Patents by Inventor Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF

Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF 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).

  • Publication number: 20240098427
    Abstract: A method for determining a characteristic of a hearing instrument is disclosed. The hearing instrument includes at least one input transducer operable to provide an input audio signal responsive to sensing sound in the environment of the hearing instrument, a signal processing unit and at least one output transducer. The method includes: emitting an acoustic probe signal by the output transducer, receiving an input audio signal from the microphone, analyzing the received input audio signal to determine the characteristic of the hearing instrument from an input transducer response to the emitted acoustic probe signal, wherein the method comprises filtering the received input audio signal to selectively attenuate one or more signal components corresponding to the acoustic probe signal and wherein emitting the acoustic probe signal comprises emitting a combined acoustic output signal comprising the acoustic probe signal and an acoustic hearing instrument signal obtained from the filtered input audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF
  • Publication number: 20230345174
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a first housing; a second housing; first and second primary microphones for provision of first and second primary microphone input signals; a secondary microphone in the second housing for provision of a secondary microphone input signal; a mixing module for provision of a mixer output based on a primary mixer input and a secondary mixer input, wherein the primary mixer input is based on the first primary microphone input signal and the second primary microphone input signal, and the secondary mixer input is based on the secondary microphone input signal; a processing unit configured to process the mixer output and to provide an electrical output signal; and a receiver for converting the electrical output signal to an audio output signal; wherein the mixing module is configured to mix a first component of the primary mixer input and a first component of the secondary mixer input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventors: Jesper B. BOLDT, Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF, Rob DE VRIES
  • Patent number: 11743641
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a first housing; a second housing; first and second primary microphones for provision of first and second primary microphone input signals; a secondary microphone in the second housing for provision of a secondary microphone input signal; a mixing module for provision of a mixer output based on a primary mixer input and a secondary mixer input, wherein the primary mixer input is based on the first primary microphone input signal and the second primary microphone input signal, and the secondary mixer input is based on the secondary microphone input signal; a processing unit configured to process the mixer output and to provide an electrical output signal; and a receiver for converting the electrical output signal to an audio output signal; wherein the mixing module is configured to mix a first component of the primary mixer input and a first component of the secondary mixer input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Jesper B. Boldt, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf, Rob De Vries
  • Publication number: 20210345041
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a first housing; a second housing; first and second primary microphones for provision of first and second primary microphone input signals; a secondary microphone in the second housing for provision of a secondary microphone input signal; a mixing module for provision of a mixer output based on a primary mixer input and a secondary mixer input, wherein the primary mixer input is based on the first primary microphone input signal and the second primary microphone input signal, and the secondary mixer input is based on the secondary microphone input signal; a processing unit configured to process the mixer output and to provide an electrical output signal; and a receiver for converting the electrical output signal to an audio output signal; wherein the mixing module is configured to mix a first component of the primary mixer input and a first component of the secondary mixer input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventors: Jesper B. BOLDT, Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF, Rob DE VRIES
  • Patent number: 10616685
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a first input transducer configured to convert an acoustic signal into a first input signal; a processing unit configured to provide a processed signal based on the first input signal; an acoustic output transducer configured to provide an audio output signal of based on the processed signal; a second input transducer configured to provide a second input signal based at least on the audio output signal from the acoustic output transducer and a body-conducted voice signal from a user of the hearing device; and a user voice extraction unit connected to the processing unit for receiving the processed signal, and connected to the second input transducer for receiving the second input signal, wherein the user voice extraction unit is configured to extract a voice signal based at least on the second input signal and the processed signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Tobias Piechowiak, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf, Jonathan Boley
  • Patent number: 10602282
