Patents by Inventor Georg Dickmann
Georg Dickmann 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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Patent number: 11930324Abstract: An illustrative system includes a hearing device and a charging device configured to provide a power signal to the hearing device while the hearing device is within a charging range of the charging device. The hearing device and the charging device are configured to establish a primary communication channel between the hearing device and the charging device and participate in an authenticated pairing procedure for the primary communication channel in which authentication information is transmitted from one device to the other by way of a secondary communication channel that allows for communication only over distances that are below a threshold distance.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2021Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Alexander Maksyagin, Michael von Tessin, Andreas Breitenmoser
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Patent number: 11510020Abstract: A binaural hearing system includes first and second hearing devices communicatively coupled by way of a binaural communication link. The first hearing device determines that a signal quality measure of a wireless signal transmitted by the remote audio source is greater than an upper threshold level. In response, both hearing devices enter a wireless audio rendering mode in which they render a remote audio stream from the remote audio source to a user. While operating in the wireless audio rendering mode, both hearing devices determine that a signal quality measure of the remote audio stream drops below a lower threshold level. In response to this determination, both hearing devices exit the wireless audio rendering mode.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2021Date of Patent: November 22, 2022Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Doris Zahnd
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Publication number: 20220322016Abstract: An illustrative system includes a hearing device and a charging device configured to provide a power signal to the hearing device while the hearing device is within a charging range of the charging device. The hearing device and the charging device are configured to establish a primary communication channel between the hearing device and the charging device and participate in an authenticated pairing procedure for the primary communication channel in which authentication information is transmitted from one device to the other by way of a secondary communication channel that allows for communication only over distances that are below a threshold distance.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2021Publication date: October 6, 2022Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Alexander Maksyagin, Michael von Tessin, Andreas Breitenmoser
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Patent number: 11445308Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling access of a client to a service of a hearing instrument, the method comprising the steps of: requesting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument by providing a client authenticator to the hearing instrument; authenticating the client based on a validation of the provided client authenticator by the hearing instrument; upon successful authentication, comparing a security level associated with the service requested by the client with a highest security level assigned to the client by the hearing instrument, wherein the security level is selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured security levels, and granting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument, if the requested security level is below or equal to the highest security level assigned to the client.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Michael von Tessin, Alexander Maksyagin
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Patent number: 11363440Abstract: There is provided a method of wirelessly connecting a communication device to other devices using a communication protocol, wherein the communication device searches for external devices known to the communication device by executing a search activity in which the search effort to be spent by the communication device increases with the number of known external devices to be searched, wherein the communication device adjusts the search effort spent on the search activity for each one of the external devices according to the relevance of that external device, with a higher relevance of the external device resulting in a higher search effort, and wherein the search effort is determined by at least one of the following parameters of the search activity: scheduling frequency, duty cycle and transmission power.Type: GrantFiled: August 11, 2017Date of Patent: June 14, 2022Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Patent number: 11323889Abstract: A communication device, including a wireless interface including a transceiver unit, and a controller configured to control the transceiver unit when applying a first protocol which is a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and a second protocol which is suitable for exchanging both audio data and non-audio data. The controller is further configured to apply a first control configuration while the transceiver unit is not used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol, and to apply a second control configuration while the transceiver unit is used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol. In the second control configuration duration of BLE connection events is limited to a maximum duration shorter than the maximum duration of BLE connection events in the first control configuration.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2018Date of Patent: May 3, 2022Assignee: SONOVA AGInventors: Jonas Högberg, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Amre El-Hoiydi, Federico Ferrari, Marc Secall, Michael Osterwalder, Georg Dickmann
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Publication number: 20220007201Abstract: A communication device, including a wireless interface including a transceiver unit, and a controller configured to control the transceiver unit when applying a first protocol which is a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and a second protocol which is suitable for exchanging both audio data and non-audio data. The controller is further configured to apply a first control configuration while the transceiver unit is not used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol, and to apply a second control configuration while the transceiver unit is used for audio data reception and/or transmission of audio data via the second protocol. In the second control configuration duration of BLE connection events is limited to a maximum duration shorter than the maximum duration of BLE connection events in the first control configuration.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2018Publication date: January 6, 2022Inventors: Jonas Högberg, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Amre El-Hoiydi, Federico Ferrari, Marc Secall, Michael Osterwalder, Georg Dickmann
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Publication number: 20210360357Abstract: A binaural hearing system includes first and second hearing devices communicatively coupled by way of a binaural communication link. The first hearing device determines that a signal quality measure of a wireless signal transmitted by the remote audio source is greater than an upper threshold level. In response, both hearing devices enter a wireless audio rendering mode in which they render a remote audio stream from the remote audio source to a user. While operating in the wireless audio rendering mode, both hearing devices determine that a signal quality measure of the remote audio stream drops below a lower threshold level. In response to this determination, both hearing devices exit the wireless audio rendering mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2021Publication date: November 18, 2021Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Doris Zahnd
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Patent number: 11122377Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a hearing device that can determine whether a client device is implementing rich and/or simple volume control. Based on if the client device implementing rich and/or simple volume control, the hearing device can locally adjust the volume, levels, or amplification of output signals at the hearing device. In some implementations, the hearing device determines that the client device is implementing a rich volume control, and the hearing device only adjust master volume amplification for output signals of the hearing device. In other implementations, the hearing device determines that the client device is implementing simple volume control and the hearing device adjusts a balance of ambient and external sound levels for the output signal of the hearing device.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2020Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: Sonova AGInventor: Georg Dickmann
