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).
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Patent number: 11863937Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 7, 2022Date of Patent: January 2, 2024Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Anne Thielen, Patrizia Richner, Markus Leuthold, Katja Dietrich, Adem Bici, Matthias Riepenhoff, Evgeny Murtola, Emily Urry
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Patent number: 11647950Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 30, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: SONOVA AGInventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei-Krumme, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Muller, Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20230034479Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 19, 2022Publication date: February 2, 2023Inventor: Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20220377476Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2020Publication date: November 24, 2022Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
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Publication number: 20220329952Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2022Publication date: October 13, 2022Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Anne Thielen, Patrizia Richner, Markus Leuthold, Katja Dietrich, Adem Bici, Matthias Riepenhoff, Evgeny Murtola, Emily Urry
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Publication number: 20220174432Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2019Publication date: June 2, 2022Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Leuthold, Markus Müller, Christian Frei-Krumme
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Publication number: 20210298670Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2020Publication date: September 30, 2021Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei-Krumme, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Muller, Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20210282666Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2021Publication date: September 16, 2021Inventors: Jana-Kosima Schwarzlos-Sooprayen, Markus Leuthold
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Patent number: 11115764Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: September 7, 2021Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
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Patent number: 11044564Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: June 22, 2021Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20210099811Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christian Frei, Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20210099815Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 30, 2019Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Konstantin Silberzahn, Markus Mueller, Natasha Thumm, Markus Leuthold, Christian Frei
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Patent number: 9654884Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 21, 2013Date of Patent: May 16, 2017Assignee: Sonova AGInventors: Roland Hug, Alfred Stirnemann, Christian Frei-Krumme, Daniel Probst, Hilmar Meier, Martin Roth, Markus Leuthold
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Publication number: 20160112814Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2013Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Roland Hug, Alfred STIRNEMANN, Christian FREI-KRUMME, Daniel PROBST, Hilmar MEIER, Martin ROTH, Markus LEUTHOLD
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Publication number: 20150073262Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 2, 2012Publication date: March 12, 2015Applicant: PHONAK AGInventors: Samuel Hans Martin Roth, Markus Leuthold