Patents by Inventor Francois Callias

Francois Callias 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: 20080009253
    Abstract: There is provided a method for operating a receiver unit (12) for receiving audio signals from a remote transmission unit (10) via a wireless audio link (56), comprising: connecting an audio signal output (41) of the receiver unit (12) to an audio signal input (42) of a hearing instrument (14A, 14B) comprising means (52) located at a user's ear or in the user's ear canal for stimulating the user's hearing according to the audio signals from the receiver unit (12) and a microphone arrangement (44); measuring by means (34, 38) included in the receiver unit (12) the impedance of the audio signal input (42) of the hearing instrument (14A, 14B); and adjusting the impedance of the audio signal output (41) of the receiver unit (12) according to the measured impedance of the audio signal input (42) of the hearing instrument (14A, 14B).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Francois Callias, Evert Dijkstra, Francois Marquis
  • Publication number: 20070282392
    Abstract: There is provided a method for providing hearing assistance to a user, comprising: capturing audio signals by a microphone arrangement (18) and transmitting the audio signals by a transmission unit (10) via a modulated wireless audio link (30) to a receiver unit (12) and receiving the audio signals at the receiver unit (12); analyzing the amplitude of the received audio signals by an analyzer unit (34) of the receiver unit (12); dynamically adjusting by a gain control unit (36) located in the receiver unit (12) the gain applied to the received audio signals according to the result of the analysis by the analyzer unit (34), wherein the gain is equal to or larger than a first value (GH) if the amplitude of the received audio signals is equal to or larger than a first threshold (U1H) and is reduced to a finite value less than said first value if the amplitude of the received audio signals is less than said first threshold (U1H); and stimulating the user's hearing by stimulating means (14, 16) worn at or in the u
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2006
    Publication date: December 6, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Francois Callias, Evert Dijkstra
  • Publication number: 20070274550
    Abstract: There is provided a method of operating a hearing assistance system comprising a hearing device (10, 110, 210), which comprises means (24) for stimulating a user's hearing and which is worn at one of the user's ears, and a remote device (12, 30, 40) spaced apart from the hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2006
    Publication date: November 29, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Herbert Baechler, Francois Callias, Stefan Haenggi
  • Publication number: 20040137865
    Abstract: For tuning an LC resonator (2) which particularly comprises a miniaturized antenna coil (LA), a variable capacitance (CT) is connected in parallel to the LC resonator (2). At manufacturing time, a maximum resonance frequency of the LC resonator (2) is measured when the variable capacitance (CT) is set to its minimum value, a minimum resonance frequency of the LC resonator (2) is measured when the variable capacitance (CT) is set to its maximum value, and coded values of the measured maximum and minimum resonance frequencies are stored in non-volatile memories (Fmin, Fmax). At operations time, a binary tuning code (B) is computed as a linear interpolation between the stored values of the minimum and maximum resonance frequencies for a target resonance frequency (ft). The LC resonator (2) is tuned to the target resonance frequency (ft) by selectively connecting separate binary weighted capacitors (Cn−1, . . .
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Francois Callias, Reto Philp, Rainer Platz
  • Publication number: 20040138723
    Abstract: A number of ear-worn hearing system devices are provided that each include a pair of electrodes to transmit time varying electrical signals therebetween when in contact with skin of a user's body. The devices each include a housing, a sound sensor, and processing circuitry included within the housing. The electrodes are coupled to the circuitry and are spaced apart from one another a distance sufficient to provide capacitance between the electrodes below a desired threshold. The electrodes are disposed along the housing for placement on locations of the user's body where skin contact is not likely to be disrupted by nominal body movements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Inventors: Crista Malick, Xie Qi, Mitesh Parikh, Steve J. Franke, Douglas L. Jones, Jeffery B. Larsen, Christopher D. Schmitz, Francois Callias
  • Patent number: 5734976
    Abstract: A micro-receiver for receiving a high frequency frequency modulated or phase modulated signal, including a single integrated circuit in BiCMOS technology and on which is integrated a high frequency amplifier, an oscillator, a modulator, an intermediate frequency filter, an intermediate frequency amplifier, a demodulator, a low pass filter and a low frequency amplifier. The integrated circuit includes in addition a muting or squelch circuit, a voltage multiplier as well as a standby circuit. The circuits working in a lower frequency range are implemented in CMOS technology, and operated in a very energy-saving way with a single-cell battery with a low battery voltage of 1.3 V. The voltage multiplier provides a higher operating voltage for the circuits working in a higher frequency range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 31, 1998
    Assignee: Phonak Communications AG
    Inventors: Anton Bartschi, Francois Callias
  • Patent number: 5317640
    Abstract: In a hearing aid having a switched amplifier, an amplifier circuit is provided so that the pulse amplitude of the switched output signal is adjusted as a function of the envelope of the audio signal to be amplified. A controllable amplifier is switched in series ahead of the switched amplifier, whereby its control by the audio signal to be amplified proceeds in such a manner that the product of the amplifications of the two amplifiers remains constant for all audio signal levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Ascom Audiosys AG
    Inventor: Francois Callias