Patents by Inventor Markus Leuthold

Markus Leuthold 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: 11863937
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a hearing system including a first hearing device configured to be worn at a first ear of a user and a second hearing device configured to be worn at a second ear of the user. The first hearing device includes a first physiological sensor configured to provide sensor data indicative of a physiological property of the user and the second hearing device includes a second physiological sensor configured to provide sensor data indicative of the same physiological property as the sensor data provided by the first physiological sensor. A processing unit may be configured to control the first and second physiological sensor to alternatingly provide the sensor data in subsequent time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Anne Thielen, Patrizia Richner, Markus Leuthold, Katja Dietrich, Adem Bici, Matthias Riepenhoff, Evgeny Murtola, Emily Urry
  • Patent number: 11647950
    Abstract: An in-ear hearing device includes a light source configured to emit light, a photodetector configured to detect the emitted light after the emitted light passes through tissue of a subject, a spout; an audio receiver configured to deliver a sound to the subject through the spout, and a dome configured to conform to a shape of a subject's ear canal when the hearing device is in the ear canal. An output of the light source and an input of the photodetector are separated by the dome, and the dome absorbs and/or reflects at least part of the emitted light. The photodetector may be a forward biased photodiode. The sensor device can be realized with power levels, circuitry components, and in package sizes, of hearing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: SONOVA AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei-Krumme, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Muller, Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20230034479
    Abstract: An ear piece for a hearing device includes one of two, three four or more shapes, wherein the ear piece comprises a tube having a first bend separating two essentially straight sections of the tube which smoothly merge into one another at the first bend, wherein each section has a respective centerline, wherein the centerlines enclose an angle between them, wherein the angle is in a range of 41° to 58°, wherein the centerlines meet at an intersection point lying within an bend plane having a plane area confined by the tube, and wherein the bend plane bisects the angle with a tolerance range of 5% and/or is rotated within the tube about the intersection point so as to minimize the plane area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Inventor: Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20220377476
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing system that is configured to assist a user in hearing includes an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to fit at least partially within an ear canal of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user, a first sensor electrode provided on a surface of the ITE component and configured to contact, while the hearing system is worn by the user, outer ear tissue of the user, and a second sensor electrode configured to be located, while the hearing system is worn by the user, at an entrance to or outside of the ear canal of the user. The first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode may be configured to be used to detect a physiological attribute of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
  • Publication number: 20220329952
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a hearing system including a first hearing device configured to be worn at a first ear of a user and a second hearing device configured to be worn at a second ear of the user. The first hearing device includes a first physiological sensor configured to provide sensor data indicative of a physiological property of the user and the second hearing device includes a second physiological sensor configured to provide sensor data indicative of the same physiological property as the sensor data provided by the first physiological sensor. A processing unit may be configured to control the first and second physiological sensor to alternatingly provide the sensor data in subsequent time intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Anne Thielen, Patrizia Richner, Markus Leuthold, Katja Dietrich, Adem Bici, Matthias Riepenhoff, Evgeny Murtola, Emily Urry
  • Publication number: 20220174432
    Abstract: A customized in-ear hearing device includes a light source, photodetector, light emission window, and light transmission window. The light source and the photodetector together function as a physiological sensor by emitting light from the light source through the light emission to the skin of a user's ear canal, and detecting at the photodetector light reflected by the skin that passes through the light detection window. The light emission window and light detection window are located at a customized portion of the sidewall of the device that contacts the skin in the ear canal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Leuthold, Markus Müller, Christian Frei-Krumme
  • Publication number: 20210298670
    Abstract: An in-ear hearing device includes a light source configured to emit light, a photodetector configured to detect the emitted light after the emitted light passes through tissue of a subject, a spout; an audio receiver configured to deliver a sound to the subject through the spout, and a dome configured to conform to a shape of a subject's ear canal when the hearing device is in the ear canal. An output of the light source and an input of the photodetector are separated by the dome, and the dome absorbs and/or reflects at least part of the emitted light. The photodetector may be a forward biased photodiode. The sensor device can be realized with power levels, circuitry components, and in package sizes, of hearing devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei-Krumme, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Muller, Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20210282666
