being filtered to create intermediate signals, the intermediate signals being added to form output signals, the input signals being assigned to a defined signal situation, and with the signals being filtered as a function of the assigned defined signal situation.

Abstract: A “speaker” operating mode is established by a signal processor of a hearing aid for tracking and selecting an acoustic speaker source in an ambient sound. Electric acoustic signals are generated by the hearing aid from the ambient sound that has been picked up, from which signals an electric speaker signal is selected by the signal processor by a database of speech profiles of preferred speakers. The electric speech signal is selectively taken into account in an output sound of the hearing aid in such a way that it will for the hearing-aid wearer acoustically at least be prominent compared with another acoustic source and consequently be better perceived by the hearing-aid wearer.

Abstract: Transient interfering sounds are to have a less disturbing effect in hearing devices. For this purpose, it is provided that an envelope curve of an input signal of a hearing device, particularly of a hearing aid, is detected. The slope and/or the height of edges of the envelope curve is continuously determined. The output signal of the hearing device is then attenuated in dependence on the slope and/or height of the respective edge determined. Transient sounds of high level are thus transmitted only in an attenuated manner by the hearing device.

Abstract: For hearing apparatus and especially for hearing devices a tone balance unit is to be able to be used even under difficult general conditions. Therefore a hearing apparatus with a signal processing device, through which signals are able to be processed in a number of frequency channels, and a control device for controlling the level of the individual frequency channels are provided. The setting device features an unsymmetrical tone balance unit related to a predetermined frequency with which at least one lower and at least one upper channel of the number of frequency channels related to a predetermined frequency is able to be simultaneously unsymmetrically adjusted relative to the predetermined frequency. Thus for example a tone balance unit can also be used with a low feedback limit in the upper frequency range.

Abstract: The training of a hearing apparatus in respect of an individual adjustment is to be developed in a more user-friendly manner. To this end, provision is firstly made to automatically classify a hearing situation, to adjust a parameter of the signal processing facility of the hearing apparatus and to automatically learn the adjusted parameters for the current hearing situation. A temporal monitoring of the steps “classifying” and “adjusting” is however carried out here and the automatic learning is only triggered if the classified hearing situation and the adjustment of the parameters have not changed over a predetermined time period. This not only simplifies the training, but also enables a more rapid training by means of automatically triggered training events.

Abstract: The aim of the invention is to make using a hearing device and in particular a hearing aid more comfortable and more effective for the user. To this end the setting of a portable hearing device is to be checked. First the acoustic data of a sound from the environment of the hearing device is recorded and/or determined simultaneously with the setting of the hearing device with at least one setting value. The setting of the hearing device is evaluated against the chronologically matching, recorded acoustic data in the hearing device using at least one predeterminable criterion. If necessary, the hearing device outputs an appropriate message. By this means a hearing aid wearer can, for example, be alerted to contact an acoustician, if the settings he made on the hearing aid are not effective.

Abstract: The interference powers with directional microphones are to be suppressed as far as possible. To this end, provision is made to adaptively filter the microphone of a number of microphones as a function of at least one parameter. The directional effect of the directional microphone achieved in this way is adjusted by modifying the at least one parameter, such that the summation of interference powers including microphone noises is reduced and/or minimal.

Abstract: A binaural supply with a hearing system is to be enabled, whereby the computing outlay and energy consumption are to be kept as minimal as possible. A hearing system comprising a first hearing apparatus including a first signal input facility and a first communication facility and a second hearing apparatus including a second signal input facility, a second communication facility for receiving a signal from the first communication facility and a second signal processing facility for processing signals from the second signal input facility and the second communication facility are provided to form a common output signal. The signal transmitted from the first to the second communication facility corresponds to a real spectral part of the overall frequency spectrum of the first input signal. As only one part of the overall spectrum is transmitted and/or binaurally processed, the computing outlay and energy consumption is reduced.

Abstract: The directional effect of a static directional microphone is to be improved. In particular shadowing effects of the head for a hearing device worn on the head of the user are to be taken into account when adjusting at the directional microphone. To this end it is proposed that—like the adaptation of an adaptive directional microphone—the energy or power of the directional microphone signal emitted by the directional microphone is minimized, with the difference that in this case extremely long adaptation times are predetermined.

Abstract: A differential direction microphone system for a hearing aid device is described, comprising: a first directional microphone stage with a first differential directional microphone, and a second directional microphone stage with a further differential directional microphone, with the second directional microphone stage being connected downstream from the first directional microphone stage, where the directivity of the first directional microphone stage is essentially oriented in the opposite direction to the directivity of the second directional microphone stage, with the differential direction microphone system having a directional characteristic, of which the directivity is essentially orthogonal to an axis predetermined by the directivities of the first and the second directional microphone stage.