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes a signal processor, a input transducer electrically connected to the signal processor, a receiver electrically connected to the signal processor, an adaptive feedback cancellation filter configured to suppress feedback from a signal path between the receiver and the input transducer, and a feedback gain correction unit configured for adjusting a gain parameter of the signal processor based at least in part on coefficients of the adaptive feedback cancellation filter. A method of adjusting a gain parameter of a signal processor of a hearing aid includes monitoring filter coefficients of a feedback cancellation filter of the hearing aid, and adjusting the gain parameter of the signal processor in dependence of the monitored filter coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: GN Resound A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Patent number: 10412509
    Abstract: A binaural hearing aid system includes: a first hearing aid having a first microphone, a first processing unit, a first receiver, and a first communication unit; and a second hearing aid having a second microphone, a second processing unit, a second receiver, and a second communication unit; wherein the first communication unit of the first hearing aid is configured to transmit a filtered signal for reception by the second communication unit of the second hearing aid in response to a signal associated with a phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Andrew Burke Dittberner, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Patent number: 10405111
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a microphone for providing an audio signal; a signal processor for generating a processed audio signal; a first subtractor having a first input for receiving the processed audio signal, a second input, and an output for providing a first combined audio signal; a receiver for converting the first combined audio signal into an output sound signal; an ear canal microphone configured to provide an ear canal audio signal; a second subtractor having a first input for receiving the ear canal audio signal, a second input, and an output for providing a second combined audio signal; a first filter for receiving the second combined audio signal and for providing a filtered second combined audio signal to the second input of the first subtractor; and a second filter for providing a filtered processed audio signal to the second input of the second subtractor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Patent number: 10390147
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a microphone for reception of sound and conversion of the received sound into a corresponding first audio signal; a processing unit for providing a second audio signal compensating a hearing loss of a user of the hearing aid based on the first audio signal; and a receiver for providing an output sound signal based on the second audio signal; wherein the processing unit comprises a band splitter, a pitch shifter, and a frequency shifter, and wherein the pitch shifter and the frequency shifter are arranged in a first channel for performing frequency mapping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Publication number: 20180184203
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a first input transducer configured to convert an acoustic signal into a first input signal; a processing unit configured to provide a processed signal based on the first input signal; an acoustic output transducer configured to provide an audio output signal of based on the processed signal; a second input transducer configured to provide a second input signal based at least on the audio output signal from the acoustic output transducer and a body-conducted voice signal from a user of the hearing device; and a user voice extraction unit connected to the processing unit for receiving the processed signal, and connected to the second input transducer for receiving the second input signal, wherein the user voice extraction unit is configured to extract a voice signal based at least on the second input signal and the processed signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Tobias Piechowiak, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf, Jonathan Boley
  • Publication number: 20180184219
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a microphone for providing an audio signal; a signal processor for generating a processed audio signal; a first subtractor having a first input for receiving the processed audio signal, a second input, and an output for providing a first combined audio signal; a receiver for converting the first combined audio signal into an output sound signal; an ear canal microphone configured to provide an ear canal audio signal; a second subtractor having a first input for receiving the ear canal audio signal, a second input, and an output for providing a second combined audio signal; a first filter for receiving the second combined audio signal and for providing a filtered second combined audio signal to the second input of the first subtractor; and a second filter for providing a filtered processed audio signal to the second input of the second subtractor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2017
    Publication date: June 28, 2018
    Applicant: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF
  • Patent number: 9997171
    Abstract: A method includes: processing the digital audio input signal to generate M delayed digital audio signal samples; converting the delayed digital audio signal samples to frequency domain representation in N number of frequency bands to compute respective signal spectrum values; determining respective signal level estimates; computing respective frequency domain gain coefficients based on the respective signal level estimates and band gain laws; transforming the frequency domain gain coefficients to time domain representation to produce M time-varying filter coefficients of a processing filter; convolving the M delayed digital audio signal samples with the time-varying filter coefficients to produce the processed digital output signal; and updating the delayed digital audio signal samples in accordance with a sample-by-sample or a predetermined block rate; wherein two of the signal spectrum values for at least two of the frequency bands are updated at different rates; and wherein M and N are positive integer num