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Patent number: 11102592Abstract: There is provided a hearing device to be worn by a user for stimulating the user's hearing, comprising an interface (20) for wireless communication with external devices (11, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 54, 56), and a pairing control unit (38) for controlling pairing of the hearing device with external devices. The pairing control unit is configured to maintain a plurality of pairing tables (P1, P2), wherein each pairing table is configured to persistently store a limited number of pairing information entries for external devices paired with hearing device, and wherein, once the maximum number of external devices has been reached, one of the existing entries is overwritten when a new pairing information entry is to be stored in the paring table.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2016Date of Patent: August 24, 2021Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Patent number: 10972845Abstract: An exemplary hearing device configured to assist a user in hearing comprises a memory storing instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions to receive, by way of a first wireless link established between the hearing device and a first external device using a first wireless communication protocol, audio content transmitted by the first external device, receive signaling data transmitted by a second external device and indicating that the second external device has additional audio content available to be transmitted to the hearing device, the signaling data transmitted to the hearing device using a second wireless communication protocol that is of a different type than the first wireless communication protocol, and perform, in response to receiving the signaling data, an action with respect to the additional audio content.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20210099812Abstract: An exemplary hearing device configured to assist a user in hearing comprises a memory storing instructions and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. The processor may be configured to execute the instructions to receive, by way of a first wireless link established between the hearing device and a first external device using a first wireless communication protocol, audio content transmitted by the first external device, receive signaling data transmitted by a second external device and indicating that the second external device has additional audio content available to be transmitted to the hearing device, the signaling data transmitted to the hearing device using a second wireless communication protocol that is of a different type than the first wireless communication protocol, and perform, in response to receiving the signaling data, an action with respect to the additional audio content.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20210084419Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling access of a client to a service of a hearing instrument, the method comprising the steps of: requesting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument by providing a client authenticator to the hearing instrument; authenticating the client based on a validation of the provided client authenticator by the hearing instrument; upon successful authentication, comparing a security level associated with the service requested by the client with a highest security level assigned to the client by the hearing instrument, wherein the security level is selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured security levels, and granting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument, if the requested security level is below or equal to the highest security level assigned to the client.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 24, 2020Publication date: March 18, 2021Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Michael von Tessin, Alexander Maksyagin
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Patent number: 10880661Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling access of a client to a service of a hearing instrument, the method comprising the steps of: requesting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument by providing a client authenticator to the hearing instrument; authenticating the client based on a validation of the provided client authenticator by the hearing instrument; upon successful authentication, comparing a security level associated with the service requested by the client with a highest security level assigned to the client by the hearing instrument, wherein the security level is selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured security levels, and granting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument, if the requested security level is below or equal to the highest security level assigned to the client.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2016Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Michael von Tessin, Alexander Maksyagin
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Patent number: 10715936Abstract: There is provided a hearing device (10) comprising a BTLE 4.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2016Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20200162883Abstract: There is provided a method of wirelessly connecting a communication device to other devices using a communication protocol, wherein the communication device searches for external devices known to the communication device by executing a search activity in which the search effort to be spent by the communication device increases with the number of known external devices to be searched, wherein the communication device adjusts the search effort spent on the search activity for each one of the external devices according to the relevance of that external device, with a higher relevance of the external device resulting in a higher search effort, and wherein the search effort is determined by at least one of the following parameters of the search activity: scheduling frequency, duty cycle and transmission power.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 11, 2017Publication date: May 21, 2020Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20200053491Abstract: There is provided a hearing device to be worn by a user for stimulating the user's hearing, comprising an interface (20) for wireless communication with external devices (11, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 54, 56), and a pairing control unit (38) for controlling pairing of the hearing device with external devices. The pairing control unit is configured to maintain a plurality of pairing tables (P1, P2), wherein each pairing table is configured to persistently store a limited number of pairing information entries for external devices paired with hearing device, and wherein, once the maximum number of external devices has been reached, one of the existing entries is overwritten when a new pairing information entry is to be stored in the paring table.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2016Publication date: February 13, 2020Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20190335281Abstract: There is provided a method of controlling access of a client to a service of a hearing instrument, the method comprising the steps of: requesting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument by providing a client authenticator to the hearing instrument; authenticating the client based on a validation of the provided client authenticator by the hearing instrument; upon successful authentication, comparing a security level associated with the service requested by the client with a highest security level assigned to the client by the hearing instrument, wherein the security level is selected from a plurality of hierarchically structured security levels, and granting access of the client to the service of the hearing instrument, if the requested security level is below or equal to the highest security level assigned to the client.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 16, 2016Publication date: October 31, 2019Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz, Michael von Tessin, Alexander Maksyagin
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Patent number: 10455333Abstract: There is provided a personal device to be worn at the body of a user (15), comprising an interface (20) for wireless data exchange with an external device (11, 39, 50); at least one sensor (28, 42, 44, 46) for sensing a parameter indicative of the proximity of the personal device (10) to the user; a loss detection unit (40) for determining, by regularly analyzing signals received from the sensor, whether the personal device is presently worn by the user or not; a control unit (38) for controlling operation of the personal device in a regular mode as long as the loss detection unit determines that the personal device is worn by the user and in a loss mode as long as the loss detection unit determines that the personal device is no longer worn by the user, wherein the wireless interface is directed to transmit in the regular mode a non-traceable device address and to transmit in the loss mode a traceable public device address.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2016Date of Patent: October 22, 2019Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz
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Publication number: 20190230451Abstract: There is provided a hearing device (10) comprising a BTLE 4.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2016Publication date: July 25, 2019Inventors: Georg Dickmann, Daniel Lucas-Hirtz