    Abstract: An illustrative method for checking a usability of an impression model of a human ear includes determining an estimated shape model of the human ear by adapting a statistical shape model to the impression model, wherein the statistical shape model has been determined from a plurality of impression models of a plurality of human ears and wherein the statistical shape model has at least one impression feature, which is mapped to an estimated impression feature of the estimated shape model; determining a feature classification from the estimated impression feature; and when the feature classification is within an allowed feature classification range, rating the impression model as usable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Jana-Kosima Schwarzlos-Sooprayen, Markus Leuthold
  • Patent number: 11115764
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing system that is configured to assist a user in hearing includes an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to fit at least partially within an ear canal of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user, a first sensor electrode provided on a surface of the ITE component and configured to contact, while the hearing system is worn by the user, outer ear tissue of the user, and a second sensor electrode configured to be located, while the hearing system is worn by the user, at an entrance to or outside of the ear canal of the user. The first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode may be configured to be used to detect a physiological attribute of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
  • Patent number: 11044564
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing system that is configured to assist a user in hearing includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) component that includes a power source and an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to fit at least partially within an ear canal of the user. The ITE component may include a microphone arranged so as to face outside of the ear canal of the user while the ITE component is worn by the user, a vent opening configured to ventilate the ear canal of the user to an environment outside of the ear canal, a receiver configured to provide an audio signal to the user based on an input audio signal detected by the microphone, and at least one of active noise control circuitry configured to reduce at least one of environmental noise entering the ear canal through the vent opening and occlusion and an active vent configured to control the vent opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20210099811
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing system that is configured to assist a user in hearing includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) component that includes a power source and an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to fit at least partially within an ear canal of the user. The ITE component may include a microphone arranged so as to face outside of the ear canal of the user while the ITE component is worn by the user, a vent opening configured to ventilate the ear canal of the user to an environment outside of the ear canal, a receiver configured to provide an audio signal to the user based on an input audio signal detected by the microphone, and at least one of active noise control circuitry configured to reduce at least one of environmental noise entering the ear canal through the vent opening and occlusion and an active vent configured to control the vent opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20210099815
    Abstract: An exemplary hearing system that is configured to assist a user in hearing includes an in-the-ear (ITE) component configured to fit at least partially within an ear canal of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user, a first sensor electrode provided on a surface of the ITE component and configured to contact, while the hearing system is worn by the user, outer ear tissue of the user, and a second sensor electrode configured to be located, while the hearing system is worn by the user, at an entrance to or outside of the ear canal of the user. The first sensor electrode and the second sensor electrode may be configured to be used to detect a physiological attribute of the user while the hearing system is worn by the user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
  • Patent number: 9654884
    Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a method of fitting a hearing instrument to a user's ear is provided. The method comprises taking an impression of the user's ear canal and manufacturing, based on geometrical data of the impression, an earmold. In accordance with the aspect of the invention, the method comprises the further step of performing an acoustical measurement while the impression is being taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventors: Roland Hug, Alfred Stirnemann, Christian Frei-Krumme, Daniel Probst, Hilmar Meier, Martin Roth, Markus Leuthold
  • Publication number: 20160112814
    Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a method of fitting a hearing instrument to a user's ear is provided. The method comprises taking an impression of the user's ear canal and manufacturing, based on geometrical data of the impression, an earmold. In accordance with the aspect of the invention, the method comprises the further step of performing an acoustical measurement while the impression is being taken.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Inventors: Roland Hug, Alfred STIRNEMANN, Christian FREI-KRUMME, Daniel PROBST, Hilmar MEIER, Martin ROTH, Markus LEUTHOLD
  • Publication number: 20150073262
    Abstract: A method of estimating the shape of an individual ear includes determining at least part of the shape of the individual ear, the shape being determined over a first extent and constituting a determined shape; taking a predefined template shape determined by statistical analysis of a plurality of previously measured ear shapes according to a statistical model, the template shape having a second extent; and generating an estimated shape corresponding to an estimated representation of the shape of the individual ear over the intersection of the first extent and second extent by modifying the template shape to substantially match the determined shape over the first extent or over the second extent within a predefined tolerance. Also, a method of optimising an ITE shell, BTE or CRT housing, or BTE sound tube to a given population group utilising the same template methodology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Publication date: March 12, 2015
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventors: Samuel Hans Martin Roth, Markus Leuthold