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Aalbert De Vries, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Publication number: 20170332181
    Abstract: A binaural hearing aid system includes: a first hearing aid having a first microphone, a first processing unit, a first receiver, and a first communication unit; and a second hearing aid having a second microphone, a second processing unit, a second receiver, and a second communication unit; wherein the first communication unit of the first hearing aid is configured to transmit a filtered signal for reception by the second communication unit of the second hearing aid in response to a signal associated with a phone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Applicant: GN HEARING A/S
    Inventors: Andrew Burke DITTBERNER, Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF
  • Patent number: 9723413
    Abstract: A binaural hearing aid system includes: a first hearing aid having a first microphone, a first processing unit, a first receiver, and a first communication unit; and a second hearing aid having a second microphone, a second processing unit, a second receiver, and a second communication unit; wherein the first communication unit of the first hearing aid is configured to transmit a filtered signal for reception by the second communication unit of the second hearing aid in response to a signal associated with a phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventors: Andrew Burke Dittberner, Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Patent number: 9712908
    Abstract: A hearing aid includes: an input transducer for generating an audio signal; a feedback suppression circuit configured for modelling a feedback path of the hearing aid; a subtractor for subtracting an output signal of the feedback suppression circuit from the audio signal to form a feedback compensated audio signal; a signal processor that is coupled to an output of the subtractor for processing the feedback compensated audio signal to perform hearing loss compensation; and a receiver that is coupled to an output of the signal processor for converting the processed feedback compensated audio signal into a sound signal; wherein the hearing aid further comprises a gain processor for performing gain adjustment of the feedback compensated audio signal based at least on an estimate of a residual feedback signal of the feedback compensated audio signal, wherein the estimate of the residual feedback signal is based at least on the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Patent number: 9628923
    Abstract: A new method for performing adaptive feedback suppression in a hearing aid and a hearing aid utilizing the method are provided. According to the method, a slow adaptive filter and a fast adaptive filter with different error signals for filter coefficient updating are used for feedback suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: GN Hearing A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf
  • Publication number: 20160249138
    Abstract: A hearing device includes: a microphone for reception of sound and conversion of the received sound into a corresponding first audio signal; a processing unit for providing a second audio signal compensating a hearing loss of a user of the hearing aid based on the first audio signal; and a receiver for providing an output sound signal based on the second audio signal; wherein the processing unit comprises a band splitter, a pitch shifter, and a frequency shifter, and wherein the pitch shifter and the frequency shifter are arranged in a first channel for performing frequency mapping.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2015
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Applicant: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF
  • Publication number: 20150317995
    Abstract: A method includes: processing the digital audio input signal to generate M delayed digital audio signal samples; converting the delayed digital audio signal samples to frequency domain representation in N number of frequency bands to compute respective signal spectrum values; determining respective signal level estimates; computing respective frequency domain gain coefficients based on the respective signal level estimates and band gain laws; transforming the frequency domain gain coefficients to time domain representation to produce M time-varying filter coefficients of a processing filter; convolving the M delayed digital audio signal samples with the time-varying filter coefficients to produce the processed digital output signal; and updating the delayed digital audio signal samples in accordance with a sample-by-sample or a predetermined block rate; wherein two of the signal spectrum values for at least two of the frequency bands are updated at different rates; and wherein M and N are positive integer num
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventors: Aalbert DE VRIES, Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF
  • Patent number: 9179223
    Abstract: An audio system includes a signal processor for processing an audio signal, and a feedback suppressor circuit configured for modelling a feedback signal path of the audio system by provision of a feedback compensation signal based on sets of feedback model parameters for the feedback signal path that are stored in a repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventors: Erik Cornelis Diederik Van Der Werf, Nikolai Bisgaard
  • Publication number: 20150189450
    Abstract: A new method for performing adaptive feedback suppression in a hearing aid and a hearing aid utilizing the method are provided. According to the method, a slow adaptive filter and a fast adaptive filter with different error signals for filter coefficient updating are used for feedback suppression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: GN ReSound A/S
    Inventor: Erik Cornelis Diederik VAN DER WERF