Patents by Inventor Martin KURIGER

Martin KURIGER 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: 20190132686
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises an input transducer for providing an electric input signal representative of a sound in the environment of the hearing device, an output transducer for providing an output sound representative of said electric input signal, a signal processor operationally connected to the input and output transducers, and forming part of an electric forward path for processing said electric input signal and providing a processed electric output signal, and a feedback detector for providing first and second indications of current feedback in an external—acoustic and/or mechanical—feedback path from said output transducer to said input transducer. The feedback detector is configured to determine the first and second indications of current feedback, respectively, based on said electric input signal or a processed version thereof and—optionally—on a current open loop magnitude of a feedback loop defined by said forward path and said external feedback path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Martin KURIGER, Bernhard KUENZLE, Meng GUO
  • Patent number: 10085099
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid device comprising a configurable signal processing unit, a programming device configured to program the configurable signal processing unit, and a communication link allowing the exchange of data between the hearing aid device and the programming device. The application further relates to a method of programming configurable signal processing unit to provide an increased speech intelligibility by frequency lowering. The hearing aid system is configured to program the configurable signal processing unit of the hearing device according the claimed method. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignees: Bernafon AG, Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Martin Kuriger, Christophe Lesimple, Neil Hockley, Claus Forup Corlin Jespersgaard, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen
  • Publication number: 20180167747
    Abstract: The application relates to a method of reducing reverberation in an audio processing device and to an audio processing device. The object of the present application is to provide an alternative method of reducing noise, e.g. reverberation, in a sound signal. The method comprises the steps of a) providing a time variant electric input signal representative of a sound; b) providing a logarithmic representation of said electric input signal; c) providing a predefined statistical model of the likelihood that a specific slope of the logarithmic representation of the electric input signal is due to reverberation; d) identifying time instances of the electric input signal being reverberant according to the statistical model; and e) applying an attenuation to the time instances identified as reverberant. This has the advantage of providing an enhanced sound signal. The invention may e.g. be used for enhancing noisy, e.g. reverberant, signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2017
    Publication date: June 14, 2018
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Martin KURIGER, Bernhard KUENZLE
  • Patent number: 9980053
    Abstract: A method of programming a configurable signal processing unit of a hearing aid device comprises Providing a frequency transposition algorithm in the hearing aid device where content from more than one upper-lying source frequency band is copied or moved into one and the same lower lying destination frequency band; Providing a number of frequency transposition configurations, each comprising a specific combination of source regions and a destination region; Providing a weight parameter that specifies the amount of gain applied to a lowered signal resulting from a given frequency transposition configuration; and Providing a prescription algorithm that selects an optimum frequency transposition configuration for an ear of a user taking an audiogram for the ear in question and an amplification capability of the hearing aid device in question into account. A purpose of the disclosure is to provide an improved audibility of high frequency sound for users with severe-to-profound hearing losses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignees: OTICON A/S, BERNAFON AG
    Inventors: Martin Kuriger, Christophe Lesimple, Neil Hockley, Claus Forup Corlin Jespersgaard, Thomas Ulrich Christiansen, Kamilla Angelo
  • Publication number: 20180063654
    Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a forward path for processing an electric signal representing sound including a) an input unit for receiving or providing an electric input signal representing sound, b) a signal processing unit, c) an output transducer for generating stimuli perceivable as sound to a user, d) a feedback detection unit configured to detect feedback or evaluate a risk of feedback via an acoustic or mechanical or electrical feedback path from said output transducer to said input unit and comprising d1) a magnitude and phase analysis unit for repeatedly determining magnitude, Mag, and phase, Phase, of said electric input signal and further parameters based thereon, and d2) a feedback conditions and detection unit configured to check criteria for magnitude and phase feedback condition, respectively, based on said values, and to provide a feedback detection signal indicative of feedback or a risk of feedback.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Applicant: Oticon A/S
    Inventors: Martin KURIGER, Bernhard KUENZLE, Meng GUO
  • Patent number: 9800981
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing device comprising an input unit for providing first and second electric input signals representing sound signals, a beamformer filter for making frequency-dependent directional filtering of the electric input signals, the output of said beamformer filter providing a resulting beamformed output signal. The application further relates to a method of providing a directional signal. The object of the present application is to create a directional signal. The problem is solved in that the beamformer filter comprises a directional unit for providing respective first and second beamformed signals from weighted combinations of the electric input signals, an equalization unit for equalizing a phase (and possibly an amplitude) of the beamformed signals and providing first and second equalized beamformed signals, and a beamformer output unit for providing the resulting beamformed output signal from the first and second equalized beamformed signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: BERNAFON AG
    Inventor: Martin Kuriger
  • Publication number: 20170127192
    Abstract: A method of programming a configurable signal processing unit of a hearing aid device comprises Providing a frequency transposition algorithm in the hearing aid device where content from more than one upper-lying source frequency band is copied or moved into one and the same lower lying destination frequency band; Providing a number of frequency transposition configurations, each comprising a specific combination of source regions and a destination region; Providing a weight parameter that specifies the amount of gain applied to a lowered signal resulting from a given frequency transposition configuration; and Providing a prescription algorithm that selects an optimum frequency transposition configuration for an ear of a user taking an audiogram for the ear in question and an amplification capability of the hearing aid device in question into account. A purpose of the disclosure is to provide an improved audibility of high frequency sound for users with severe-to-profound hearing losses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicants: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AG
    Inventors: Martin KURIGER, Christophe LESIMPLE, Neil HOCKLEY, Claus Forup Corlin JESPERSGAARD, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN, Kamilla ANGELO
  • Publication number: 20170127200
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid device comprising a configurable signal processing unit, a programming device configured to program the configurable signal processing unit, and a communication link allowing the exchange of data between the hearing aid device and the programming device. The application further relates to a method of programming configurable signal processing unit to provide an increased speech intelligibility by frequency lowering. The hearing aid system is configured to program the configurable signal processing unit of the hearing device according the claimed method. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicants: Oticon A/S, Bernafon AG
    Inventors: Martin KURIGER, Christophe LESIMPLE, Neil HOCKLEY, Claus Forup Corlin JESPERSGAARD, Thomas Ulrich CHRISTIANSEN
  • Publication number: 20160073203
    Abstract: The application relates to a hearing device comprising an input unit for providing first and second electric input signals representing sound signals, a beamformer filter for making frequency-dependent directional filtering of the electric input signals, the output of said beamformer filter providing a resulting beamformed output signal. The application further relates to a method of providing a directional signal. The object of the present application is to create a directional signal. The problem is solved in that the beamformer filter comprises a directional unit for providing respective first and second beamformed signals from weighted combinations of the electric input signals, an equalization unit for equalizing a phase (and possibly an amplitude) of the beamformed signals and providing first and second equalized beamformed signals, and a beamformer output unit for providing the resulting beamformed output signal from the first and second equalized beamformed signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Applicant: BERNAFON AG
    Inventor: Martin KURIGER